Godfrey puts in his 2 cents!

Lately, Godfrey has been expressing his need to put in his two cents in a blog post, but first I must share what is going on in his young life at the moment!

Godfrey has become, literally, CATatonic in the past few weeks!  He has fallen in love, of all things!  And fallen hard, sweet fellow.  Apparently, he got online one day while I was in town.  I had left the computer on, and he discovered that one of my friends knows a tortoiseshell kitty name Gumdrop who is quite the looker!  In fact, she has won numerous beauty pageants and has her very own Facebook page.  My, my!  I came home and found drool all over my keyboard ........

Well, all I can say is that it has gotten a bit silly what with Godfrey going around all lovesick and moon-eyed.  He is now practicing the art of writing sonnets, and he hasn't eaten in hours or taken more than 20 catnaps per day since she let him know that she returned his love!  I am afraid that he is totally inCATuated, poor dear!  The "X" & "O" keys on my keyboard are just about worn out!

So now he is insisting that I let him email her back and forth IN PRIVATE, and he says he needs his own computer and credit card so he can send her catnip, toys and treats.  Actually, he also wants his own Amazon Prime account, but I said "No!" to that immediately!  I don't care if it does include free shipping!  This is all happening just way too fast if you ask me.

This is Gumdrop, the object of Godfrey's affection (and obsession!). She really is quite lovely and I can see why Godfrey has fallen under her spell! You can just fall into those eyes and lose yourself! 

Life as a pin-up and show girl can really be quite nice, apparently!

He must be having some trouble with the sonnet writing, what with all the rules and regulations for their composition and form, because I have yet to see any finished poems.  There HAS been A LOT of wadded up bits of paper in the wastebasket of late, however, along with 3 chewed up ballpoint pens.  He is giving it a good go, at least!  I have tactfully suggested he try haiku, but so far he has not bought into that idea.

Another attempt at a sonnet hits the waste basket!  This is hard work!

Fortunately, Godfrey has forgotten that I forgot about sharing his very first birthday party photos in the middle of June because of the dog attack on me and my llama, Jagger.  Truth be told, he was pretty devastated about the whole thing, too, as not only had his Person been injured, but one of his outside buddies had been brutally attacked and killed.  So, to make it up to him, I am allowing him to post now, and I hope he will say:  "Well, better late than never!"

Godfrey & Jagger spent a lot of time communicating through the dining room window this past spring. Two beautiful friends.  This photo really makes me start to tear up .... 

Here he is to tell you all about the Big Day.

GREETINGS!  SALUTATIONS!  HELLO, EVEN!

Godfrey, here, with some photos to amuse you, as well as some advice from my heart to yours.  First of all, I wanted to share my first birthday with you as it was quite a blast, if you ask me!  Of course, it's being the very first celebration of my gracing this world, I was not sure what to expect.  But, there were snacks and plenty of catnip, and my big pal, Axl, participated in all of the shenanigans!  Jessy, on the other hand, just watched from her nearby perch on the arm of the den sofa.  She can really be an old stick in the mud sometimes, bless her heart!

My favorite birthday present!  I still spend hours trying to get that danged ball out of this circular
contraption.  Once I actually succeeded, but according to my Person, that wasn't supposed to
happen!

Axl found where the catnip was hiding ....  right there in that light blue thing in the center.  He sure has a nose for catnip, my big buddy, Axl!  

Axl was a good sport and let me have the first turn with my new toy, even though it was laced with
catnip, and then I let him have a spin with it!

Soon we were feeling real good!

After a bit of a snooze, we played (and sniffed) some more ....

I really do think that Axl is affected by the Good Stuff more than I am.

But soon, we were both completely "under the influence!"   Best party EVER!

And then there was THIS:

This was my other gift from my Person.  I have to admit, I have no 
clue why I need this for sharpening my claws. 

I much prefer sharpening my claws on the door facing of the hall bathroom!
I don't see myself making any changes anytime soon.

During these warm, lazy days of Summer 2014, I have been reading a good bit.

I absolutely adore my Kindle Fire HD!  I can easily turn the pages with one paw and I can read at night in the dark.  Awesome!

Two of my current favorites are pictured below.  I thoroughly enjoyed these when I was looking for something a bit on the lighter side after finishing A Tale of Two Cities earlier in the spring.  At first, I just wanted to see if that was my sister, Bella, on the covers. She has not written since the day I left home and who knows what she has gotten into in the meantime.  It looks quite a bit like her, although I cannot get a glimpse of her white paws in either cover photo. Both books are available for your Kindle, etc., and SHE has a Facebook page of her own, too!  I want MY own Facebook page!

