Windy again. Jeesh. The sun is out though, but gusty winds are such an annoyance.Not goo for SALATing. Ok, so Im just a typical zone 9 prima-dona , whining about weather that would be embraced gleefully by my NE and MW friends. Its common here for winds to die down when the sun gets low, but Ill be dialed into a baseball game by then.

Marian, glad to hear that you are feeling better and got to go outside and play. I used to have Nelly Moser in my previous residence but for some reason have not re-acquired her.She tends to rebloom here in the fall . I have Lithidora in my garden, but the variety I have is pure lobelia blue-no white edges. It makes a great little ground cover here and blooms all summer. I think my cultivar is Grace Ward.

Deanne, glad your trip went well, plants survived etc..It wont be long before we are all drooling over your container combos ! Im really surprised at how many of my fuchsias are leafing out after the low temps we had this winter. I really expected to lose more of them.

Chelone, you mustnt feel too degenerate about your Christmas décor, there are two houses in my neighborhood who still have their lights up. Very tacky looking ! At least you have a bad weather excuse . Im afraid my screening plant suggestions may not be quite the thing for Maine, but I will say that if I had a busy road at my property line, it would be a fence for sure, redwood or cedar with plantings to boot. But I live in Calif, land of fences. What progress in the Salon ! Will you have a professional installer for the stove?

Martie, I also have alpine strawberries as and edging, even though they escape easily and pop up all over the place. I need to be very diligent about watering them if I want the berries to be of good quality. I use alfalfa meal on my roses and sometimes helping of Dr Earth organic rose and flower food in early summer . It amazes me how much fertilizer folks pour on roses. Ive had years when they have never been fed at all. We have had a couple of bad blackspot years and I feed then to push out the new foliage after remove the diseased leaves. I dont anticipate much of that problem at all this year since we have had little or no spring rain.

PM, that seedling site is FF ! Thanks for posing it. I hope your plant moving party went well!

bug, lovely photos and such a contrast to the snowy pics youve been posting. What kind of camera do you have ? Your close ups are always so sharp and I struggle constantly with that. I hope the ex reconsiders the Husky thing, but it does not sound too promising.

Jerri, good to see you posting again.

Woody, we have three bins for our trash here, a 55 gal toter for yard waste (you can order a second one for no charge) a 55 gal toter for single stream recycling , and I have small 30ish gal regular trash and garbage toter. All three are picked up every week.

A big hi to everyone that I failed to greet today ! I also wonder how Eileen and Babs are faring ? And Honey ?

Kathy in Napa

Yea ! Bug is taking flower pics again.

Marian, my DIL had that same Lithodora,Blue Star in her car the other day when she stopped by. It sure is pretty.

I've got you all beat, except probably Marian! No garbage collection at all. Of course you know I go to the "transfer station" most weekends and that is where they hand out large dog treats. They accept appliances for a fee, also many plastics and metal cans and unbroken glass like wine bottles, scrap metal, tires, flattened cardboard, paper in many forms (as in phone books) and plain old garbage. This always amazes me because I see mattresses, garden furniture, couches and other huge or messy objects. A special area takes batteries and even took an ancient old mercury thermometer of ours. We compost kitchen and garden waste, but not bones, meat etc.

Chelone, we never got any Christmas decorations up, so this year was easy. We went to visit DD's family, so only had a big golden bow near the doorbell.

Supposed to thunderstorm here tonight. I wonder what Phoebe will think. Who was it who suggested Bounce on puppy's fur to calm them?

Cut back a bit more ornamental grass and then raked a few more leaves. Indoors I used citric acid on a filter to remove calcium buildup. I also use it in the dishwasher sometimes to remove grime and clean glasses.

The birds really are a joy to listen to...well not the geese. I'm waiting for the peepers too! Phoebe walked into the pond with DH today and was really surprised! She didn't see the groundhog nearby...but I did. :(

Marian, I'm so jealous of your redbuds!!!

Woody, DH is doing slightly better with the dog. He knows he's on my dangerous side, so asks permission to walk her. Tonight we practiced the stair routine together, something he was opposed to before. I guess he's trying to please. In any case, he now knows it is MY dog. She gets fixed at the end of the month. So soon! WOW!

Bedtime for me..and Phoebe too.
Bonne nuit!

Martie, thanks for the offer of the alpine strawberries. They would be the perfect addition. You can email me thru GW. If I dont respond right away its because I dont check that box often. Its only for GW. You might mention when you email me on the Idyll and Ill check it.

Lucky for me that poop patrol is only a spring time chore here. When the weather straightens up she finds those far off spots where nature takes care of it.

bug, your pictures are stunning. You have a great eye. I dont even have crocuses blooming yet :o( I hate game playing especially when kids are involved.

Marian, we have the "S" word in our forecast here as well :o(

Chelone, a soapstone stove sounds so interesting.

I spent some time this evening recovering the bench seat in the laundry room. This is where DH sits and removes his boots. He also likes to leave a lot of his junk on it. It was covered 24 years ago in brown carpet. I recovered it with carpet as well. It may sound a little odd, but it holds up well and really takes the abuse well. I actually consider this a working area of our farm LOL I used a new piece of neutral berber.

Our local Dairy Queen stays open year round.

Michelle

We have no more Dairy Queens here, nor Fosters Freeze. I used to love those swirly cones-the resort we go to in the redwoods every summer had one of those cone machines til a few years ago. I have not been to a fast food/hamburger joint for I bet at least 5 years.Take out Mexican (local, not chain) is a different story. Hail Villa Corona, behind Trader Joes in BelAir Plaza.

Kathy in Napa

Good morning all,

Well weve FINALLY gotten some spring weather. Woohoo! Sunny yesterday and the temps got to 54 degrees which seem totally balmy after the constant cold weve had this spring. Ive gotten about 40 or so of my fuchsia up to the garage to begin their hardening off. Im going to start getting the abutilon upstairs also. The sooner I can get the plants outside and the lights off the happier Ill be. I wound up losing several of my larger established fuchsia and cant figure out what the problem was. The Mrs. Lovell Swisher and Falklands seemed to be doing really well then all of a sudden they just died off. I use the same culture with all of them so I really cant figure it out. Im suspicious that they just couldnt stay dormant as long as the others and I should have gotten them under the lights the beginning of Feb. instead of late March. Oh well, live and learn and isnt gardening always a challenge. Dont feel too bad for me about it between the dormant plants and the cuttings I still have a couple hundred fuchsias left! LOL

I really wish you all could see the abutilons this year. They are just gorgeous and smothered in flowers. Ive got an A. Megatapodium that Ive been training to a standard that is just the cutest thing going. Ive also got these enormous abutilons that didnt come with a cultivar name but they are about three feet tall and m suspicious they are going to be pushing six or seven feet this year. Also, the A. Souvenir de Bonne are really looking great. Id have to say that of all the plants have under lights the abutilons are the easiest to grow under the lights.

Yesterday I got the rose and mailbox gardens all cleaned out but still have so much to do. Today Im going to tackle the driveway garden and hopefully get that entire garden cleaned of debris. I noticed several large rodent tunnels and Im hoping they didnt eat all the lily bulbs that are in that garden.

So, Dairy Queen? I dont remember the last time I had a soft serve ice cream.

Michelle, love the idea of having a bench covered with carpet. Neat idea!

Bug, Love, love, love the pics! I agree with Michlle, you really have a good eye. That photo with the wood railings on the bridge is beautiful. ~~ That garbage with Skyler and the Husky makes my blood boil. I just cant figure some people out and to use a child as a bargaining chip is inexcusable.

Kathy, great to hear your fuchsias are leafing out. Can you take some pics for me of them breaking their dormancy? It would be so interesting to be able to grow them outdoors year round.

Marian, one of the ladies in my class last weekend is moving to your neck of the woods. I guess they bought a place about twenty miles outside of Little Rock. ~~ I just love Redbud trees! Id really love to have one here but dont know where Id put it.

PM yes it was a business trip to FL so no enjoying the sunshine for me. The hotel I was staying at had a mature gardenia shrub in full bloom just outside the front doors and I grabbed a couple flowers for my classroom so I could enjoy their fragrance while I was teaching. Their perfume is just divine.

