Organic gardening has turned me into a ruthless killer.
This has been a relatively mild winter so far and it's surprising to see the numbers of adorable but unwanted field mice who are intent on spending the winter in the house with us. I suppose by definition this means each has "evolved" from a field' [...] 
I've forsworn gardening this week for holiday madness, including baking cookies for a handful of darling souls that I love. This is More than one would suspect since I actually can't bake worth a damn and only attempt it this one time each year. I [...] 
What a soft, heavenly fragrance - the loquat trees along the fence are fully in bloom. It's one of the best moments in November. As the temperatures come back up toward sixty, the trees are vibrating with bees of all kinds. It is one of' [...] 
Steps have been taken! Although our chickens occasionally free range about the property, most of the time they are safely within their fenced run. We've had too many sad encounters with stray dogs, raccoons, foxes and other predators not to feel better with substantial protection' [...] 
Okay - tonight is going to be a hard enough freeze to hit even the persimmons ripening off the tree in tidy racks in the barn. That's it! The moment when all leftovers become persimmon pulp, frozen and later turned into holiday treats. Unless your' [...] 
November is my time for planting onions. Even as I'm typing, I'm preparing mentally to don my planting gloves and a jacket, ready to brave the rapidly dropping temperatures and rising wind - it is coastal fall weather and a strong and wet cold [...] 
Asters, Verbena and Angelonia are blooming wildly, turning all the little front garden into highlights of purple. Suddenly, it's cool and blustery. A N'oreaster is piling up off the coast and we've shot down to 65 degrees. Trees are turning before our eyes, with winds' [...] 
We continue to enjoy unpredictable spring weather. Unlike the dry heat of the last relentless drought (which started in the late summer of 2007 and continued straight through until very early this spring of 2008). Each week is a division of warm, sunny days that [...] 
Oliver and Jonathan were rescued from a nearby animal control shelter on behalf of Shih Tzu & Furbaby Rescue and are sojourning with us until everything is set for their adoption by some loving home. We really love them and are delighted [...] 
Wow. I am SO glad to be back home. Visiting the UK was delightful, with stunning scenery and huge fun with old and new friends, but - alas - I am not an easy traveller and coming back to the lovely VB fall [...] 
