I've decided that FB is fun, but that it's a format designed by and for people who work with computers all day long. I turn this machine on in the morning and when I sign off with "youse guys" I shut it off... really off, no electricity going to feed it however middling. And I do the same thing in the afternoon or evening. For that reason I find the little "sound bites" can be funny but often they make very little sense to me, like some snippet you overhear while waiting in a grocery checkout line. I'm definitely an NPR girl. ;)

I am very sorry to learn that Chloe has been ailing, Cindy. I was thinking about you and your housecleaning marathon and stock club meeting and figured you'd been wrapped up in those things. I had no idea something as sinister as an ailing pup was afoot. Good thing I hate dogs or my stoney heart might just be moved. I'm glad to learn Cynthia is well and her pack was able to visit you. I have wondered often about how her sister is doing in the recovery process. Fun to hear about you "southern garden" with its "giant steps" toward summer, a harbinger of things to come for me.

Norma, like you and Michelle I like to be alone, too. The helpmeet is the same way. We worked as a team on Monday, raking the lawn together, often in silence, with only an occasional funny observation to break the silence. It was very comfortable. Some of my friends have spouses that I would term, "needy" and I often marvel at how they can stand living under the same roof, lol. Don't you just hate it when one of your favorite tools breaks? I know just what you mean about being unable to find a suitable replacement and more and more tools are manufactured so that a broken handle can no longer simply be replaced! Something about thay mindset really offends my stalwart New England yankee sensibility.

Spring at Michelle's seems about in line with what's happenin' here, though the earliest spring bulbs are pretty much spent. I love Chionodoxa and will definitely add more clumps of its cheeriness next fall, remind me, OK? I think some little "princess dresses" with matching bloomers might just be in order for Kenzie. With lots of lace... cracked me up that she was roundly told "this one does", sounds like an echo from my long gone youth. :) What's the sewing machine out for, if I may be so bold?

That lemon cakes sounds delicious, Denise. Plenty of fat and sugar, just what we like here on the Compound. ;) The baking junket is more a return to something I used to do in my misspent youth and something at which I excelled. It's part of a concerted effort to trim a bloated grocery budget and make sure there are more flavorful offerings in the house on a regular basis. The gold cake with its failed 7 minute frosting was greeted with great relish by the helpmeet and has now vanished... I believe setting a new record. I hope your Dad is continuing to improve and you've not found the "detailed" lizard decomposing in your flower bed, though I'm certain Ein would like to roll on it.

Predictably, Kathy, I'm firmly in the Mel Brooks camp. I do love dry humor but don't think Woody Allen comes anywhere close my preferred brand of it. Personally he creeps me right out. Ick! reminds me a little too much of "summer people" who never really "fit in", were bothered by all manner of stupid stuff, and who we couldn't wait to see go the hell home. Isn't that funny?

The order from Caster City arrived yesterday and I lovingly inspected all 12 of them. :) Since it was really raining I hauled myself to the Salon and began jamming filler into the open knots on the lumber that's been cut to length. The legs are still drying in the kiln and will probably remain in the boiler room for the remainder of the week. The goal is to get them planed and chamfered next Monday/Tuesday. By that time I should have the finish on the rest of the stuff complete. I will then apply the pickling stain to the the legs but not seal them with the polyurethane so they may continue to dry at their own pace, sealing the finish in another month/so. A not-so-good day at the awfice inspired me to get busy with the finish. ;)

The lawns are turning green before our eyes. Nothing like some vigorous raking and some steady spring rain to bring it all about, I say. And our first real bout of what Brenda calls "tee shirt weather" is due toward the end of the week so I expect things will shoot up markedly. This is truly my very favorite time of year and always has been.

Eden, I do believe all this waiting for spring and Kate has turned your hair grey. ;)

Awfice calls... T minus 9 hrs. and counting...

Greetings from rainy Boston to wish baby Kate a warm welcome and send congratulations to all her family:0)

Despite the soggy weather we are having a fabulous time here. SIL flew into Rochester on Saturday and we drove up Monday to our hotel in Cambridge. My nephew arrived on the red-eye from CA Tuesday morning so Annie and David are having a lot of fun with their big cousin. We have a boys room and a girls room here at the hotel and spent yesterday at the Natural History museum in Harvard where I had a splendid time scrutinizing the incredible collection of glass flowers.

Last night we ate at Legal Seafoods where we all had an excellent meal. Most exciting and unexpected was the moment a basket of bread rolls was brought to our table and Annie and I were told they were Gluten Free. I haven't eaten bread in a restaurant in 15 years and these were fabulous - warm from the oven, light and airy and delicious. After wolfing them down we told our server how much we enjoyed them and he appeared a little later with another half dozen. Apparently the restaurant makes them from scratch just for their Celiac guests.

Today we are heading to the Museum of Fine Art and then SIL, nephew, Annie and David have Red Socks tickets for this evening's game. I'm very discouraged that the weather forecast has a prediction of 100% probability of rain for the game time. SIL bought 4 tickets on Ebay weeks ago, misplaced them so bought another 4 (at I'm sure considerable expense). How miserable it will be if they don't get to see the game after all that:0( It is beautiful out right now, do you think the forecast could be completely wrong? Of course the day we leave promises to be the beginning of beautiful weather....

A big wave to all

Mary

"Isn't it a lovely thing that something so fresh from heaven should love us so much...." Welcome Kate!!!!

Bella looks absolutely delighted (evidenced by the shoulders to the ears pose) with her new cousin. As it should be :-)

I'm feeling for Chloe and family and hope for expedient feeling better on everyone's part. Good to hear that Cynthia and company are out and about.

Lemon cake ...... may I suggest throwing some chopped verbena in there for a little kick? Who am I to change a Contessa recipe, but I find that no matter what it's added to it makes it better where lemon is involved.

'bug -- Have you landed at least literally? LOL Figuratively, you must be floating being with "the" family at this point.

Road trip to Ohio planned starting Friday to see second brother. Celebrating his birthday while he's there, deep fried turkey on the menu, so our 22lb frozen since Easter bird will be thawing in the back of Rich's truck on the way out. We're opting for a hotel stay since DB is a bachelor in every sense of the word and no more needs to be said :-)

Will try and swing up to Bluestone on our way back and it will be a true pleasure if I get to finally meet the Boonstras and see their operation. Fingers crossed!

Woody -- you sit on the ground like me!! Everyone laughs but with my own back it just feels best. Lots of turmoil, yes, but all for a better future. All good thoughts and the roses needed to be pruned this spring!!

I need honeysuckle. Thanks, Marian!

Off for now -- big and double big work bosses from Boston day in store. Hello everyone!

Oh, Mary! Sounds like the perfect break!

Martie

Good morning....

Nice photos of Brad and Eden with baby Kate! I just get such a kick out of seeing her looking around and checking everyone out. :-) Very glad that all went so well and Jen and Kate are in good health. Fingers and toes counted! [g]

That is so funny Mary that you are right over there in Cambridge. I will be driving near there later this morning and I'll wave. [g] You also ate at one of my favorite restaurants and I didn't know they served gluten free bread, lol. I don't know about the Red Sox game, it looks nice out there right now, but.... I hope the weather cooperates for you all.

About FB, I think I have been confused about what is over there. Is it a gardening forum on FB? I was thinking it was just Idyll members meeting on their own.