This is a really good read.  And it turns
out that is not Bella on the cover, after
all.

I am only halfway through this one, but
it is a good read, also.  I really DO want
to learn how to purr ....  don't you?!

I, for one, believe wholeheartedly that it is the daily practicing of mindfulness and the principles of Zen that have brought me to my place in Life with my devoted Person, as well as milady love, Gumdrop, and I challenge you to try it for yourself.  You may be very pleasantly surprised by the results!  One word of caution, however.  Do not rush the Process!!!  It takes Time as well as Mindfulness to discover and achieve what it is that we Need.

Here is a little something I found while perusing the Internet recently.  I really liked it and think it is full of Great Wisdom.  I have noticed that my Person has already been practicing these for some time but she has a bit of trouble with #1, #3 and #5, if you ask me!

I also stumbled upon this popular little bit of wisdom online, also, and have decided to share it with you, my friends! At first, it may seem strange to be coming from a feline, but the Wisdom is there in the idea that we should push our boundaries, and try something new, something different now and then!   ENJOY!

Be More Dog

And last, but certainly not least, it is that time of year again ... Football Season!  YES!  I just love lying around on the coffee table or lazing about on the ottoman, watching my Steelers play their game.  Oh, I watch other teams, too, but the Steelers make my heart sing!  I have my very own Terrible Towel that I drape over my shoulders or cuddle up with during the games, but my Person has not gotten me my very own t-shirt as of yet.  Maybe for Christmas?!  Hint, hint!!!!!

Troy Polamalu will be back on the field and throwing his body through 

the air just like a circus performer. Pure awesomeness!  He has just got 

to be part cat!

And with that, I turn this blog post back over to my wonderful Person.

I remain your devoted feline friend,

GODFREY.

Okay, it me, Sara.  I am back!  While he was pounding out his thoughts on the keyboard, I went to the store and had some prints made for him of his sweet and lovely Gumdrop.  I put them in some nice little frames so that he doesn't have to be online in order to gaze into her liquid eyes.  I am just that kind of Person.  Also, I was getting tired of wiping up the drool on my keyboard!  But he really is such a sweetheart, and I do tend to spoil him, along with Jessy and Axl, because they do bring such joy into my life.

He was thrilled, of course, and is now in the process of hanging them near one of his favorite chill-laxing spots.

As for me, I have been looking at my veggie garden, which is just about played out now, with only peppers, eggplant, okra and some tomatoes left.  I am trying to decide if I want to continue my experimentation with gardening during the fall and winter months as I did last year.  It is a Big Question for me, but I think that I have made big strides in gardening over the last 12 months or so, and can now be confident enough to know that I can grow my own favorite vegetables year round as I have dreamed of doing for sustainability.

My harvest this weekend.  Just look at the lovely colors!

With just the two days of my precious weekends available to me each week for doing any project until I retire, I want (need) to be doing something else for a change of pace right now.  I am getting restless, and experimentation is time consuming!  Being self-sustaining is also time consuming!  I will probably still plant a few things (there will definitely be garlic), but I am switching my concentration towards working more with my fiber and knitting, as well as some more of the interior remodeling on my home.

I have had to forgo construction of my greenhouse this year due to circumstances of finances and practicality.  I do not view this as a failure, however, just a change in timing.  I will have it, just not this year.  We really do need to be flexible in our lives or we run the risk of being broken, snapped like a twig, and disappointed in Life itself.  Things happen.  Go with the Flow!  Find your Zen!

I have been able to narrow down my choices of greenhouse kits to two from ACF Greenhouses, so I have made some progress.  Deciding on a kit instead of building it from scratch made sense to me as I really do not have the help I would need for the latter route.  The kits are supposedly easy to construct with the help of just one other person and without much experience other than reading and following directions.  That means that Ben will help me, and I will be the supervisor of the job site!  My only concern is that I will have to supply a foundation for it, and foundations are very important.  So, I will be figuring that part out over the next few months before I commit to a kit by ordering it.

My retreat with the Chix Packin Stix gals two weekends ago was just AWESOME!  It has me picking up my knitting needles once again, and I am busy finishing up abandoned projects as well as those I started at the retreat.  The next post will fill you in on just how much fun we had, and I will say that I cannot wait until the next retreat at the end of January, 2015!

