I can't say that spiders have ever really bothered me too much.  We've not exactly had a love-love relationship and neither have we had a  hate-hate relationship.  I ignore them, and they ... for the most part... ignore me.  I'm good with that. 

Spiders were the least of my concerns when we lived in Texas.  There were far bigger things to worry about, like scorpions, fire ants, chiggers, rattlesnakes, roaches, ticks, and a spider here or there.  While out working in the yard, generally my biggest concern was first ... where are the fire ants.  Then if I was around rocks, there was a concern about scorpions, and snakes.  If hiking through the woods, you would be concerned about rattlesnakes hiding under logs, or ticks hiding in the bushes. 

When we first moved to Idaho, the only thing that we were cautioned about from the locals was this... watch out for "hobo spiders".  Didn't sound like too bad of a deal.  I could dig to my heart's content in the dirt, walk through the grass barefoot, and hike through the woods, with nary a worry about a poisonous snake, a scorpion or a nasty visit from some angry fire ants.  These are all very serious concerns whenever you're out and about in Texas.

So, moving here to Idaho, it seemed wonderful to be able to work out in the yard, and not really ever have to worry about creeping or crawly things!  Now, there are much bigger things you might want to be concerned about here in Idaho, especially if you're out in the deep woods, and that would be the occasional bear, moose, deer, elk, or coyote... all of which we've seen ... from a distance since we've been here in Idaho.  But, as a general rule, if you keep your distance, make lots of noise, and carry bear spray, just in case... you're good. 

So, life is good here in Idaho.  I've enjoyed not really having to worry about creepy, crawly critters when I'm outside working in the yard.

At least, that was until the last day or so. 

Last Friday was the kids first day out of school, and we had made plans the night before to sleep in.  But... someone forgot to tell the dogs.  I'm not sure who I could blame this on, but the dogs did not get this important update before we went to bed. 

So, at 6:30 a.m. on the dot, the dogs' internal alarm clocks went off, and they began to scratch, nudge, whimper, scratch and make all kinds of annoying dog noises, that eventually no matter how hard you try, you just can't ignore them any longer.  So, I sat up in bed... or should I say, I tried to sit up.  Suddenly my world felt like I was in a spinning kaleidoscope and I felt like I was spinning around in a world gone crazy. 

I was able to lay back down, but the dogs didn't understand what had just happened to me.  So, I thought, well, let's try this again.  So, I slowly tried to sit up again, and the same thing happened.

I almost fell off the bed. 

By this time, the dogs were licking me and whimpering as they had figured out something was wrong.  I managed to maneuver myself off the bed, and hold onto the walls to make it to the front door to let the dogs out, staggering around because the world was spinning crazily around me.  Somehow, I managed to make it safely back to the bed.  Finally, the world stopped spinning again when I laid my head down on the pillow, but now, my stomach was doing a fancy number, and I had cold sweat pouring out of my body. 

To make a long story short, this went on for about five hours.  I laid in bed unable to move or do much at all.  My daughter brought me some water, and I couldn't even bear to hold my head up high enough to take a sip. 

My kids prayed for me and I laid quietly in bed and dozed off.  Around 1:00 in the afternoon, I remember opening my eyes, and realizing that I felt normal again.  I slowly sat up, and to my great thankfulness, the world had stopped spinning.  I hated to have wasted the first day of my kids being out of school in bed, but there was nothing to be done about it. 

As I slowly moved around the house, I realized I was hungry, but my stomach wasn't ready to accept anything yet.  So, I remembered reading that ginger helps to settle upset stomachs, so I made myself a cup of hot ginger tea and slowly sipped away. 

It wasn't ten minutes before my stomach had stopped rolling, and I felt like a new person.  I got up and ate a piece of toast, and a banana. Whatever had hit me like a 2-ton truck had departed, and I felt fine again.  I was outside watering my plants, and working in the yard as if I hadn't been in bed all day. 

So, a word to the wise, the next time your stomach feels like it is a free for all tumble, try a bit of ginger tea.  I didn't have any fresh gingeroot on hand, but I just dropped a 1/2 tsp of ground ginger into a cup, and added hot water with a little sweetener.  If I was one to believe in magic, I would say ginger would be high up there on my list of magic tricks for sick stomachs! 

So, by now you may be wondering what would a spinning world, sick stomach, and spiders have to do with each other? 

