Sunday, May 25, 2008

A Concert for Walter


I'm sure Great-Great Aunt Catherine,
pictured with Mickey Mouse,
enjoyed the concert, too.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Saturday, May 17

Saturday was a big day in the garden.
Planted pole beans.
Worked on the paths between the raised beds.
Dug out a bed behind the party porch
in order to plant gourds and flowers.
Bought trellises for the gourds.
Bought half a whiskey barrel
and filled it with potting soil
and planted an herb garden in it.

With no help from me this year
the poppies are tall and green and budding,
the larkspur are likewise tall and budding.
The grapevine is beginning to follow it's wire
and also has buds
that promise grapes later in the summer.

Still much to be done.
Since I couldn't bend over
to pick asparagus by the end of the evening
on Saturday,
I will trust that I did more than enough
for that particular day.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Mockingbird Baby Update

Spotted some middle schoolish mockingbirds
hopping around in a bush beside the house last night.
They have cute little wings and mid-size little bodies.
They seem to be progressing nicely.
How fast the kids grow up!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Bluets

If you look behind the yellow flowers, there are tiny, tiny little blue flowers. Can you see them? Here...let's move closer in. Aren't they pretty? I pointed them out to my friends during the April camping trip, and they said, "Oh, yes, Bluets. " When I looked puzzled, they added, "Or some folks call them Quaker Ladies."


I was new to the world of Bluets, but very impressed with both their tiny beauty and the advanced wild flower knowledge of my camping buddies.




Saturday, May 17, 2008

Spring Garden Update

The asparagus bed, to the left, has been feeding us for a few weeks now. Asparagus straight out of the bed is SIGNIFICANTLY better than asparagus that has traveled the world prior to hitting the table. The lacy Christmas tree looking things are what happen when you leave asparagus in the ground. The vegetables on your table were actually hoping to become four foot tall lacy plants. The lettuce, in the foreground of this second picture, has also been delicious this past week. Another thing you will never buy in the grocery store if you've had it directly from the ground. Major taste improvement. Those are onions in the middle of that bed, with potato plants closer to the fence. The potatos are under the dirt under the plants.
Oh....and beehives in the background!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Walter Playing with Mouse

With baby mockingbirds screeching in background....
Perhaps only two or three people will not find this mindnumbing,
but this is for us few.


Monday, May 05, 2008

Peeps

The shrub by the back door sings. A few weeks ago it hummed and buzzed as bees of all sorts (including my honey bees) visited its little green flowers. When the blooms faded the bush got quiet, until last night when I noticed it peeping. Four baby mockingbirds, which look like something sort of prehistoric when their little mouths are open. I didn't quite get that picture. You can't linger too long in a mockingbird nest without getting mama mockingbird tangled in your hair. I took my two shots and headed in the house.
I avoided the dive bombing mama, but the black cat that visits the yard was not as lucky. He was heading out through the garden under full attack when I came home from work.