Homemade Bread

Today, for the first time, I made bread from scratch. It was easy and tasty! Here is the link to the recipe: Amish White Bread

Clematis

My clematis finally bloomed!

This is Clematis jackmanii and it is a notoriously slow grower, but the flowers are worth it! Clematis is a slow growing vine and is available in many different flower colors. You can choose from purple, red, pink, and white. I've got mine growing on a chain link fence. The flowers are about 4 inches across.

Monarch caterpillars

This is a Monarch caterpillar and will transform into a Monarch butterfly in a few weeks.

If you want to have Monarchs in your garden, go to your local nursery center and ask for milkweed. Sometimes its labeled as butterfly weed, but its the same thing. Milkweed is the only host plant of this butterfly so its important to incorporate this plant in your garden.

I counted five caterpillars on one milkweed! Can't wait until they turn into butterflies!

Victoria Blue Salvia

This is one of my favorite salvias. Its called Victoria Blue Salvia (Salvia farinacea) and it starts blooming as soon as spring arrives. Right now its really the only plant blooming.

Here is a close up of the flower stalk. I've it planted at the front of my bed because it doesn't grow tall, I'd say around 18-20 inches tall. This is a perennial and doesn't require any extra effort. I like this plant so much that I bought 3 more plants last week.

Catnip is another healthy plant in my garden. Ginger loves catnip!

She got a hair cut last week and now she is much cooler.

Laying in the catnip is Ginger's favorite spot in the garden.

I'll end with a group picture of our two inside cats, Mike (orange) and Kitty (black and white).

Birds

A Louisiana Iris that started blooming a few days ago. I know I planted a red variety of Louisiana Iris but it hasn't bloomed yet. Hopefully it didn't die on me!

Now for a few pictures of the birds at my bird feeder.

I will end with a picture of Mike, one of our inside cats. He is laying on an empty egg crate. He lays on the strangest things. He is a big cat, the egg crate is big enough to hold 25 eggs! Soon he will get a hair cut at the vet's office. I get him trimmed so he will be more comfortable during the summer.

Tunica Hills WMA

Sunday morning we drove to Tunica Hills WMA. It was a perfect day for hiking! We didn't see any wildlife but we saw plenty signs of armadillos, turkey and deer.

These are pictures from the trail we hiked down to a dry creek bed. Some parts were steep with sharp drop offs. I was scared one of us might step on a copperhead snake but we didn't. With all the brown leaves on the ground they would be hard to spot.

Dry creek bed at the end of our hike. It was easy getting down to the creek but very difficult walking back up. The trail was so steep! Lots of animals had walked through the sand and I took pictures of the tracks.

Pretty sure that is a deer track.

Turkey track.

This is what you see when you look up at the sky. There are so many trees there that the trail is mostly shaded.

San Francisco Plantation

This weekend the San Francisco Plantation held their annual arts and craft festival called Frisco Fest. There were lots of vendors selling pretty things but I didn't buy anything! I wanted to buy lots of paintings and other art work but I'm running out of wall space at my house.

We toured the plantation home and the most interesting fact I learned was how the plantation got its name. There is no connection to California or to Saint Francis but there is a link to a French phrase meaning "I don't have a penny left in my pocket". When you say that phrase in French, it sounds like San Francisco, hence the name. Running a sugar cane plantation costs money and the owner was said to say "I don't have a penny left in my pocket!" after paying all the bills. Neat factoid, right?

These are pictures from the front and back and the side water cistern. The pipes connecting the cistern to the house provided running water to the home.

Lots of arts and crafts vendors! So many things to look at!

People made from wine bottles.

Coasters! There was a really cute LSU coaster, see next picture.

Lots of pretty wooden bowls! He had some nice cedar pieces too.

Hand painted ceramic plates that were inspired from historical places in Louisiana. She had so many different churches, schools and famous restaurants. I stayed in her booth for a long time looking at everything.

If you are ever in Garyville, LA make sure you stop by San Francisco Plantation. Tours of the house are $15 per adult and they are well worth the money. The tour guides dress in period attire and are very knowledgeable!