Koo Koo Ka Choo

May flower

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Yesterday I built a little fence to block the view of the electrical box.  (Looking at this box from the kitchen window has been such a thorn in my side, there are so many things to consider when building a house!  I didn't even realize our view was being spoiled until it was too late).

Now, you may laugh at the crudity of this effort.  I'm not in the habit of building stuff.  This is a big step for me.  It's held together with twine.  Very low tech.  But J will make it sturdier with his power tool expertise.  Then I will try and grow something on it, that the deer don't like of course. This is on their smorgasbord route, and I'm sure they'd love it if I planted beans or sunflowers here.  They'd eat everything then knock down the fence to spite me.  What's that poisonous climbing bean called?  Castor?  I need some of those seeds.

I'm still trying to figure out where to plant some sunflowers.  Without a fence they'll get chomped for sure.  Maybe I should prepare a little field of them with an electric fence around it.  I've got electricity right there at the box...Heh heh, heh heh, zap!

It's warm today!  I prepared the fenced garden for planting raspberries and ?.  The race is on for growing as much as we can as quickly as possible before the end of the season come September. Or we could just lounge around in lawn chairs and go shop at the Farmer's Market... 

It's May!

Happy May everyone!  A busy time of year, too busy to keep up on the blog.  It's so nice to be outside again.  In comparison, it seems like a chore to sit at the computer desk.  But I need to keep track of all the progress that's been going on out there.  It's raining  today, so it's a good time to get up to date.

Early May was pretty windy.  We had a frightening thunder storm, it seemed to be sitting right over the house one night.  We've had very cold windy days, and some warmer sunny periods.  The clouds are always up there, puffy and white and so perfect in the blue sky.  When they cover the sun, the temperature goes down dramatically.

The grass likes this weather, I've already mowed a few times.  I just got some grass shears, so I can do the edging around the garden without a weed whacker.  Not that I ever used a weed whacker myself.  I use a manual push mower and grass shears and it's so much nicer than using those loud, dangerous machines.

The peas, radishes, and other stuff came up in the greenhouse.  I made a little climbing structure for the peas with twigs and twine.  I (bravely) planted the tomatoes out there about a week ago, and planted zucchini and bean seeds on Saturday May 9.  Ooooo, that's early.  I set out some flower transplants outside in the garden, most of them are perishing from the cold.  Better wait till June.

  I had to refill this birdfeeder once so far.  The bags are working, I'm glad to know.  Except, look who found it.  I don't mind, I like watching squirrels as much as birds.  There's also a nestbox in this tree and he was sitting by it while a bluebird and some other birds drove him off.

Rusty was looking with us out the window, making those weird noises and licking his chops.
The wildflowers are starting to bloom, here's the Arrowhead Balsamroot, nearly ready.  It's blooming around the neighborhood already.  It is colder here at our house, I knew it.

Here's one I don't know the name of, I'll have to get a library book.

This one has a hitchhiker.

The violets and some willows are also blooming.

Birds are waiting for better weather, I think, to start nesting.  We now have five boxes up but no takers.  Bluebirds and Tree Swallows come to look sometimes.  I hope Rusty hasn't scared them off.  The hummingbirds are back and they are at the feeder a lot, since there aren't many flowers out there.  We have some Towhee visitors frequently, I'm still trying to get a good picture.  The crows are coming around more, making their strange noises.  I don't know what they're after, though Snoodly thinks it's him.  A foggy morning and two crows on a branch outside your bedroom window is pretty spooky.  And noisy.  

It's raining and 49 degrees at 12:00 pm.

Don't count on it...

The weather was (is) warm.  It is (was) cold.  It is (was) snowing.  It was (is) dry and windy.  A sprinkle of rain fell (falls).  A  warm sun shone (shines).

  

The daffodils are blooming.

And the Avalanche Lilies.
Snowberry is leafing out.
The new improved greenhouse! A few things have sprouted.  Mostly maple tree seedlings from all the leaves we put on last fall.  The greenhouse doesn't hold heat at night, but as soon as the sun rises, it heats up fast.  On warmer days I have to open the doors and lift all the flaps. 
Snowy daffodils

The flower starts are ready to be transplanted, but it's too early.  

It's 34 degrees and snowing at 9:30 am; 43 degrees in the greenhouse.

Blog Anniversary

Gardenlog is one year old!  It seems like I've been doing this a lot longer.  I started it to keep track of the seasons and garden activity.  I want to find out what's different from year to year and observe how things change or stay the same.  Well, I can finally do that now, starting with the Crocus.  Last year they bloomed April 25, and this year we discovered them April 12, Easter Sunday, during the hunt.

Since Easter, we got a little snow, but mostly the weather has been much better.

All kinds of things are starting to grow.

Moss and grass were first.  Buttercups are a close second.  All the shrubby things have buds.

