Hail is Cruel

It could have been worse. They were predicting winds of 60 miles per hour. That would have erased the poor garden plants completely. Instead, we just got the hail and a little bit of rain. While the moisture was welcome, the hail did a fair amount of damage to the young vegetables in the garden. I hope they can recover !

I think the tomatoes got the biggest beating. Their leaves got ripped to bits! The pepper plants lost the pods they were developing. We were able to collect some that weren't too torn up.

While I was snapping these pictures, a nasty red ant got into my shoe. I haven't been bitten by our ants before and will plan to wear socks and sneakers next time I venture into their world! Ouch !

If only the storm had done something about our Miller Moth infestation. This year is the worst we have seen. Luckily they don't bite!

Spring is always interesting on the plains. Next to arrive are flying ants and mosquitoes !! I think I'll stay inside and crochet !!

On a more cheerful note, Barney the chihuahua is all grown up now. He'll be two in September.

One of Barney's favorite pass times, besides hanging out with me, is looking out the patio window and fussing at the birds in the grass. I guess he considers the yard his domain !!

Here is what Barney looked like before I gave him a spring haircut:

Making Roses Again

It has been a long time since I last crocheted anything. Maybe I needed a break, or maybe I needed new inspiration. Whatever it was, I recently picked up my #2 hook and made a bunch of roses.

These are my favorite size to make - using two strands of #8 spools of embroidery thread. They are delicate and sweet. I sometimes put them in the bouquet wrap I also created.

The design of this bouquet wrap works well with tall stemmed flowers. I like to wrap crocheted rose stems and a few front accents in a tulle circle, then insert the group into the wrap. I tie a ribbon around it at the neck to secure everything and make it pretty. I've even hung charms from the front too !

If you would like to check out more rose arrangements, come on over to my etsy.com shop. I not only have rose stems and arrangements, I also offer the rose pattern so you can create these flowers at home.