So, it is time for me to do something different here on HeartSong Farm!

Books, comforts and people for a deserted isle

Have you ever thought about being shipwrecked on a deserted island, and if so, with whom would you like to be stranded, and what books and comfort foods you would want to have with you?  I had never given it much thought, but recently I read something, can't remember where (part-timer's), about the ten books you would want to have in such a situation. That got me to thinking.  (Yes, I know ...  a dangerous thing, that!)  And, the following lists are what I came up with after some very interesting time spent pondering.

My comfort foods on a deserted island:

  1.   Rice and gravy

  2.   Steamed broccoli

  3.   Vanilla ice cream

  4.   Dark chocolate

  5.   Baked mac and cheese

  6.   Seedless grapes

  7.   Eggplant Parmesan

  8.   Pot roast

  9.   Cottage cheese

10.   Tiramisu

The only thing I really went back and forth on was the choice between tiramisu, creme brulee, and flan. I can still change my mind before I actually do get stranded, can't I?!  I also had a bit of a go between rice and mashed potatoes, but I realized that I really do like the texture of the rice better.

Do some serious thinking about this and see what you select.  Don't just pick what first pops into your head because that defeats the purpose.  The idea is to find out what really are your Favorites, not just Likes.  It may surprise you!

My books for a deserted island:

  1.   The Unvanquished by William Faulkner

  2.   The Once and Future King by T. H. White

  3.   An Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
  4.   Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

  5.   David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

  6.   Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 

  7.   Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
  8.   Here Be Dragons Sharon Kay Penman 

  9.   A comprehensive survival guide with identifying edible plants, making potable water, etc.

10.   A Journal with an unlimited number of pages.

I would burn some twigs for making my marks until I could gather some feathers large enough to create quills for writing, and, of course, I would then make ink out of crushed berries!  Well, wouldn't you?! Also, I wanted a variety in my reading material because who knew when I would be able to download to my Kindle again!  So, there is poetry and reference as well as favorite reads.

And last, but not least, my company for a deserted island (These can be living or not, real or not, and you can choose, at the time of being stranded, whether you want them all at once or one at a time, etc., and how long they can stay.  My rules!):

  1.  The Dalai Lama for wisdom and joy.

  2.  Leonardo Da Vinci for engineering skills.

  3.  My Daddy for companionship, humor and fishing skills.

  4.  Matthew Gannon for companionship and conversation.

  5.  Ben Gannon for humor and to keep me grounded.

  6.  Mohandas Gandhi for wisdom and insightful conversation.

  7.  Mother Theresa for inspiration and joy.

  8.  Johnny Depp for insightful conversation, humor, and music.

  9.  Kris Kristopherson for music and poetry.

10.  Neal De Grasse Tyson for astronomy and insightful conversation.


Well, I guess you can see that I enjoy "insightful conversation" a lot!  I have only recently realized how important this is to me, and just how much I need and miss it.  And take my word for it, J. Depp is more than just a pretty face. Among other things, he actually owns an island.

And, if you are one of my close friends reading this, and are thinking "Why aren't I on her list?", then I will explain.  What kind of friend would I be if I wanted you to be stranded on a deserted island, for heaven's sake?!  Now, let's just leave it at that, okay! Besides, maybe you are stranded on a nearby deserted island at the same time, and you would have your lists and I would have mine, and then we could build a boat to go from my island to yours, and share what is on our lists! Bet you didn't think of that, now did you? 

Now, what about a Bucket List?  Do you have one of those?  

I made one many years ago for myself that was 3 typed pages long!  I have been able to cross a few things off as having been accomplished, but in the last few years I have had to revisit my Bucket List many times, and trim it down to a more reasonable size.  I have had to pick and choose what I really REALLY wanted to do in light of my resources as well as my energy and my age.  

My Bucket List

(in no particular order!)

·    Visit William Faulkner sites in Oxford, Mississippi. 

·    Go to Key West, FL & see Hemmingway's cats & stop by Jimmy Buffett's bar.

·    Go to the beginning of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.

·    Go see A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor live.

·    Spend a month in Wales.

·    Spend two weeks in Cornwall & King Arthur sites, & also go see the White Cliffs

      of Dover.

·    Visit Scotland & most especially the Isle of Iona.      

