Quiet Sunday

 I think we are enjoying the quiet two nap days too much.  

The Oak danglies have turned brown and will soon fall off.   The rain what little we got less than an inch helped to wash down the pollen.  The Oak leaves are getting larger every day soon we will have dense shade. 

Mowing will be on my agenda this week. 

I will leave the dandys in the side yard yet for the bees. 

Minnesota weather; the high was 53 F or 12 C  the low was 37 F or  3 C   it was a chilly morning. 

We went for a Sunday afternoon drive to our favorite Mexican place it was too cold to sit on the patio but the place wasn't too busy so we sat inside.  Lupper was great as usual. 

Far Side

Yard Stuff

 We got some soil for some bare spots in the yard and will plant some grass seed soon hopefully just before a rain.   We can always hope for rain. It is dry here.

I unearthed some of my pretty whirly gigs.

That bird feeder on the right side of the photo is supposed to be squirrel proof...well maybe for dumb squirrels...they have figured out how to unclip the springs that shut the feed off.  Buggers anyways. 

I put up some solar bees around the wreath next to the door.  Not sure if they get enough sunshine there.

I have some more "bee" stuff to add to the wreath but every time I go upstairs to retrieve them I forget and do something else... like put stuff away that I have thrown upstairs ...like look at yarn...sort yarn...:)

Nice day yesterday sunny and 72 F (Far Guy says it was warmer than that!) or 23 C eh.  Supper was tri tips over a baked potato and fruit..raspberries and pineapple.  Oh and a loaf of fresh bread.

Far Side

Big Bear

 The bear napped and lounged around in our yard for about five hours...he must have had a full tummy.  

When morning came and he woke up, he wandered off.  My husband calls this photo "Coffee with Gene" 

I am thankful I no longer sleep walk in my old age...ten years ago I was still sleep walking and would wake up outside. 

Far Side 

Seeing Blue

 I see the blue flowers in the wild gardens...Veronica and a perennial Salvia are in bloom.

The seeds have just been allowed to grow and bloom where ever they land. 

Far Side

Changing

 The leaves are changing fast.   I finally felt up to going out to water a few flowers, to get Saturdays mail and check the tomatoes.   

I am feeling tired and my arm is a bit swollen from the Covid Booster so my fingers go to sleep especially at night...so I ice my arm to keep the swelling down. 

Far Guy is ill.  He has aches and a really sore throat, he slept off and on all day yesterday.   He did a home test for Covid and it was negative.  So it must be a regular cold or the flu.  Hopefully he will feel better soon. 

I am babysitting some flowers.  This pot sits right outside the door.  It was full of blooms...then a deer found it and we watched it munch away on the flowers.

So much for a pretty pot of flowers. 

On our camera we have deer, a raccoon and a skunk that visit the yard.  As you can see the leaves are starting to litter the lawn. 

Far Side

Grain Bin Flowers

 The flowers by the grain bin are in full bloom.

Clematis paniculata or Sweet Virgin's Bower.

This is a very old plant...most likely about 23 years old.   It likes this spot!  It started with one small cutting from Faye.   It climbs up a section of wire. 

It will also grow as a ground cover.   Seeds have spread over the years and took over this spot near the grain bin. 

We had a couple of quiet days, Far Guy woodcarving on Christmas Ornaments...I carved one yesterday ...my thumb is just not ready and it begins to hurt.   So I crochet instead.  

Far Side

Flowers

 I finally decided to plant a few flowers, we were in town anyway.

24 plants: 12 Impatiens ( red and white), 6 Salvia Victoria Blue and 6 Salvia that are red. 

Good enough...the deer will probably come in and snack anyways...

The Solar Lights are on my list...some need repair and I have some lawn ornaments that need to be placed here and there.

We had a quiet day yesterday, had a visit with my other baby brother and she who sees robins first.  Went for a Ranger Blue ride in the evening. 

Far Side

Cards and the yard

 Yesterday was a banner day for cards! 

Cards from Minnesota, Indiana, Wisconsin and Florida. 

Photo cards from Minnesota and North Dakota.

We made a quick trip back to our home in the woods, just to check on things, pick up mail that the Post Office missed forwarding, visit with my baby brother and his bride and to pet Baxter, also got to see my other baby brother and she who sees robins first (from a far because he had ben ill with the flu), and a visit with my parents.  We spent the night and decided that we need a new bed there as our new bed here is much more comfortable. 

