Forsythia

 The Forsythia in town are all blooming. 

This one is wasted in a parking lot...

I did a mega shopping yesterday, stocked up on many things we use all the time.  Tourists will be here soon...or maybe they heard about the road construction that will begin May 13.  The road construction is between us and town, the detours will add five or six miles to our trip to town.  So we will have to leave earlier than normal.  Plus it is not supposed to be done until November.  Uffda

The new Aldi store is open now, it is located in a terrible spot for traffic.  After shopping you have to turn right instead of left because of the traffic...and then you need to go down the road a piece turn around and go back into town.  Only those high or crazy would attempt a left turn there.  

Far Guy is doing okay...he is pretty much pain free! The scan he had only showed one stone...so he should be good for now!

Far Side

Cheerful

 I saw this blooming shrub in town, it is a beauty...I made a u turn to go get a photo.

Forsythia! 

Yellow is such a cheerful color!  Spring could be here!

Far Guys weekly infusion went well,  I ran some errands while he was at the clinic. 

Far Side 

Change

We certainly didn’t need the 80F or 26C eh temperatures…or the hot winds from the south.  Fire danger is high, there are fires everyday…scary.

In town spring come a bit earlier than out here in the boonies.  All that concrete makes a warmer micro climate.

The Forsythia outside Far Guys old home in town. The house used to be white.  It now boasts a sheltered deck and a new step….the old front porch (that used to be really cold in the winter and was an area for boots and overshoes with a small closet that held the clothespin bag and the garbage can and the pencil sharpener was at the ready next to the window) now has a picture window. Of course that “newness” seems foreign to us.
Here you can see the old water tower.  It will be torn down, it has been deemed unsafe.

It will certainly change the landscape…I think all of Far Guys old neighborhood pals had meetings and other such shenanigans at the water tower.

Far Guy’s parents sold their home in 1994 and they moved into an apartment.   Recently the home sold again.  When we saw it up for sale we checked to see if photos of the inside were online and they were. It was “interesting” to see the inside.

Outside there is still a big dip in the driveway, it used to be a mud hole in a rainy spring…it is rumored that an old abandoned well is under that dip. Over the years that dip has been filled many times but yet it keeps showing up…it must be resistant to change.

Things change, time stands still for no one except maybe an old dip turned mud hole in an old driveway.
 

The Yard Report

We went from late spring coolness to August like hot weather just like that.   It is dry, I hope it rains soon.  In August our yard is heavily shaded.  No so much in May.

The Oaks which we curse each fall with their millions of leaves are finally starting to show some green. In the next photo you can see how I rake the leaves to the edge of the woods every fall, soon grass will grow up through those piles of leaves.  In the spring those leaves are wet from snowmelt and provide an extra barrier of protection should there be a forest fire…wet leaves do not burn.  Oak forests usually do not burn either..but just incase my leaves will stop a ground fire.

Andy and Jen carried the lawn swing out of the garage.  I am giving the garage a good cleaning before the garage sale…that happens a week from today.  I sure do have lots of crap highly collectable items.  I have not had a garage sale in about four years…it is time.

I had Far Guy dig out that worthless Forsythia last fall and added another bird bath in it’s place.   I mowed part of the lawn, I insisted Far Guy stay indoors.  We went to town and bought a battery operated weed trimmer that should be easy on my shoulders…compared to the gas one that you have to pull your shoulder practically out of joint to start.

I love the green grass.  Our lawn is not perfect, it has dandy lions all over, I find them pleasant, like little bits of cheerful sunshine amongst the green.

  The Purple Leaf Sandcherry had a tough winter.

Looks like a bunch of dead sticks with a little growth along the bottom.  I will trim it after it rains.  The jury remains out on the climbing roses…they don’t look good. I must be patient.

Day Off?

Appointments and meetings filled the day off.  I did get about an hour nap to help recharge..and then was interrupted by a phone call..bummer.

I have another busy week, appointments, tours for first grade students and a pile of “stuff” sitting on my desk at work.

My other day off was filled with doing the necessities, laundry, cleaning bathrooms, grocery shopping, cooking a decent meal and having a long nap.