Jerri, hang in there, this too shall pass. Thinking of you.

Saucy, when are your bees going to arrive.

Martie, where would you suggest I get a nice large Rex Begonia?

Well I guess Im going to bundle (still 34 degrees out) up and go outside with my coffee and do a bit of SALATING before tackling the driveway garden. Have a great day.

Deanne

PS the Hellebores are blooming! I think they are making up for not having flowers last spring.

I use a Panasonic Lumix, model DMC-FZ20PP. It is old by now, even though it is new in my mind. I have not mastered all of it yet and have become lazy and use automatic mode. My true secret is sharpening photos with Photoshop.

No thunderstorms last night, but a very small bit of rain. Not enough to even be noticed in the first rain barrel that we've put up. (They overwinter in the barn.)

This morning our mower will be collected. It is leaking oil and has not even been touched since that was repaired last Fall. He phoned me yesterday to remind me he was coming!!!! Now, will he show? This is a test.

High around 60F today, but then down to about 26F tonight. The S word appears in the long range forecast too. :(

This SHOULD be a day of indoor work in the morning, outdoor stuff in the afternoon. Let's see how it goes!

Have a good one!
'bug

Sounds like Spring is finally starting to creep into all areas of Idyll life, at least early signs. But it's a begrudging Spring isnt it? We're actually forecast to get temps again in the 30s next week in the nites - of course, this after I just gave the okay for an order of clematis to start their way towards my house! o well, I'll find some shelter for them to harden off somewhere...

Jerri - so sorry about having to do that estate trip - I can soooo sympathize -- I havent been back to PA since early December where I used to go at least once a month - My daughter swears I can only go back if I take an armed guard -- talk about warring... so sad when there's one relative (or maybe two) that is so psycho about material stuff or childhood dysfunctions they've carried all their lives -- life is too short for that stupid stuff, isnt it? I hope it goes okay for you and know that at least you get to Leave again and go home where that's what's important in your life!!

I would like some more sunshine -- feeling definitely light deprived. Perhaps it's being inside most workdays but it just seems a lot of gloom and doom weatherwise -- Cynthia is getting all the good days when she can pop into her garden and work whenever the sun pops for a few hours...

Gardenbug - how great to see your photos again -- we know it's really Spring when we start to see those from your artist's eye. Im sorry re the ex problems -- it's hard not to want to take those problems onto yourself for your DD and her family isnt it? Hopefully the dog idea will wear itself out before the event....

PM- sounds like you've been doing a lot of work despite not feeling so great -- you made some really good purchases there. I had a large old arborvitae I just took about about 2 years ago - it was too close to the house & got snow in it every year - that would split it - it eventually just started splitting and bending over everywhere - I imagine if you're just using yours out in the yard as a screen though it should work great - they are truly low maintenance otherwise.

Okay, off to the business of the day.

--Cindy

Good Morning all...I can't linger long . Nolon has a follow-up appointment with his dr this morning.

I mainly want to point out that it was the 7F in Fairfield, Idaho that I was referring to with the link. Of course, that soon was no longer shown as the forecast progressed. As for snow, I wouldn't be surprised to see more even here. It is predicted to get down to 30F for weekend lows. Hopefully it will not destroy early growth. It may nip the Kiwi leaves. They will be almost full grown by then.

RE: Redbuds. Fed-X has rows of a flowering fruit tree all along the front of their large building in Harrison. They have deep reddish blooms ( and I think, purple leaves. Probably plums?). There is one lone redbud at one end of the property. I think it's lovely pinkness is much prettier than those trees. Our 3 trees are still in the process of opening their blooms. They are north, west and east in our yard.

Deanne, what direction from Little Rock is the lady moving to? Do you know? That city is quite far from us, but if she will be north or west of it, she will be somewhat closer. That area is a zone or two warmer than we are.

From my research, I think I will have to grow the Lithodora in a container.

I'd better get hopping...
TTYAL

Marian

I am officially "behind" again. I have vague notions of Jerri's "estate trip", Michelle's home improvements, Marian's redbuds, and Huskies.

Busy this week mopping up the details surrounding Wreck's caper with the Deramaxx. Rescheduled the surgery. Removed recreational morphine patch. Had bloodwork done to verify that he did not completely roach his kidneys or liver with said Deramaxx. Have ensured that bloodwork results have been faxed to the clinic where surgery will be performed. Have app't. for the application of the REAL morphine patch tomorrow afternoon and the huge one is to be delivered unto the surgeon on Friday morning. Am thrilled that it's supposed to rain all weekend which will make taking him out for necessary "evacuations" especially challenging... can't get the morphine patch wet or the bandage on the affected leg wet. See why I hate dogs?

Phoebe is to be fixed soon? didn't realize she was broken... thought that was DH, 'bug. ;) I think Huskie puppies are about as cute as they come (for dogs), but the reality is that puppies grow up. And as each of us knows the shelters and rescues are full of the "grown ups"; the unfortunate acquisitions that people tired of when the cuteness wore off and reality set in. The selfishness and shortsightedness of our species never ceases to astonish me. Or the helpmeet.

I love Dairy Queen. I pass one every single day on my way to and from work. They sell Christmas trees in the parking lot in the wintertime. My personal favorite is a vanilla cone dipped in the "chocolate" flavored plastic. Only trouble is, the hot "plastic" promotes melting and one must pay strict attention to keep the drips from running over one's hand. :)

Michelle, I think the use of carpet on the bench is brilliant! it's tough, easy care, and will repel just about any sort of dirt. AND any household cat would be on it 5 seconds for their "manicure". Mud season has arrived here, too. Mud is good. And soapstone is lovely!

I am leaning toward the fence option, too, but am worried about the pricetag. If there was more space between the road and barn I'd be more inclined to a living fence. But this road is a bigtime tourist cruise and too many of them ignore the speed limit and hurl trash out the car windows (we clean up after them at least once a week). And I'm not sure I have what it takes to wait 5 yrs. for things to attain a size and mass that will provide adequate privacy. I was absolutely sick the day they cut down the trees to prepare the site, mercifully I wasn't home for the executions. There were 4-5 big ones, all had to go; they were either on the footprint or would have been killed by equipment driving over roots. I came home and broke into tears. I clearly need to delve into PM2's rain garden link!

Jerri, Cindy, anyone else... I don't quite know what to say about warring siblings. My brother and I have exchanged a few cross words but that was more about the uneven relationship with respect to Mum's care. As for the remaining assets, there hasn't been any friction. There were a couple of things in my aunt's home I had my eye on that he mentioned, too. "I think you should have them." "You sure?" "Never been more certain in my life.". We have a joke that all we've inherited is "on permanent loan". I worry about the family home; neither of us is in a hurry to sell it, but doing so may be the expedient way to handle it. I wish you well, and do whatever you must to get through the experience in one piece. DARE=Drugs Are Really Excellent. ;)

Not much to report about the Salon. Treads and risers are in place. Helpmeet was not paying attention when he put up the brackets that will support the hand rails... consequently "swiss cheesed" the left wall. I have filled the holes, curbed my temper, and reminded myself that while inconvenient and irritating, it's not the end of the world and I have NO idea whatsoever how to accomplish the task. He's in charge of infrastructure, I'm in charge of aesthetics (sort of).

Closing out with thoughts for those ailing (too many!) and those challenged by the vicissitudes of life. Neither of which are much fun. I'll try to get more caught up!

Good evening all....

Nolon got a good report from his doc. This doc does much less tests than the previous one. No X-ray about every trip, as before. The local VA office is working to get Nolon's benefit back. We got a notice in the mail that he has an appointment at the Fayetteville,Ark. hospital the 23rd, for re-eavaluation; tests on hie lungs; and tests on his "bones" ( with I presume means the problems he has with his back and legs).Ennyhoo, I mentioned that to his doc, and he (the doc) was adament that Nolon not let them change any of his meds. He apparently has a pretty low opinion of their choice of meds. He did say it is good for Nolon to maintain a connection with the VA, in case he needs their hospitalization or nursing home services.

