St. Francis watches over the Benedict House garden

Yesterday Jerry sent me to Bloomer's to buy some winter vegetable starts for the garden.

I loaded my little red wagon and was enjoying walking around the premises looking at all the beautiful plants and fountains and such.

Bloomer's started up just about the same time the Ranch did, with a little house on 290 and some makeshift shelving and shade clothes for a small assortment of plants.  We've known Marcus for a while now, and shared the ups and downs of getting a big dream up and running.

Through the years the Ranch grew, and Bloomer's grew, moving out onto 95 and now covering a few acres or so.  That little front-yard business has grown into an inspiringly beautiful place–you know, the kind you don't want to leave when you get there. 
We buy from them, they buy from us–it's a long relationship by now. 

Anyway, I got my $15 worth of plants and then spied St. Francis standing over by a cactus, and liked him so much I bought him, too.  Total bill now: about $100.

Oh well, that'll teach Jer to send me to Bloomer's.

But St. Francis looks good standing there over our little oasis.  And this morning I got s surprise when I looked out the window and saw over 100 doves flitting about the feeders and bird bath, which I need to fill several times a day now because it's one of the few safe places for many birds to get a drink these days.



Breakfast at the Oasis at Down Home Ranch

The doves were super spooky and didn't come back after I refreshed the water and put out more seed, but Mr. and Ms. Jay and the cardinals were there in short order.

Looks like St. Francis is doing his job.