Friends

lovely bird songs everywhere

bees buzzing by

children’s laughter in the air

as the breeze floats by

dogs barking out in play

while cats nap in the sun

all reminds me

how wonderful friends are

Karen S Smith

Nature edges it's way

along the blocks

filling voids

looking for strongholds

not doubting they are there

reclaiming with joy

the space it needs

to color the world

with beauty

God has given

Nature to be

by Karen S Smith

Swan

swan glided

swirls stream behind

peace abounds

children swing high

colors fill the park

by Karen Smith

Life By a Bayou

Tiger Lilies

I have always loved tiger lilies these are a past mother's day gift and when I moved I planted them in with a potted plant that I was moving.  Then I forgot well for years a plant that look like a lily kept growing but well no flowers so I was not certain it was a lily or a weed that grew like a lily.  So surprise today I turn the corner in my garden and there it was.  Now I can move it, when the fall comes. http://www.theflowerexpert.com

The End Of a Garden

My tomatoes are finished so I have pulled them from the garden and added them to the new compost pile.  In Louisiana you have two growing seasons for tomatoes so I added some old dry milk product to work into the soil and will start getting the spot ready.  I am planning on moving the garden spot out to make the bed bigger and grow more but I am happy as I got more tomatoes this year then the last two years. 
So the end of a garden is just the beginning.  Here is a video from Self Sufficient Me.  It is long but you get a feel how to prepare a bed with mulching and what weeds to pull what you can pull and leave in to mulch.  He is going to use a wood mulch the top soil.
Now mine is going to be planted again soon and has a shorter winter over so I will be using some mulch material that will break down fast,

Hidden Pearls

Pearls are hidden

from lack of speech

to truths need spoken

but fear has bound

Poem of sorts by Karen Smith

Life by a Bayou

Crepe Myrtle The Tree of The South

My Crepe Myrtle tree is blooming this year.  The year is two years old and froze this winter during are hard 3 1/2 day freeze.  I lost half of it and just had a 6 inch stick in the ground.  This tree is a beautiful part of the south and you see them everywhere.  I have noticed grow through almost anything so I left it alone.  To my great surprise it grew very fast.
The crepe myrtle is an attractive tree with it's leaves turning nice colors in the fall and the trucks of the tree are both unusual and pretty.  I found this link to a Southern Living article on the tree:  www.southernliving.com. 
This tree came from www.arborday.org .  I had made a donation and received 10 trees.  We planted them and then recorded their growth for a homeschool science project.   One thing is true if you visit the south you will see that the crepe myrtle is the tree of the south.

A Foster Child Needs You

Reading through my facebook newsreel this morning I found this article from my local paper.  What a good way for all of us to help.  It is hard to be a foster child and a lonely thing at times. Knowing that so many reach out to help would certainly make it easier on the child.  I think school's have need of extra clothes too.  So if you are looking for a place to help your community foster care and school's are a good place to begin.  https://www.childwelfare.gov , http://fostercare.com/ and of course your states link to foster care ours being: http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov. 

I hope you find this helpful and donate those cloths today.  A Foster Child Needs You.

Appreciate Yourself You are A Part of A Pattern

Have you every looked at patterns around you.  Like the way grass will blow together in a pattern?  How sand makes a beautiful pattern with the waves or how a weaver designs a rug, a piece of cloth.
Would it surprise you to know that we as human beings form a pattern that is not just functional but very beautiful.  Think of it.  YOU are a beautiful part of a whole pattern of loving universe of people.
Now I am not talking a religious belief at least not as you are thinking.  I am talking about how special you are.  Everyday I go shopping, play a fishing game on the internet, walk down the street, ride the city bus, and greet people and I am amazed at how rude people are and uncaring.
I realized that it is a chain reaction to each being made to feel they are not cared for or appreciated but I would like to try and break that chain by letting you know you are a gift to each of us.
Appreciate yourself as a part of a pattern that is both beautiful and unusual.  Wonderful and unreplaceable.  Here is just one link I found on appreciate yourself on the net: www.marcandangel.com ,  I also copied one saying from there that I thought was very interesting and true see what you think. 
I thought this was true because if we allow ourselves to stay were we feel unappreciated then we drown and become people willing to hurt others to make ourselves feel better and that starts and unending chain of hurting others.
So know that I appreciate you and please appreciate yourself YOU are worth it

Animals Playing

sunshine streaming

through forest of green

animals playing

amongst the ferns

and wild flowers alike

 

Pet Bee

I had a pet bee

who came to my home

each day

he loved to play

in my zinnia

rolling in yellow dust

that is like gold to us

My pet bee

is fun to watch

hard at his work

making food for us

and flowers to

light our eyes

poem by Karen Smith

Pollinator Week

http://pollinator.org/pollinatorweek/     

National pollinator week is coming up and I had this link sent to me by the by the USDA.  There are lot of things we can do to help bees out one is set out a tiny bit of water on a flat plate as bees do get and during the hot season can not find a water source.  If you live in an apartment try setting out some planted flowers and you can hang a humming bird feeder to feed bees as well.

Louisiana

Louisiana is a beautiful state and a interesting place to visit.  Here is a website to download some booklets for several of things about Louisiana that proves how interesting the state is take a look:

louisianatravel.com to find the above downloads and see what you can do vacationing here.

Water Bird Among the Weeds

weeds shelter

hiding feathered wings

looking unaware

finding contentment were

you look but do not see

Photo and Tanka Poem by Karen Smith

www.kazshomemadetips.com

check out my other blog and give me some advice.

Water Bird and The Environment

This water bird is feeding on frogs and small fish in a run off pond on the side of Hwy 1 here in, https://en.wikipedia.org , Alexandria LA,  I got these photo's while waiting on the city bus.  This is what gives me hope that the planet can right itself with just a little bit more respect from people for the animals and environment right around them.  No one bothers these birds or the frogs and fish in the ponds so right on a busy road these birds do well.

Growing Some Watermelon

Growing some watermelon this year taking when to plant from my https://farmersalmanac.com. 
I get reminders of when and what to plant and find these useful living here in the south.  I grew up in the northwest corner of the states and gardening was different. 
I was so used to gardening in that time zone that I could not garden here.  I kept starting my plants when they do and then my plants burnt up because it became to hot before they could mature.  So if recommend looking into this if you are having gardening concerns it maybe just a matter of knowing when to plant.
The watermelon in the picture needs to have the hill built back up as I have been having a lot of rain the last two days.  This one will grow a melon of 45 lbs and I am excited to see how I do with the melons this year. 

This piece also comes from http://www.almanac.com

The Clouds

The clouds did follow us today
dropping small droplets of rain
like tiny tears of soaring birds
settling in to rest upon our cheeks
The clouds did follow us today
as we journey on towards home
to busy to stop and wonder
just seeking comfort and ease
The clouds did follow us today

By Karen Smith

Climbing Pease Rose

I received this quote from the www.almanac.com   And the quote is true as the peace rose I have climbing on the side of my house has buds today for the first time in two years.

The buds are tiny at this point but I am excited and cannot wait for the bloom.  Here is a link to my wordpress blog for what I wrote about the birth of the bush peace rose Life By The Bayou  but the climbing peace rose is a tea rose and I found a link to buy one if you would like.  https://www.directgardening.com.  When my blooms open I  will share a photo and an article of what I use to grow them.