It was a couple of nice days for travel, only one bad stretch of road and we went a different way on the way back.   There is much more snow there than here. 

We had a nice anniversary, we went thru the A & W drive through for lunch! 

Thank you for all the anniversary wishes! 

Far Side

Rain

We got some wonderful rain!  My rain gauge shows 3 1/2 inches of rain in one gauge and 3 inches in the other one.   The grass is green again thanks to the rain.  It is delightfully cool after the rain...the high yesterday was 73 F or 23 C eh!

 The flowers in the small garden look pretty good. 

Pay no attention to the weeds...I will weed one of these days.  Every time I get down on the ground to weed I think of that ole bear...and wonder how fast I can get up off the ground or should I just fall over and play dead.

Love a rainy day...I caught up on things around the house and started some new projects...and had a nap. 

Far Side

Maybe

 Maybe we will have Yellow Pear Tomatoes someday before it freezes.

Maybe Fall is on the way...

On my walk about I noticed this sure sign of Fall. Some kind of Aster.

Say it isn't so.  The signs are there...soon the acorns will be bouncing off the roof of the wood shed.

Some leaves are falling out of the trees...mostly the ones that were disturbed in the heavy rains ...but still...we should have at least 15 days of summer if not another month...maybe.

Maybe someday the days will seem different and not all the same...maybe. ( I had two Saturdays this week)

Far Side

Patience

Eighteen or nineteen years ago we planted a Japanese Tree Lilac. It was just a twig.  Every year we have waited for blooms.

This year it finally bloomed…I was shocked.  I think it finally got tall enough to get more sun!

These are the tallest blooms.

The trees in town are covered in blooms, of course they get more sun than ours does. We have five blooms….and I am thankful for them.

We have woodcarved and have 63/100 Christmas Ornaments ready to paint. That project takes patience too.  Most days Far Guy sits outside with his music on and carves…the birds really like Bob Dylan songs. One day we turned the music off and then on again to see if the birds stopped singing and started again and yes they like his music.

Winter flags

One day I went outside and my Valentine’s Day Flag was gone.  We looked around…the wind had been blowing.  It is red for Gosh Sakes and should stick out like a sore thumb.  We may find it when the snow melts.

Then I wondered was it really the wind…or some deer that wanted a flag snack.  I saw no hoof prints.   The sign you see on the door says “Please don’t wear perfume or aftershave in my home as they make it difficult for me to breathe.”  Mostly it is a sign that people ignore…

I decided to put the wolf flag up for awhile.

We went out for lunch yesterday!  Our first time out for lunch in about two months, it was good to get out.  It was 38F or 3C eh!  Chance enjoyed the outing too…but no french fries for him…he staged a little protest at suppertime…when his french fries were missing and replaced with rice…a little pumpkin persuaded him to finish his meal…silly dog that has humans wrapped around his paws.

Rare Squirrel

We have one Black/Brown Squirrel.  He lives on the west side of the house and has his home high in an Oak Tree. 

Far Guy put an ear of corn out on the bench…one day he whispered to me “The Black Squirrel is eating on the cob….better grab your camera.”

The photos were taken through the window.

I think he or she is a Black/Brown Squirrel.  Having one normal gene and one mutant gene.

If he/she had two mutant genes he/she would be real dark black.

Shortly after I took these photos the cob disappeared.   The ornery old Gray Squirrels don’t like this Black/Brown Squirrel, they chase him/her.  BUT the Grays were not smart enough to sit up on the bench either…I hope the Black/Brown Squirrel got the cob!

There are some Black Squirrels in town, we used to have one at the Museum.  I have read that only 1 in 10,000 will be a Black or Black-Brown color.

Do you have any Black Squirrels in your area?

Fall Flag and other stuff

I finally got the Fall flag out, it was about time.

Far Guy put a nail in the house to hold his walking stick and my broom.  The broom is so light that it kept falling over in the wind.

One day Far Guy went out the door first.  He said in a loud voice “Look out!!”  Well who needs to look I just hopped over everything and screamed bloody murder in his ear. Shortly after that the nail went up.

We don’t have many leaves left in the trees.  One more round this weekend and we will be done, it is too wet to do anything right now.  When I get done with the leaves the snow stick will go up.

Chance’s new treat ball arrived.  He likes it, it dispenses food as it rolls around on the floor, it keeps him busy for a while.  We load it with Bison and Venison Dog Food.  His last treat ball was chewed up by Labrador Retriever Guests and he was so sad.  I got that ball from Petco a long time ago, this time I ordered from Chewy.  His last one was purple and this one is bright orange and a bit smaller.