Now that the weather is better, I'll be outside a lot more and won't want to be on the computer anymore.  This morning I was out there pruning, though it's too early, I just couldn't wait!  (I consulted some herb books and they advise pruning in mid to late spring).  A few days ago I planted cool season vegetables in the box, then put the row cover on top.  I also planted the greenhouse with radishes, carrots, kohlrabi and beets, but I saved room for the squash and tomatoes.  The peas never came up!  Boo hoo.

I would make a terrible pioneer.  My approach to gardening is not serious.  I throw seeds around willy nilly.  I use old seeds that probably aren't viable anymore.  I don't prepare the soil properly.  I plant too early or too late.  I'm too lazy to build fences and wind blocks.  If I were a pioneer woman, my family would starve and die.  The reason I'm thinking about this is that I just reread My Antonia.  Imagine living like that, where everything you do is about survival.  Right now I wouldn't be sitting on my derriere writing silly things at the computer, I'd be out plowing the fields, planting grain to feed the cows and pigs and chickens and goats.  And when I planted my kitchen garden it would be a very serious task, no room for experimentation or half-baked plans.  I always wanted to be that sort of gardener, focused, efficient, and successful.  But it just isn't in me to work that hard unless I have to.  I need to be plopped down in a place where there are no supermarkets, no easy outs; then maybe hunger would propel me into action.  Because I do love to eat!

It's 54 degrees and sunny at 2:00 pm.

Spring Arrives

Grass!

55 degrees!  

And, oh yes...we have a new darling.
He doesn't have a name yet.  William, Jinxy, Scotty and Tito have been considered.  How about Camo?
Or maybe Destructo.
On mommy's lap.
He's Slammy's baby, so she gets to name him.  And clean up after him.  Unless she's at school...
Luckily, he sleeps a lot.

Mini rose at the kitchen window.
The guys covered the greenhouse.  I may plant some peas in there today if the ground has thawed.

The Juncos are plentiful this year.  
And well fed!

This Spring's Fashions

A grey coat with tails, trimmed in black.

An eye-catching vest in burnt orange completes the look.

Distinguished in any setting.

It's 42 degrees, sunny at 9:30 am.

Living in the Moment

We had a great weekend, there were no commitments so we got to spend time together doing whatever we wanted.  On Saturday we shopped at the bead store for The Good Medicine Project, and got ice cream at Zips.  Then we had green beans and won tons at Noodle Express. We managed to squeeze in all the four food groups: Cream, sugar, fried food, and dipping sauce.

Slammy read The Art of Hand Reading, by Lori Reid, in the car.  It's an excellent book on palmistry with many illustrations and photos. 

On Sunday we got crafty and I drug out the sewing machine, which didn't die, thankfully, until I had finished mending Slammy's gypsy skirt and making a medicine bag.  I pity the kid who gets my bag.  Oh well, it's the thought that counts.  Slammy and I went for a chilly walk (Rusty declined) and collected rocks to make into pets.  She painted one of them, but seemed more interested in painting her hands. It's nice to know that she hasn't changed in that respect.  

Jr. and J worked on the Datsun.

I just went out and checked for daffodils, not a sign of them.  It's 30 degrees and there's a chill wind blowing.  The birds are absent, hunkered down in their nests.  

The receding snow is exposing many bent and broken trees.  The little Japanese Maple is thrashed.  Pretty soon it will be time to do some pruning, when it's a lot warmer.

The butterfly weed has come up.

These cedar nest boxes are $5 each (bargain!) at The ID Department of Fish and Game.  

Also this weekend, the WBH (World's Best Husband) put these up and cleaned out the third. Rusty can't get to the ones on the garage, because it has metal sides.  The one on the tree he may be able to climb to, if he discovers it.  However, I plan to keep him inside most of the time and arm myself with a squirt bottle on his supervised outdoor excursions, (a likely story).  I had a dream last night that we had a pet lion.  Hmm, I wonder who that could've symbolized. 

What can I say, it was on clearance...

                          

   

If we keep the beast inside, he's got to have entertainment.

You know what tomorrow is...

Rusty and I can't believe how much snow is still here.  His paws have disappeared!  But spring is coming.

Look who showed up!

Female Western Bluebird...
and male.

I was just lamenting to Janeywan that it's hard to take pictures of birds, because they run away as soon as they see me with the camera, like it's a gun or maybe a soul stealer.  So I had to be stealthy and take these from afar, behind some trees.  Just yesterday, the Western Bluebirds, Juncos, Robins and Finches all returned here together.  They must travel in a group.  I'm really happy to see them again.  The air is filled with bird song!

Just now the bluebird was attacking my bedroom window, I think he sees his reflection in it.  Isn't there a story or song about a bluebird at my window?

The willows have buds.
Ahhh mud.  You know it's spring when there's mud.
It's 50 degrees! and cloudy at 3:00 pm.