SOCIAL MEDIA


New Perspectives and Life

Monday, March 30, 2015


I have found that this perspective is the place inside my heart. I have made this goal important to me, and have found that life is so much better. I am blissfully embracing my true self..........and eliminating the stuff that no longer fits. Think about it.....

Listen to the Whispers...

Friday, March 27, 2015

Growing Blueberries

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Blueberry bushes thrive in high acidic soil that pine needle mulch provides. Pine needle mulch is a great organic choice for your garden that adds nutrients as it decomposes, while retaining soil moisture and inhibiting weed growth. Pine needles provide the blueberry bush root system with an environment that greatly improves berry production. Apply the mulch over bare soil to about 4-6 inches deep, from close to the stems to about 24" to 36" away from the stems.

There is no pine needle "straw" sold in this area. That is not really a problem...I just go out into the forest and collect it for free (except my work). Today, I went to the pine forest and collected 5 very large garbage bags of my own pine needle mulch.

I have a plan for a new blueberry area with 6 new plants. A new raised bed that has heavy wire on the bottom, made to keep gophers out. That has been a big problem....Gophers.  The soil will be very well composted cow manure, that has essentially turned into rich soil. The final touch in planting is the pine needle mulch. I will add a frame over the plants for bird screening.

Now I will tell the story of my blueberry growing problems.

1. Gophers, they have a main tunnel running under all the plants in the blueberry row, and will eat right through the roots of anything in their way.

2. Poor soil when first planted. The plants were planted right into heavy clay soil that prevented the roots from penetrating into the clay, so the plants did not spread roots as is needed. Therefore, a small root system at gophers eat right up. The berries were eaten by birds and earwigs.

3. I replanted Blueberry bushes and dug a large spot out of the clay soil, and replaced the soil with good nice fertile soil....and still the gophers ate right through the roots.

4. I gave up and stopped replacing the plants, and a few have survived the last 4 summers. Three of the plants are doing better, and do produce berries.

I am a pretty good gardener, and this is a challenge. I want to see nice, big, healthy, blueberry plants in three years that produce a great tasting berry in my own garden. 

This is my goal!









Spring Break Memories

Saturday, March 21, 2015
Free Photo - Copyright free
I have very fond memories of many times that my daughter and I went to the Oregon coast for Spring Break. I loved those trips, the weather was often pretty bad...in fact I remember that it snowed one time. I would take the entire week off for the vacation. The Gray Whale migration is this time of the year, when they travel north to Alaska and the Bering Sea. We would watch and watch, but would see only a blow on the ocean's surface. One year we went out on a sightseeing boat on a whale watching trip...no gray whales were seen....but a pod of Orca whales was spotted. I loved that. Much of the time was spent on the beach, picking up shells and agates. Horseback riding on the beach, flying kites, and swimming in the hotel pools. 

Turn an Old Wood Bed into a Garden Bench

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

I saw this on a blog and just had to share the photo and idea with my readers. What a great transformation! Wow! I love it. Here is the link Mak and Jill Blog

Handmade Garden Ornaments

Monday, March 16, 2015


These handmade glass sculptures are very popular in this area. There are so many ways to make flowers, teacup/saucer bird feeders, and totems. I think that this one is lovely. The site Flea Market Gardening has many ideas. They say to use exterior window silicone to glue the parts together...and another secret for this project is to start the base with a heavy glass round microwave tray on the bottom. Ah...that answers a question of mine, I wondered how to keep one from falling over and breaking. I think that the best source is of course the thrift store.

Daffodil Time

Saturday, March 14, 2015

The Pacific Northwest USA is pretty nice, the weather has been very mild all winter...and the flowers are beginning to bloom. It is raining right now....but with no snow pack and a probable drought, it is good to receive an inch or two of rain. The hay fields, forests, and all plants really need more rain. I read that California is going to start water rationing...no kidding. I am concerned about an extreme wildfire season coming up. This isn't only me predicting the summer wildfires, the experts and others are also.

What have I been doing? Still doing work in the garden, finishing the tax return, completing some craft projects and the normal stuff around the house. So...you see, I don't have much to say.

Happiness............

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Daylight Savings Time

Tuesday, March 10, 2015


I feel like this small girl for several days following the spring change to Daylight Savings Time. I just have a difficult time adjusting my body...it takes me about a week. I do best to allow myself time to reset my body. I saw in the newspaper today, that the Oregon state legislature is looking into staying on Daylight Savings Time year around. I think that I would like that.......

Growing Milkweed for Monarchs

Monday, March 9, 2015

Showy Milkweed, Native to Oregon and CA
This is the seed that I am going to plant.


I read a story about growing milkweed for Monarch butterflies. A person that I know is starting to do this. I am going to get some seed to start plants to put in my garden. I may really enjoy doing this.

Pretty Glamping Stove

Saturday, March 7, 2015

This stove is so pretty, what a great color. My friend has a 1960's Aladdin trailer that is in very poor condition, she is converting the trailer into a food vendor/trailer. The original stove is still inside, and is this pretty color. I assisted in checking the stove for working condition. The top 3 burners worked, but the oven would not light. I told her that I was only interested in the stove if everything worked. The stove has many small spots of rust, and other condition issues too. I checked out the running lights on the trailer, and there is one working tail light. Well, at least the electrical wire works to the back of the trailer.  She called yesterday and said that I could just have the stove. I said that I would take it home and tinker with it, to see if I could get the oven working. I have found these vintage trailer stoves for sale online, but almost always they are not tested for working condition. Why would a person buy something that probably does not work, and there is no source of parts...not me. Oh, and another thing, these vintage stoves have a mercury switch in them, and that is not allowed in stoves any longer. Therefore, any RV or Trailer parts store cannot legally repair and resell these. There are new replacement stoves for about $650, and they are made in this style.