This and That

A sure sign of spring, our crab apple tree is finally blooming along with our regular apple trees. The flowering crabs are late this year but they finally are blooming everywhere. Some of the white ones, and white flowers really aren't one of my favorites,  are so full of blossoms that they are quite spectacular. The flowers don't last long and a good wind will scatter them far and wide.

Our spring in Wisconsin, and I believe in a lot of the mid-west, has been a long time in coming and we will have a few warm sunshiny days and then it's back to cloudy, chilly and rain. This week is the first that the farmers are really out working in some of the fields and it is getting quite late. Hopefully we will have a very late frost this year.

Three years ago we had a mound system put in and we have received a notice that it is time for it to be inspected and/or pumped. That happens every three years. The only problem is the tank is a very long way from the driveway so the pumper truck will need to go through the field to get to it and so far it has been way too wet. For those of you who don't know what a mound system is they are becoming very common here in Wisconsin and replace a conventional septic tank and drainage field which we had ever since 1973 when we built this house. Our soil is heavy clay and now days does not pass the perc test needed for the conventional system. Our neighbors, except for our Amish neighbors, have these systems too and so far ours has worked flawlessly and so far as I know, everyone else's has too.

Jim got his three colonies of bees last week so will spend the summer looking after them. Quite different from when he had 200 colonies and worked a full time job. Just the right amount, something to take care and when the season is over we end up with a supply of honey, actually if it's a good honey year, we should have enough honey to sell. Last season we took two cartons to the valley with us and sold it all.

We are looking forward to the Memorial Day weekend when we will get together with Chet and Irma and also Jim's younger sister Rita and Mort Morehouse who lived at 11 lime in Magnolia for a few years. It's always fun to get together, share good food and good conversation.

Once again, if you have news you would like to share, please do let me know and I will be happy to put it on the blog. We do wonder about many former Magnolia residents who we don't hear from  who were good friends with all of us. Those were special years when we were all one big family.