Musings

Finally, we got morning rain…not much and not a soaker, but more than nothing…enough to cover the bottom of the rain barrel a couple of inches deep.

[Note that the barrel is indeed tilted, so that overflow will be on the side opposite the cottage.]

By afternoon, the “wild”flowers seemed to have renewed energy to push toward more than two leaves.

And the black raspberries are in bloom, and the bees busily visited (not pictured). I admit I’ve been watering these, hoping I’ll get a couple of ripe berries before the birds take them. Time will tell.

Posted at 5:18 PM | Comments Off on I wanted to dance

Yesterday, the Guru captured a drone photo of this year’s version of the basil ringfort. This variation has a “palisade wall” of cardboard, a new development, and an inner ringfort with at least two dozen two-leaf basil plants. Between the ringfort and the wall along the upper edge is another row of germinating seeds, “wildflowers” from a seed packet I was given at the baby shower two weeks ago. [Was it two weeks…?]

In addition, there’s a daisy plant in the lower left, and a line of rhubarb in the lower right.

Lotsa product coming along this year! […enabled by frequent watering in this dry dry dry spring.]

Posted at 8:36 PM | Comments Off on Germination 2023

Grass, lupines, and apple trees—these are obvious. The grass is bent because of wind…which is visible in videos from the same drone expedition, but you have to use your “seeing” brain to find it here.

We’re back in a cool phase again—lovely. I see rain will visit Saturday through Tuesday. We need it badly; I do hope it does arrive, and it gives us a thorough soaking.

Posted at 8:29 PM | Comments Off on Green elements

Smoke north of us in Canada (in Ontario, pretty sure) has been reported for days, along with fires much farther out west and out east in our northern neighbor’s territory. That smoke finally arrived today, traveling on a gentle north wind. It smelled like a distant garbage fire…and fortunately faint. We also could see a very light haze.

By this evening, the wind had shifted to coming from the south, and the smoke smell was more ephemeral. The haze, however, seems to have intensified.

Despite such environmental conditions, and the dry dry soil, the lupines really busted out today.

Posted at 8:50 PM | Comments Off on Wind shifts

Despite how dry-dry-dry it is, the lilacs are lovely and, oh, the aroma…I’m so happy to be here to enjoy it, although today’s high is something like 86°F, and that’s way too hot for these parts, especially at the very beginning of June.

Posted at 5:01 PM | 1 Comment »

We live in an orchard (here). The apple trees are in bloom. Last night and tonight both, the meteorological minions indicated below freezing temps in this area, and possible frost. I believe the blooms are when the crop is most vulnerable to a freeze. Last night, we had no frost, and I think we skated on freezing temps.

In any case, the blooms look fine. And huge IMHO.

Posted at 7:47 PM | Comments Off on Cloudland

Today’s front came through with audio drama…wind and noisy, plopping raindrops.

Posted at 9:35 PM | Comments Off on May shower

Glory in this late dogwood bloom, still hanging on…as temps climb to crest in the 80s each day this week. Yikes.

H&W = humid and warm

Posted at 6:42 PM | Comments Off on H&W

This is day three of windy windy windy afternoons. Not enjoying the tension engendered….

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Breeziness squared

I snapped this during my morning walk.

And this was late afternoon.

It’s been a Seattle-y day, drippy from pre-morning through, well, into tomorrow. Thus, the Olympics are completely shrouded, and the view across Puget Sound is ghosty.

I am not Monet and the view is not of Rouen Cathedral; however, I do like the idea of pondering the same view (ish) at various times.

Posted at 8:39 PM | Comments Off on Garbage day