Well, I had no idea the three were related either... that is, not until yesterday.  I woke up yesterday morning to find a nasty looking purple and red dotted mass on my left arm.  It was hot to touch, very tender and hurt like the dickens.  As the day went on, I began to feel slightly feverish, nauseated and just achy all over. 

I stopped in to see a friend of mine at an antique store, and as we visited, I made a comment about the spot on my arm, and not feeling well.  She immediately got a concerned look on her face and asked to see my arm.  She got her magnifying glass out, and looked at the black and blue area on my arm, and told me she saw two puncture bites.  Obviously something had bit me and was causing this ugly purple and red bruise, and red welts on my arm. 



Now, I still don't know what kind of insect caused this bite.  The concern at first was that it might be a hobo spider, but upon doing some research into the type of wound a hobo spider bite leaves, I am somewhat doubtful that it was a hobo spider.  

But, whatever insect caused this bite, it really, really hurt.  I felt like I could hardly lift my arm or move it, and my arm felt like it was burning up, and I felt feverish, and slightly ill myself. 

My friend at the antique store has a collection of plants all over her store.  If you are local, in the area, you ought to stop by The Petticoat Junction in Newport, as it is a marvelous place to browse and spend some time looking at all the antiques and collections from years gone by.  So, my friend who owns the store, went and pulled two large leaves off a comfrey plant and gave them to me to make a tincture for the bite. 

So, I went home, and gently boiled the comfrey leaves in a dab of water for about 15 minutes and then made a comfrey compress for my arm.  After about 15 minutes or so, the pain in my arm began to ease.    The swelling seemed to go down somewhat, and I stopped filling ill and sick to my stomach.  I also took a dose of oregano oil (two drops in a bit of juice) and an ibuprofen.  I also applied an ice pack every couple of hours or so. 

My kids gathered around me and prayed before we went to bed, and another friend of mine who happened to call, also prayed for me.  I felt great assurance from the Lord that all would be well in the morning.

I got up this morning, and was amazed. All the pain in my arm was gone.  The arm didn't ache at all, it wasn't tender to touch, and it looked like some of the purplish blue swelling and color had begun to diminish. The red welts were just about gone, and I was able to move my arm around without any problem.



I don't believe I was bit by a hobo spider, but some sort of spider or insect bit me and caused all this undue distress.  However, in the midst of it all, I am very thankful that a few simple things at home saved a trip to the medical doctor, and I'm thankful that the Greatest Physician of all, the Lord Jesus touched me so quickly. 

I talked to another friend who had been bit by a hobo, and it was a nightmare experience for her.  The bite of a hobo literally eats the flesh from the inside, and is very, very nasty, and painful.  For this reason, I don't believe it was a hobo spider bite, as I don't have the hard core in the center of the bite that generally alerts people to a hobo spider, but whatever bit me and caused me the bout of dizziness, nausea and swelling in my arm with the red whelps, I am thankful that today.... Praise the Lord it is much, much better! 

And I've learned a thing or two about hobo spiders.  Stay.away.from.hobo.spiders.  They.are.not.nice. 

I've learned about their habitat, and where they like to hide and you can betcha I'll be watching out for every single spider that is crawling around me from here on out.  We will have to come to an understanding that spiders are not welcome in my house. Nope.  Nada. Not.

And one other thing I learned.  Spiders don't like peppermint oil.  In fact, spiders HATE peppermint, or mint of any kind. 

So, a nice little remedy to keep spiders out of your home is to fill a spray bottle with some water, a few drops of peppermint oil, and a teaspoon or so of dish soap. Make sure the spray smells like mint when you spray it.  That is very important. This peppermint spray will send them scurrying away faster than anything else you use.  Spray it wherever you think a spider may be residing, especially damp, dark places.  They especially like bathrooms. 

Well... they aren't going to like my bathrooms any more!!!

So... if you walk in my house anytime soon, and smell peppermint... relax... nothing to worry about... I've just been scaring all the spiders away, because I don't intend for anyone else to have to go through what I've been through the last few days.  I may even try to find some peppermint oil perfume... for when I'm working out in the garden that is!

In the last few days, we have had a couple of storms pass through the area, leaving us with some rain, which the ground soaked up like a dry sponge.  We've had a run of beautiful sunny weather, and the ground quickly has become like a dust bowl.  So, when we saw the skies darkening, we all anticipated getting some rain. 

When this storm passed, it just rained a few minutes, and then left behind two beautiful rainbows glistening through the clouds to the west.


I"m not sure why the rainbows here are always in the west, but... they just are... And whenever we get a storm like this, it always seems to come in from the west, every time...