Cindy...Poor Chloe and poor you. I hope she will recover completely and be her old self soon. I agree, dogs don't live nearly long enough. I enjoyed your description of what great 'guests' the 'wonder greys' were...lol. Sorry that we don't see more of Cynthia.

Great Viburnum Marian! Waiting for photos of Kenzie and the front garden walkway, Michelle. I can't watch Woody Allen any more. Norma, we buy Craftsman from Sears for our pitchforks and shovels because they replace them free if they break.

I would love to hang around and chat but it's already 8am and I have to get up and get moving.

Happy Wednesday... :-)

Good Morning,

Thanks for all of the congrats, you guys! I'm so glad Kate's here and everyone is safe and sound. And yes, PM, you can bet that the first thing I did was unwrap her and inspect every single finger and toe. And happy to report they're all perfect!

Marty, that quote went through my mine a few times yesterday. So true! Enjoy your trip and the visit with your brother.

Chelone, yes it must have been worrying about spring that turned my hair grey :) Whatever it was, it's staying that way. My sister, the hairdresser, is always trying to talk me into coloring it but that's not for me. I've earned those grey hairs, every one of em.

I enjoy both Idylls and FB. They're each different but both have their advantages. More privacy there, as you can choose who sees your page and photos. And you get to mix friends from all areas of your life in one place. I like both of those things about it. Here, things are more personal, which I like, but anyone can read that, which bothers me if I don't just push it out of my mind.

Hope Marie arrived safely and gives us news soon.

We're off to visit Jen and Kate later this morning. Can't wait!

Have a good one!

Eden

Whooie! I think I may have pushed my 'luck' this morning. I just got back from a trek all the way down to our 'pour-off' at the bottom of Pitcher Hollow. It was pretty tough going, with all the downed trees and branches. Such devestation! Huge trees uprooted on one side of the hollow, that now lay across the wet weather stream,and the canopies rest on the far side. Thank goodness the pool below the pour-off falls is still pretty much unscathed. Lots of water still flowing. I wish I had taken my camera (well secured to my neck). The wild flowers, going down below the two bluffs; are just now coming into bloom.
Coming back up was quite a bit tougher, and I did take a tumble, but did myself no harm. It 'was' a wake-up call though. :-)
Nolon saw me head that way, so would have known where to look for me if I did not reappear.
He was at the top, cutting wood from trees he had downed.

There is no way we can get to the huge downed trees below, to cut them into wood, or logs. Nature will just have to take care if them.
I saw many many tiny dogwoods, so eventually it will really be floriferous this time of the year.
Our yard dogwoods are almost in full bloom, but most of them suffered loss of limbs in the icestorm, so are not as shapely as they once were.

Oh my! I am really behind on my comments on this thread.

V,I will start with the lovely sandhill crane pic that your DH took. It is excellent!
I can imagine how angry you would be about the cancer-causing chemical in the drinking water. A lot of atomic bombs were set off in Nevada, when I was young, in a location where they contaminated a lot of the surrounding areas, including southern Idaho. Who knows how much cancer was caused by that?

Chelone, obviously your cake was delicious, even tho the frosting did not turn out 'right'. I have started cheating when I do frost a cake(which is very seldom). I buy the canned or packaged types.
Sometimes I spread our wood ashes on the lawn . I should do it more often, but have to be careful because a lot of times the ashes are still hot, and the lawn too dry!
Yep..those darn ashes sure can fly around! And the inside of our livingroom is well covered with them! The nook in my computer desk does not protect the computer. I sopped out a gob of ash dust from inside it yesterday.
LOL, I am so happy that you were "deeply touched" with my sharing....:-)

Norma, your trees sound as tho spring is about as far along there as it is here. Many of our oak tress are buding, but nothing fully open yet....maybe next week? Or this weekend. We are to have warmer than normal temps the next few days.

The only seed sowing that I have done so far is peas. The first two containers are up an inch or so. I have cut brush and put it between the double rows for them to grow on.

Kathy, sorry about the hose dragging. I have not had to do any watering except the newly planted things, and that was mostly just to water them in.

Re: roast chicken. Mine come from Wal Mart. I like theirs, except they are awfully greasy.

All this flowerbed 'could' make me feel guilty....but it doesn't. Besides, I can hardly get into mine because of the protective fencing! ;-)

I am glad to hear that facebook is not taking the place of the Idylls for most of 'us'. It really turned me off when I got all that spam after registering there. I have not been back, and have forgotten my password.

Although I do not feel the thrill that I used to at the coming of spring, I am still buying plants! My tuesday's purchases were:
1 4pack- Lobelia Riviera Blue Splash.
2 4"pots Lobelia Midnight Blue
1 8" pot Lobelia Periwinkle Blue Improved
1 8" pot Angelonia Serena Purple
1 4pack Alyssum ( purple)
1 8" pot Coleus ( unnamed, but with green ruffled leaves bordered with black)
1 tall 8" pot Chocolate Joe Pye Weed

I don't know if I mentioned already having bought a 4 pack of Red flowering wax begonias, with dark leaves. A Pineapple sage. A six pack of orange violas ( visible in the planter beneath the bay window in my honeysuckle pic).

Speaking of the Honeysuckle. That is a L. sempervirens. It is fully budded out, but not many are opened . I put out the Hummingbird feeder, and it was 'hit' with a minute or two! At last count, there are 3 males. The females have not arived yet.

Woody, the "poor little guy" looks very peaceful in my pic. LOL . It is a white-footed mouse, and for some reason the cats will not eat them. They do eat the voles, but occasionally leave some 'remains' on the porch.
I am sorry about the general chaos at your place. I am espacilly concerned about your private worries. I wish there were something I could do.....
The picture of you setting there taking your frustration out on the sod, is great, but makes me sad, knowing....
I am glad Randy is retiring. I am sure he will be a huge help, even more so than usual.
Your yard, and all the work you put into it, is really impressive.

I aways enjoy the reports of the birds that you all are having return this spring. We saw a brown thrasher this morning, out front. I am sure they will be nesting close by.

Saucy, I have registered with several other forums, but very very seldom post anywhere than here, and on City Data, and that is a whole differant 'ball game'. It is mostly for informative reasons that I post, and not for friendships.

Well. this is turning into a book, and it is about time for me to decide what to feed us, so I will touch on more later.

Marian

I know you're all dying to see another baby picture :) Here's one from this morning, a close up minus the crazy hat.

{{gwi:154924}}

Eden

Oh my! how sweet little Kate is!

Here are some of my 'babies' LOL :

Close up of the honeysuckle

{{gwi:154925}}

One of the front yard dogwoods

{{gwi:154927}}

New leaves on Maackii amur

{{gwi:154929}}

And new leaves on Metasequoia glytostroboides, Dawn Redwood

{{gwi:154932}}

Marian

Eden, Kate is just so pretty and perfectly formed. You must be having a ball.

Chelone, I was only doing a little mending type stuff, nothing exciting. Not during gardening season!

I'm really busy these days at work. The bosses wife decided to retire, then decided to stay on part time and then decided not to come back. We have a new young 'un. So I'm doing some molding along with my regular work.

Later
Michelle

Oh, isn't little Katie a love! Looks like she is going to have medium to dark hair? Have you all decided who she looks like yet? Great that she is a good size. How did she do her first night? Do they bring her in for a feeding at night?