We stopped at the Compton One Stop for hamburgers and fries on our way home. The neighbor woman who owns it is trying to sell. She thinks she has a good prospect. She has really fallen done on her services, and her upkeep of the store, so it will probably be a good thing to have new owners.

I did more odd jobs outside this afternoon. Mostly trellising the clems, and fencing susceptible shrubs and clems. It is such a drag to have to fence evrything...but I just can't set back and let the hooved rodents eat it all!

Believe it or not ,,,the 's' word IS in the long term forecast! So far 30F is the lowest low. That shouldn't hurt any of the mew growth, not even the Kiwi.

RE: Huskies. I am pretty sure my youngest half sister had one. I know she had a Malamute.( It's name was Keno). She spent 10 summers in Alaska with her husband and two daughters, on the Kenai Peninsula. Brought the dog (or dogs) back with her.( I wish I could remember the details better.) I do know she grew tired of Keno and had him put down. ( I am not proud of that) :-( Her excuse was that Keno was a one woman dog, and wouldn't take up with anyone else.

RE: Alpine strawberries. I grew some from seed many moons ago, and still have their offspring, but not to excess.We also hae the native wild strawberries. They DO reseed excessively...or send out log runners everywhere.The sparse fruit is very tasty.

Re: garbage and recyclables (sp),Our county recycles metal cans, plastics and aluminums...I don't know what else.They sell white plastic sacks for them...a dime apiece. They pick them up on wednesdays, along with the back bags of trash. ( And again, I forgot to put mine out!) As far as I know, they do not take glass or news papers. ( Guess I ought to check and find out.) It is no problem to take them to Harrison's recycle center.

RE: geese. I saw one lone goose flying South this morning. Poor thing!

LOL Chelone..." didn't realize she was broken" !!

I don't have to do poop patrol. Most of our cat poop is covered. The only problem is the fairly new neghbor to the north . His Great Pyrenees thinks our yard is his potty! And with all the woods around his place and ours ! What's with that?

Michelle, that is great that you re-covered the bench with carpet. Nolon brought home a set of dinningroom chairs from a fire job, many years ago. He re-covered the seats with carpet, after restoring the wood. I consider them rather nice chairs. :-) I admire you, and other women who can do that. Actually, I never tried.

We have Dairy Queens around, too. I don't think they are open in the winter.

Deanne. so glad that you finally had some spring weather.

Marie, I wish I would remember to have Nolon service my Rider. One cousin next door has already mowed her lawn, and I heard a mower going today somewhere not too far away.
I wish I had a new one. I have never been too pleased with it. ( It is a "White" [brand, not color.]).

There were "warring siblings", in my family, after my mom passed. Mainly it was the oldest half sister. She had the "vulture syndrome" ! It all worked out okay. We figured if she could live with her behavior, we could too.
"Stuff' isn't all that important when all is said and done.

My dear sister ( and I do mean the 'dear') took care of all the legal stuff. She did it willingly, with no complaints.

It was surely slow here, on the Idylls, today. Hope all is well with all....

Marian

We have the western redbud here, Cercis occidentalis, which is a California native and very suited to small gardens. I particularly like the multi-trunk aspect.

bug, I dont have photoshop, but another program that supposedly has pic-sharpening capabilities. I guess I oughtt to give it a try and see what result I might get. Sure would be nice to have some good farewell pics of my roses this summer.

Cindy, dont feel too badly we are still getting frost here in the valley, although its been pretty much a roof-top thing the last few nights. My plants on the ground are quite unaffected.

Deanne, maybe you should consider a freight elevator to get all those plants up to the garage. Below are a few fuchsia pics I took when I got home today. The one in the ground is Voodoo. We are told not to cut back until all danger of frost is past. I always jump the gun on that though ! This is the first year in a while that Voodoo has not sprouted from any of the branches left on. It basically died back to the ground this winter.
Second pic is Gartenmiester, which I kept under the eaves up against the west wall of the house. Third is Dainty Angel Earrings , which held foliage all winter I had it stashed under an evergreen Viburnum.

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Off to bring in the trash-toters...

Kathy in Napa

Well Phoebe is broken...housebroken that is. The fixing, well you know, I don't want a half dozen baby puppies!

No Dairy Queen close by. I'm glad to say no MacDonald's close by either, though I do see their garbage in the ditches now and then.

No warring siblings thank heavens in our family either! The paper work was a big drag for me, but they paid me extra out of the estate for that and it was a kind gesture.

The husky and schooling issues transcend reason. Very draining. On the good news front, DD and DSIL have decided on an evening 1/2 hour of silent reading for the family. Sarah says this is the best thing they've done together to date. Everything gets done before dinner, then dish washing etc, then PJs and tooth brushing and then choosing a book. It has worked really well this week so far. Skyler's choice for the first night was a picture book. The next night a more advanced book with writing and pictures. Last night Skyler chose the book about the "Heroic Sonata" of Beethoven. They are listening to it at school so he is pretty keen. It's a pretty big book and he found a big ruler and was using it to read, going down one line at a time - which shows he was actually really interested in the book! DD hopes they can keep this "quiet time" and that Reed will look at his little books then too, eventually.

All this is a result of my questioning DSIL's punishment by "grounding" the kid. Bannishing him to his room without any understanding why was a foolishness I did not understand. There he had his computer, cell phone, books, goldfish, etc. He needed MORE family time, not less I thought. Being the thoughtful fellow that he is, DSIL agreed and came up with this new successful plan which can only improve family dynamics.

I'm bushed, probably because of outdoor clean-up of the hellebores. Three wheelbarrows full of junk and still not done yet. I'm not as young and limber as Deanne!

A demain mes amies,
'bug

Hello all,

I think I'm in my annual "adjust to spring schedule" slump. I'm further behind than Chelone is! But I thought I would do a short drive-by.

A begrudging spring indeed! After a small burst of warm weather last weekend, we had 1 1/4 inches of rain yesterday and they are predicting up to THREE inches tomorrow. And the dreaded S word is in the forecast for the weekend. The bright side is that the nice weather last weekend made me realize I have a few things to finish up in the house, so if it is yucky I have my motivation to get the house really cleaned up.

Both of the dogs have gone off to bed, and I think I shall join them!

V.

Hi all. I'm about pooped (I'm not sure if ANYONE says that outside of my family!).
I wanted to post the happy side of rescue for a change.
Check out the 'Happy Tails' link for our rescue. It's a great little story. That's why we all do what we do. :)

Good night.

Jerri

Interesting travels today. It was very foggy this a.m. I nearly took out 2 deer on our gravel road. As I got to the highway, which is a sleepy little rural highway I was confronted with lots of traffic. The will be working on the 4 lane highway that is 3 miles over this summer and all the traffic is routed down our road. On the way home on the 4 lane they were aerial seeding the ditches. Its a little freaky to have an airplane hovering in the ditch right next to you.

I got a sore throat last night and didnt feel too bad today until I got home and all of a sudden I felt like crap. After a 3 hour nap, Im feeling pretty good again.

bug, we did a family reading time in the evenings and my kids loved it. They especially like series of books. As they got older we all took turns reading. They especially enjoyed the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Since she grew up in this area, we even made a trip to one of the local pageants in Minnesota one summer.

Chelone, how much fencing would you need? Could it be DIY? DSIL installed one around their backyard to keep the dog and Kenzie corralled. The living hedge is a great option except for the number of years it takes to be effective.

Deanne, I have one abutilon but can say it certainly isnt my easiest indoor plant. It looks poorly. Now the fuchsia and rex begonia have to be the best looking plants I have under the lights. The fuchsia actually had one flower on it last week. Im just pleased that most things seem to be hanging in there.

I think Ill hit the couch again - I'm pooped (yes Jerri we say it too)

Michelle

Jeri, that link was so sweet..I hope that nice young man is on a road to many years of important pets..

We had reading every night when my kids were little.There was always a mild competition as to who got to sit next to me on the couch. I can't even count the times I read The Runaway Bunny, Chubby Bear, Goodnight Moon, The Monster at the End Of This Book, and Here Comes a Bus. 20 years later and I can still recite the da*m things, lol !

Good misty morning! We've got fog, which can only mean that a warm day is on tap. No Snow forecast here.

