Dreaming of Spring…

The weatherman last night said it might snow on Friday!  
ARGH.  
I’m so sick of cold weather.  
Dreaming about gardening and itching to get started.  
Here are some of my plans for my mess of a yard this year:
  • Chicken coop  (I want about three hens)
Something like this?
Or this?

  • Hutch for our sweet bunny (he is much stinkier than the hamster and think he needs a place to go outside, at least in the daytime hours)
 How cute is this hutch with a “green” strawberry roof?
This is cute too.
  • More in my garden this year, and veggies around in strange places.  I’m going to try and maximize my space.  Check out Urban Ton for more info on city gardening.   I broke down and got some of those hanging tomato planters.  I know, I know, but a good gardening friend swears they are wonderful!  Also thinking about doing some raised beds our of haybales on the unused side yard.  
  •  Re-working our fish pond.  It’s had a slow leak and the liner doesn’t seem to stop it.  Since the dog loves to swim in it (he is a lab) I was thinking about just cementing the rocks in place and painting a liner on instead of putting the vinyl one back in.  Also I want to redo the waterfall to make more of a “splash!”  🙂 
Something like this? (ours is square)
  • The kids are wanting to expand/improve our playfort into a tree house type fort for the bigger kids that they are  (Going to get them to help me on that one.)
I like this one (but they will think it’s too sweet, I’m sure.)

On Funerals for Hamsters and Spring

My boys are very sensitive and a bit morbid at times I think (maybe that’s just a boy thing.) J has started the “I don’t want you to die Mommy” thing and asking about death and dying and God etc. that happens when kids turn four (at least in my experience.) So today, Choo Choo train is truly dead and we had to have a hamster funeral. I expected real tears, but there were none. Max was really sad and made up a little “burying the hamster” song to sing at the service, Jac joined in and it was very touching (except for the almost 12 yr old sister laughing in the background.) Then- “Let’s go jump on the trampoline” could be heard.
Here is the grave they made for his furriness…

Spring is making it’s entrance, and it is a beautiful day (even for a hamster funeral.)

Petit Jean Weekend


This weekend was so beautiful I have been officially bitten by the “Spring Bug.” The weather was chilly but sunny and the air was moist (which I enjoy.) We drove up to Petit Jean on Sunday after Emily played bells in two services, and rented a cute little cabin on the ridge of the canyon by Mather Lodge. They have started a “one pet cabin” trial and we took Cole to see how he’d take the hiking. The vet did say he needed to lose twenty (yes, twenty) pounds, so we thought it would do him some good.
We hiked the Seven Hollows trail the first day, 4.75 miles I think. There had been a major fire there since the last time we hiked that trail and it was almost surreal. I remember the last time we’d hiked it the trees were so magical and tall it was almost like being in a rain forest or fairyland. This time, it was like being on a totally different planet. Very strange feeling. It was really fun and the kids did great with hardly any “Mommy, carry me!” (Well, maybe a mile or two…) One thing we didn’t expect was how slow we’d be and didn’t pack a flashlight, we practically ran the last mile because the sun was getting so low!
The second day we just did the Falls hike and then headed for the climbing rocks and Bear Cave. The kids enjoyed playing hide and seek in the rocks and Max cried for a long while that he didn’t want to ever go home. We never found the petroglyphs in the caves, not sure where they are, have to research before next time. Emily fell on the way to the overlook and hurt her arm. Still aching and probably going to have to get it x-rayed tomorrow.