Marian...what has gotten into you? [g] You seem to be enjoying spring this year and busy as a bee too. Did the treatment for your pain make a difference for you? Very pretty photos of your yard. Love your dogwood! I brought home more pansies and a variegated thyme today, along with some bare root strawberries I hope to plant tomorrow. I had that Lobelia Riviera Lilac last year and it was gorgeous but as with all lobelias, mine didn't last long.

I'll be back later...

That's a very peaceful looking baby there Eden...

Marian - love the dogwoods! I'm impatiently waiting for mine to bloom. Of the three I've planted over the past few years, one finally set flowerbuds last fall and now I'm anxiously waiting for them to open!

Today was a busy day here - unfortunately not in the garden though. It was very chilly and I wasn't feeling at all inclined to dig in the dirt! I spent most of the day doing exciting stuff like figuring out termination pay, accrued vacation pay, severance pay, and creating the Record of Employment so my helper can apply for Employment Insurance when she gets terminated on Friday.

I was also doing final checks on our post-retirement finances and rearranging finances to maximize income splitting for tax purposes. (I used to do this sort of stuff for a living at one point in my career so it's sort of fun to do it for our own benefit.)

Randy will still have health coverage from his employer, plus he's covered under my plan too. Plus, of course, basic health care is well covered uder the Canadian health system. So health costs are not an impediment to retiring here. The market meltdown certainly makes us feel somewhat poorer but, so far at least (knock-on-wood) it hasn't had a serious income effect. Since I worked for a bank, much of my assets are in the financial industy so it's been a rough ride lately! Fortunately Canada's banking system has survived relatively well - so far at least.

Randy certainly has mixed feelings about retiring. My health is a big factor in the decision. And his parents are now in their mid 80s and, particularly given his mother's mental decline, are likely to need an increasing amount of his time too. Plus he says there's just 'that guy thing' that makes him feel guilty that he won't be out their bringing home some 'bacon' :-) On the plus side, is the opportunity for 'quality time' with me, his parents and family, Misty and just time for himself. I think he'll enjoy retirement once he gets over the initial adjustment. He's a very organized sort of person so we'll be making a long to-do list which will have lots of things to keep him busy :-)

Michelle sounds like it has been a rollercoaster at work.

Eden, Kate is a pretty baby. Nice close up.

Woody, Yikes! All that paper work would have me crazy.

I spent the day repotting and sowing seeds. Moving some stuff out of the basement.

I tried to link to a slide show but it didn't work. I will have to figure it out later. Norma

Marian, I meant to coment on your hike down the hill.
Even though it was rough going I bet you enjoyed getting to see it all once again.

slide show maybe

Please ignore that link. It is not right. Anyone know how I can delete it?

maybe this?

Eden, when I scoped out Kate's head shot the first thing that came to mind are the faces on the little porcelain baby dolls that were so common at the turn of the century! they are amazingly accurate portrayals of newborns. Then I looked again and I've decided she looks "inscrutable", like your very own pink garden Buddha! Today is the day she is moved into her sumptuous new baby digs, yes? What has Bella's reaction been to this blessed event? before I inundate you with pictures of my new casters maybe you'll put up a shot of Bella holding her new cousin. And I'm right there with you on the grey hair thing, lol. My hair went grey very early on (30s) and I am way too parsimonious to fight such a losing battle, pass the blue rinse, willya?

Woody, sounds as though you've been a busy lady. I always admire the willingness with which you "engage your brain". Good news that you and Randy have made good decisions and have not been so adversely affected by the economic downturn that retirement for him is out of the question. That's got to feel good, given the circumstances. I have little doubt that he'll fall right into the new routine after a fashion, I suspect he has no trouble engaging his brain, either. I sympathize with the increasing mental frailty of his mother, it's such a terrible worry.

Marie and DH must be comfortably ensconced in that far, western province, and wondering how long Surprise is going to keep them waiting. I certainly hope they're able to find ways to amuse themselves as the countdown continues. And I'm hoping for reasonably temperate conditions so the hot tub birth is possible. Yesterday was Skyler's birthday, wasn't it? I wonder what was included in the birthday loot?

Today is going to be sunny and it will be great fun to see how many flowers open up on the Magnolia stellata. I looked at the Magnolia we moved last summer and it looks fantastic, healthy and vigorous. Last year we got one flower, lol, and it will be interesting to see if there are more than that this year. It's a later flowering plant than M. stellata. That fool dog will have a grand afternoon chasing the cats and marking plants of interest. ;)

Norma, I'm going to have to postpone your slideshow until later today, I'm afraid, but I know it will be well worth the wait.

I'm not sure why but I have a vision of Marian in camouflage, hacking her way through the surrounding woods, machete in hand. (Watch out Nolon). :) I love this time of year and always recall the beauty of the spring I was in Virginia, with the Redbuds in the woods and then the Dogwoods... I would love to selectively add a few around here, but always hesitate as the digging is pretty tough and there are always things of greater importance ahead of that on "the list". Hey Marian, are you a "bluehair", lol? ;)

Oh mercy, I have to depart for Chaos. It won't last forever, but I'd rather stay right here and WALAT for the day.

Greetings to all not mentioned.

Looks like I am going to have to head outside this morning and take a few photos. The sun is coming out and the sky is clear, after a day of rain yesterday. I am putting in a few strawberry plants and pansies in whiskey barrels today. Bare root, which I would rather not deal with for some reason, but that was the only version they had of the variety I wanted. I am having a hard time finding a nursery that I really like around here. The one I used to go to most often, went out of business last year. The owner was ill and wanted to retire. He also cited the tremendous cost of oil to heat the greenhouses. I've tried four other nurseries and find none of them suit me. Well actually one does pretty well, but it is the most expensive of course. They had organic strawberry plants in large 6 packs, and wanted a whopping $16. for 6 strawberry plants! Pansy flats were $4. for 4 packs. All of which is convincing me that a light set up next year for the few plants that I don't winter sow, will be very worthwhile. I love pansies and I winter sow them, but they don't start blooming until later than I need them and they don't always come back the next year. I am working on a system of seed sowing them that works for me.

Speaking of pansies....I bought a variety called 'Snow Angels' last fall, that were supposed to be cold hardy. I was skeptical but sure enough they came back in fine form this spring and are now just starting to bloom. I plan on trying to sow seed from these in late summer for next spring.

{{gwi:154934}}

I also spied a new crocus opening this week. Very late, all of the others have gone by. We bought this in the fall and I just love it. It is called 'King of the Stripes'. It is prettier than the catalog.

{{gwi:154936}}

I received a free packet of Penstemon 'Iron Maiden' from T&M 2 years ago and winter sowed them. They had a great germination rate. I planted 7 of the seedlings in my front bed last year which remained rosettes all season. They are up and putting on some growth and are supposed to be hardy to zone 4, get 3-4ft and bloom in August, and one of the best penstemons at attracting hummingbirds. Good thing I moved my Nepeta and some Cranesbill out there to look at while I am waiting.

{{gwi:154937}}

I hope you will take photos of your Yellow Magnolia when it blooms this year, Chelone. Also looking forward to castors and cutting tables. I imagine once that project is finished you can finally start sewing those curtains?

Gray haired here as well. Premature gray runs in my family. I had an aunt who was almost all gray in her thirties. I did try coloring it for awhile, but I just hate roots and would end up going every 6 weeks. I just didn't like the unnatural look of my hair either. So I let it grow out. I had to have blood work for food allergies around that time and they identified some substance in my blood that I was having a reaction to, that was actually a residual from the hair color. That was quite a shock. Certainly helped me decide to stop as well.

