My hands are full of little pricks…can I trade up for one big one?

It’s not what you think…I’ve been spreading barkdust without gloves. Stupid move. But the beds look wonderful and are producing beautifully.

See…

The bearded iris are going crazy…

We’ve had a great surprise this year. There are gorgeous alliums popping up all around the yard and they weren’t planted.  I know the birds had something to do with this as well as the unusually cold winter and warm spring. This perfect trinity has filled the yard with these beautiful blooms…

Their color is a much deeper purple than this and I hope to capture their true beauty tomorrow.

We leave on vacation in a week and I’m almost sorry I won’t be here to see the changes but, if the weather holds out, the garden will give us a spectacular welcome home.

The gardening bug has bit hard this spring surely due to the mild weather that’s graced the Pacific Northwest. The usual persistent rain and gray skies give way to sun most every afternoon and the temperatures are pleasant if not downright warm. Although it was a little cooler this weekend than the past few, it was perfect for tilling, moving dirt and planting annuals in pots on the deck.

I’ve already prepped the vegetable garden so Mark can get out there without too much strain on the recovering leg and he’s already planted some lettuces and celery. Yesterday we bought some peppers, tomatoes and herbs that will go into the greenhouse until later this month and a few ornamentals for a long unplanted berm along the driveway.

This afternoon, I trimmed back some large branches from the neighbors fir tree that have been hanging over that unplanted berm and prepped the soil for some flower seeds that will help fill that space until later this summer when I can actually lay out a design for a fall planting.

Then it was off to the deck to start prepping pots with fresh soil for the annuals we’re sure to bring home from the wonderful Master Gardener’s sale next weekend. It’s this sale that usually inspires me to start work in the yard so I’m feeling good about being so far ahead for a change. It will also make the deck more inviting for our dear friends who will be housesitting while we’re in Europe. If the weather holds out…they’ll have a lovely little retreat where they can relax and watch the dogs on squirrel patrol.

While working on the deck I heard the fountain pump laboring and when I went to investigate, I found this colorful little critter caught in the intake filter.

I love how this next shot makes his color lines look three dimensional…then again …maybe they are. Dr. T?

I noticed he was still moving a bit so I turned him over to administer CPR and was surprised to find his underside was as brilliant as his back.

In all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen anything like him. I’ve seen numerous metallic beetles on Dr. T’s blog so I decided it was time to post on this neglected site and see if I could coax the good doctor into identifiying him for me. I should have sent an email but I really wanted to share this gorgeous little guy with those few folks that still stop by…and I was hoping it might spur me on to posting a little more frequently. Hopefully, with all the gardening going on around here, that will be the case.

BTW – He recovered nicely and was released with the instruction not to return to the fountain.

Now you know why I’ve been absent for so long.

Outside my window at work, in the top branches of an old maple tree, there is a nest where a pair of Robins raised their young last year. That was the first year in the 10 I’ve been here that any bird has nested in this tree. It may be its height of ~50 feet (a long drop for a fledgling) or maybe a lack sunlight.

The nest was well concealed and it wasn’t until the young had hatched that I even noticed it as mom and dad were continually flying out and back with worms, crane flies and various other meals loaded in their beaks. Once the young fledged, it felt as though my neighbors had up and moved. I felt lonely.

All winter long I’ve watched that empty nest swaying in the wind, filling with snow, and generally taking a beating in the harsh winter weather we experienced this year. All that time I kept hoping that when spring arrived the Robins would return and nest there again. They have often returned to the same nests in certain trees and shrubs at home so I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed.

And yes…that’s made it tough to type, Ba-dump-bump!

Today, while gazing out the window, daydreaming typing meeting minutes, I saw a bird fly to the top of the tree. Excitedly I turned hoping to see a Robin returning to the nest but quickly realized…that’s no Robin…that’s a Jay…a Steller’s Jay! Damn…that’s almost as bad as a flying-rat city pigeon!

Disappointed, and more than a little annoyed, I began devising schemes to somehow knock the nest from the tree. Unfortunately, the window doesn’t open and throwing stones from the roof of the building would probably result in a visit from security…or to the Psychiatry Department. I hated the thought of having to watch a pair of loud, obnoxious (though admittedly beautiful) Jay’s raise a family of squawking nest robbers.

Yup…they’re known to eat other bird’s eggs and nestlings.

