Easter Weekend 2023

 We celebrated Easter a little different this year with a small gathering on Saturday afternoon.

The day dawned gray, chilly and rainy and we reconciled ourselves to the idea of entertaining in the front room instead of on the front deck.

However, around 1:30 the sun came out and Louis Dean was out the door getting the lawn mower going!

He mowed the area right in front of the deck which he is keeping as a lawn.

The rest of the fenced in yard was fair game if he mowed around the flowers!

As beekeepers we know how valuable the flowers are to our bees and we purpose to protect any and all

plants that are good for our hives.

I have tried to keep 'my' side of the garden for wildflowers and a natural meadow - but I haven't had much success after that first spring 3 years ago.

Louis Dean gets bewildered at what he is supposed to mow and what he's NOT, so we talked it over and decided on a new plan.

He is going to clean up and extend the flower bed around the pond and that will be MY little garden and everything else is up for grabs for him to mow, till, and plant where ever and whatever he wants.

Just as long as he mows around the flowers as much as possible.

We'll design my 'new' garden area when we come back in May.

I made pepper poppers and fluffed up the place for our party at 4:00!

Our sweet friend, Rosey, is retired military and ALWAYS on TIME!

I was out cutting roses in the garden when I saw her truck - right at 4:00!

We sat out on the deck to visit and pretty soon Dean and Sherry came up.

This is Tarzan and he does seem to love me!

The fact that I feed him may have something to do with his display of affection for me!

I thought Margaritas would be fun since we were having fajitas with all the trimmings for dinner and Rosey did a fine job mixing up a pitcher full!

We snacked on cheese and crackers while Son Dean grilled.

Louis Dean had taken a shower and settled down with a glass of wine to relax after working hard for nearly 4 hours straight.

The meal was SO good!!

Rosey made the best guacamole and I will be using her recipe from now on.

2 avocado - mashed 

1/2 onion -chopped

20-25 mini tomatoes - sliced in quarters

Herdez Salsa Verde to taste!

Easy Peasy!!!

We set the food out buffet style on the table in the front room then carried our plates out to the deck.

It was simply beautiful weather!

Our entertainment was watching the hummingbirds and gazing at the campfire.

It was a group effort on the fire.

Louis Dean started it and Dean, Sherry and Rosey all three kept it going.

My only contribution was asking Sherry to bring a few logs from our wood stack at home.

She was working in Irving on Friday so she stayed at our house.

Sherry drug a large portion of a fallen tree down here to the gate of the yard and Louis Dean will be chopping that up for firewood. We do campfires here just about every night.

It was such a lovely evening!

There's nothing better than to sit and visit with friends and family who are comfortable in being together. I felt like the entire evening was a gift from God.

Louis Dean had gone to bed earlier - he was worn out - and the others left around 9:00.

I sat outside awhile longer watching the embers of our campfire and counting my blessings.

Since we went to bed early on Saturday night - we were up early this Easter Sunday morning.

The cats - Tarzan and Tuxedo - remind me they are hungry, too!!

There's one more cat, Tiger, but he doesn't come down here much.

Our cats are used to being here and they keep us entertained with all their antics!

I worshipped with Fellowship Church online this morning and it was an amazing service.

This was a different kind of Easter this year and we thoroughly enjoyed it!

This afternoon I walked around to see what kind of wildflowers are blooming. 

These are called sulphur flowers of the buckwheat family.

They do not smell like sulphur and bees are attracted to them.

I don't remember seeing Indian Paintbrushes here on the ranch before.

Maybe a few but this year we have lots of them!

It's nearly 10:00 as I close tonight's journal entry so I will be going right to bed!

We have have two more full days to BEE here!!!