·    Visit two more Mayan sites:  Tikal & Palenque

·    Ride in a hot air balloon.

·    Visit San Diego & go to the zoo.

·    Learn to cook Asian & Oriental foods really well.

·    Make a quilt.

·    Travel up the West Coast by train & visit Oregon and Washington State.

·    Take a weaving retreat with the Navajo Indians in NM/Arizona.

·    Remodel my kitchen just like I want it.

·    Fix up my Studio just like I have dreamed of it.

·    Screen in part of the back porch.

·    Build a koi pond in my yard.

·    Visit Bryce Canyon in Utah.

·    Go on an Alaskan Cruise.

·    Get a tattoo.

·    Create my own little “beach” in the back yard with a hot tub.

·    Have a greenhouse of my own.

·    Build a chicken coop and raise chickens.

·    Buy a charka & learn to spin cotton really well on it.

·    Learn to play my ocarina.

·    Attend at least part of “Burning Man”.    

·     Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water”.

·    Attend a Steelers home game.

And, I am sure that I will need to trim the list down again at some point, but I think that I can get around to doing most of the things eventually.  Hopefully!  The traveling outside of the US will be the most likely ones removed, due to cost, but that will be okay. I have already been able to travel and experience more great places and things in my life than I ever thought I would by now.

This weekend, I will be going to a knitting retreat in Gainesville, Texas, north of Dallas - Ft. Worth, and I am so excited about it!  Our usual Knit Camp retired last year, and some of the gals that attended it and our Wildflower Fiber Retreat have organized this new one and named it "Chix Packing Stix". Love that name!  It will mean a four hour drive each way for me, but hopefully it will be an easy one, and maybe I will stop in for a look-see at my old college town of Denton to see how much it has changed in the last 40 plus years.  If not this trip, then definitely on another because I have a feeling this new retreat is going to be a blast!  I will share when I get back, for sure.

Meanwhile, here is your assignment:  Over the next week or so, think about what you would put on your lists for a deserted island, and, even more important, make your own Bucket List.  Put some real thought into it.  Find out what it is that you really enjoy, and who you'd like to have for company.  You may be surprised at your answers!  You will probably learn a few things about your self in the process. The Bucket List will be the easiest to make, so you might start with that one.


Except for the heat and humidity, everything is cool here on HeartSong Farm.

Heart's Song

"MY HEART LEAPS UP WHEN I BEHOLD A RAINBOW IN THE SKY"! That was the first line of the first poem I ever memorized... in second grade .... with the help of my Daddy ... one of his favorite poems, which became mine.  William Wordsworth was the poet, and the poem is perfect!

Are there things in your life that make your heart leap and sing?!

My heart does so on a daily basis once again these days.  Just driving up my driveway after a day at work or a trip into town, when I catch sight of my home, with its silvery metal roof and sturdy logs, set back from the highway, and the llamas in the pastures, I catch my breath!  This is my home that I have made for myself, all by myself, and, in two years, the mortgage will be paid in full and it will truly will be all mine. Whew! and Wow! I am planning a mortgage burning party, for sure, and maybe with a "Hello Kitty" theme to it!?  (Are those groans I am hearing out there?!)  "Hello Kitty" makes my heart sing!

My home is truly where my heart is.  Now that I am single and unattached, beholden to no one but myself, I am closest to being my True Self at home and it feels so good!  It is where I am in my Element, and I can relax and enjoy and create in the many areas of my home....cooking, gardening, designing, remodeling, spinning, weaving, knitting, painting, crafting, and dreaming.  The Circles of Life and of the Seasons, along with the sights and sounds of the surrounding flora and fauna keep me company, which is so much better than the almost constant (and, too much of the time, inane) chatter and gossip that surrounds me at my workplace, chewing unmercifully on my Spirit, leaving me feeling devoured! My heart rate slows on the farm, my breathing evens out, and I am at Peace.  Ahhhh!  And my heart sings!

Now, I must point out that there is a difference between your favorite things and those that make your heart skip a beat and goosebumps happen!  I am not talking about double chocolate ice cream or a Big Mac, or watching favorite TV shows or a sporting event, or a new purse or golf clubs, all of which are very good things.  Don't get me wrong.  I love me some NCIS, Big Bang Theory, and football.  But, I am talking about the deeper, more meaningful things that actually touch our souls and our emotional Selves.

