Lopsided roses

The roses began to bloom a couple of days ago. It's May, so it's time, so that's really not news. The news is they are only blooming on one side. 

What's up with that, you ask. Answer: the deer nibbled off the front side of all three rose bushes. 

The roses are planted along the front porch so the deer can only reach one side. You would think they wouldn't bother roses because of the thorns, but they do. 

Nurturing roses and then having the deer destroy half the bushes is frustrating. We're about to take drastic measures. 

We don't hunt. We have no intention of shooting a deer. We will, however, put a slug in the ground near their feet to scare them away. We hope that if we do that often enough, they'll get the message and stay in the woods. 

Will it work? We'll see. 

The Lady of the Hideaway

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, roses, whitetail deer, country lifestyle, rural living, a writer's life, deer damage, deer control, gardening, simple country pleasures

The State of Retirement: One month in

Today marks my being retired for one month. How's it going? Holy crap...

If I'd had any inkling I'd be on the go from six in the morning until past dark, I may not have retired. I'm working waaaaaay too hard! Falling in the creek didn't help much either. 

Having a sore hip hasn't stopped me. The roses and peonies needed tending and the garden needs to be watered daily. June started out with a completely blank menu, the planning of which involved the spousal unit (not conducive to the speedy completion of any project). 

We sold our beloved 2011 Chevy Silverado and began in earnest our search for a van. That was not a good experience until we stopped by Stakes in Fayetteville. It's amazing what sort of junk the dealerships in Frederick and Sykesville are attempting to sell for top dollar. But at this little place on Route 30 just outside of Chambersburg, we got red carpet treatment - and a van. 

We've mowed and mulched, burned the brush pile, and installed three small raised garden beds with an eye to the future. I've canned butter beans and plan to can baked beans next. I had a little royalty windfall and did a major shopping trip to bolster the pantry. 

It's been a very busy start to retirement. I'm truly not complaining. The last thing I want to get is bored, and that has not been, nor does it look to be, an issue. The old adage that busy hands are happy hands is proving true. The only complaint I have is that I've not had enough time to write on a regular basis, but now that we're not running all over four states car shopping, that situation should improve. What I'm missing is rest. 

I thought I'd have time to laze on the patio in the afternoons, but no. It hasn't happened. I think that to have a true day of rest, I'll have to stay in bed! With a book! 

That would not be a bad thing.

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, retirement, simple country pleasures, Chrysler Town & Country, brush, patio, gardening, home food preservation, Silverado, yard work, roses, peonies, raised garden beds

The first rose of 2022

Life has taken on a surreal feel. With only four more working days left at the day job, I can't decide if I'm excited or dreading the loss of so much structure in my life. As someone who has been gainfully employed for fifty years, I may have been brainwashed, or at the very least brain-trained, to believe regimented days are a good thing.

Nope. That's not it. I simply want the next four days over and done with so I can finally, finally, finally move on and get on with "retirement." I have a set of lists, you see.

There's a list, actually a spreadsheet, for outside work, inside work, tractor work, gardening work, pantry work, equipment maintenance, and items to improve the humans in the house. I do so love a good spreadsheet when the cells get filled in with the color of completion! 

But there's one thing I can't put on a spreadsheet: remembering to take the time to slow down and enjoy the fruits of all my labor. 

Yesterday, late afternoon, the sky darkened and a front swept through bringing rain showers. The spousal unit and I had gone in different directions puttering at small tasks, and the rain sent us inside to the television. I glanced out the front window and noticed the season's first rose was blooming. How wonderful! 

The sunshine reappeared while the rain continued to fall. I love when that happens! Spring's green world glows! I snatched my phone and stepped outside to record a short video to share with whoever is interested but to mostly have to look at any time I remind myself it's time to stop and enjoy the roses. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway) 

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, simple country pleasures, roses, gardening, pantry prep, greenhouses, rain, retirement, to-do list, spreadsheets, country living, rural lifestyle, a writer's life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVS9UTXQWzo