Please, Please, Don't eat My Tulips!!!

I thought about singing Doris' song and appealing to the better nature of those pesky varmints munching in my front yard. But then I realized my neighbours might not appreciate it! So instead, I went to the hardware store yesterday after work, and bought this product. I'll see if this will keep the guilty party(ies) away from my tulip bulbs.

I sprayed it on the remaining leaves and buds last night. Now we wait to see if I get any blooms soon. And for those of you who are worried about God's little creatures being violated by one of God's larger creatures, here's the scoop on Skoot:

Skoot Rabbit Repellant
Product Description
Skoot® is a taste repellant that is effective against rodents, rabbits and deer.
This product is not toxic to the offending animal.
The animal will taste the Skoot® and not take another bite.
The taste of the product is very offensive.
Skoot® is effective for up to 6 months.
Available in 1 L.
Guarantee
Thiram 120 g/L

Oh dear, oh deer, oh dear!

So, there'll be no Mother's Day gift this year for Mother Nature. Uh uh -- not from me! I'm angry! She can be one mean lady with a dark sense of humor. Mommy dearest indeed!



You know, you plant and nurture and watch and wait; and you think "That hard work is really going to pay off, because this spring I'm going to so much enjoy all those tulips that have come up". Then in the dead of night, wee beasties come and lop off most of their heads! What's a gardener to do? Here's what I'd like to do ....


Alas, the laws will not allow me to do that. (And I don't own a gun ..... and I don't know how to shoot one!) But really! I mean, we don't need all these deer running around anyway. It'd be fine if they'd just stay where they belong in the forest! But they refuse to do that! Like - who the H-E-double hockey sticks do they think they are anyway? They've become just like "other people's children". (Not mine! No, no, no -- never mine!)

They start out all little and cute, and we look at them and go "Ahhhh! Look how sweet they are". And then, before we have time to blink, they've turned into juvenile delinquents! Like ungrateful teenagers who feel that they can do as they please because the world owes them! They saunter onto your property and insist in stomping through your garden in senseless acts of defiance! They take what you've paid good money to enjoy and just help themselves, leaving the larder bare, declaring after they've chomped into your last piece of Brie or scoop of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey that they didn't like that anyway! They leave their droppings all around and when you try to talk to them, they just stop and stare like ........................... well, like deer caught in the headlights!

Get out of that cookie jar, Libby!!! Sorry what was I talking about? Yeah, deer ......

People -- they're out of control! They're radical, I tell you! We need an intervention! If God had intended deer to eat tulip buds, He'd either have planted tulips in the woods or He would have magically transported all of the deer population to Holland.

Hey! Yeah! Let's send all the deer to Holland! That's a brilliant idea! And it could become another way for Holland to show their gratitude to us Canadians for the war!

Quickly! Someone get Steven Harper on the phone!

Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles Season 2

Mammogram

I don't normally blog this often (what's getting into me?). Anyway, on my way through the blogs I like to read, I came across this one that everyone HAS to read -- at least, all you female bloggy friends. It's a totally hilarious view on a very non-hilarious ritual. Enjoy!

http://lifejustkeepsgettingweirder.blogspot.com/2009/04/wham-bam-mammogram.html

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! What a joyous day!!


My blog-friend The Pink Owl... shared some beautiful thoughts with me the other day. Here's my take on it.

Today, I look around me,
& I'm overwhelmed by the blessings that have been bestowed on me.
As undeserving as I am,
He blesses me .... beyond measure.
Despite myself, my faults, my shortcomings, my inadequacies.
Today, I am immensely thankful.
For nothing in particular. Yet, for everything.
Today, is a great day. For no particular reason. Yet, for every reason.
When I doubt, which, of course, I will in the future,
May I be reminded of today.
A beautiful day. For no particular reason. Yet, for every reason.

Crosses and Bunnies

Easter is coming up this weekend. I love this holiday. I love it because it embodies the greatest sacrifice ever made and the greatest celebration one can be a part of. Imagine! All your sins forgiven and the gift of everlasting life because you believe in Jesus Christ. Imagine! A life full of love and promise and hope and joy; all because you surrender yourself to the work of the Holy Spirit. Imagine! Someone who loves you so much that He accepts you just as you are -- with all your foibles and hangups and mistakes -- and that same someone, a wonderful Father, who lovingly gives you the ability to each day become more like that perfect being that He sees when He looks at you.

Spring and Easter go hand in hand. And my feelings about Spring and the life and hope and freshness and sense of anticipation that go along with it are all emcompassed in this one weekend and what it means to me as a Christian. (The hot cross buns and chocolate eggs and family gathering are an extra added bonus to the weekend!)

REJOICE FOR HE IS RISEN!

Is it spring yet? Huh, huh! Is it?

I am getting so excited! It's been almost 2 weeks now of little or no snow on the ground, and I can smell spring in the air. Never mind that it's still below zero at night and I had to scrape the car yesterday morning. I can smell it, people!! I can smell it!!!



I'm telling you -- I'm like the "Hound of the Easter-Baskervilles"when it comes to smelling things moving underground and birdies coming back from Capastrana (or wherever it is they go for the winter [wish I was them]). I wanna run outside side and find me a dirt road so I can play hopscotch! I want to shop for an Easter hat like my Gramma used to buy me! I want to haul out the large vat of Vaseline to shine my patent leather shoes like my mama did! Spring is here!!


And for all those naysayers who can't see the obvious signs of spring all around them, I want you all to remember what the scriptures say about speaking into existence that which IS in the heavenlies -- and I know it's always spring in Heaven! Yes, I joyfully join with the angels singing that the season of hope and new growth is here and the season of death is gone! Hallelujah! I will open the doors and say "Welcome daylight savings time!" "Come in fresh breath of air." "I laugh at you, muddy shoes!" And even though winter may re-emerge to shake it's fist at me, and though it may try it's hardest to dampen my spirits and take the "spring" out of my step, I know it's days are numbered and final defeat is close at hand. I will not be shaken!


All this being said, I know that it's not yet time
to pack away my snow shovel or my wooly hats.
Although I have to admit, I'm often tempted! I
want to take the cover off the barbeque and
bring out the Adirondack chairs and sit with a
fleece blanket and a hot cuppa! I long to go
outside and brush all the dead leaves and
Christmas tree needles off my precious flower
beds to have a better look at how my babies are

doing. Every morning and afternoon, I do an
inspection of the ranks and check to see who's
beginning to peep their little heads up and how
far they've grown since yesterday. Just look at
them over there! I'm so proud!


But I must be careful and I must be patient. Unlike what I'd do with my own human babies if I felt they were oversleeping too much, I mustn't yank off their covers and yell "Get outta bed, you sleepy heads!" Yeah ... they still need their winter protection around them for a few more weeks.



So, until that blissful day when I can don my gardening gloves and bring out the rake, I must amuse myself with planning and dreaming. I'll get out my gardening binder and check the progress of last seasons' plantings. I'll pour over the gardening catalogues and think of new possibilities in color, shape and texture. I'll decide on the next section of my little wilderness to attempt to tame this summer. And I'll sit face-forward in whatever stream of sunlight in whichever room I find, smiling broadly, soaking it in! Ahhh, the anticipation is intoxicating!

Oh dear! Is it snowing outside right now? Oh, yeah!!! Well, you think that's going to get me down? That's just fal-da-rall and fiddlesticks!

Get thee behind me, winter! Spring has sprung!