Garden Time For Me

Patches found a cool spot!

I have been having a productive week here working outside in my garden. It is sunny, warm and breezy. So not too hot and the breeze keeps those nasty little black flies (or better known as, "May Bugs" here in NY) away from me. Tell me, why do my cats have to get on my lap if I sit down to take a break? I tell them, "You are outside! Not the time to be sitting on someone's lap!" Every break I take, I have a cat on my lap.

Lemon Balm

The bed with the Lemon Balm is coming in good. This bed used to have chives and oregano in it too, now I don't see any of that. Just lots of lemon balm. It takes over the bed. I love it. Smells so clean and fresh. I add it to salads and make tea with it or add it to lemonade. Drying it for winter use too. I have more than enough for us.

Strawberry and Mint coming in!

Strawberries are already blossoming and that is usually one of our first crops here in NY. I have never had much luck with trying to make my own strawberry bed. This year, I have a plan from a picture I found on Pinterest. I am hoping that will work better for me. I'd really like a regular strawberry patch in my garden.

Apple Tree is in full bloom!

Working outside after our long winter is just so relaxing. I am doing physical work in the garden, which is now much harder for me since my knees became so bad. I think my desire to do it, makes me just do it. Hurting or not. I feel such a satisfaction of looking at my garden and watching my food grow. This is the only way to be able to afford the food we love. Not living on high carbs makes you eat more fresh food, such as produce from the garden. Salad is my favorite food of all! Fruit is next.

Raised beds in the backyard

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy some sunshine in your garden today. It is another benefit of gardening..........fresh air, sunshine, the music of listening to birds sings and the breeze flowing through the tree tops, exercise (if doing any activity like gardening) and soon, food from your own hard work!

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2013  Kathleen G. Lupole

Learning To Watermark Images On Wordless Wednesday

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2013  Kathleen G. Lupole

Thinking Of My Wonderful Father On His Birthday!

 Daddy on  my brother's horse, Dusty

Today would have been my father's 94th birthday. As most of my readers know, he passed away last August. Last year on his birthday, he told my brother that it would be his last. I think he was ready. Not that he was sickly or frail. He was pretty active for a man his age. I am glad he never lost that, his ability or mind. He was aware of everything and could hold a conversation as well as any twenty year old. Especially if they were discussing automobiles or motors!

 Daddy playing the organ for Mom

My father was a man of  many talents and abilities. He was very musical and as a child, I'd beg for him to play his harmonica. Later he learned to play an accordion and the organ. He played the organ for many years. When my mother was bedridden, and he cared for her at home, he entertained her many evenings with his music.She thought there was nothing he could do.

Daddy in the garden

Even though my father was well known for repairing cars and motors, the thing I remember the most is his extraordinary gardens. He planted large gardens every year. My parents would put up a lot of pickles, grape juice and jelly, and freeze a large amount of other vegetable and fruits. Even last year, he had a garden but it was not harvested. In the end, it died before I could get there to care for it. I know he knew it was his last garden, as it was the smallest one he ever planted. He knew.

Michael Dran 

May 13, 1919 - August 11, 2012

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2013  Kathleen G. Lupole

Happy Mother's Day 2013!

My mother, Hazel Neer Dran

Happy Mother's Day to all my readers and their mothers today! I was very fortunate to have a very loving and caring mother. She thought there was nothing my brother, Mickey, or I could not do. Her love for her family was the most important thing to her. I loved her with all my heart and I miss her terribly.

My mother and grandmother, Anna Leonard Neer

My grandmother, Anna Neer lived only eight miles from our home when I was a child. I loved to go to her house and would spend several nights with her. It was just her and me. She would bake cookies with me, take me out to help her in her garden, pick blueberries with me and a million other fun things. I loved to be with her at her house. Still to this day, I can picture every room in that house. Even her furniture and the smell. Oh Grandma, I loved you so much!

Bob and Lucille Lupole, My In-Laws

My mother-in-law, Lucille Toft Lupole is remembered on this day too. She loved her family and it showed in so many ways. Her love of music, inspired almost her whole family. My husband and his sister, Pat, and her family, are all musical thanks to her. Many holiday dinners were spent at her house with music being played after our dinners. In our local area, she was practically a celebrity, due to being known for her music. I will never forget her! Loved her very much!

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2013  Kathleen G. Lupole

La Crosse Weather Center

Weather Center is on the barn, to the left of the door.

The La Crosse Weather Center is part of our alternative energy system. As my husband is installing our wind turbine, FINALLY, we need a way of knowing how strong our wind is. If it is over 50 miles per hour, it will need to be turned off. Since it is a low wind turbine, those heavy type of winds that would be like what you get in a storm, could ruin the turbine or overcharge our batteries. 

La Crosse Weather Center

It has a remote control that sits on a window sill in the kitchen. That way we can read it at any time. Keeping track of our weather is handy since we generate our power based on the weather report. Even a slight breeze, as low as one and a half mile an hour wind, will start the turbine. We have wind here often, so I can see us generating a lot of power. My husband has been saying ever since we bought the turbine, and didn't get it up yet, "Wasted power today!"

Closer View of  the weather wings.

With the mixture of solar panels and the wind turbine, our power should increase. Hoping to be able to get the water system in after that, which will make it possible to use our washing machine. I have tried to be patient, but sometimes it has been hard, as I got older and wanted things a little easier. 

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2013  Kathleen G. Lupole

The Loomis Cemetery In Tyner, NY Is Full Of History!

I loved this old tree in the cemetery!

A few days ago, my husband and I took advantage of the beautiful weather we are having, to spend a recent morning in a local cemetery. It is one of our favorite activities! I wanted to add a picture of a grave to the FindAGrave website. People request photos of stones for various reasons. Then a volunteer will go to the cemetery and try to find it. So I planned on fulfilling a photo request. Chenango County is full of those little rural cemeteries. We have always enjoyed reading the stones, and letting the people know they are not completely forgotten. Even if we did not know them.

Some of the trees have grown too close to the stones!

Chenango means "pleasant river flowing through the land of the bull thistle". Chenango County was established March 15, 1798. The Chenango River flows through out our county and neighboring counties. It is located in the northern edge of the Southern Tier Of New York. So there is a lot of history to be found in reading the old grave stones or researching the people buried there.

Along North Tyner Road

The Loomis Cemetery is located on North Tyner Road in an area identified as Tyner, even though the addresses of the homes in the area is Oxford, it really is in Tyner. That is only for the postal or telephone service. In the 1800's that area was quite a bustling community. Now it is just homes and camps. No businesses, schools or churches any longer. And most of the homes are sadly gone too.

Found It!

The stone I was searching for is the tall one leaning against the tree in this photo. There are more grave stones behind the trees seen in the picture. Most are unreadable, many are broken or have fallen over. Unfortunately, I could not read the inscriptions on many. The most recent burials in this cemetery were in the early 1900's. I have been researching our house's history, the people who lived here, and the area around us. Especially trying to find who the builder was of our house that was built in 1850. I have found that browsing the local cemetery has proven to be a valuable tool.

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2013  Kathleen G. Lupole