"We  know  that  ALL  things  work  together  for  good . . ."
​  
Romans 8:28

Yes...this  particular  Fragrant  Lilac  Bush  has  been  living 
at  this  location  for  about  75  years !

It  was  proudly  planted  by

Alice Jean Arden Hodge
{ July 23 rd., 1914  -  March  1 st., 2012 }

who  was  the  only  woman  from  the  NYC  area
to  be  in  the  1936  Summer  Olympics.
She  placed  NINTH  in  the  High  Jump  Event
and  never  competed  again.

You  can  read  more  about  her  by  clicking  on  her  name.

Lilacs  symbolize 
LOVE
and  are  a  member  of  the 
OLIVE  TREE  Family.
They  have  been  known  to  live  for  hundreds  of  years,
under  ideal  conditions  and  proper  care.

While some varieties only grow 4 feet, others can reach up to 30 feet tall.
Pruning a Lilac properly is essential and needs to be addressed 
EVERY  YEAR
to achieve a perfect shape and to increase flowers.

ALWAYS  TRIM  BACK  THE  BUSH  IMMEDIATELY  AFTER  THEY  HAVE  FINISHED  BLOOMING !
CAREFULLY  REMOVE  SPENT  BLOOMS  AT  THEIR  BASE  WITH  CLIPPERS
NEVER  USE  HEDGE  TRIMMERS

Removing  the  flowers   will  prevent  the  Lilac  from  producing  seed
and  encourage  it  to  create  next  year's  buds,
which  happens  VERY  soon  after
this  year's  flowers  are  spent !
!!!  SO  DON'T   WAIT   TO  DO  THIS  TASK  !!!

Lilac Bushes  desperately  need  and  love
AIR  CIRCULATION.

NEVER  allow  them  to  grow  densely  in  the  middle.
Trim  stems  away  from  the  center
to  increase  ventilation.

CUT  AWAY  shoots  that  are  at  ground  level
and  those  that  appear  out  of  the  trunk.

Trim away any branches that are not appealing to you...

BUTT, 

AS  YOU  CUT  AWAY

KEEP  IN  MIND

that  it  takes  3  to  4  years
for  a  new  branch  or  shoot  to  flower !

Therefore,  leave  a  few  strong  and  healthy  stalks
in  strategic  places  as  you  will  surely  have  to
trim  back  old  wood  in  the  future.

Lilacs  look  best  when  their  tops  are  rounded.
Please  don't  give  it  a  crew  cut  on  top.

Renewing  an  old  overgrown  Lilac 
can  be  done  in  one  of  two  ways.

In  March  or  early  April,
severely  cut  the  entire  plant  down  to
one  foot  off  the  ground.
Don't worry...this won't kill it.
It  will, however, induce  the  Lilac  to  produce 
many  new  shoots  during  the  growing  season.
Of course,  you won't have blooms 
for 3  to  4  years.
But  you  will  have  the  ability  to 
create  a  new  framework. 
The  following  March, choose  which  branches  are 
to remain  and  cut away  the rest.
Cut  the tips of the remaining stalks to
encourage branching out.


A second way to rejuvenate old Lilac Bushes is
to  cut  back  the  overgrown  shrubs
over  the  course  of  several  years.

Remove  one  third  of  the  large  old  stems.

The  following  year, prune  out  one  half  of
remaining  old  stems.
Thin  out  some  of  the  new  growth.
Keep  several  well  spaced  stems.

At  the  third year, remove remaining old wood and  keep  any  new  shoots  that  look  like  they  might  be good  for  the  future.  This  method  should  allow  you  to  enjoy  flowers  every  spring
and  provide  a  smoother  transition.

Pruning  Lilacs  should  become  an  annual  event  to  keep  them  healthy, 
vigorous  and  blooming  profusely  for  several  hundred  years  to  come !

... well... at  least  YOUR  lifetime... if  you  care.

Peaches  were  my  husband's  favorite  fruit.
We planted this one in the front yard
together
a year before he passed.

I certainly had my Dominic in mind this morning
as I snapped a few shots of the freshly opened blossoms.
He would have delighted in seeing the tree so healthy.

He would've eaten himself peaceful with peaches last season.
It yielded a whopping

SIXTY  POUNDS

of  succulent  sweet  freestones
at the age of three.

I don't know what the two yellow orbs in this picture are.
Someone told me they are a classic example of
Spirit Orbs.

Hmmm...
I do like that idea.
It's far more interesting and romantic than
simple floating dust balls.

While I am joyed by the blooms,
and the magical appearance of the orbs,
I am also conscious of  the very late bloom time.

My Gardening Diary has usual bloom time as  mid  April.