Many things bring joy to my heart and I think that it is because I truly enjoy "the little things." For example:

• the purr of a momma cat as she contentedly nurses her babies
• sitting in my porch swing on a balmy summer afternoon, with a cold glass of iced tea, watching dragon flies skip and dance across the top of the pasture grass
• walking around my pastures, touching the trees, feeling the ground, MY ground under my feet
• leaning on the fence and watching the llamas kushed in their pasture, contentedly chewing their cuds and feeling safe
• witnessing a birth, the miracle that is life
• catching sight of a hawk perched, gliding over the ground, or soaring high in the sky above
• listening to opera or Mozart while doing housework
• watching a "kettle" of turkey vultures enjoy circling on the summer air currents overhead: up, up, up, and then down, down, down, and back up again
• Synchronicities that connect people and places to one another

In the early 90's, I read The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, which introduced me to the concept of synchronicity. This really resonated with me and, over the past two decades, I have found that paying attention to the little things, to the details, and to our gut feelings and instincts, can enrich our lives beyond measure in so very many ways.  I have truly found that the more I Notice, the more I See!

For instance, recently I was driving down the highway on my way to work and, as always, looking for my two red tail hawks, Aegis and Aurora.  I spotted one of them on top of an old wooden fence in a pasture, tail feathers and wings spread, warming in the morning sun. The rusty color of the tail feathers was just incredible, and I knew that this majestic bird was enjoying one of the little things, the warmth of the sun on its back.  Ahhhh!

Of course, this event did not change what I needed to do on my trip to town, and I still had the same bills to pay, and chores to do at home, but it did put a skip in my step and a smile on my face and made me slow down for awhile, which is always a good thing!

My list goes on and on .....

My Kia Soul makes me giggle each time I go out to find her parked and waiting for me!  Her name is Steel Magnolia aka Maggie, and she makes my heart sing because I worked and planned so hard to get her, and she has not disappointed me one bit!  Fun to drive, and lots of room for my stuff when I am on the go.

A basket full of colorful fiber and handspun yarns to touch and enjoy!  Oh, the possibilities!!!  That makes my heart sing for sure.  I really need to get back to spinning and knitting soon!

And finally, this week, some baby eggplants that certainly made my heart sing!
There are seven of them so far, and growing so fast that I should be able to
enjoy a roasted feast pretty soon and hopefully for weeks to come!

And now, meet Gloria, my beloved cypress tree!  My sons, Matt and Ben, created a bog of sorts the first summer I moved to my farm so that I could plant one of my favorite trees, a bald cypress, which needs a wet environment to really thrive. She truly makes my heart sing!

Gloria, early in the spring, with yellow-green fringes developing on her branches.

I first fell in love with cypress trees as a child, fishing with my Daddy on Lake Bistineau in North Louisiana. Lake Bistineau was heavily populated with bald cypress trees and cypress knees, as well as Spanish moss, which was draped nonchalantly over everything and created a mystical quality to the whole adventure of the fishing trip.  As I sat in the flat-bottom boat and looked around me, I imagined the trees to be some sort of fairy tale creatures frozen in Time, their feet stuck in the warm brown muddy waters of the lake, and the moss was what was left of their hair.  Indeed, it was very much like being within a fairy tale, sitting with my Daddy in the dappled sunshine, listening to the sounds of summer buzzing around me, the lazy rocking of the boat, and watching dragonflies come to rest on the end of my cane pole, their fairy-like wings sparkling in the sunlight.

Although I did not know the word for it then, the breeze smelled organic, with the scents of mud, fish, feathers, leaves and bark. And many years later, before we had our boys, my husband and I would go fishing and crawfishing in the bayous, swamps and lakes of both South and North Louisiana where the cypress and the Spanish moss were so abundant. My love for the two grew even more as they came to signify summer and good times, adventures and lazy days.  Ahhh!

Gloria in her full summer dress this year.

I planted Gloria as a small sapling the first summer I lived here on HeartSong Farm (1999).  She is now about 25 feet tall and has begun to make seed pods in the last year or two.  She reminds me of a ballerina dressed in a green fringed tutu, and my son and I anxiously await her "greening out" each Spring. There is no other shade of green quite like hers on my farm, and in the fall, she dresses herself in shades of russet.

