Springtime Garden Tales

The day we have been waiting for, working on, and preparing for has finally come.  We have reached the first of June with no frosty conditions in the weather forecast, and the garden planting has commenced.  I have been very busy the last few weeks preparing the garden - mainly weeding - for planting. We have had a blessed abundance of rain this year which has encouraged every weed known and unknown to man to appear! This will explain my absence from blogging, as getting the garden ready for planting has taken most of my spare time.  

We have had a tremendous amount of rain this spring, which has been wonderful! However, what happened is that weeds were taking over my garden, and it has been exhausting to keep them at bay! 

My son tilled the ground for me, and within days... it was green again - with weeds! 

When we had 2 days of warm sunshine, I mixed up a concoction of 1 gallon vinegar, 1 gallon water, 1 cup salt, and 1 Tbsp dish soap in a watering can, and poured the mixture over the weeds in my garden. I noticed a difference right away. Not all the weeds were killed, but the majority of them were, and 
I was able to get my garden back under control. Note - this is a very potent organic killer, and will kill everything it touches, so you have to be super careful when using it. It is especially effective when you use it on a very hot day, as the vinegar keeps the root from getting any moisture. 

With all the abundant rain, we have had a lot of mushrooms! I found these puffballs 
growing in our yard.  They are so delicious fried in butter.  To make sure you have found a true puffball, the inside of the mushroom will look like mozzarella cheese - soo good! 

I also found this lovely heart-shaped rock close by the puffball mushroom, 
a special gift for my heart :) 

On a day when the sun decided to shine, my little Ash sat
outside with me soaking up those warm rays of sunshine!

One evening at sunset, as the serviceberry was in bloom, I captured this lovely photo. 

My husband and I enjoyed a campfire down at the river one afternoon. Oh it was lovely to sit and watch the water rush by on such a beautiful day! 

We also found some "mountain gold" or better known as a morel mushroom. 

My tulips in full abundant bloom... oh they were gorgeous this year! 

A peek into my garden through the garden gate... 

Our lilacs are now in bloom... and oh my, the fragrance is so rich and strong this year!  As I worked in the garden, the fragrance was incredible to smell! 

On a beautiful evening after the rain had quit,
we took a quad ride up into the mountains... 

What a view!  

My crabapple in glorious bloom

Another view of my tulips in bloom with the backdrop of a 
gorgeous sunset. 

After one of the many storms passed through, this incredible rainbow filled our skies!  Isn't it incredible! 

God's promise to the world! 

God's promise to the world gifted to me over my garden. What a precious 
sight this was to see! 

Well, thank you for hanging in for such a long post with so many pictures! It has been a very busy and challenging spring, but I am thankful to report that my garden is now completely planted, and now, we just need a bit of sunshine! Today we are having an "atmospheric river" pour over our area, and we are under severe flood warnings.  The river is up very high, and no doubt there will be flooding.  Thankfully, we are on top of a mountain, so we have no worries of flooding up here, but I am concerned for neighbors and friends.  Sometimes it seems weather comes in feast and famine.  We are feasting on rain now, and we are very thankful that our drought conditions have officially ceased.  

I have organized another community prayer rally that will be taking place tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, and would ask for your prayers that the event would be blessed and that many people's hearts would be encouraged as we pray, worship and encourage one another in these difficult times we are living in.  The prayer rally will be held at the local junior high school by the flag pole.  Our hearts as a community are mourning for the people of Uvalde who have suffered such a loss in their community, and we will be having special prayer for them.  

If any of you would be interested in holding a similar event in your community, please message me, and I will be glad to share information and support you in any way I can. I believe if all of our communities would come together to pray, regardless of personal or political beliefs, that we can make a difference. Only the light of gospel of Jesus can truly change hearts and bring about real change that this world needs. 

May the blessings of the Lord be rich in your souls today, drink deeply from His Word, and stand on its truth.  In a day and time where all our foundations seem to be quaking and shaking, we can stand on truth that endures regardless of political and social changes. 

Don't forget to look at the beauty around you... little things speak volumes! 

... and never forget that the One who created such beauty around us, 
loves and cares for you more than you will ever know :) 

Here is my most recent video, this is beautiful instrumental music by the amazing Cameron Cody created with images I've taken here in North Idaho. May it be a blessing and a refreshing to your soul!