Woody....I would need a week's vacation after all the mental acrobatics it takes to do what you were doing yesterday. [g] What would Randy find interesting to do for fun, with more time on his hands?

Norma....It's been quite awhile since I've seen photos of your garden, what a treat! I love your double Daffodils and Bleeding Hearts. You have some huge ones. Pretty pink dogwood blooms. Such a great size property you have. What is that mass of purple flowers in one photo?

Busy day for Kate and company today I am sure and I am wondering if 'Surprise' is going to be an April baby or a May baby.

Cindy, how is Chloe doing today? What's going on in the greenhouse, Saucy? Any pics?

Time to get rolling here...hope it is sunny for all today!

:-)
pm2

Norma! Great slide show! You're 2-4 weeks ahead of us here. There's not a lot of color in the garden here other than the early bulbs.

Pm,Those are narcissius I think.(the double yellow), I can't remember what variety. The purple flower is Ajuga and it is batteling it out with the lily of the valley behind. Why is it that when you plant LOL in a spot where nothing else will grow it takes off everywhere? Never mind I know the answer to that. LOL

I like that new crocus. I have found that planting cold hardy pansies in the fall work best for spring show.

N

Marian, I chuckled at Chelones comment of you in camo.

Norma, I really enjoyed your slideshow! You do know how to put on a spring show in your area! Sarah always gets me to use the sparkles when we make photos for her on Picturetrail :)

My second elephant ear came out better than the first - obviously practice helps. The color was less gray, more in the "buff" color that I like. I need to work in the garage today, as I'm running short on time until the plant sale.

The wind is wicked here this morning....cold and bitter! We're shooting up to the upper 80's through next week and I'm not too happy about it with no leaves for shelter :)

Saucy

Nope, no camo. I don't have any camo. I was wearing a blue plaid cotton shirt, and green sweatpants. :-)

Woody, I admire your finding the paperwork "sort of fun". It would literally make me sick when I made out our tax papers, and I have a similar reaction when balancing my checkbook. It's odd, because I loved my bookkeeping job at the discount store way back then....
I am a terible procrastinator when it comes to my checkbook, but I do check online every now and then to see what my balance is.
Canada's medical care sounds like a good deal. We had no insurance until we were old enough for medicare. If that goes down the drain, we will be back to square one!
How is your MIL? I forget that she has the memory problems. Did the supplements help any? Did she get B-12 shots, and did they help her walking? I don't imagine there will be any overseas trip for them this year.
Nolon has had that feeling about not bringing home any paycheck. He enjoyed digging and selling herbs to get some income, and selling firewood. Last year it was the selling of all the recycled scrap metals that he could round up. He finds comfort in having some of his own cash in his pockets. :-)

Yes, Norma, I really did enjoy my woodsy trek. I could at least spend more time on the more level parts of our woods. Getting down to the falls is pretty tricky, and dangerous, but, (until the icestorm), so beautiful down there. I didn't make it to the upper pond. Too much downed trees...It is pretty too, but has no falls. It shouldn't be long until the wild azaleas are in bloom. That is when I really need to take my camera and go down.
I have one that I transplanted up by the deck. It had several blooms last spring.
Your slideshow is beautiful, but I had a hard time seeing all that I wanted to because of the speed. ( I am not a very fast seer.) Is there a way to see them slower?
You, and others, have almost persuaded me to get more bleedinghearts, both red and white. :-)
I have a lot of Ajuga, thanks to a cousin who 'shared' with me! It has spread into various lawn areas. I don't really care, and it 'is' pretty when it blooms.
My lily of the valley is spreading also, but not any problem, so far.

Speaking of grey hair, I am still waiting for mine. I quiz my hairdresser every time I get a perm, and she insists that I have no, or very little, grey. Chelone, "bluehair" ????

We had lows in the mid 60s last night! It got up into the 80s yesterday. So far, I am tolerating it much better than I used to. I hope it does not get so hot that it blasts the spring flowers.

Pm2, my favorite nursery went out of business a few years ago, due to the owner's aging. A differant outfit eventually reopened there, but is 'small potatos" compared to the former. The other nice one is only open briefly, and is rather expensive, too. I haven't checked it yet this year. They used to grow most of their own plants....maybe still do.
That's a good deal on the pretty pansies. My sis has a type that regrows every year, and spreads.
Love the stripped crocus. I have some similar.
We have a wild penstemon here, (in our yard even), P. digitalis, Beardtongue. It has white flowers.

Our daffodils are almost all gone, and now the jonquils are blooming. So are the Spanish bluebells.

I think I have caught up now...

I am going in to get my monthly B-12 shot today. Will have my BP checked, and maybe I will go to the beauty school and get my hair trimmed. It sure needs it.
Naturally I will have to check the plant places also. :-)

I hope we get good news from Marie soon.....

Marian

You are so right, Saucy. It is cold and windy here this morning and I went back to bed...lol. I am also not looking forward to going into upper 80s so early. No leaves here either. I promise that is all the complaining about the weather I am going to do until July or August. :-) I am so happy to hear you like your Elephant Ears container in buff.

Norma, thanks, I am going to need a reminder when it is time to sow seed for pansies for the fall. [g] So, that is ajuga, wow, nice stand of it. I ripped out all my LoValley. It was trying to take over my front yard. I guess you have to have the right place for it to roam, and I've heard it's a good idea to give it competition,like the ajuga. Good decision.

Well, bummer -- here I am, back at the awfice and hoping to stroll thru Norma's yard for lunch and it wont work here -- aaargh.... well, I'll try for a stroll this evening when I get home.

I bet you will really enjoy having your DH at home, Woody after the initial adjustment -- it sounds like the right time and still have time to enjoy marital "bliss" time and not feel too pressured when the other family things crop up. It sounds like, as with your garden, you have it all sensibly laid out and a strategic plan for action!

Michelle, Im sorry things are topsy at your ofc - that's so stressful -- just at a time when you dont want or need any more stress, right? I hope the young'un will be well molded and end up being a "dream" for you and the work situation! Maybe she can even take on your duties that keep you from IU trips, LOL.... altho I know there are other things that play into that.

Im pondering the irony of Mother Nature and the wonderful sun she's now bestowed upon my region -- me back at the awfice after three lovely days of cold and rain for vacation.... guess it wasnt meant to be garden time for me.

I hope Martie as lots of fun on her road trip to Ohio -- and a neat side trip to Bluestone - I bet she picks up a ton of goodies there.

That lemon cake recipe sure does sound yummy; I'm going to try to resist as I would end up eating it all myself!

Thanks for the nice thoughts for Chloe -- she seems to eating and perky which is great -- Im going to hold out good thoughts when we got back to the vet next week to see if things have improved.

Well, Im trying to stay positive -- it's only a Monday and a Friday now for me at the "awfice" and much as there is to dig out from under, it will go by quickly. But I'd rather be gardening.....

Wondering about news from 'bug's world.....

--cindy

Back again...I pushed myself out the door late morning and now have two whiskey barrels all planted with dormant strawberry plants, pansies and variegated sage. Very pleased to have that done. Getting out when DH gets home to watch him, [g] spread mulch and weed, before the weeds get the upper hand.

I have sprouts in the milk jugs of cauliflower, broccoli, pak choy, kale and one lonely little tomato seedling. They are so little, I think I will wait to get them in the ground until next week.