Three summers ago we experienced a drought and high heat like nothing I had seen since moving back to Texas.  Ben and I were worried that she might not survive as we made sure to keep some moisture around her "toes" with the garden hose. The following Spring we waited anxiously for her green fringes to appear, and, when they did, we literally celebrated with grins as big as Chessy-Cats! Since then, she seems to have gained strength from that Ordeal of Mother Nature, and this year I have noticed that she has begun to grow her "knees!"

Gloria's knees!  I am so EXCITED!

Ben and I are in the process of creating a bog for her by diverting more of the rain runoff from the highway and neighboring properties that flows down my driveway and, at times, nearly comes in my back door.  It will be a good thing for us as well as for her, and eventually I hope to plant some other bog plants to keep her company.  I have always loved swamp lilies and equisetum aka "horsetail."

So ..... what makes your heart sing?  Have you thought about it?!  Do you notice and pay attention to the little things around you? How do you feel when you notice them? Why not spend part of a day just paying attention and being in the moment.  Make notes as to what you saw and how you felt, maybe in a Journal like I do.  Then, if you would like, share them in the comment section below.  I would love to hear what makes YOUR heart sing!

It has been a much cooler summer here in East Texas so far this year.  The first day of August saw temps in the low 80's! We have also had a regular dose of heavy rains, and so the lawns and pastures have remained green instead of turning dry and yellow-brown. We are all very grateful.

The fig trees are now covered with bees and butterflies enjoying the sweetness of the figs I didn't get around to picking. Ben reported that a mockingbird dive-bombed him when he went to get me a couple of handfuls to enjoy with a bit of cheese on Wednesday.  I say, "Let them eat figs!"  Besides, I have noticed that a second crop of fruit is developing on the ends of the branches, so there will be more for me in a few weeks!

I'm enjoying my life here at HeartSong Farm.

Those pesky garden pests

Okay, so I spoke too soon about how well Max Steed, "Security Cat," is doing with keeping the wild bunnies out of the garden!  Well, let me back up a bit.  He is apparently keeping the bunnies out, but Something is climbing into one of the container beds and snacking on my cantaloupes!  The container is too high for a rabbit to get into, I think, so it must be either a raccoon, fox, or 'possum.  I know that coyotes love watermelon, so maybe it is one of the foxes from the woods behind my back pasture. Something has also dined on one of the zucchinis this past week!

The zucchini was the first thing I noticed with some teeth marks!

Then I discovered my cantaloupe!  

So far these two "mystery melons" have escaped detection, but for how long?!

Still, I had a pretty good harvest this weekend ... lots of variety, with acorn squashes, frying peppers, okra,

lemon cucumbers, and tomatoes!

This is one of the red frying peppers.  They resemble a flattened bell pepper, and from the bottom side they look like a red shamrock!  How cool is that?!  These guys will be awesome in some stir fry dishes!

This summer I have been doing some studying on bugs in my garden. I wanted to make sure I was being kind to the good ones, and making life miserable for the bad ones.  I have discovered that the phrase, "the good, the bad, and the ugly," doesn't necessarily make sense in the insect world!

So, for you, a bit of a primer.  

GOOD BUGS

Assassin bug nymph

Young assassin bug

Full grown assassin bug.  These can look similar to stink bugs 

sometimes, but the antennae on the assassin bug is much shorter.

I used to think that assassin bugs were bad guys ...  must have been the name?!  But they are on the gardener's side, so leave them alone and let them do their work!

Lady bugs come in shades of red, yellow, orange and with varying

numbers of spots or even no spots.  You definitely want them in 
your gardens!

Praying Mantis.  He may look ominous, like a creature from outer

space, but remember that he or she is your friend!

Just look at that adorable face!  I LOVE these guys and gals!

This bug is a variety of Anchor Bug.

The Anchor Bugs are a type of stink bug, but they are a good one!  You can easily identify them by the pretty red design on its back in the shape of an anchor.  Let it be and it will be a good garden friend.  I have never seen one of these. Have you?

There are places online where you can order lady bugs, praying mantis, and other good insects.  I have never done this before, but am thinking of doing it in the future.  Also, I have read that some good local plant nurseries have them available in the spring of each year, so you might check that out also.  Here are a couple of interesting websites I have found to order online (click on the name to go to the site):  

Gardeners Supply

BugLogical

And now, I present to you:

BAD BUGS

This is a common type of Stink Bug.

I found one just like this one on one of my cucumber leaves this week.  It's body was 1-1/4" long and looked pretty ferocious!  I covered it with a piece of paper towel and smushed it.  I just hope it didn't make any babies before I took care of it!