I never tire of looking at the rainbows in the sky and remembering the promise the Lord made to Noah.  I thank Him each time I see this beautiful sight in the sky for the gentle reminder of a promise that has always been kept!


You can barely see the double rainbow in this picture, as it was fading quickly.






Then, just a few days later, we had another storm pass through.  I noticed the sky getting that dark shade of blue off to the west, and then it seemed to get almost black, before the heavens opened up, and everything was white.


The hail came down out of the sky with a vengeance.  The hail was hitting the ground outside and bouncing around like they were on a trampoline.  It wasn't long and the ground was covered in little white balls of hail.
.  


I had just finished putting some plants I had taken out of the greenhouse that very day into pots, and I was worried the hail was going to beat the fragile plants into smithereens!  These plants had been safely sheltered in my greenhouse, and their first day in the "real world" wasn't too pleasant!  Thankfully, close inspection after the storm passed revealed that my plants had survived the hail and rain and although somewhat waterlogged, they were still alive and well.





It had rained so hard during this short storm that we had huge puddles in the yard.  This is unusual for Idaho, as usually when it rains here, it is just a slow, steady downpour that may add up to a 1/2" after its rained all day.  So, when we get weather like this, it is unusual.
 

The storm came through with a lot of vim and vigor, but it wasn't long until the hail quit, and the sun came out.  Because the storm brought cooler weather with it, you could see the heat mixing with the cool air creating a heavy mist in the air. 



Despite the hail and the great deluge of rain, we were thankful for it, as the ground really needed a good soaking, and I know my plants soaked up every drop quite happily!

 We have been enjoying a regular visitor to our home via the hummingbird feeder.  I don't know if our friend is a he or a she, but I've been calling him Mr. Stripes because of the stripes on his/her throat.  He is content to let me watch him drink and drink and drink from the feeder. 


There have been a couple of times when he has flown close to my face as I was watering or weeding in the garden around the feeder, and he has become quite comfortable with my presence as he enjoys a snack.


Below is a short video I took of Mr. Green Stripes feeding away.  He was there feeding for at least a minute and it never bothered him a bit that he was being videoed.  


 He has quite an appetite - you see most of that sugar water that was in the container was just about gone by the end of the day.  I'm going to have to invest in a lot of sugar this summer just to keep our friendly sweet-loving visitor around!


 And while we're on the subject of sweet.... here is our first strawberry of the season...



The strawberry was a little misformed, but we didn't care. We were just so happy to see our first ripe berry that the birds hadn't gotten to first!  And one bite of this berry was sugar-sweet heaven! Oh how sweet it was! Far sweeter than any berry we've gotten from the grocery store.  We are eagerly anticipating the remaining crop of berries that we have growing!

We've had an ongoing mystery here at the house, and in order to find out who the culprits are, I would have to stay up all night long spying on my own yard to see who they were. 

You see, we don't have any trees in our front yard, except two straggly, despicably ugly trees that stand off to the side of the house.  These trees offer no shade, and this year they look even worse than last year, with just a few green leaves sported on their spindly branches.  If this were my yard... those two trees would have gone up in smoke a LONG time ago... but since we are renting.... well... suffice it to say that they are a bane to my existence, but trying to make the best of things while we are here.



While shopping recently, on one of my numerous trips to the hardware store, I spotted some bird seed, and I thought it would be great fun to see if I could entice any birds to stop by our yard.  However, I didn't confront all aspects of reality when I made the purchase.  For you see, to have birds visit, you really need a nice tree to hang the bird feeders in.... of which I have no decent tree in my front yard. 

So, we have moved to Plan B.  AFTER my purchase of the not-so-cheap birdseed, I suddenly was faced with a challeneg of what to DO with that birdseed.

So, I found a plant hanger, and hung my bird feeder on it out between the two trees. 

At first, I had a lot of bird visitors.  They were just flocking to the bird feeder.  In fact, they were loving that birdseed so much, that it disappeared in about two days. 

So, I went back to the store, and bought a different brand of birdseed, it was a much cheaper store brand, because... I reasoned... if the birds eat this MUCH birdseed, I won't be able to afford to keep up with them. 

So, I brought the store brand birdseed home, and put it in the feeder. 

I expectantly waited for my bird visitors.

I waited....

And I waited....

And I waited....

Several days passed by, and the bird feeder remained full. 

So, I reasoned that the birds must not like this birdseed.  Unfortunately for them, I had bought a big bag of it.  So, I thought, I'll give it a few more days.