I was walking about the garden checking things out and don't you just love the little surprises? In one area there must be about 50 volunteer seedlings of something. I am really hoping it is not a weed. It occurred to me that it is in an area where I had Digitalis planted last year, but I would have thought they would have sprouted last year if that is what they are? Plus, in two areas where I tried to take something out, some of it was left behind evidently because they are back! Cimicifuga and CasaBlanca Lily. Spring is so much fun!

DD called today. I had sent along an email with suggestions for her deck plants and she and her roommate are very excited about the possibilities. I will need to get over there one of these mornings to determine how much sun they actually have but I am thinking not a lot. I am trying to come up with fool proof plants that would be fun and easy. I was just looking at Colocasias at Brent & Becky's and one I have my eye on gets to be 3-5ft in one season? I've never tried growing them. I'm not sure they will have room for it, but anyone have any thoughts on how easy and fool proof that would be?

Cindy...I am keeping my fingers crossed that the vet will give you and Chloe some good news!

:-)

THE COMPUTER IS HOOKED NOW!
Arrived at about 2:30AM on Wednesday. Went grocery shopping ($300) and made soup for our dinner. YUM! I love this recipe and will try to send it out to you when I return. We bought cake etc for Skyler's class of 25 and surprised them all in the afternoon. He was VERY HAPPY! His Mom arrived later and I hope she was OK with the celebration.

This morning we prepared a stack of towels and items for the midwife, put the birthing tub in the sunroom and began heating the sunroom as well. Then DH and I went to buy loot bags and a pinata for Saturday's party, a scavenger hunt in the ravine.

DD is tired and anxious, DSIL phones home frequently. I made puff pastry tomato, pesto, feta treats for lunch and now we are napping....The wait is fairly tedious....tap tap tap!

The mouse is challenging me here...but want to send my love to all and welcome our newest member, precious Kate.

What a happy post that was Gardenbug! From the account of all that has happened since your arrival, I imagine your DD, DSIL and Skyler are very happy to have you there. The cavalry has arrived! :-)

We're just back from dinner "out" and I couldn't resist a quick read before retiring for the night. What nice news to read after a rather discouraging day at the salt mine. A few hours WALATing with that fool dog and the pride was helpful, too. The Calvalry indeed!

I want to recommend "Wall E" as a very entertaining movie, perfect for bright children and bright "grown ups". Lovely life lessons, fun animation, and plenty of funnies for all ages. I'll bet Skyler would enjoy it. So would you, Marian!

Nighty-night

I keep thinking I'll post in the morning when I'm not so tired, but I'm never quite coherent enough. Work has been really busy and I'm just wiped out every night.

I'm still working on addressing the invitations. My list and her parent's list are done, but I had to wait to get the full address list from the kids. It seems that they had very few mailing addresses for their friends and had to track down a lot of them! I'm making good progress, though, and I hope at the end that I can take a photo that shows off the work without revealing names and addresses. Not sure if that will work.

Tonight I did have a chance to actually WALAT, camera in hand. The photos are uploading now so I probably won't post until tomorrow. But have I said I'm having fun with the camera?

Good to hear from GB - a happy post, now we just need the really happy news!

I think the comment about FB being like Fox News and the Idylls like NPR was spot on. I don't feel terribly guilty about keeping FB open on the computer at work because I can get my fix in under two minutes. The idylls, though, are for savoring.

I'm determined to do 5 more envelopes before I hit the hay. G'nite!

V.

OK, a couple of quick pics.

Here's tonight's sunset, focusing on the tree in the middle.

{{gwi:154938}}

And the same scene, only seconds later, but focusing on the setting sun.

{{gwi:154940}}

Quite interesting to see how the change of perspective alters the finished photo.

Crazy lab action shot:

{{gwi:154942}}

And from the bog at the top of the waterfall, here's a double Caltha palustris.

{{gwi:149050}}

Okay. I'm gone now. Really.

Good evening friends ! After awfice today was the 10 minute weeding -more like 20, but I dont want to fall behind. I noticed that the spotted spurge has arrived, a sure sign if warming soil, and planting out Zinnias this weekend will be the 1st order of business. I have taken probably 100 pics in the last 2 days, and I will post below some shots as requested that show more of the real estate. Last night I ordered a book on Amazon that was recommended to me , sort of a guidebook for my D60. There is a whole series of these books for various Nikons, link posted below in case Saucy and V have an interest.

Marian, I enjoyed your description of your trek to Pitcher Hollow. It was very nicely written . I felt a bit like I was going along with you , though I did not take a spill ! My enjoyment of the Idylls is often tied up in seeing places that are unlike my own. I have yet to find Angelonia here ! I think this weekend I may be able to score some. What a great plant sure wish it was available in 6-paks. Im going to find out how to propagate it this year.

Well Eden, I have to admit that Kate looks awfully pretty, even though she is a baby :-))

Norma, I loved your photos ! this sort of early spring action is over her and I enjoy experiencing it again . My faves were the daffs, the white Dicentra , and the kitty !

(((Cindy and Chloe)))..

Ok, some pics and hi to everyone
The back garden. {{gwi:154944}}From Garden 2009
{{gwi:154945}}From Garden 2009

Kathy in Napa

It's Friday and I am indeed glad of it. It's been a tough week, the forecast for the weekend is lovely weather and I can't wait to close the door behind me today. The helpmeet and I have worked very hard to create our own little world here on the Compound and the joy I feel coming home every day makes discouraging periods easier to take on one hand, but also underscores the stupidity of being unhappy with brutal directness. Many of our friends do not understand how we can possibly be happy "staying home".

Such a lush oasis you've created for Doobie, Ted, and yourself, Kathy, in that place called, California. You don't have the dreadful reality of Blackspot dogging your every rose bush, do you? (it's exacerbated by humidity, isn't it?). I look at your lovely roses and moon a bit then snap back to reality and think... FERNS, Astilbe, Cimicifuga, Hosta, Peonies... bullet-proof is good. Be happy with what you have, Chelone! Yes indeed, I like the variety our diverse group brings to the gardening "table", too.

I have to get the service pack for my little camera as I've been collecting pictures but have yet to disgorge any of them. I have looked at the threads and enjoyed them very much, just haven't commented on them. But they have inspired me to go outdoors and really LOOK at things with new eyes because what is commonplace for me isn't for some of you. Knowing that is a bit of a "driveway moment" for me. ;)

V., I had to laugh at the kids not having physical addresses. Never crossed my fogey mind that they wouldn't, lol. I figured a coupla shots of Geritol and you'd just sit down and scrawl some names on envelopes... tough to do the calligraphy thing on a computer, huh? I love the water shots, do you have Spring Peepers or are they an Eastern/New England thing? There is a handsome roadside stand of Caltha on my way to work. I've been eyeing it ever since the snow melted away and it's just starting to come into bloom now. It's a lovely yellow ribbon of cheer in a very marshy area. I love the little wildflowers and spring ephemerals.

Norma, I really liked the kitty shot, too. I just love being outdoors with our's. Yesterday they followed me all around the Compound. It was really windy and they did a good deal of "showing off". Racing after airborn leaves, climbing the pergola, racing sideways across the lawn, and taunting Rex into chasing them, then dashing up a trellis or nearby tree. White Dicentras are my favorites, I used to have a big one that was underplanted with Ajuga that put on quite a nice display... but over time it's petered out and the volunteers have popped up farther and farther away.

