Waking up to the sounds of animals in Fish Springs

I love the sounds of morning here in Fish Springs. My day starts about 6:30 a.m. when my husband and I have coffee out on our deck or in the hot tub. We have two hummingbird feeders that five hummingbirds share. Sometimes they have real battles!

Little finches, sparrows, doves, robins and quail " all sorts of birds sing their wake-up songs. Then the larger animals, including our chickens and cat, start talking to us. Horses whining for their breakfast, cows mooing, billy goats saying baa and I love to hear the braying of mules. We feel blessed to live in this wonderful place.

Pirtles play

in Tucson

Dr. Klaire Pirtle always told me that I was the very first person she ever hired at Gardnerville Elementary School way back in 1982. I stayed there for 20 years but she moved on and opened a new school as the principal of Minden Elementary School.

Now Klaire and her husband Jack are retired and moved to Tucson. Pictures of their fantastic back yard and beautiful home are featured in the June 22 cover story of the Arizona Daily Star. There's a really neat tree house that is 7 feet off the ground and also an exciting zip line. Other fun things include a trampoline, a basketball court and some swings. This adventurous back yard has some really cool things for their nine grandkids and whole neighborhood to enjoy. Heck, I'll bet Jack and Klaire sneak outside during the dark of night and watch the stars from the enchanting tree house. Isn't it great to be retired?

Garden notes

from Ellen

My big thanks go to Ellen Robinson for her information about how to keep big, green squishy worms off of my tomato plants. Ellen plants some marigolds around the tomato plant and that seems to deter the tiny white butterflies that lay their eggs on the tomato leaves which become the worms. Got that? It sounds easier than using my margarita blender!

Ellen grew up in Nebraska where she and her parents and grandparents always had vegetable gardens. Now she's been living here in the Valley for almost 27 years and still keeps a garden.

She has some interesting ways to get rid of pests such as spraying Listerine on your clothes to keep the mosquitoes away and spraying ammonia around the entry door into your garage to keep the tom cats away. She also said if you have skunks in the garden it helps to put moth balls in your pantyhose and hang them outside. Thanks Ellen!

n Linda Monohan may be reached at 782-5802.