Tiger Lilies

A long time ago Uncle Otto gave me some Tiger Lilies for the wildgardens that weren’t so wild back then.   They bloomed wonderfully then the deer found them….you can imagine what was left.  It didn’t matter how much special “deer stuff” I sprayed on them…they ate them flowers and all.

This year they have re emerged and are finally blooming.

There are even a few at the woods edge, where lilies were never planted.  Those deer or  birds must have helped spread seed.

I was happy to see these, they reminded me of the gardener that so graciously shared with me so long ago.

My Mother always had Tiger Lilies in her garden at the farm…out past the old outhouse…later exactly where the old outhouse was…the lilies liked it there.

We need rain, the grass is turning brown in sunny spots, the brush in the woods is turning yellow…leaves crunch underfoot in the yard.

 

In the yard

I finally weeded the little garden out front.  It looks better now, my flowers are growing slowly.  I have four Sunflower seedlings that have survived the squirrels.

The Humming Birds like the Red Salvia.

This feeder hangs above the Salvia.  It was a gift from Jo next door…for entertaining Odda and Putz a few times.   I love the red color… and no red food coloring is used in the sugar mixture.  We have at least three hummingbirds…one is a baby, he is about 1/4 the size of the other two…he sat on the feeder to drink…he was really cute…no photo yet but I hope to get one soon.

There are a few skeeters out, but there was another Dragonfly hatch.

This one sunned itself on the patio chair.

The mowing, trimming and weeding was done, bird feeders filled and bird baths washed out and it was time to just sit and do some carving outside on Tuesday. It was a nice day and the breeze was cool, with no smoke in the air!

Wednesday it was cool and rainy…high of 74.  I worked on a bead project and did some organizing in the woodshop and we took a trip over to Detroit Lakes. Stopped at the antique mall and bought some old photos.  Far Guy bought me a new Lassie Book…so I read it out loud to him and Chance on the way home…once again Lassie saved the day/kittens.

Solar Lights

I had a glut of solar lights.  I kept buying them…I even forgot I had a few. Must be my advancing age. On two different occasions I bought the stained glass lights…and managed to buy the same color!

I took down the falling over solar lights, I think the squirrels use them as spring boards.  I added new ones to the garden in front of the house where the bird feeders are.  I like to have lots of solar lights out there, it looks pretty at night and discourages animals from coming too close to the house.

I bought a few plants and actually planted them. The garden now has red Salvia and a few yellow Marigolds which will bloom eventually.  Red and yellow..I love those two colors together.  Now IF the squirrels will leave everything alone…and I remember they need water and a little care.  I should have clipped off all the red flowers, but they were blooming so nicely…they make roots faster without blooms…

I added a few glass flowers and my ant. It is a work in progress.  I have the wrong copper pipe for my pink glass flower…I need one that is bent.

I thought long and hard about what to do with the old solar lights… the tops and clear parts were still working.  So…

I made a little wire harness for the lights and attached them to one of my wagon wheels leaning against the old grain bin.   I have more to add.  It is a work in progress too.

I am done at the Dentist ( a cavity) and the Eye Doctor ( extra testing for glaucoma…which I do not have.)  Yeah for me!  WE are both starting to dread days that we have to leave the house or yard… we are becoming hermits I guess.

 

Lilac

We have one of those Mid to Late Lilac varieties.

It blooms early to mid June.  It is dark in bud and when it blooms it is more of a pink than purple.

Syringa x prestoniae ‘Donald Wyman’

I used to order bareroot trees and shrubs from a Nursery in Montana…often they would throw in a few extras that may or may not live.  This one lived.  Trees and shrubs in pots are labor intensive…we phased them out after about five years.  They also had to be stored just so over the winter….basically a pain in the butt.

I hate to see former customers this time of year.  “I bet you miss the greenhouse business?”   NO.  “ How many plants do you have now?”  In pots …none.  “REALLY.”

Really…you should never make a business out of your favorite hobby…you will burn out. 

Double Flowering Plum

The Double Flowering Plum or Prunus triloba ‘Multiplex’ burst into bloom.  Some people call this shrub a Double Flowering Almond.

It rained a bit and the blooms popped open.  We didn’t get much rain…we could use more.

I love the delicate double blossoms that look like little roses.

I have seen better form…but this one survives next to the woods without extra water or care.

It always blooms between the time of the Pin Cherries and the Chokecherries.