OK, well I can't postpone the inevitable much longer but it'll be over soon enough and I'll be able to return to the fold and enjoy 3 days of no chaos and not feeling as if everything I do or say is somehow "wrong" or invites contradiction, "just because" it can be. It's hard work "keeping your head down" to avoid incoming strikes. ;)

Be brilliant today. Tap tap tap!

While we are awaiting more baby pics I will post a few pics of the area I spoke of treking into.
These were taken some time ago.
The first is one of the more interesting views of the bluff below our main level where our house is:

{{gwi:154946}}

It used to be a trick to navigate down to the second level, but ten years or so ago the logging crew, including Nolon, cleared a 'roadway' down at a less rocky area.The upper level, where our house is , is about half of our 20 acres. It is all pretty level. Below that bluff, which runs the width of the 20, is a level that is approximately 75-100 foot wide. Then on down to the bottom of the hollow which is not bordered by a bluff, (I misspoke when I said "two bluffs"). It is a steep, rocky tree covered slope, approximately another 50-75 feet down to the bottom. ( I am not too good at estimates). :-(

At the bottom, in the extreme northern border of our land, is the pour-off:
This picture was taken by my sister several years ago, you can see her DH (I think, maybe it is me?) at the top of the falls, on the right:

{{gwi:154947}}

The reflections on the pic are from my camera. I took a pic of her pic to put it in my album.

And the last pic is one I took myself, at a later date:

{{gwi:154948}}

It would be so great if we had a step-lined path all the way down, with railings. :-)

Marian

Happy Friday -- I was delighted to WALAT around Norma's yard last nite at home -- truly lovely Norma - and such gorgeous combinations. Im not so good at that; I just tend to plop my spring bulbs, etc., in the ground and think later I should have given more thought.... it was a real treat to see your gardens opening up. You're a few days ahead of my region - the dogwoods are just opening; I saw my first small iris this a.m. in my front garden as I was leaving - a short WALAT to see what was up before hopping in the car. It will be high 80s this weekend and that will likely blow all the tulips that are giving a gorgeous show right now. If Im lucky I try for a couple shots tonite when I get home.

V -- love those photos -- you're getting great shots too -- you will give Saucy and Kathy a run for their money; altho I think Deanne and 'bug lead the pack still..... I totally relate to being exhausted at the end of the work day....

Kathy -- o my -- no wonder you took 200 photos in the last couple of days -- it must be hard to know what not to snap! Truly magnificent - it's amazing how it all just popped out -- I see your geranium Rozanne (?) totally in full bloom, etc.... It's all eclectic but fantastic. Just what the doctor ordered for a perk-up for Friday!!

Ok, time to make sure I can pay the vet bills, LOL -- got lots on the plate here - I hope I have energy for some planting in the a.m. this weekend before the nasty temps kick in.

--cindy

Happy Friday! Looks to be a beautiful weekend on tap. The sun is shining brightly and I'm hoping to spend most of the next few days out in the garden.

Norma, Thanks you so much for the slideshow. I always enjoy seeing glimpses of your gardens. I have high hopes for my white dicentra this year. It was a seedling in my friends garden and has been teeny tiny in mine for the last couple of years but this year looks to have put on some size. Yours is a beauty!

Kathy, great seeing some longer views of your space too. So much color! So pretty! My zinnia seeds that Bella and I wintersowed last weekend have sprouted.

Marian, your pictures reminded me what a beautiful spot you live in. Lucky you to have such beautiful scenery!

Chelone, enjoy your weekend of peace and quiet on the compound. I feel the same about our home. It's where I'm content and happy to be. I baked brownies yesterday and thought of you and your recent baking endevours.

Glad to hear that Marie made it safely and is now settling in and waiting for the arrival of Baby Surprise.

PM, you sound very industrious lately. One of my favorite spring activities is walking the garden at least a couple of times a day to see what suprises have appeared. I'm seeing lots of little seedlings too and wondering what they may be.

Lots of garden time planned for today so time to get rolling. I'll leave you with a picture of Jen and Kate that I really like. This was taken at the hospital but they came home yesterday around noon and are doing well.

{{gwi:154949}}

Eden

A couple quick comments as the awffice beckons.

87 degrees here yesteday!

Eden, the picture just exudes a mother's love for her child. It should be framed.

V, that 2nd is wonderful. Great clarity.

Hiking with Marian was extremely enjoyable as was the stroll through Norma's garden. I loved the sparkle effect on the slideshow. It made your garden seem all the more magical.

Kathy, I'm just stunned to see how far along your garden is. Just lovely! I'm still looking for signs of growth for lots of things.

PM, I 'King of Stripes' is very pretty.

As you can see I've only looked at pictures. Last night I was too busy in the garden enjoying the warm weather.

Later
Michelle

Woke up this morning to a white world. The sun is shining and the snow slowly disappearing. More white is expected on the weekend which should be OK because folks here are used to it but me, I'm sick of it!!!

One of the exciting activities here is geocaching. See below. This is an activity which is being introduced gradually to Skyler and hence the scavenger hunt theme for his party tomorrow. DH & DSIL have located one (I saw it too) and this morning DD and her father are going to mark off ravine areas for festivities. It is mighty complex from my point of view, but everyone is enthusiastic about it...except one sweet friend (male) who called this morning to plead with DD to take it easy and not go in the ravine. No one is likely to win an argument with her though. :)

This afternoon there is a midwife appointment and then we pick up Skyler for the week.

I plan on making a curried apple/chicken recipe for dinner too, then wrap presents afterwards. Such a production!

Things are a little tense because DD feels we are invading her space and feels like a watched pot. We of course are doing our best, but I empathize.

Word from home is that Phoebe is excited to have so much company and that things are working out well. I am disappointed that so far I am unable to send email.

Big wave to each and every one!
'bug

Eden - that's definitely a picture that needs enlarging and framing! B&W makes it timeless.

Marian - every time you post pictures of that 'pour off' (I love that name - so evocative/descriptive!), I want your property!!

Kathy - I want to be sitting in that chair! :- ) It must smell heavenly there....

GB - the 'watched pot' comment made me smile but I understand the stress in it too. Hopefully the 'pot' will 'boil over' soon and all will be just nice and warm and cozy... I'm glad Phoebe is enjoying her visiting caregivers but I wish she could have been here.

I did the termination of my helper about a half hour ago - never a fun process but it went smoothly. She knew it was coming sooner or later and the termination pay, severance pay, etc. eases the financial blow. She's on her way now to apply for unemployment insurance - I did the termination early enough today that she has time to get the application in today.

Hello....

Maybe you might remember a photo I posted last spring of this border? This is what I spent my morning doing with the help of DS.....

{{gwi:154950}}

Last week, we moved one of the veggie beds out of the way and are now bringing out the rock edging by almost 3 feet. We're not finished yet. What a mess, but it needed to be done. I have no idea what year [g] I will finish not only the edging but finding enough soil to back fill and re positioning perennials and shrubs. Mistakes are a lot of work in the garden.

V....I'm glad you are enjoying your new camera. Very interesting how different the second photo was from the first. I like the second one much better.

Kathy.....Your garden is luscious! The chair and the bright blue pot are such great points of interest and very inviting. I like the way your patio is surrounded by garden. I love that apricot rose on the left side of your photo and wondering what is against the fence right above the chair in the second photo? I would enjoy more photos.

