My Valentine Tree

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Bill asked me over the weekend what I wanted and I said I wanted to plant a tree in the backyard. We already had the plan approved by the landscape committee and the utilities had marked the underground cables so we knew where we could dig. Off we go to Lowes to select our tree - but they didn't have what I wanted - a Live Oak - so we checked Home Depot, and they had a nice selection. Since we weren't going to plant the tree until the next day, we came home empty handed. Bill dug the hole - 3 times bigger than what we remembered was the size of the root ball. We soaked the hole with water. It looked like a man-made lake and we expected to see flocks of migrating ducks land in our yard.

After Bill returned from flying his RC plane on Valentine's morning, we headed back to Home Depot to buy our tree. The master gardener helped us select a nice healthy Live Oak - and the other stuff we would need: 50 pounds of potting soil to mix with our sandy soil and Quick Start fertilizer. Bill borrowed a wheelbarrow from the neighbor.

The hole was a "little" larger than we needed and we didn't have enough potting soil so Bill headed back for more. While he was gone, a sparrow landed in the tree and knocked it over.

This is my tree. I love it. I hope the birds don't knock it over again. Oh, and Bill says that next year I'm getting a dozen roses.

I'm having a great time learning to quilt.

This is the top I just finished. The pattern is "Cascades." At one point, I didn't think it would get finished as there was an error in the pattern and the triangles for the sides were too small - but I was able to get more material and finish putting it together. Before I start another pattern, I will check the website for "updates."

This is the top I'm making in my beginner class. I have one more session - to do the binding - and I'm finished. It's been a blast.

We are still enjoying the birds in the yard. This is a beautiful American Kestrel.

While I was looking at the Kestrel, this blimp flew over. We've seen it quite a few times in the neighborhood. Rumor has it that it's one of our neighbors - John Travolta - showing off the horse farms to his friends.

Mr. Fox Squirrel has been a regular visitor. I don't even mind if he eats from the feeders.

I took this shot right before he fell off.

But he got right back up.