Goodbye Lilacs

What a spring we had for the lilacs! They bloomed prolifically and smelled heavenly.
This is all that's left of the blooms today.

Maples and More Maples

Becky and I bought an "October Glory" red maple while we were at Lowe's.
I wanted it to replace the maple that had died.
I couldn't get the old tree out of the ground by myself, so Katie helped me use a chain and pull the stump out with the tractor.
I hope this poor little twig has better luck than its predecessor.

Undocumented Workers

I think it's just terrible that some Americans have people doing their landscaping who have no legal documentation.
So I made sure my landscaper was of pure Anglo blood, and checked his papers before I allowed him to start mowing.
Yep, he's a card carrying member of the jokey club.

Planting Trees

Because I didn't think that Danny had enough work to do around here, I bought 8 very large maple trees which needed planting immediately.
We rented a mini-excavator and Dan spent all day planting trees and cleaning up around the barn.
And that is why we haven't been calling our relatives.

Flowers

Even though the patch clearly needs weeding, I thought these flowers would bring you joy...

Stop and Smell the Rose

I found tea roses on sale at Wal Mart for $2.50 each. Danny planted them for me, and half lived. Here is the single rose so far. Another bush has a bud, too.

Almost Done Planting

Now they are done, and are playing "dog seek;" a game in which they hide from the dogs and the dogs seek them.
Also joining in the fun are the neighbor and his dog.

Should I tell them that dogs have a keen sense of smell, or let them keep being surprised that they're tracked down so quickly?

It's funny to hear them laughing with such abandon. Nothing like dogs and kids!

The Farmer's Daughters

Here are my under represented daughters planting petunias. We're also going to plant roses today. I got them at Wal Mart for $2.50 each, so when they won't grow, it won't be a large financial loss.

Landscape Update

Here's with mulch.