Pioneer Woman at Heart

  It's 45°F out this morning.  The rain may have quit for a while, but the cold nights remain.  May is that way most years.  It could rain, snow, be 90°F, or a drought.  You just never know. I could not believe I picked this yesterday.  My goodness.  What a grand year for our asparagus. It's been a very good month, although we still have a few days to go.  We would have liked to have more done, but sometimes we just have to look for the good in what we think is not good.  I often times, have to remind myself. The good?  Cleavers are still growing, as well as more asparagus coming up.  The herb garden is looking grand, although I do need warmer days to drop parsley seeds, basil and more.  Two cilantro plants, that self-seeded, are still doing pretty well. Cool May Nights ©  May 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart  

  My 20 year old garden sign gave me a chuckle.  It is sort of how we felt after all that rain here.  The sign is broken, and it will be replaced.   Flower beds are weeded, rose bushes trimmed and flowers planted.  Whew!    The vegetable garden?  Not planted.  It is still, even with this heat here, way too wet.  I managed to weed out the rhubarb plants, but I think I carried about a pound of wet mud on my muck boots out of the garden.   We are still getting a few straggler asparagus.  The rain God's gave us a lot more chive blossoms, so I started another chive vinegar, and this one is with organic red wine vinegar.  It'll be great for summer salads and more.  I think we use red wine vinegar more often, but we now have both infused with chives (white wine and red wine vinegar). There really is no excuse to be so far behind, but I finally (yes, finally) got all the last 11 granny squares sewn on to my crochet ...

  A blind date book gift, that I received from someone last December.  I'm finally opening it, and I have already used the pampering eye mask.  In fact, I've already been using the post-it page markers too.  I have no information about the book or author, but I did see it has a 3.88 rating from Goodreads.  I have yet to even open the book to read, but it fun opening it and all the goodies that came with it.  I'll be enjoying the tea soon too. No rain yesterday, nor today (so far), and no rain in sight, so we may be drying out.  The evenings are running about 49 degrees, so it's still cooler out some evenings. We enjoyed, what may have been the last of our asparagus harvest this season.  It's been a wonderful year for asparagus too.  There wasn't a large amount of the asparagus, so we grilled it with other vegetables. Other than the green onion, the herb garden is springing back to life with the recent rain.  Everything is growing in the ...

  The notorious wren is back.  She's not making a nest in the flower pot pictured above, but she picked the same location of a hanging flower basket for her nest again. The hummingbirds are back too.  I did not have a camera on hand, but they are enjoying the early blooms already. We just may get to dry out for a day, but after this morning's rain.  At least for a day or maybe even two, before it returns (again). There is always something good in everything.  Including frustrating times, or moments, like days and days of rainfall. I finished another book, tried another new treat recipe (more to try), and actually relaxed for once.  My husband grilled us the most delicious burgers too.  We had chopped up mushrooms and such, for camping, and they made the best swiss mushroom burgers I have ever had.  Speaking of which, it reminded me I still have homemade garlic scape butter in the freezer to use up too. I harvested more cleavers in between downpour...

Whelp.  It rained and rained and rained here.  We are getting a slight break this morning, but we are saturated.  Rain returns in a very short bit, and then off and on all day (again).  If we are lucky, the rain will stop come Monday.  Maybe.  Many area festivals are canceling, or have already canceled.  On the bright side, it's watering the new trees we planted, and flower bushes, but I do have one red raspberry plant to plant too. The Bad:  Our weekend camping trip was canceled.     It's not camping if we cannot have a campfire, go hiking or biking and/or campfire cook, or even go fishing.  Stuck in the camper would be zero fun (in our current camper anyway).   Yes, we we have an awning, but the rain was just too much, and our camper is small.  It's not a comfortable place to be when it's raining out.  In fact, we had more seating room in our 7 person pop-up camper than we do in our current hard sided camp...

  For some reason, the two humans walking around here, named me Alvin.  I love to torment the woman!  I sort of crawl up the downspout drain, and when she's weeding in her flower beds, I like to zip on down the spout and give her a fright. He he!   I also love to eat that delicious bits of morsels he sets out in a bowl.  How did she know I'm hungry?  Ha, I eat it up before that cat comes up to eat, he he he he!  Even though I know it's not good for me.  She'll only leave it out during the day, as those rotten raccoons will devour it all first.  I don't care that she moved the bowl way up by the door either.  I just sneak on up and stuff my cheeks full and carry on. Ha!  Hope you enjoyed that "tidbit" for today.  He really is a pain in my rump.  The cat hasn't even caught him/her yet.  I'm surprised.  Our last barn cats eradicated all chipmunks, but this one continues to try and take over the place.  It ...