Early one morning though, I went over to inspect the bird feeder, and the bird feeder was completely empty.  Wow.  So, I reckoned I must have some hungry birds feeding during the night.  So, I refilled the bird feeder, and the next morning... the bird feeder was emptied.

I repeated this several times... until I had just about reached the end of the birdseed I had bought.  This went on for several days. 

These birds around here really like to eat at night... or so I thought.... until I spotted this through my dining room window while getting supper ready just a few days ago...



Yes, my "birds" really weren't birds at all... they were three hungry deer who live around here, and who we see quite often feeding in the back yard.  They were the "birds" devouring the birdseed by the cupfuls all night long! 




Here is a short video I was able to capture of the three "birds" so happily munching away on my sunflower seeds...


At least now I know my mystery is solved!  And, I'll need to buy the more expensive brand of bird seed if I want birds to eat at the feeder, and most importantly, I think I need to find a better place to hang the feeder... somewhere where the deer can't reach it!  

.... not in flames... but in COLOR! 

Was out running some errands the other day, and luckily had brought along my camera.  I was amazed at the colors in the world around me, how fast they are changing from white (winter) to green (first sign of spring) to every color imaginable in the light spectrum! 


 The huge wisteria and lilac bushes are spilling over with color everywhere you look. 


I want some of these in my yard!!!! 


 A field decked out with purple lupins..


Wow.  Such a pretty sight to see the purple and green contrasts.


A red barn sits in the shadows of the various shades of trees leafing out amidst a backdrop of magnificent clouds.



The fragrance of the lilacs is absolutely heavenly.  If I had lilacs in my yard, I don't think I would ever go inside while they were blooming... the smell of lilacs is so incredibly sweet that if the sweetness were ever to be measured in grams, there is no doubt you would gain hundreds of pounds from just inhaling the sweetness of lilac's blooms!



Can I say again... I love lilacs!


A view of a green field where buffalo usually roam.  I've seen them here before, but they weren't here today. 


As I was driving I saw this huge herd of geese descend into the field right next to me.  I stopped the car, and just watched them for several minutes.  They were quite a noisy, boisterous crowd! 



As I finished up my errands, and it was time to return home, I couldn't help but leave you with another picture of the view of the Pend O'Reille River at the closing of the day.  I'm so blessed to live in such a beautiful place, where beauty abounds on every corner of your day!

Sometimes there are beautiful places almost in your own backyard, and you don't even know it! 

I was reading the local newspaper, and saw a small ad advertising an Iris Garden.  I thought it sounded interesting, and realizing that it was located not too far from me, I went to check it out.  I was more than pleasantly surprised at all the beautiful magical irises blooming, in fact, the garden boasts over 2000 varieties of irises!  Talk about an amazing assortment of color, blooms, and beauty!

I'm glad you joined me today for the tour, but if you live in the area, it is well worth your time to stop by for a visit!





I wanted to take a picture of each and every beautiful flower growing, they were all so amazing and beautiful.  But, 2000 different varieties of irises ... that would be a LOT of pictures!  So, I had to take just a few, and here are some of my favorites...



Here is a landscape view of the beautiful garden sporting all the irises.  The owner visited with me while I walked around, and she told me that many of the irises won't come into full bloom for another few weeks, and encouraged me to come back often... of course... that was an invitation I won't turn down!






The Iris Garden also sports some beautiful, well kept roosters and chickens.  These guys were happy to see, and pranced around showing off their gorgeous feathers for me.





This is a field of irises who have not started blooming yet, but apparently are very close to doing so. 


The owners of the Iris Garden also raise alpacas.  They told me that alpacas are very sweet and loving pets, and quite intelligent too.  I had never gotten this close to alpacas before, having only seen them in the distance grazing in fields.  I was able to get rather close to them, and got a few close-up shots of them for you to see.




I got a short video of the alpacas as they curiously came to see who I was, and what I was doing. 


I continued on my tour of the iris garden, and was amazed at all the different colors, varieties, and magnificent displays there were.

After viewing the garden, I visited for a while with the owners.  They told me that in July they dig up any variety of iris that your heart so desires.  It takes a lot of work to maintain 2000 varieties of iris, plus the big garden that they have, and taking care of their animals. 

If you'd like to learn more about the Newport Iris Garden, here is the link to their website: www.newportnaturalsiris.weebly.com  Do yourself a favor, if you live in the area, and stop by and see it for yourself!