Growing up, reading was just a way of life and all of us did so thinking that reading for a while each day was just something everyone did. My first "sleepover" at a friend's I pulled out my book and expected everyone else to do the same. Alas ......

Deanne - Big Rex are hard to find intact but (forgive me, everyone) I'd suggest looking in the supermarket. Our local Stop and Shop has pricey but really nice plants. Is there a Lexington Gardens near you? They may have some, too.

Jerri's link was the perfect way to start a day! Worth the work, indeed. Perhaps Marie should send this to DD, etc. to give to Skyler's mom and show that pound pups will undoubtedly give as much if not more enjoyment? I think the animals are grateful and that just adds to the love.

Chelone -- how far is the road from the bahn? I'd be careful about plowed snow on a solid fence.

No major family stuff, here. So many of my sibs had different physical and mental challenges that we simply looked out for each other and still do. My parents have everything set up for when they pass, and my sister volunteered to be the organizer since I take care of my DB. I know how incredibly lucky I am. Remind me I said that during the next Probate Hearing :0

Hoping Sue pops in....

Martie

A fly-by post... I just had to copy this from The Globe for Jerri:

Rabbit Island gets thrown to the dogs
An Alberta vet has bought the $2.2-million deserted land as a haven for her pets, some of which were rescued after hurricane Katrina
SHANNON MONEO

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

April 10, 2008 at 4:48 AM EDT

VICTORIA When a foursome of pit bulls set paws on Rabbit Island, the 15-hectare chunk of unsullied wilderness off the Sunshine Coast will be a world away from the filthy, hot crates the dogs called home for six weeks.

Rescued after hurricane Katrina chewed up the U.S. South, the dogs are owned by Alberta veterinarian Pilar Gosselin, who, with fellow Alberta vets Dave Brace and Dave Szentimrey, paid $2.2-million to buy deserted Rabbit Island as a refuge for the traumatized pups.

After a cold, one-hour visit in January, the deal was sealed with the island's former owner, California-based Orange Coast College. Dr. Gosselin knew her "special needs" pets, which spent six weeks sitting in feces and urine-filled crates under the scorching southern sun because animal shelters were overwhelmed after the hurricane, would lap up the place.

"I've committed myself to making the dogs' lives better," said Dr. Gosselin, a vet since 1993, when she graduated from the University of Saskatchewan. "They can be themselves, not cause trouble, not evoke hostility."

California sailor and businessman Henry Wheeler gave Rabbit Island, named for its shape, to Orange Coast College in 2002. Now, instead of a dozen scientists roaming the unique habitat to document five-centimetre long grasshoppers or resilient cacti, a menagerie of tough canines will enjoy a dog's life.

Last month, Dr. Gosselin, who said she would choose to have dogs over children any day brought three of her seven dogs to Rabbit Island for their first holiday.

"The dogs loved it, and the opportunity to run in and out of the lodge at their leisure with nothing to get into trouble with," she said.

By summer, all seven of her dogs will have spent time on the island, where they will have a permanent attendant to look after them during their stays.

The lucky seven include rescued pit bulls Katrina, Ripple, Louie, Faye and shepherd mix Swami, plus the Canadian canines Jack the Rottweiler and Sprout the mutt.

When they're not vacationing on Rabbit Island, the pets fill Dr. Gosselin's small house in downtown Canmore, Alta. Daily walks are in shifts of three.

Regular residents in Canmore are supportive, but neighbours who spend only the weekends are less tolerant.

When hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. in 2005, Dr. Gosselin, 40, knew she had to do something to help the abandoned animals.

"I chose to be an advocate for animals. Animals can't advocate for themselves."

For three weeks, she volunteered in the heat and havoc in the small Mississippi community of Tylertown, two hours north of New Orleans.

Dr. Brace, Dr. Gosselin's partner at her Canmore vet clinic and also her partner after-hours, joined her for two weeks.

Hundreds of traumatized animals passed through the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary, where toxic sludge was washed off their bodies and medical needs were met. If the animals were lucky, they were then shipped to new homes.

One year after Katrina, thousands of dogs remained homeless. So Dr. Gosselin and the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gradually flew about 35 of them to Alberta.

All were adopted except for five "special needs cases," now members of Dr. Gosselin's family.

Hearing that the dogs would have access to their own island, Judy Pfister, the St. Francis shelter's vice-president, welcomed the change.

"It'll be a 2-million-per-cent increase in their quality of life," she said.

While St. Francis doesn't euthanize its animals, the pit bulls, bred to attack other dogs, were unlikely to be adopted and would have lived out their days in a kennel.

Many more Katrina dogs could be rescued by Dr. Gosselin, but Rabbit Island isn't destined to become Dog Isle.

Only after a dog dies will a new one take its place, she said.

The deer and other critters that share Rabbit Island aren't on the pups' supper menu.

"The dogs won't be allowed to harass the wildlife," Dr. Gosselin promised, adding that they will be trained to stay away from non-canines.

As the dogs get accustomed to the new surroundings, they will spend increasingly longer periods on Rabbit Island so that Dr. Gosselin and Dr. Brace can travel.

The island has a lodge, four cabins, a bathhouse, a desalination plant and equipment to produce solar and wind power, and Dr. Gosselin intends to preserve its ways.

Finding a caretaker won't be difficult.

Suddenly a swell of friends have come forward, hoping to reel in an invitation to Rabbit Island, accessible only by boat or float plane.

"The island concept is everybody's dream. You say the word 'island' and everybody kind of goes crazy," she said.

As for the $2.2-million price paid for the secluded dog haven, "There's houses that sell for 10 times that in Canmore," Dr. Gosselin said.

Special to The Globe and Mail

I think Martie thinks its Friday :) I hope Sue pops in, too.

Not much time this morning. I seem to be cutting everything short these days. We're burning in the garden again today. Amazing what one day of clean up does, and you can't imagine how wonderful a fire of dried herbs actually smells :) The lavender, thymes, rosemary, sages....it all smells good.

Next week we'll be planting :)

Jerri, that linked pup reminded me of my first dog, Daisy. She was a very good first dog....but she was not very well behaved (my fault). She was a cocker/dauchsand mix....my teacher gave the pups away. I wish I could see her again! We certainly were good friends.

Deanne! Welcome home. Your babies are doing very well....do I seem suprised? Nick set me up with the coolest grow lights that fit right into my kitchen pantry, so I can take care of everything easily! I do see that I could outgrow this space quickly if I'm not careful. I need to show you all a picture of his handiwork, but I'm waiting for a few more leaves to sprout.....

I've gotta go....cut short by the bus. There was too much good stuff to look at on Idyll this morning!

Saucy

Good morning all,

Well I worked outside all day yesterday and I mean ALL day. I was pretty pooped, yes Jerri, we say that here also! LOL I got the whole shed garden cleaned out as well as most of the fence line on the west side of the yard. It looks like the rodents have made meals off my Clematis Odoriba and hostas in that bed. Im hoping for the best. I also raked most of the back yard I just have the east side to finish. I also cleaned out the Sundial and half of the Terrace Gardens. Im really happy with how the soil is looking this spring. I amended heavily with our homemade compost last year and Ive got earthworms galore. LOTS of things are starting to pop, the Thalictrum, Actaea, Chelone, and the Baptisia is an inch tall with beautiful purple ends of the growth. Its so exciting this time of the year to push back the winter debris and see the new growth.

Im not expecting as good results in the Driveway Garden as it looks like something took a laser and tunneled the entire garden between the snow and ground. It is truly a mess and looks like there was a rodent carnival there over the winter. Im hoping I have some bulbs left. I had a lot of mature lilies in that bed and Im expecting the worst.

Chelone, I bought some inexpensive reed fencing at HD last summer to put on my chain link on the west side of the property. It provides privacy and didnt cost an arm and a leg. It wont last too long but if you plant small shrubs it should last long enough for them to get some size.

Thanks for the info Martie. Interesting that I bought my large Rex at the grocery store a couple years ago. I think the plants they sell come from Canada.

Michelle, scary about the deer! Glad you didnt hit one. My DD had a friend that totaled her car from hitting a deer.

