Keepin' the kitchen cool...

The largest window in our kitchen faces the west...which means in the summer afternoons it gets quite hot near this window.

Well, this year I tried something different...I planted some morning glories outside this window, strung some twine from the top of the window to the ground and the rest is a nice window treatment made of morning glories.

Here's the view from the inside of the kitchen...it just LOOKS cool and does actually make a difference. I saw one bloom several weeks ago, but none since...these were suppose to be annuals but they come back every year, but this is the first year I haven't had plants full of blooms. They've even been doctored with Miracle Grow and Super Bloom and still a big fat nothing in regards to blooms. Oh well, they do provide a cool shade!

So now here's where I went over the top of making it a redneck project....

I had tallest son (6ft 4 to be exact) cover the sky light in the kitchen with tin (if you're real country!) or aluminum (if you're city slick)foil the last time he made a visit.

WOW, what a difference shading the sources of the sun makes!

Henny Penny gets a make over....

Meet Henny Penny....she's been enduring the great outdoors this past year and it hasn't been good for her. This would be proof of what the elements can do to you. So I graciously picked her up and brought her inside to give her a little make over... Wiped her down and cleaned her up again then broke out the paints and had my way with her.

There's a new chick in the neighborhood and she's sporting a new look.

I did not consult any farm books but I'm sure I have created some mix of breeds of chickens. She just needs a coat of gloss and she's be good to go. I think she shall be "steppin out" this spring.

December Roses

Before the first frosty ice storm my little rose bed garden was in full bloom. These little yellow and orange sweetheart roses were given to me as a gift. They were put together in a double basket and were blooming gorgeously.

After they had completely bloomed out I cut them back and planted them directly into the rose bed. I believe this is their second bloom this year.

I've always wanted a rose bed and now I have a really great one. This one is really a tribute to my late mother-in-law and a beloved neighbor from years gone by who loved roses especially pink ones. This bed is filled with little momentos of times and people gone by. This little cerub was in my mother's back yard. She sits on a stone and keeps watch over the blooms. There is also a little rabbit from mom's yard and rusty milk can from my maternal grandfather.

My mother's favorite flowers were lilies so my next project is to create a lily bed on the opposite side of the house from the rose bed. My hope is to collect some bulbs from different sources with some history behind them.