Another common Stink Bug, often called a Shield Bug.

I am finding these shield bugs on my asparagus beans and squashes. I smush them as soon as I spot them!
They have a sickly sweet smell that lingers on your fingers, so smushing with paper towel is my preferred method.

Aphids on the stem of a plant, highly magnified.

Aphids have been really active on the asparagus beans, squash and okra, and they seem to appear overnight en masse! They are also known as "ant cows" because ants herd them on the plants and then stroke them to harvest the milky-like substance that the aphids produce from sucking the juices out of your precious plants. Ants and aphids are symbiotic.  So, if you see ants on your plants, you almost certainly have aphids. Grab your spray and go to work, Gardener!

I recommend that you use an organic way to rid yourself of these bad guys, and here is one I use with a good deal of success:

ORGANIC ALL-PURPOSE INSECT SPRAY

1 T liquid dish washing soap such as Ivory Liquid or Dawn
2 T vegetable oil
1 T cayenne pepper
1 qt lukewarm water

Stir to mix, then slowly pour into a quart-sized spray bottle.  It will make soap bubbles, so you may have to let it set for a bit in order to get it all into the spray bottle.

You can add salt, tobacco, and vinegar to the solution also.  The soap and oil make it stick to the insects and plants nicely.  After a rain, you will need to make another application in order to keep your plants protected. This is a really nice, simple, and organic pest control solution.  It can also double as a powdery mildew inhibitor.

Another recommended homemade insect spray:

2 parts rubbing alcohol
5 parts water
1 Tbsp of Dawn or Ivory Liquid dish soap

You can add salt, tobacco and/or cayenne to this one also.  I have not used this one yet, because the other one is working well for me this year.

Now, if only I could find a really good homemade organic weed killer!  Oh, I have heard and read about the one with vinegar, but then I read the fine print on several reputable sites.  Vinegar WILL kill weeds fairly effectively, BUT it will also kill your grass, your petunias, and any other plant it comes in contact with, AND once it is in your soil, you will not be able to plant anything in that spot for several years and have it live!  So, be forewarned about using vinegar as a weed killer, and use it carefully.  Also, it works best at a higher concentration than is on your grocery shelf, according to what I have recently read.  I think I will only use it on the grass and weeds coming up in cracks in my driveway and walkway.

Now, here is a great book on the subject of companion planting, just as the name suggests!  I have downloaded quite a number of books to my Kindle trying to find some comprehensive information on this subject.  I have gotten all them as a "free book of the day,' so I haven't wasted any thing but time with the others.  I was disappointed in them all until I found this one, which I highly recommend to you, and it is available from Amazon.com.  Don't let the use of the word "crop" in the title fool you into thinking it is for huge gardens only!

I am fascinated with the idea of planting certain plants next to each other for the benefit of one or both. Some plants are good for putting certain nutrition into the soil, and some attract bugs away from other plants, and some actually repel the bad bugs from surrounding plants.  This book gives an extensive list of what goes with what, and for what reason. It also tells what should not be planted next to each other, and why.  I always like to know why!

Last weekend, my fig trees were ready for harvesting to begin!  This is the best year I have had so far for my two fig trees.  I think that the cool June temps along with the abundant rains at the same time made them very happy to produce!  They are about 10 years old, I think.  I have done little to really cultivate them, and yet they have always given me something to enjoy despite my neglect.

The first day's harvest yielded almost a bushel of the sweet things.  I LOVE the various shades of browns, yellows, greens, purples and reds!

I found this little cutie on one of the fig tree branches.  It is a walking stick (female, I think, from the size of

its abdomen), and it really is not so little!  But it is cute, if you ask me ...  I put it back right where I found

her/him.  They are a Good Bug!

I traded some of my figs to Judy for some purple hull peas!

Found this little guy all worn out from trying to get out of a rain bucket.

I lifted him out and placed him on solid ground. Soon he was on his way to doing whatever toads do.

I hope it is eating flies and bugs for me!

In my back yard, near the gate that goes out to the vegetable garden, is an old

arbor of crepe myrtles.  I love how the bark peels back on the old trunks, 

creating designs in gray-green and brown.

And look what I found on one of the lower branches!  Another cicada shell!

Oh! I have recently added to MY HAIKU page to help me make some sort of sense of things after the dog attack.


Well, that's about if for now from HeartSong Farm.  Hope you are staying cool!