Kathy, LOL about the freight elevator! No kidding! ~~ Thanks for the fuchsia pics. That Voodoo is looking great even though it lost its top growth.

Marian, I dont exactly know where in AK outside of Little Rock my friend is moving. ~~ Glad to hear NOlon got a good report from his doc.

Great story Woody!

Saucy, how great the plant babies are all doing well. Looking forward to seeing pics of the light set up. It does get addictive you know. Soon you'll have acres of lights too.... ROTFLOL

OK Im going to get out of this chair and see if I can finish up the back yard today. Its supposed to rain the next three days so I want to get as much done today as I can.

Have a great day everyone!
Deanne

Rancho Los Alamitos and Fishie/Beth made a grand start to my day. I will NOT be sending the wonderful Beth story on because Skyler's Mom would twist it into proof that he needs a Husky. She is always right it seems. (But why is she so miserable?)

It is chilly here, climbing above the freezing mark now and I hope reaching at least the mid 50sF. In addition to a visit to the guy making new insoles for me (such fun..) I hope to get a chunk of gardening done before rain and snow, sent by V, arrive. A neighbor wants to come see Phoebe, which is fine, but she is a talkative whiner and I fear that will cut into my progress.

As to family reading, Mom read LONG books to the 3 of us over time. It was difficult for me, being the youngest and not understanding the plot or remembering over time what was going on. This is the one I remember best:(I was 8)
The Woman in White:
This is an epistolary novel written by Wilkie Collins in 1859, serialized in 1859-1860, and first published in book form in 1860. It is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of 'sensation novels'.

Skyler needs to learn to do things on his own and find pleasure doing them. Also he needs to calm down before bedtime. So "independent reading" done in family company should be good for everyone...if they can keep it going! I always told parents of my reading students that the best technique to getting their kids reading is to watch Mom & Dad get great pleasure from reading.

Breakfast is needed to get me going for a long day.
Later,
'bug

Good morning...

I started a post yesterday but wasn't able to finish it. Not going to be able to do more than a mini catch up but wanted to at least say I have enjoyed everyone's photos and...

Marian...not sure where that photo was taken, it was an old one I had without a caption. I would guess either England/Ireland/New Zealand, where they still keep sheep? Glad to hear of Nolon's positive doctor visit. You sound like you are doing better too. :-)

Kathy....I think it is Martie that is having a plant moving party although my son did help me move plants Monday too and we got a good start on things. Thanks for asking. :-) Your fuchsias are looking good! Two of my kids really enjoyed Goodnight Moon. Middle son was a fan of Where the Wild Things Are and Chicken Soup with Rice. Daughter had a favorite about a family of pigs whose name escapes me at the moment. I seem to remember huge amounts of catsup? [g] Once I got my first library card, I got a lot of use out of it. Nancy Drew stories were a favorite.

Deanne, sorry for the loss of your fuchsia and for the mystery of why. Glad you have a lot more to console yourself with. Gardenia is one of my favorite fragrances, too.

Hoping to get PHotoshop Elements 6 once the new version for MAC comes out.

Cindy...thanks for sharing your experiences with the Arborvitae. I had wondered about snow weight in the winter. I will have to google it to see if tying them up is recommended or if some cultivars are better with that than others. Monday was a day in the garden with a good start but the thought of what I still have to do, is a little overwhelming at the moment.

Gardenbug....congratulations on success with Phoebe, that is good news.

Good luck jerri and chelone with what your weekend is shaping up to be. Michelle, hope you feel better.

Missing Ei...

Foggy morning?

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Oh!!! I've been there and just loved walking along The Wall with DS when he was 12. Yikes, almost 25 years ago! It was a lifetime experience.

Wow, PM, you do have the most marvelous photos - no matter where they come from - they are food for the soul.

I came in a wee bit late this a.m. - I made it a point to stay home to open up my Crownsville Nursery order that arrived a couple days ago but had been sitting in its box because I've been patio door/carpet shopping at nite - too pooped (yep, me too) at nite to do anything else.
It was still looking great and has me all excited -- it's supposed to be 70 today - o to have vacation leave to throw away and stay home to plant those guys as well as move some things today... but at least it started the day off w/ some positive jolt of spirit - I hope to carry it the rest of the day.

Deanne - sounds like you did a yeoman's job already outside -- that's quite a workout. I love your expresssions -- "rodent carnival" -- funny but not funny in reality.... It seems animals are just another aspect of the challenges to gardening, if it isnt Mother Nature...

Not any more time to catch up right now, bummer. Eeek on the idea of more snow, V!!!! -- pls keep it West.

--Cindy

The storms last light were the heaviest yet. Not only is our county road washed out at hte head of our drive...the lower end of our drive is also.I called the county judge's office this time and asked for help. But almost worse than that, the lightning took out our TV ! I am debating whether to get it fixed, or to spent mega bucks on a new one.

Re: pooped, my family has always used that word for meaning 'tired;exhausted', that is also the dictionary definition. Way back when I was much younger, I said I was pooped and was severely chastized by one of Nolon's distant cousin's wife ( another native Idahoan). She thought I had said a 'nasty" ! LOL

Back to our driveway...I spent some time out there attempting to devert the water that was running down it. I raked rocks and gravel out at the head, and raked leaves out of the drain ditch on towards the house. I think it helped some. Nolon worked on deverting the water around his 'shop', and cleaned out the pond's pour-off a little ( it ran over the bank a little on the house side.)

Lunch is a-preparing, so I must go tend to it( Stouffer's Frozen Teriyaki Chicken , it looks and smells good! ), and I have worked up an appetite!

Marian

Gardenbug-

I just have to mention I remember Woman in White by Collins and loved it too! -- I lusted after moonstone gems as well for years after reading his books... When I was about 12 an aunt gave me some Mary Stewart books and that got me into "gothics" and romances -- but I was so enthused I read all the "classic" firsts that spawned the moderns -- Jane Austen, Wilkie Collins, of course, all the Brontes... and all the old, old mysteries from the 19th c. & turn of century.

Luckily I was able to foster a love of reading with my own DD as well...

I have a hard time imagining what a world would be without hard copies of books and libraries -- a concept that might happen within our lifetimes w/ the evolution of technology and the e-books -- I cannot fathom cozing up to my i-phone to read a book or some sort of e-screen to read books...

A report from metro D.C. -- a marvelous mid-70s day full of sunshine -- gorgeous, gorgeous.... ate at outdoor cafe w/ a friend and we moaned about wanting to be home in our yards. There are crowds around and the sidewalks are packed w/ folks and tourists enjoying some real Spring, fleeting as it might be. I think my winter pallor might have taken on a fresher hue....

-Cindy

Looking at PM's photo-of-the-day, it really begs the question: How did early explorers possibly convey what they had seen without photos? "There was a very large wall snaking across the landscape, as far as the eye could see..." "Oh, yes, like George's rather large garden wall." "Well, no, actually quite a bit taller and longer." Those intrepid souls with the "exploring" gene sometimes are solitary, uncommunicative types, not given to flights of verbal fancy..and we know they were early on mostly men, so probably lots of grunts involved ;)

What great stories on the rescue front, island resort life for disadvantaged canines, happy endings indeed. All you dog experts probably know this, but I recently absorbed the fact that the "work" we've bred dogs to do, herding, racing, for example, is a manipulation of the dog's hunt/kill instinct, with the dog bred and trained to stop short of the kill. Same moves, impetus, motivation involved. Also, that wolves with "juvenile" characteristics were instinctively selected: "Compared to wolves, many adult dog breeds retain such juvenile characteristics as soft fuzzy fur, round torsos, large heads and eyes, ears that hang down rather than stand erect, etc.; characteristics which are shared by most juvenile mammals, and therefore generally elicit some degree of protective and nurturing behavior."

Books and libraries, Cindy, I agree, indispensable. We're still limping along after the burning of the library at Alexandria, I feel. (Anyone else hooked on Engineering an Empire hosted by Robocop/Peter Weller?)

Eden, I think we've finshed off CYE too. Our connection to Deadwood was the actor Ian McShane and the lovable rogue of an antique dealer he played in the British show Lovejoy. Marty tuned in to Deadwood at work (all the cable channels there but not at home!) to check him out and said, You won't believe the words coming out of Lovejoy's mouth!

