{the very welcomed unexpected}

Of course, a slight change of plans. 

We didn't get to leave today, but hopefully we will get to get out and about

 for a bit of summer fun after church tomorrow.   And, we'll likely be visiting

our old church as I think a certain special someone will be the guest

 preacher there tomorrow. :)

So, today has turned out to be somewhat of a lazy Saturday.

Not truly lazy as I've been working from the moment I got up,

but, catching up on domestic things instead of being in my

desk chair for hours already.  That will come later this evening. 

But, I've had to take care of many much neglected things like

cleaning out the refrigerator {scary!}, killing weeds, washing

eggs, picking up the major disaster of the backyard.

And, all of that got me to thinking and dreaming. Not

to rush summer away or anything as I want to cling to

every single moment it has to offer.  But, because I have

to wait for fall to complete my list - I am googling and

planning and plotting. 

I have ALWAYS, ALWAYS wanted a rose garden.

But, they are a lot of work and I would get totally overwhelmed 

each time I really thought about it.  Growing up, one of my best

friend's mother had an absolute lovely one.  I loved it even as a girl.

I remember her teachers always having beautiful roses brought in by her. 

I loved going to their home and property.  They had put so much work  into it

and it was so breathtaking to me.  I admitted to her a little while ago that

I still take that out of the way road when I'm in the area just to see

how gorgeous it all is.  For whatever reason, that setting made a huge

impression on me and it is one of my fondest memories. I loved being

in that rose garden in the mornings and I loved enjoying the beautiful

fruits of her labor that always sat in the kitchen. 

Well, I've decided I'm going to do get mine started once and for all.

But, I would be stupid to start it now since we are in a huge drought and

the temperatures are crazy, record-breaking ones.  So, I will wait.

I'm going to start out small and work my way into it.  I typically

plunge head first into whatever I have on my brain, and it doesn't

always work out so good.   I'm learning in my advancing age. 

I can already tell that this rose garden adventure will be leading to

more.  I am also going to plant a huge row of lilacs leading out

to the chicken coop.  My sweet, sweet neighbor growing up had the

absolute prettiest ones. Another great memory of childhood.  My brother

and I would hike up to his farm and come back with armfuls of those flowers. 

I've attempted to grow a few, even receiving some as gifts from

family members as they knew how I loved them.  But,  growing them was not

successful.   I'm going to take care of that as well along with planting several

of my very favorite flower of all...peonies.  And, finally, although

this got scrapped in the spring because I was too busy to

go purchase them, I am planting my own "canopy" of trees here

near the house.  I can then scrap all of the drives to a canopy

in FS for pictures.   So, alot of work to do, but I'm looking

forward to it.  And, it won't be too overwhelming because

what I have planned for fall actually won't be too much.

The above rose is what I'm planting next to the coop.

And, on an aside, we have been working on fence, fence, and

more fence lately as we had calves getting into fields they shouldn't have. 

Surprisingly, due to literally clearing land to get to some of the

locations a new spring and brook were found.  The boys

& I will get to see it tonight.    Yippee!!

and, p.s., thank you God for this amazing rain.

Our fields and cows thank you too!