For the kid in all of us: There are so many fun things happening this month. I just wanted to point some of them out to you so you can plan ahead.
• April 14: The Sheep to Shawl Festival at Oatland Island is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, ages 4 years and older. Call 898-3980
• April 14-15: The Dogwood Festival in Perry offers children’s rides, entertainment, a dessert contest, motorcycle show, Dawg Jawg and food.
• April 20-22: Darien Blessing of the Fleet features a parade, music, children’s activities, plants, crafts and lots of food. Call (912) 437-6684
• April 21: The 11th Annual Savannah-style spring plant swap is planned for 8-11 a.m. at 415 W. Boundary St. next to Chatham Steel, across from Garrison Elementary School. Call columnist Jane Fishman at (912) 484-3045.
• April 21-22: The National Mayhaw Festival in Colquitt features a bake sale, music and food with lots of mayhaw jelly for sale. Call (229) 758-2400.
• April 26-29: The Vidalia Onion Festival features an airshow with the Blue Angels, music by the Swinging Medallions, arts, crafts and lots of Vidalia onion rings. Call (912) 538-8687.
• April 27-28: The Crawfish Festival in Woodbine features arts, crafts, music and lots of Cajun food. Call (800) 433-0225
• April 29: The 13th annual Sunday Supper in the Strawberry Patch at Bamboo Farms.
Now get busy and have some fun with the entire family. If you have toddlers or grands that tire easily, I suggest taking a wagon. Strollers are OK, too.
Snakes alive! This is the time of year, when people are cutting grass and weeds, making a lot of noise, stirring up leaves and generally breaking the peace and quiet of a yard that has been pretty much quiet all winter — something that’s disturbing to snakes, skinks, lizards and nesting birds. I’ve already spotted a huge, rust-colored skink on my pine straw pile and I’ve seen a black racer and several garter snakes. Lizards are such a delight to watch and they keep the bug population down, but so do the snakes and skinks. I’ve been putting out stale bread for the grackles, woodpeckers and jays. Be very careful when re-arranging bricks or stones because coral snakes love to hide beneath them. Don’t forget to watch for brown widow spiders like Myrtle Patterson found last year. Their egg sacs look like miniature land mines. I put out bat boxes two years ago, but so far no inhabitants. Bats are voracious mosquito eaters. I also erected a 12-apartment martin house with no inhabitants yet. I have plenty of bird houses on my property — rent free — just waiting for new occupants. Don’t forget to keep plenty of water available for our feathered friends and wildlife during the summer.
Kudos: This leaf thing is catching on, thank goodness. I received a call last week from Velda Corey who lives in Hinesville. She had a whole truckload of leaves to donate. When I contacted Velda to see if she found someone to donate them to, she said OMI took them for compost. Thanks so much,Velda, for not burning them as so many people do.
Plant scouting: I’m always on the lookout for plants blooming at this time of the year in the wild. I recently found a whole thicket of “ground nuts.” This is a vine very similar to wisteria, only the flowers are a deeper purple and later they bear an elongated bean. The neat part is if you dig up the root and peel it, it tastes just like a raw peanut. Blue flags (wild iris) are everywhere in the ditches right now. They would do well in your water garden. On Highway 17, across from Gordon Blount’s pond, is a huge stand of blue-eyed grass that’s magnificent ground cover. There is also a vacant piece of property near the corner of Frank Cochran and South Main in Hinesville that has several native fringe trees blooming right now. I bought such a tree several years ago and I just love it.
GARD: This “no kill” animal rescue organization based in Pembroke has managed to rescue over 300 dogs and 100 cats from euthanasia in recent months. They will be at the Richmond Hill Animal Hospital from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Help needed: I have searched in Liberty and Bryan counties for multiplying onions to no avail. If anyone knows where I can purchase some, call me at 884-7555 or email riverrat@coastalnow.net. Thanks in advance.
• April 14: The Sheep to Shawl Festival at Oatland Island is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $5 per person, ages 4 years and older. Call 898-3980
• April 14-15: The Dogwood Festival in Perry offers children’s rides, entertainment, a dessert contest, motorcycle show, Dawg Jawg and food.
• April 20-22: Darien Blessing of the Fleet features a parade, music, children’s activities, plants, crafts and lots of food. Call (912) 437-6684
• April 21: The 11th Annual Savannah-style spring plant swap is planned for 8-11 a.m. at 415 W. Boundary St. next to Chatham Steel, across from Garrison Elementary School. Call columnist Jane Fishman at (912) 484-3045.
• April 21-22: The National Mayhaw Festival in Colquitt features a bake sale, music and food with lots of mayhaw jelly for sale. Call (229) 758-2400.
• April 26-29: The Vidalia Onion Festival features an airshow with the Blue Angels, music by the Swinging Medallions, arts, crafts and lots of Vidalia onion rings. Call (912) 538-8687.
• April 27-28: The Crawfish Festival in Woodbine features arts, crafts, music and lots of Cajun food. Call (800) 433-0225
• April 29: The 13th annual Sunday Supper in the Strawberry Patch at Bamboo Farms.
Now get busy and have some fun with the entire family. If you have toddlers or grands that tire easily, I suggest taking a wagon. Strollers are OK, too.
Snakes alive! This is the time of year, when people are cutting grass and weeds, making a lot of noise, stirring up leaves and generally breaking the peace and quiet of a yard that has been pretty much quiet all winter — something that’s disturbing to snakes, skinks, lizards and nesting birds. I’ve already spotted a huge, rust-colored skink on my pine straw pile and I’ve seen a black racer and several garter snakes. Lizards are such a delight to watch and they keep the bug population down, but so do the snakes and skinks. I’ve been putting out stale bread for the grackles, woodpeckers and jays. Be very careful when re-arranging bricks or stones because coral snakes love to hide beneath them. Don’t forget to watch for brown widow spiders like Myrtle Patterson found last year. Their egg sacs look like miniature land mines. I put out bat boxes two years ago, but so far no inhabitants. Bats are voracious mosquito eaters. I also erected a 12-apartment martin house with no inhabitants yet. I have plenty of bird houses on my property — rent free — just waiting for new occupants. Don’t forget to keep plenty of water available for our feathered friends and wildlife during the summer.
Kudos: This leaf thing is catching on, thank goodness. I received a call last week from Velda Corey who lives in Hinesville. She had a whole truckload of leaves to donate. When I contacted Velda to see if she found someone to donate them to, she said OMI took them for compost. Thanks so much,Velda, for not burning them as so many people do.
Plant scouting: I’m always on the lookout for plants blooming at this time of the year in the wild. I recently found a whole thicket of “ground nuts.” This is a vine very similar to wisteria, only the flowers are a deeper purple and later they bear an elongated bean. The neat part is if you dig up the root and peel it, it tastes just like a raw peanut. Blue flags (wild iris) are everywhere in the ditches right now. They would do well in your water garden. On Highway 17, across from Gordon Blount’s pond, is a huge stand of blue-eyed grass that’s magnificent ground cover. There is also a vacant piece of property near the corner of Frank Cochran and South Main in Hinesville that has several native fringe trees blooming right now. I bought such a tree several years ago and I just love it.
GARD: This “no kill” animal rescue organization based in Pembroke has managed to rescue over 300 dogs and 100 cats from euthanasia in recent months. They will be at the Richmond Hill Animal Hospital from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Help needed: I have searched in Liberty and Bryan counties for multiplying onions to no avail. If anyone knows where I can purchase some, call me at 884-7555 or email riverrat@coastalnow.net. Thanks in advance.