In addition,
last weeks entry regarding 
the usual arrival time for Hummingbirds 
in this area of Upstate New York,
has also changed.

It is May 6 th. and I have seen
NOT  ONE  HUMMER  YET !!!

???  WORRY  ???

"Ain't  no  need  to  worry
about  the  things  to  come.

Forget  about  your  problems
and  face  them  one  by  one.

Ain't  no  need  to  worry
about  what  might  have  been.

Just  trust  the  Heavenly  Father
and  let  that  be  the  end.

Ain't   no  need  to  worry
about  things  unknown  to  you.

Have  faith  in  God
and  rest  assured
that  He  will  see  you   through."

Poem  by
Earline Ross Cole

Hamden hamlet hides just outside
the college town of Delhi,
where you'd be making an excellent
scholarly choice to send your
academic bound brat.

There wont be a chance in heck
of them getting into anything but
an education here. 

If they've been especially naughty,
their first winter will forever cure them. 
There simply is no choice
but to study in conditions similar to
the frozen tundras of Siberia. 

I'm not sure if it would be funny or cruel.



Anyway, as I was passing through,
I couldn't help but notice the Scarecrow on County Road 26
pointing to Donnelly's Farm full of colorful gourds and squash...
and... of course,
Mr. Tom  Donnelly hauling huge pumpkins from his patch to the sales area,
where his lovely wife, Ginny, was attentively assisting several customers.

I enjoyed listening to in depth explanations concerning bees, pollination and
the demise of dairy cattle in the area due to education - not government !

I thought to myself that men are kinda like pumpkins.

It seems like all the good ones are taken
or
they've had everything scraped out of their heads with a spoon.

So, have a look at the mini slide show here and do your Pumpkin pickin at Donnelly's
where the scenery is gorgeous and the prices are ridiculously reasonable !
How 'bout their pumpkin totem that's lit up at night !
Very cool !

It was the perfect day for the Callicoon Farmer's Market in NY, which is open from 11:00 A.M.  til  2:00 P.M. every Sunday until November 25 th.

These gorgeous locally grown peaches were decadently delicious. They dripped with juice and filled the summer day  with a heavenly scent.

Callicoon is a tiny historic town located on the bank of the Delaware River, surrounded by the rolling lush green Catskill Mountains.  It was first settled by the Dutch in the 1600's who named it "Kollikoonkill", which means "wild turkey creek". 

The area remains abundant with wildlife, although the Elk are gone and the Mountain Cats are rare to see.  There still are black bear, wolves, coyotes, fox, deer, eagle, wild turkey, racoons, opossum, rabbits and who knows, maybe even Big Foot...
or was the beast  I once saw just a Local...
perhaps playing pranks ?

I suppose that's why I keep the camera handy. 

This time I snapped a few pictures at the Callicoon Farmer's Market to give you a tour of some things that were offered.

SCROLL  DOWN  TO  SEE  THE  SLIDESHOW


There were a ton of different kinds of Tomatoes, including Heirlooms and yellow and orange Cherries.  By the way, if you've never had the Yellow Cherry Tomatoes, you really must try them !
They're as sweet as candy.  Indigenous and prolific in this region, they are the tomatoes
local American Indians harvested several hundred years ago
before settlers brought in other varieties.

The Market also had beautiful fresh cut flowers from ARK FLORALS of Mt. Vision, NY, owned and run by a very knowledgeable Meg Kennedy and her family, at super reasonable prices.

Bill and Barbara Walsh displayed their handcrafted Cherry and Pine crafts.  I especially loved their cheese spreaders and boards, which would make a very fine hostess gift.  Visit their online store
at  wwbc.etsy.com  and see what other goodies they have in my slideshow below.

Other Vendors included Bakers, Goat Soap Makers, Local Honey, Local Maple Syrup, Fresh Lamb meats, knit Lamb's wool products, fresh Jellies, Jams, Condiments, Fresh Herbs and the like.

Not part of the Farmer's Market, but associated with one of the many Callicoon shops a few steps away,
I came across Pam Sloan of RUSH SEATS,{ rushseats@yahoo.com }, who was busily working
on an antique chair. She beautifully repairs with caning, rush or upholstery.

If you'd like a list of all the  vendors, visit  www.sullivancountyfarmersmarkets.org

On this gorgeous August day, the lily pads that have frustrated my friend's lake, are glowing with life.
The patches of water vibrantly  reflect the blue sky, reminiscent of a Monet painting.
Like a healing balm, they exude a deep inner state of quietness within, bringing to mind a favorite quote that more deeply penetrates the soul:

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  John 14:27

When I allow these words to fill my mind, tension and worry leave and a powerful sense of healing spreads over me.  May it do the same for you and fill our world with the greatest peace of all.