Nice to hear Rex is back on surgery track, Rich is mending, Phoebe is having the big-girl surgery, Cindy's basement is drying out and reimbursement due any day, the Salon is percolating, Katie is getting wheels (neighbor's dog did great with wheels) and the bees are due to arrive soon. Saucy, we've been watching the English comic Eddie Izzard recently on Netflix, and he speaks of a moment when even the most seasoned bee keeper realizes, "Help, I'm covered in bees!" So don't be ashamed when your moment comes, lol.

I'm trying to pretend I'm not way behind and can't possibly catch up without an obnoxiously lengthy post, so won't try. Michelle's commute sounded unnecessarily exciting yesterday. The Secret Garden for Kenzie sounds perfect, what a gift from grandma. She'll need that book soon too. The weather seems to be all over the place, with Marian getting more than her fair share, but signs of spring are very encouraging. 'bug's photos amazing. Can't wait to experience more of your springs!

Maybe sending Deanne a tube of Ben-Gay will offset some of the guilt I have over the huge amount of work she's doing and the pure enjoyment I'll be getting when the photos start rolling in. Let me know, Deanne!

I hustled home to get Rex and head on out for the real morphine patch. There were 4 messages on the machine, all related to that fool dog. First surgery was a GO. Second, surgery is a no-go as the surgeon is going to be late and there will be inadequate recovery time with a vet. on duty. Third, the morphine patch app't. is cancelled. Fourth, the surgery is scheduled first thing on 4/18. I am feeling rather discouraged; I so wanted to have the worst of the recovery period behind us by the end of April. Ahh well... it'll be what it'll be. Sigh.

I think I need to take the fool outdoors so we may soak up some rays and warm weather before it all goes away tomorrow. April is the cruellest month!

Hi everyone

Hope everyone is well - sorry to hear Rex is in for more surgery. I'll have to read more for details on him and the other Idylls, I had time for only the briefest skim. We have crocus and iris reticulata blooming and they lift my spirits every time I walk by. I'm trying to ignore the weathermen's promise of snow come weekend. We also have a clean garage after literally dugging our way out of the winter accumulation of leaves, debris and clutter. I filled an entire reclycle bin with compostable materials - no wonder our kitchen floor is a constant mess tracking through that lot to our back door.

GB - I love the silent reading time. We do just the same whenever we have an evening at home and we all enjoy it more than any electronic entertainment.

Things have been busy here with music. Annie is playing a movement of a Vivaldi Concerto at the end of the month and I will play along with her to get her over the worst of her anxiety and nerves. It has been fun practicing together and I think things are starting to sound good. Annie has played several times before a judge in music festivals but never to an audience (the thought terrifies her) so I think it is an important hurdle.

David is playing at the same recital with the string orhcestra. He too is performing Vivaldi, the beautiful slow movement of Vivaldi's guitar concerto. It's such a cool thing for him to be able to do. Fortuantely he has the performers temperament and can't wait to play for people. Keep you fingers crossed for us all.

It's been an odd week as DH is in Japan and has been out of phone contact. He usally phones twice a day when he is out of town so I've been feeling really cut off without hearing his voice - we've never gone this long without talking. Fortunately he is back late tomorrow night. We will have a few days together in Manhattan nest week which we're really looking forward to.

Time to go back and catch up on rereading this thread. Waving to you all

Mary

You mean the English dramatic actor Eddie Izzard? LOL, I follow he and Minnie Driver on The Riches...a cable t.v. show to be ashamed of watching, I'm sure :) He said he always wanted to be a dramatic actor (and is happy with his role in The Riches) but comedy paid the bills....odd, huh?

Mid May for bees from Maine....I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait.

I got my brug order today! Wow, 30" tall! Peach versicolor and Pink somethin' or 'nother....got an epiphyllum, too.

Also got my mountain biking shorts....my bum says thanks for sure.

Chelone, outdoors is a good place to give that fool dog his beating :)

I have purposely not looked at the weather, though you guys are scaring me :) D.C. sounds like fun today - wish I could've joined you for lunch!

I saw a house wren in the garage with nesting material...I waited until he left and then locked them out.

Saucy

Ok, Mary, LOL at going to Manhattan to nest. 'Nuf said :-)

Martie, flying today but not on American

Given our weather right now, nesting in Manhattan sounds wonderful. Over an inch of rain today, but the ground already was saturated, so there's a lot of standing water everywhere. And the heaviest storms are yet to come.

I had an amazing stroke of good luck recently. A couple of weeks ago, I was getting gas out of town, ran my credit card through the card reader and stuck it in my pocket. Four days later, I went for my credit card (no wonder there's a recession coming on; V. didn't use her credit card for four dyas!) and it was nowhere to be found. Sinking feeling in stomach. I searched my purse, my jacket, the car - no sign. I checked the account on line and nothing had been charged since my gas purchase. As I thought about all the automatic payments set up on that card, I got a headache! I adopted the Scarlett O'Hara approach and decided to worry about it later.

A couple of days later, we get an email from the credit card company. They are "upgrading" the card and have sent us new cards with a new card number. AND they are notifying all the automatic payments to change to the new account number. The new cards have arrived, the old, MIA card is no longer valid, and the card company is sorting out the switch for me. How sweet is that! There may be a glitch or two, but I would have had that whether or not I lost the original card.

When I was growing up, I loved to read but we never had family reading time. I just used every opportunity I could grab to curl up in my favorite chair and read. We used to get the Scholastic Book fliers at school and I think the books were only 60 or 75 cents at the time. I would order a stack, and get another stack at the library every three weeks. Would you believe I still remember buying my first hardbound book - I was out of college and felt like a millionaire because I could buy a new release instead of waiting for the paperback. It was The Thornbirds by Colleen MacCullough and I bought it in November, 1977!

Speaking of reading, I came home from a meeting yesterday with a stack, so I should shut this down and dig in. Stay dry!

V.

Yes, that Eddie Izzard (does he wear eyeliner on the Riches, lol?) The Netflix with the bees is called "Glorious."

No deer to worry about, but here's what I almost plowed into today, up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. They've naturalized up there, a fact I remembered simultaneously with astonishment at the sight of it, wheeled to the curb, camera at the ready:

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So Rex is off the surgery schedule again?! These delaying tactics will not stand, Rex, get on with it already! Have a great time in Manhattan, Mary. Hearty wave to all.

I came home today with 3 more bales of compost for my rose garden area the weeds have been a mite too prolific, so a bit of smother mulching was called for. These are the sights that greeted me as I did my SALATing today..

Ingrid Bergman

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Bolero-an impulse purchase from last year

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Niobe

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My tree Peony that gets no more than three flowers on it and blooms for one week tops...but sooo exquisite !

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So today I was raking and then moved some branches to an unused area, then picked up 3 sticks and heard a crunch. It was my right knee. Tell me it won't last long! I have a puppy to train and a garden to tend in a serious way!

DH took me for a drive. It is hard to get my leg into the car! It is hard to go UP stairs. Sigh. But the destination was a nursery and we collected 3 hellebores, some violas and a geranium. They do make me feel better. We visited Nora the baby German Shepherd on our way home.

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The rain begins tonight....
I'm pooped!
'bug

So it is rainy and windy and disgusting outside. A very short walk for Ms Phoebe this morning!

I'm not fully awake really, so I will instead share this slice of the world with you...

Wow! What eye candy this morning! I love peacocks! My friend in TN has peacock and guinea fowl for pest control in the garden.

And the roses! Kathy, your garden is really coming to life before our very eyes!

GB, I hope your knee is better this morning...though I suspect not. Hellebores should sooth you somewhat :)

Hello Mary! A roost in Manhattan sounds perfect. You two are literally on opposite ends of the Earth! Sometimes it just feels that way :)

V., that was a stroke of good luck! Sometimes things just all fall right into place.

My head is swimming with bee ideas this morning. I have been reading about different ways to keep bees and I think I want to try something a little different from what I've been hearing in class. I just don't do chemicals :) I don't like them in the garden either...not because I'm a snob, but because I don't want to mess with storing them, having the right safety equipment to apply them, and worry about what they're doing in the ground water. I think in general, that I would like my bees to do their own thing, and allow me the privelege to witness this phenomenon and maybe let me taste the honey :)

Does that make any sense?