I walked to the window to get a closer look at what he was doing and that’s was when I noticed the branch in his beak. He stood there and picked through the nest for the better twigs and then flew off with a few of them. I’d never seen this behavior before. Of course, unless there is an old nest sitting in plain view, you wouldn’t necessarily see it happen. I shouldn’t be surprised…they are in the Corvidae family and those birds are smarter than some of the scientists I work with…seriously!

So, I spent the rest of the afternoon watching that Jay fly in and out, reducing last year’s Robins nest to about half the size. I don’t know if he’ll eventually dismantle the whole thing but I’m still hoping the Robins return, rebuild and raise another brood. It’s far more entertaining than staring at a monitor all day.

Obama towel

This beautiful handmade dishtowel was the star attraction at the Obama Inauguration party we attended a few weeks back.

Yeah…it’s been a while…but the SAD hit early this year so I went into recluse mode until the anti-depressants kicked in. Nothing serious…just the usual winter doldrums that are easily kept at bay with a little wellbutrin.

Not much going on these days which leaves me uninspired to blog. I did receive some mail today that gave me a good laugh though. I received a brochure and coupon for a free bottle of Touch of Gray. Now being a blonde, even one whose hair is fairly brown these days, I have never found a gray hair on my head. Sure, I have plenty of gray in my beard, some in my chest hair and more than I’d like to admit elsewhere but, Touch of Gray isn’t going to touch those parts!

I may be getting older but I sure as hell don’t feel old and I’m definitely not giving in to the marketing scheme created by those that do. I don’t need to die my hair or pre-join AARP just because I’ve passed the big four five. Nope…it’s not going to work with me peoples…at least not until the wellbutrin dries up.

Got Snow?

I decided to work from home today because I’m tired of fighting

a) people who don’t know how to drive in the snow and abandon their cars in the middle of the lane,.

b) people who don’t know how to drive in the snow and fishtail on straight roads because they have to answer their cell phone.

c) people who don’t know how to drive in the snow and can’t stop before rear-ending your car.

d) people who don’t know how to…oh you get my point.

It’s been quite the week with snow and sub-freezing temps keeping a tight grip on the city. Our snow usually melts the following day so having measurable white stuff on the ground all week is a welcome change and it’s supposed to stick around a while longer.

The down side is going to work when I could be home playing with Mac. He thinks snow is da bomb! And…when you’re throwing large masses of snow in the air for him to catch…

…it is!

I guess there is another downside to the freezing temps; the birds. I’m not too concerned about the Varied Thrush that summers in Alaska and moves in here for the winter.

My concern is the poor little hummingbirds that have decided to stick around here in the hills. These little guys have so little body fat and with such a high metabolism, require a lot of food to keep those wings buzzing. They seem doomed. Their frisky little relatives, the Rufous, head to Mexico for winter. Smart! The Anna’s winter over here but they usually stick to the lower elevations. Not this year. Sunday, we were forced into action, swapping out feeders for the three that decided to stick it out up here. Every hour we took down the frozen feeder and replaced it with a fresh one and it wasn’t long before they were simply sitting in the tree by the deck, 8 feet from the feeder, flying up to drink every ten minutes of so. I wonder how they make it through the night? I wonder if they’ll make it through the week?

The sun did make a brief appearance this afternoon and the view out the bathroom window, over the tub, had me considering a long soak. But alas…I had work to do and firing up the laptop while in the tub would put me in the same league as those people who don’t know how to drive in the snow.

Found this over at Prancer’s…er…Gavin’s place. Thanks cutie, for making my Friday!

You Are Dancer

Carefree and fun, you always find reasons to do a happy dance. Why You’re Naughty: That dark stint you had as Santa’s private dancer. Why You’re Nice: You’re friendly. Very friendly.

Somebody lacking depth perception and ‘nose in’ parking skills creased the passenger side door of my truck in the university parking lot. TWICE! They must also lack insurance as they neglected to leave a note. Thank you very much, dickwad!

Yesterday my insurance company called to confirm a visit by the adjuster and left the following message: “There is no need to be present while the adjuster is evaluating the damage however, he will need to enter the vehicle so please leave it unlocked.”

Leave my truck unlocked and unattended in a major(?) city? I think the customer service rep. has been practicing her parking skills in the university parking lot.