Everything is just "Rosy"....or There is a Thief Among Us!

  This afternoon I was chased inside by another round of rain. It seems as if this is one of the wettest winters that I can remember for quite some time.  My outdoor chores were put on hold for another day.  Not having much else to do, I made a cup of tea and stared out the window.  I was planning my next garden adventure when I spied the slightest movement in the rose vines on the east arbor.  Hmm?  I wonder what critter was braving the rains to play in the vines.  Could Mama Dove already be making her nest?    Rain or not, I just had to slip outside to investigate.

  Mama Dove was not the critter stirring about on top of the arbor.  A squirrel chattered noisily at me as soon as I stepped out the door.  I think it was trying to scare me away from the arbor!  It kept this up until it saw Ms. Ez bound out behind me. That old dog loves to chase squirrels and that squirrel knew it had better keep its distance.  It bolted down the arbor and out into the yard.  Ms. Ez tore out of the rose garden right behind it. The chase continued until the squirrel made its way to the large oak tree and then it took a "dare-you" stance just out of the dog's reach.  It barked at her all the while the dog leapt in the air trying to catch that wispy tail!  At least the old dog does this well.  Now back to investigating what the squirrel was doing on the arbor.  It did not take long to realize that this rascal was raiding the arbor of all my rose hips!  Just this past week, I noticed about two hundred rose hips were ripening well and needed picking.  I should not have procrastinated!  That little rascal evidently has been quite busy!  A lone rose hip remained on the vine!

  My harvesting of the hips was limited to a mere handful that I had picked last week.  I was going to need the ladder to reach the remainder of the hips and that was being used by Michael while he builds the greenhouse. I had good intentions of coming back to the arbor but got sidetracked cleaning the gardens.  That rascally squirrel was even using the fence post as a dining table while it gnawed my rose hips!

  Rose hips are pretty remarkable and are often overlooked.  They contain Vitamin C, D, A and E which makes them a great addition to herbal tea. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which help with joint pain and arthritis.  I try to harvest them to use in my teas but this year, I was in hopes to have enough to use in jelly making.  Their tartness blended with the Boysenberry juice should be very flavorful!  Now since the critters have taken a liking to my rose hips, Ms. Ez will have a new job.  She needs to stand guard under the arbor and protect my roses....errr...rose hips!