I'm looking at either going frameless, or using frames with smaller cells - I'll link an easy read website for confusion's sake.

Speaking of reading. We have "quiet" time here. Jake has never been a reader, and the pressure to read can be great if you're trapped in a family of readers :) He does alot of sketching, origami, and lego building....these all require some critical thinking :) He does enjoy reading his Nat'l Geographics, just not books....maybe too much pressure since reading is required in school!

I have been reading self help books on sprirituality, and I have to say, it's quite the snooze fest. I'd say that I'm bewildered by what is written and wonder who these "people" are that the books are directed to....then I roll over and see my husband deeply engrossed and telling me how eye opening this all is....

LOL....he needs a day in the garden.

Anyway, off to the gym....I didn't tell you all about my passing out at the gym and nearly puking, did I? I signed up for 5 more sessions with the personal trainer...I'm obviously not ready for the triathlon :)

Saucy

Chamber of Commerce breakfast has got me running late this morning.

TGIF!

Hopefully more later...

Sue

Hi Sue!!!! I think that was you, that blur that just passed.

Saucy, our Sarah's DH is into reading spirituality books. She takes it all with good humor. He's been through a lot in his life, and just getting together with folks to discuss all this is a help to him. She lets him search for who he is, for his soul. She joins the group occasionally, but the garden and hiking and canoing are her true spiritual place. His Dad gives him grief about it though, talking about his "commune" and "sect". DH told him to relax, that there's far more things to get excited about than someone concentrating on love and peace.

The knee is much better today, but I'm still cautious.

Renewal of insurance is on the agenda and I need to push DH into making sure we are appropriately covered. A big issue is barn insurance. It is never enough. It is very difficult to get any coverage at all, so we'll see what surprises this year brings. Tonight we must determine the area of the barn and report back to the company.

I was sure I posted something here today... I must be daydreaming...

Chelone -- I'd like to know what that Rex did to bribe the vet - to postpone the inevitable.... but so frustrating for you Im sure.

V- that sure was lucky re the credit card - dont you just hate it when you do something like that?

Whew - some gorgeous photos -- I cant decide what I like the most the "naturalized!!!!" peacock, the fantastic rose shots - so fresh and dewy -- or those incredible hellebores. Gardenbug, do those hellebores have names? They have such a wonderful fringe to them - altho that colored one has an amazing color....

I'm doing another lunch hour at my desk trying to catch up on prep work for my investment club meeting on Sunday, directions to carpet shops for hunting tomorrow, and various other silly things I dont seem to have the energy to do at nite...

Altho, I do have a Plantaholic confession -- in inspecting patio doors at Lowes, I just happened to wander into the garden area and a jasminum polyanthmum hopped into my arms -- it brought back wonderful memories of my trip to Spain 5 years ago - the stuff is everywhere there blooming its fool head off -- I've been coveting it ever since -- the 18" blooming vine was only $6.98 - a cheap annual at that rate -- altho I would like to think I will overwinter in the house -- in the meantime, it's sitting on my front step to greet me with the incredible scent as I pass by til it gets potted up.... You just never know what you're going to find....

Cindy

'Nesting in Manhattan' :-)

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Feeling a little less overwhelmed with the garden this afternoon, after my eldest son spent the morning moving shrubs and perennials for me. Wasn't that so nice of him? :-) Have four roses pruned and one left to go. Yippee! We finished up just as it started to rain. I hope these moves will be more to my liking and the plants liking than the last go round. Another couple of mornings like that and I should be in pretty good shape. I hope I didn't kill anything and that we will both be able to walk tomorrow..[g].

Speaking of which, so sorry to hear about your knee Gardenbug. Right at the start of the growing season, I hope it resolves quickly. Is it something you have had a problem with before? Also need to review all our insurance policies but not sure when I will get to that.

Saucy, I didn't realize that they used chemicals in bee keeping. I think it's great that you are going to try to do it without the chemicals. Good for you! Has to be better for the bees as well. Who knows, maybe the problem with hive deaths has been the chemicals and not the mites. Your determination to proceed with your physical training is admirable. I hope you can find a way to do it comfortably. :-) Do you keep your liquids and electrolytes up?

Peacocks naturalizing? How amazing to live there being able to see them on a regular basis! Majestic!

Kathy, your Niobe looks so velvety I can almost feel it.

Love the Hellebores..Gardenbug. Scrumptious! :-)

Hello Sue...

Credit card scares enough to make the stomach a little queasy....V...glad it worked out so brilliantly for you. :-)

Having Jasmine envy here Cindy... :-)

Waving to all those not showing up yet today. Hoping for a lovely weekend for everyone, despite the weather.

:-)
pm2

Oops....just remembered, I wanted to tell Marian I hope you can get a new TV. Actually, the old non HD TVs seem less expensive to me than they used to be. I hope that TV was very old and ready to go anyway. Maybe a surge protector for the new one?

pm2

The difference between the coasts is nicely illustrated by Denise's photo of a free range peacock and Saucy tale of locking a wren out of garage.

Cindy, Great score on the J.polyanthemum. A lot of what I grow in pots is for scent when I'm on the patio at night. This year's additions are Cestrum nocturnum (night blooming Jesamine) and Tuberose. Select seeds delivered the Jesamine yesterday, not sure when the tuberose are going to show up. I wanted to start those a bit early in pots too.

For Chelone's entertainment I'll share my sewing machine story. It's warm here and I've removed Katie's nightgowns when we go outdoors. But she's still bald and losing fur too (drugs). So I've been sharing my pricey Neutraceuticals sunscreen with her and she smells good and is protected. But I can't keep slathering her in sunscreen, it could get messy especially when she lays down and twigs debris and grass clippings stick to her. So I bought a sewing machine to make very lightweight little cotton coats for her. I haven't sewed in 35 years ok? I'm still working on the pattern, making cuts and adjustments to get a draft coat before breaking into the cute fabrics. Well. The fellow in the store gave me a 15 minute tutorial on the basics, and then I read the manual. This morning I found some scraps to practice on. I didn't like the new fangled presser foot. Looked more like a club foot. Checked the other types of feet to make sure the right one was on the machine. Decided I was stuck with this odd new design. Fabric shifted as I sewed. Seams not straight, is this poss sign of Parkinson's? Rip out rip out rip out. Not working. Go to web to see if I can buy a more traditional foot. Then the light slowly comes on. I realize that I have somehow lost the foot and am sewing with just the 'hub' ....for lack of better term. Found foot in car, attached foot, stitching is much improved! My draft coat and the cutesy fabrics for when I get the kinks worked out. Hopefuly before her fur comes back.

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Cynthia, you are a prize! lol. Man! do I wish you were a bit closer.. I have an overstock of machines of the "home" variety, in particular a "cherry" Singer (c. 1940, complete!) that I would gladly send to a loving home. Pragmatic and organized, as I know you to be, the sunsuits will be a roaring success, I'm sure. The visual of Katie slathered in sticky sunscreen elicited a few audible guffaws. When do her wheels arrive?

So now we have 2 knee cases... 'bug and Wrecks (we don't call him Wrecks for nothin'!). I'm sorry to hear about that. Take it easy and give it plenty of time. Helpmeet has an issue with his knee, too. I am of the opinion that it may require surgery, but he's still babying it and until he is willing to actually go to a doctor we'll never know for certain.

I thought of Michelle this morning in the nanosecond required to hit the brakes before hitting the GD deer in the road. It wheeled, nearly falling, before it bounded into the puckerbrush. Shoulda hit the gas and "culled the herd". Rats with long, graceful legs and pretty eyes... good eatin', though!

OK, Saucy... I wanna hear YOUR puke story. :)

Marian, I could give you one of 3 TVs we now have stockpiled. To tell you the truth, I'm quite sure how we ended up with so many retirees... I suspect (dimly recollect) that they came from my late aunt's home, Mum's home, and ? It's all too confusing. I have so enjoyed your Ozark spring, BTW.