Norma....I liked the kitty shot too, with the sparkles and the butterflies.

Marian...I didn't realize you had water on your property. How large is your property? Is there that much water there now?

Eden...that photo of Jen and Kate is just perfect! Not only the expression on Jen's face, but Kate looking right at the camera! Definitely agree about framing it. .... Glad you will have time to get in the garden today.... Yes, I push myself a lot this time of year. I'm trying to build up a little more stamina and try to go out for awhile, come in and take a break and go out again a second time later in the day to do more light duty jobs. I see too many jobs I want to complete and I haven't finished trimming and haven't started spreading mulch yet, which is a must. I want to get as much done as I can before the heat gets here. I am getting to start my vegetable garden earlier this year and very happy about that.

Michelle....glad you are gardening so much you haven't time to keep up with Idylls. [g] I hope you are taking lots of photos for when you take a break.

Snow, gardenbug??! Amazing. In the 80s here this weekend and you all have snow!

I am sure you are glad to have that over with, Woody.

What happened to Sue today?

pm2

This afternoon at the midwife's I heard baby's heartbeat, felt the bum, the back, the legs and the head. A weepy moment for grandma...

We collected Skyler from school so DD could nap, and then while he was playing with his neighbors, I made dinner. Right now the gang is off buying a birthday gift for a friend.

I'm tired! You think I'm too old for this? Just maybe! Eden, you do this almost every day too!

Chelone, Indy is a remarkable dog. Amazing in fact, Yesterday she found a coyote in the ravine, but simply observed it and kept a smart distance, then returned to DD's side. Seriously, no need at all for a leash! These days she's glued to DD.

Enjoying the high quality photos. :)
'bug

Happy Friday ! What a pleasant WALAT tonight, with a pause to plant up my first new container combo of the season. Im hoping to find some Lantana at the garden center tomorrow, I have lots of empty pots that need to be filled. If Marian can get Angelonia in AK this week, surely I can get it here ? There are buds on my Amaranth viridis , and some of the Zinnias as well.

Chelone, blackspot here is usually a feature when we have a rainy spring, I do have some since I insist on growing some varieties that are highly susceptible (such as Eden) but the last 2 springs have been dry so it is less of an issue. I rarely if ever get mildew. Part of the fun of gardening for me is the ability to manipulate my garden spaces , and I am never totally content with what I have ! I address this by changing something every couple of years not minor changes, but rip it out and move or toss it changes. I like moving stuff around .

PM, the apricot rose is Amber Queen, a floribunda that does very well for me, and the plant behind the chair is my Camellia, which is on its way to going out of bloom-they are winter bloomers here. I love seeing the stone and rock edged borders that you NE folk have ; our valley is only rocky in the east hills and there are quite a few dry-stack rock walls in that area, but since I am on the valley floor my soil is alluvial and no rocks to speak of. What anice border youll have along that fence !

Eden, I love black and white photos and your is great ! Did you take it ?

Cindy, not Rozanne, but the magenta-ish sanguineum that invites itself into various areas of the garden- I like it because it looks tidy all year, no flopping, and I can shear it off for a modest re-bloom. I have Rozanne in my front garden and want to replace all the Johnsons Blue in back with Rozanne ( way superior in my opinion) but she is very hard to find around here for some reason.

Jeesh bug, snow ??

Ok, Im going to go watch baseballIll leave you with my mystery Clem and Mary Rose {{gwi:154951}}From Garden 2009
{{gwi:154953}}From Garden 2009

Kathy in Napa

Eden, that's a lovely shot of Jen and Kate. It has that timeless quality that would lend it nicely to a round or oval frame if it could be manipulated accordingly.

Marian, I very much enjoyed the pictures of your lovely property. I think the "pour off" is grand and I instantly wondered if the pool was deep enough for a quick dip! The surrounding terrain is rugged and reminds me of the White Mtns. of NH. Wouldn't it be terrific if we could just wave a wand and, POOF! walking trails, stairs and handrails could appear where we'd like them? Do be careful when you're out bushwackin'.... (cluck cluck cluck; the sound of a concerned BIT... biddy in training).

And PM, my my! aren't you industrious? if you'd like to perfect your wall building skill by all means c'mon up and practice here with me. ;) It's going to be lovely when it's finished. I noted with interest that you've deepened the bed in the picture. I plan to do that will the front bed here. The learning curve is steep when you begin gardening with little or no real background and a minimal sense of scale. It's that sense of scale that I find I'm developing more and more over time. It's going to look terrific when you and your generous DS are all finished. Be sure to keep a good photographic record.

Woody, I've had to "terminate" exactly two people in the time I had my "straight" job. One was a slacker and it made me uncomfortable to have to "look over her shoulder" to be sure she did routine things correctly (or at all), so when it came time to give her the book I didn't really care. The other, however, was very troubling. She was illiterate and I'd never before met someone who couldn't read. She was punctual, cheerful, and she really tried. But she was unable to handle the simplest sewing operations in the line and was so disappointed when I had to let her go. I've thought of her over the years and wondered whatever became of her. So, I'm sure you felt a certain level of relief when the deed was done. I hope you gave Misty a swift kick and then went outdoors to torture the sod for a bit. I smiled at the "watched pot" comment, too. But for a different reason, I recall being the watcher... keeping an eye on Mum to make sure she was safe and noting changes and trying very hard to be "cool" about it. You bring such an interesting perspective to our conversations here, Woody.

I believe Sue has blown us off, having retreated fully to the "dark side" of sound bytes. We can only hope that she and Deanne don't abandon us completely and forever. I was going to suggest that she was perhaps in deep mourning for Zoe, but that doesn't strike me as her style. :)

Mary and her family crossed my mind the other day when news of the Red Sox triumphant double header hit the news. I wonder if they braved the rain delays to see all of it? And I wish I'd urged her to take in the Gardner Museum, too. It's a jewel... even the blank wall where the stolen Rembrandt seascape used to hang.

'bug, I'm sure there will be many weepy moments for you and your family in the coming days/weeks. Poignancy lends a certain "flavor" to anything... may the "sweet" in the sweet and sour be especially so. Was Indy a "puppy raised" dog? We have a saying here, "nothin' like a kitten raised cat" and it holds true for dogs, too. It's one of those things you miss out on when you make it a goal to reclaim other people's cast-offs. We frequently wonder about Rex and what his life was like before we "sprung him from the joint". Why are you telling me this, anyway? you know I hate dogs.

Looks like I'll be working on Monday, seems like the prudent thing to do to head off a stressful dash to the finish line for a Wednesday installation; I'm always interested in containing and minimizing the chaos whenever I'm able. ;) I worked alone yesterday (I like that) but still came home feeling that no matter what I did, how much I did, or how well I did it it still wouldn't quite enough. It doesn't matter that it's not really about me at all, the fact is, nobody likes going to work when they feel the task in front of them is Sysiphean.

I haven't returned to the cutting table pcs. since I filled them. Foolishly I set them up in the Salon without thinking of the mess the sanding will create (duh). So, I'll set them up in the garage bay and have at 'em with the palm sander today or tomorrow. Then drag them back upstairs for the finishing. Right on top of it! that'd me. :)

Time to tend to some chores while it warms up outdoors. I have the sunscreen at the ready and a very basic plan of attack formulated. My greatest concern today is what to make for dinner... helpmeet will not be home until after 6 and it hardly seems fair to saddle him with the responsibilty for dinner after such a long day... . I'll have to think about that for awhile. Gotta be really easy.