This would be a great shot if that darned Forsythia would bloom.  I swear it has only bloomed one year out of twelve.  I should rip it out by it’s roots and compost the darn thing.  I know I have said that before..but this time I could be serious.

Our first Historical Museum program is now behind us…we had 45 guests..quite a group!  It was an interesting program..at least I thought so.  We had 1953 film footage of a celebration in nearby Ponsford.  That was the year that a local resident and first Trading  Post owner was inducted into the Chippewa Tribe along with the Park Rapids High School Marching Band.  It all happened sixty years ago…some of the band members were there..it was a fun evening.  Many of the people that showed up were Ponsford residents..or former Ponsford residents so I knew many of them personally.

When I have long board meetings and a program on my day off it really doesn’t seem like a day off:(

Lamentation for a Forsythia

In the past 13 years my Forsythia has bloomed once. It was a happy couple of days..I think it had about a dozen little blooms.

Here it is in the yard..it is that dead looking thing.

The dead looking clump that is to the right and behind the oak with the Cardinal thermometer.  The Daylilies are looking good..but that Forsythia just looks dead.

The last time I threatened to rip it from the ground it bloomed.  One of my old Professors at NDSU is responsible for the selection of this Forsythia  ‘Meadowlark’.  I was thrilled to plant one in my yard.

I am less thrilled now.

This one is blooming in town in a parking lot. 

It was planted in a berm, it’s roots covered with rock, right out in the full sun.  Last Fall someone hacked the tops off of everything that was planted in that parking lot.  This spring they are full of blooms.

No one hacked off the top of my Forsythia.  Instead of rocks it had some leaves to help keep it’s roots from heaving during the winter.

Of all the shrubs out there in the woody plant world this yellow flowering beauty used to be number one on my list.  The first shrub in our area to bloom in the spring!  Oh..and the yellow flowers..liquid sunshine no matter what the spring weather throws your way. Oh I love me a Forsythia..just not the one in my yard:(

Forsythia Finally

After more than ten years my Forsythia finally had a few blooms, you could count them on one hand..but they were blooms none the less.

Now you must promise not to laugh..Okay..

Instead of being covered in blooms..there are only a few. But they are my favorite flower color..yellow..and they look all cheerful and sunshiny and yes sparse.  I guess my threats from last year must have worked.  I said I was ready to rip this plant up by the roots and be done with it. This year I got about four blooms..who knows what next year will bring.

Here is what it should look like.

In my dreams:)

Pee Gee Hydrangea

My  Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pee Gee’ is putting on quite a show.  A couple of years ago I was about ready to give up on it because it was not blooming.  To look at it now you would never know that it was a “problem child.”  Perhaps it heard the conversation I had with my eleven year old non blooming Forsythia “Bloom or I am going to mow you down.”  My Hydrangea  has finally settled in and is sporting lots of blooms this year. About time. There is no hope for that darn old Forsythia..I really should mow it down or move it..

Up here in Minnesota we cannot grow very many Hydrangeas, ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Pee Gee’ are the most reliable. Forget the fancy Blue and Pink Lace caps and the Mop heads. Plain old white blooms..that is what we can grow the best:)

Frustrating Forsythia Failure

I love Forsythia, I am very partial to yellow flowers, yellow is such a sunny warm color. I have a Forsythia in my yard. It is Forsythia x 'Meadowlark' it was a NDSU introduction back in 1986 ( by one of my Professors), I have thought about writing him a letter to give him my opinion on his introduction. He is getting on in years and has probably lost what little sense of humor he had. It is the only Forsythia that is hardy in our area. For nine years it has been a dismal failure. I keep hoping for just a couple of flowers..one or two..hey I don't ask for a flowing fountain of flowers but a couple would be nice. Here it is: A Failure.. my frustrating Forsythia..it may get leaves in a couple of weeks, if not, I can declare it deader than a doornail and swear off further Forsythia attempts.

Here is one blooming just this past week in town, a virtual fountain of color. I was tempted to knock on the door and ask for a whip, ( a cutting) but I took this photo from the roadside and went on my way. I am sure they take their Forsythia for granted...they probably don't even give it a thought.

I did find this Meadowlark a while ago... but he just reminded me of my failures:(