Denise, I've only just barely looked at your shots. My bet on the large draft horse would be a Percheron. A tall, upstanding draft animal from France. They were the preferred mounts of the French cavalry... able to carry a large man, supplied, and haul the caissons as required. When I was a kid the local vet. decided to indulge his lifelong passion for draft horses. His 6 horse hitch of Percherons was really something to behold (greys, all in the 18 hand range; that's 6' to the withers, where the neck and back meet). In the '70s, the harness for his hitch was in excess of 11K. He used to go to Canada for good stock and the teamsters with the skill to train the horses and HIM in the nearly lost art of driving large hitches. A "team" is 2 horses, a "hitch" is 4,6,8, etc..

"Free range" Peacocks cracked me up, too. :) excellent.

I have done nothing in the gardens, save SALAT. It's been cold, the ground is still really wet, and I'm still focussed on the Salon.

Reading... the old lady was a librarian. Our household was filled with books from my earliest memory. We didn't have a "quiet time" to read, but our big thing was reading aloud while Mum was preparing dinner. We did that all the time. If the delivery was halting, or unsure we were asked to go back and read it silently and then reread it aloud for the ENJOYMENT of the listener. Punctuation becomes much easier when you read aloud. :) I have very, very fond memories of visiting with the librarians, riding my bike to the library, and writing book reports was never a drag. Reading is a transportation ticket that never expires. "Paddle to the Sea" was a favorite when I young.

Katie is obviously going to be 'pretty in pink'... :-) I look forward to seeing the elegant long-legged model....

The weather has been nasty here. Windy, rainy and just a touch of snow. We were lucky to be just on the rain/snow line. Next week shows much promise though.

The peacock, roses and hellebores are just lovely and a joy to see on a dreary day.

Bad enough that Rex has to have surgery but then all the drama that goes with it is just too much.

Nancy Drew was one of my favorite series too. My mom was a huge reader and I remember going to a used bookstore frequently as a family. We could even buy comic books! I guess she figured that at least we were reading.

Deanne, I hope the rodent damage is very minimal.

Cynthia, sorry but I nearly spit cappachino on my screen reading about your new fangled sewing machine foot. The fabrics are cute though and perfect for a special little girl.

Michelle

Cynthia, it was always bobbins and tension for me. Every item had one HUGE mistake: the leg in the sleeve hole or some such nonsense. Knitting was easier somehow.

I hear more about bum knees these days than ever before. It must be the ailment du jour. DD's FIL just had one repaired and is due for the other at the end of the month. DSIL now has problems as well. My good friend Joan, 87, is delighted with her new knees and is back in the garden planting this year. Such a woman! I can only hope to age as perfectly in mind, spirit, activity level and kindness & generosity.

Paddle to the Sea and others by Holling C. Holling were favorites of our kids too. I know that Skyler has them already. Whether or not he is up to reading them solo I'm not sure.

DD & DSIL visited the nearby school today. Here's her opinion:
My goodness, it's a beautiful school. I never thought you could say that about a modern school. Hardly any of the rooms are rectangular. There is bright light all over the place. They have a huge library and a GREAT (according to the principal) teacher librarian. They have a huge special needs program (which Skyler wouldn't fall into - it's for people with learning disabilities - called "learning strategies" - who are generally 1-2 years behind who are separate classes). They have a huge ELL program (ESL for people who are BRAND NEW to the country, as in know NO English). They have two regular classes for each grade, and the ELL students are mixed in. There are animals (REAL ONES!) in the school - an 8' boa, a finch, some gerbils, a bearded dragon. They have a brand new computer lab. The teachers are really involved with making the school fun - they do a year long study of something (example government) and spend a week at city hall to learn how things work. They have an "artist in residence" program where an artist comes through for 2 weeks and works with the students on whatever their specialty is - dance, music, watercolours (the artist that just came through is actually the native artist who painted the picture I almost bought for DH for Christmas). There is artwork by the students all over the building. The kids were happy and excited about whatever they were doing (we walked around for 1/2hr). They have a serious focus on behaviour and treatment of each other, something that I think would be GREAT for Skyler. They have FM (for Skyler's hearing aid) systems in every classroom. They have tons of clubs like choir, running, robotics (they build a robot and program it to do stuff like go through mazes), TV (they do the daily announcements broadcast, interview staff about what their healthy snacks are for lunch, what they do for physical activity), they do a daily morning 10 minute exercise in the classroom (another thing I think Skyler would greatly benefit from). They have a Friday morning coffee for parents association - who happened to be there while we were there so we got to talk to some of the parents. It's right next to the ravine.

All in all, it seemed like a great place. I want to go there. Can I go to elementary school all over again?

But I fear it was simply an exercise in frustration because "SHE" will simply say "NO".

Oh well.

At least we know what one option is for Reed!

It is really frustrating for both of us to deal with the crap
....................

And so it goes.

Michelle, I admire your family's style! Mum was never "snobby" about reading. She figured that anything a kid READ was an improvement over not reading, at all. She may well have encouraged "comic books", too. I KNOW that the trustees of the library were shocked when she began purchasing science fiction and fantasy books for the children's department. She quickly identified the kids who like the genre and she enlisted them to help her make purchases. The whole key to fostering a love of reading is to provide the material that kids WANT to read.

The gloomy, chilly weather you Mid-westerners have forecasted is now here. Rainy, chilly, and generally grey for the weekend... but for one who must tackle more inside work (more pickling!) it's probably not a bad forecast. Good for Rex, too. He'll be warm, cozy, and will hang out on his bed while I work. Less activity means a chance for the swelling to abate and keeps the stain off the one "good" hind leg. :( This sucks.

Wondering about Ei and really thinking about Eden. Such an exciting time in the garden and to have the worry about your Mom at the same time seems so unfair... . Thinking of you!

After 5pm right now and my outdoor thermometer reads 81.7 ! I watered when I got home, and look forward to watching the baseball game tonight with the house opened up. No open house this weekend but I am going into the office for a few hours tomorrow to work on a project that has a looming deadline , and is difficult to work on with the normal weekday interruptions and chaos. The house across the street from me closed escrowhurray-someone in the world actually got financing ! And in the meantime I am experiencing much pressure from the employer to postpone the move till next spring , and I am expecting that money will start to be thrown my way soon. I think I need an agent. What a week.
We have a few spots here in Napa where the peacocks have set up camp. One is our municipal golf course. What remarkable creatures they are.

Cindy, lol, hop a plane and you can have as much Jasminum polyanthmum as you want, though you may need a backhoe and a few sticks of dynamite to dislodge it. And its best not to stand next to it too long . Such a diverse nation we live in !

Saucy, I hope to peruse your bee link at more length this weekend. I think Jakes solution to the reading dilemma is excellent ! I looked at what he like to do and immediately thought architect or engineer Unfortunately we have somewhat of a cookie cutter education system and it can be a challenge to discover and develop innate talent.

Cynthia, what a model doggie-parent you are ! Cant wait for the fashion show Katie will be stunning in all those summer ensembles ..I have zero patience for sewing now though I did it a lot when my DD was little.

Nancy Drew-my faves were The Password to Larkspur Lane The Ghost of Blackwood Hall" and "The Secret of Shadow Ranch". Read them over and over. This reminded me , my friend George got a tape recorder for his birthday..I think we were about 11 or 12 at the time. We proceed to make several tapes of a satirical nature , among them a Nancy Drew spoof with Nancy accusing Bess of being fat, finding clues in the crotch of trees (we thought that particularly funny) and speeding around in her snappy maroon roadster with Ned Nickerson complaining about her driving in the passenger seat. We also made a Kennedy family tape (I was Jackie) a Dracula spoof , and a faux Ed Sullivan show. We of course though all of them were hilarious. What ever happened to those tapes I dont know-George unfortunately passed away many years ago (AIDS) just before his 40th b-day . He was my best friend of childhood.

bug what FF Hellebores ! And I want to go to that school too..see above comments about cookie cutter education.

Think Ill go out and SALAT for awhile with a glass of wine. Hello to MarianPM clever you to find the nesting in Manhattan shot, and hope all of you hunkering down for weekend are experiencing the last of the bad storms..

Kathy in Napa