Good morning!

Today is community clean up in our town, so I've got a gang of kids ready to clean up this neighborhood. Jake's gonna hit the waterway with the canoe and a friend and collect any trash he sees.

I am playing in the greenhouse, too. Pictures this evening! It looks pretty with all the hanging plants and flats. Calibrachoa, Ipomea 'blackie', and verbena came in yesterday. My zinnias really like it in there :)

All my house plants got the boot early this morning. They're out on the deck hanging out in the smallest patch of shade :) It'll be nice to have them all out and putting on growth.

GB, geocaching really looks like fun! I am going to share that with Jake. We won a free GPS in a drawing a couple of years ago....enjoy your time with your family!

Woody, you are a very thoughtful employer - I'm sure that was appreciated. When I'm put in those situations, I try to always remember what it has been like for me to stand in those shoes.

Chelone, my specialty is schlepping things from one place to another....up the stairs, down the stairs.....have fun working on your layout tables :)

Kathy, what a beautiful garden space!

I agree about framing the picture....I think it would make a nice gift, Eden. My grandma had one in her house of her and my grandfather with my newborn dad. The funny thing I noticed was how made up she was - head of curls (from rollers, no doubt) and lipstick. I wonder how that all went down?

Time to find a hat, I hear it's going to be 80ish!

Saucy

Birthday party morning here, with rain &snow. SLOPPY! Skyler is a motor mouth and full of beans... DSIL & DD are very excited about the activities. We are enlisted to collect 2 friends in far off places and bring them to the party.

Indy was a rescue dog. DD chose her about 6 years ago when she was under a year old. We wish she could speak and tell us her history as well as other things. When she first arrived she would stay very close to Sarah. She comes ALWAYS when called and sits at your left side.

Saucy, I think your entire family would love geocaching. We plan on starting one with Skyler containing action figures. There is one we hope to find soon with a newborn theme. Thank you for the environmental cleanup!!! There is a serious need for it here in Edmonton now that most of the winter snow has melted. I find the mess depressing! In a few minutes the boy scouts will come here to collect bottles. There is about $100 worth on the back deck waiting for them.

I planted snowdrops from the farm here at DD's on Thursday. I hope they bloom next spring!

Off to help out!
'bug

I haven't exactly been the productive clean up whiz I was hoping for this morning. Still:
1.) breakfast mess and kitchen are cleaned up.
2.) 2 loads of laundry are drying (V. could take a picture).
3.) Rex and I have WALATed several times this morning, and managed to squeeze in some "ball", too.
4.) Rex and I "went out", bringing Daddy something he forgot to take with him this morning. We brought home 2 Rhodo. viscosum and practiced our "good boy manners" in a very busy place. (He was a very, very good boy).
5.) I've sanded the table pcs. and refilled a couple of overlooked rough places. When the filler dries I'll finish up sanding.
6.) I've had lunch (Cheerios) and am about to put some Brownies in the oven.

I have to go back and find out about geocaching while the Brownies are baking. And I hope Skyler has a grand day and proves to be a lively, fun-loving host and birthday boy.

tap tap tap...

I'm happy to have Rex "Come!" and then sit in front of me waiting for the next direction. I try to have him do this every single time I call him to me. I also use hand signals with him, does DD do that with Indy, 'bug? (do any of the rest of you use hand signals?) I find Rex is very visually "tuned in" and can be easily distracted from looking directly to me for directions. This is something I work very hard on with him, trying to use more praise than food as the reward. I use the command "Heel" to bring him to a sitting position at my left side.

It's our first really warm day here today - we're up to 24C so far!

I got a bit more sod cleaned up this morning - about 1/2 along now... I also reshaped the end of the bark mulch path around the rose bed yesterday to make the grass path 'flow' a bit better.
{{gwi:154955}}

A little WALATing this morning found some pretty stuff. I particularly liked these primroses:
{{gwi:154956}}

Spring bulbs are naturalizing nicely under the pines:
{{gwi:154957}}

We're going out to dinner tonight with my samosa-making friend to an Indian restaurant we haven't been to in while so we're looking forward to that. A neighbour will be dropping by shortly with her mother to check out the garden... I'm helping her make some changes to her garden so she's coming to see a few things here that she might want to add to her garden.

Glad to see some Idylls checking in today. On such a gorgeous Saturday I thought everyone must be out every minute in the garden. We were out early having to get what ever garden work done before DH went to visit his Mom and before it was too hot for me. Rock edging has come to a halt until cooler weather. So we pulled the few weeds that were in the Shade beds, edged the front foot or two with newspaper and bark mulch, had three holes where plants had been plucked out earlier that needed filling and mulched over then we pulled bags of chopped leaves out of the garage and distributed them thickly behind all the shrubs to suppress weeds. Ran the sprinkler and dragged out the summer bird bath and voila! That whole shady side of the yard is done for the season!!

I feel like it is such an accomplishment because I have had to chip away for quite awhile to get things moved and planted and I finally have it to a point where I don't see one plant that needs moving or changing for awhile and I'm pleased with the way it looks. I don't get that feeling that I've completed something often enough. [g] Plus I saw two new hostas just starting to peek out. The shrubs are just starting to show 'peach fuzz' [g]. You know, tiny new leaves. Plus a native Spicebush that didn't bloom last year is blooming with these tiny yellow blooms all along the branches. A patch of viola 'Queen Charlotte' was perfuming the entire corner. [I think of your sweet dog every time I say that name, Gardenbug] And if all that wasn't enough, our neighbor behind us who has driven us crazy for three years, leaving trash in our line of vision from the kitchen window and a stagnant water feature with a broken pump, was out there all morning fixing and getting things straightened out! A very satisfying morning.

I should have stopped there, I was tired and sore when I got up this morning, but there was still a half hour left before DH had to leave, so I spearheaded one last project, a twig trellis waiting in the garage to be erected. We made quick work of it and now one clematis has a new home. I am completely done in, as in haven't been able to move since noontime...lol. I plan on not moving for the rest of the day.

I have more to say about what's going on with all of you when I come back. You'll all be outside all afternoon anyway. :-)

I caught my first swarm of bees! They landed in the hedge, and I was able dump them in a trash barrel and prepare a new hive.

I will have to go get more supplies and relocate them, but I caught a swarm!

I feel like a real beekeeper now :)

I am grinning from ear to ear.

Saucy

Quite the exciting birthday party yesterday! Much Much better than parking kids in front of a movie.

Today Skyler is attending a "Home Alone" course and DH and I are planning for a few days on our own in Jasper, perhaps next weekend. DD is really feeling annoyed by Watched Pot syndrome. I don't blame her in the least.

This morning DSIL, Skyler & DH found a geocache and left a note inside. :) Skyler is learning to use a compass. It is snowing lightly...groan! Back East my friends tell me about the summer weather.

My evening task here is to work with Skyler with two garbage bags. We are to sort his clothes, put the "too bigs" in one bag, the "too smalls" in the other and create a tidy closet and drawers. Then photograph the outcome and post it on his door for future reference!

DH's task is to supervise math homework. Then we hope for either reading time or a game after dinner. There is still anxiety and temper...but he is growing up and visibly improving in many ways. He has new glasses too which make him look more mature I think.

DSIL wants to go to a nursery with me, but I think sunny warm weather would make it more exciting.

Later,
'bug