This is a bit of what I was doing on Sunday – mulching a path to that crabapple tree that I discovered behind the house. This area is just off the back of the house and some of the kitchen windows look out on it. It’s at the bottom of a hill (coming down from the back forty) and is often waterlogged after a rain. Slowly – and I mean slowly – I’m trying to do  something with it, so it’s not just grass and wildflowers and weeds, and poison ivy – which is everywhere around here. I cleared this path a month or so ago and now I’m adding the mulch. I ran out of it, so I’ll buy some more today.

At the wooded edge of the back forty, there is a wild honeysuckle that is pink. I meant to take a picture of it a week ago and forgot, but here is a hint of that pink color. It’s so pretty.

This climbing hydrangea climbs up the left side of the shed. I planted it years ago and was aware that it might take years for blossoms to appear. Indeed, it took about 6 years. Then I started to see one or two each year. This year, there are more than I’ve ever seen, which makes me happy.

There’s more to this story. Right behind that hydrangea, robins have built a nest, I believe it’s sitting on the window sill/window box. Every time I walk near the hydrangea, which I must do if I take the trash out or go into the shed for any reason, i.e., retrieving the lawn mower, a robin barrels out from behind the hydrangea, screeching at me all the while and then proceeds to fly into the trees with a steady chirp chirp chirp of warning that doesn’t stop until I move away.

It’s becoming a bit tiresome. There is also a bumblebee that has some sort of nest there as well, and he dive-bombs me when I get too close. Between the two of them, I’m under attack! My apologies to my sweet honeybees who I originally thought were the source of the buzzing in my ear. It wasn’t you. I should have know better.

I took that photo very quickly as the robin was not happy with me and I had to get out of there.

After taking so long that I thought maybe it was no more, the clematis is steadily climbing the trellis. Can’t wait to see those gorgeous purple flowers!

And every day, I eagerly visit the poppies to see if they’ve bloomed. I haven’t checked yet today, but rest assured, you’ll be the first to know – either here or on Instagram.

I’m determined to find a hollyhock to plant and I have to buy more mulch, run to the bank, and stop at the grocery store. And do more work outside.

A busy day ahead.

Happy Tuesday.