Late Lilac

 I mowed the yard and one other area on Monday.  The weeds in the rocks near the house needed some attention.  

Daisies are allowed along the edge until they look scraggly or someone is an overachiever when trimming:)

The Late Lilac is in full bloom.  Funny that the deer don't eat them too.

We took Tilly out for a cruise to A & W for lunch.  

What's cooking? Ribs, salad and raspberries. 

Minnesota weather: High 77F or 25C     Low 46 F or 8C

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Blooms

 We went to recycle and stopped along the way to admire a few blooms.

The white lilacs are still looking good, the old fashioned purple lilacs are looking a tad old...the warm weather last week was hard on them. 

We planted a pot of red Petunias and some who knows what color maybe they are all white Snapdragons.   I am sure the deer will eat them sometime soon.  

The deer are coming into the yard to drink out of the bird baths. I think one is either a new Mom or about to be a new Mom.

Minnesota weather: High 79F or 26C    Low was 60F or 16C 

What's cooking?  Salad and Steak 

News:  She who sees robins first had a knee replacement on Wednesday.  It all went well and she should be able to come home on Thursday.   Aubrey and Katie came over to visit on Tuesday...Aubrey is doing well and goes back to the Cities for a re check soon.  

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Late

 The Late Lilac is in bud.

Yesterday I got just about zero accomplished, yet I was busy all day.  Odd and ends all day long that needed to be dealt with, some organizing, putting some things away in their proper place.  I sold some old photos on ebay so I got them ready to go to the Post Office.  So there ya go. 

I finished this months read for book club.

Supper was BLT's. 

Minnesota Weather: High 72 F or 23 C Low 47 F or 9 C eh. 

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Fall Blooms

 I got a photo of the Lilacs...blooming again after losing most of their leaves.  The few green leaves they were left with produced flowers. 

It is a strange happening they say it is due to the funny Spring/Summer weather. 

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Really Dog Days of Summer

 Really warm and humid yesterday, the kind of day that dogs dig holes so they can curl up in some cool dirt.  Another 83F/29C with 85% humidity.  

It was a good day to spray some weeds in amongst the rocks.   After sprayer difficulties I finally got it done.   That was enough outside work for the day.  Inside I cleaned the bathroom and did some laundry...you know fun stuff.   Far Guy convinced me to go to lunch/supper with him...so we did ...it was a nice drive and good food at our favorite Mexican place.  Came home had a nap and then for a Ranger ride.  

We stopped by the neighbors, the Lilac bushes are taking a hit this year.  A Winter with no snow and a wet Spring/Summer and the Lilacs have some kind of blight.   They will come back although they look pretty bad right now.  The experts say to clean up all the leaves that have fallen off and to cut down some of the inner stems to open up the plants for more air flow. (That is my report for Roger!)

I am getting ready to go Up North for a bit...Far Guy has an appointment up there one day and down here at home the next day...so he will travel back and forth and come get me when he misses me.  My hip simply cannot take the ride back and forth and back again. Besides that Sadie and Little Elvis will like my company. Jen has some big projects and hopefully I will be of some help. 

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Japanese Tree Lilac

 I took a few photos of the Japanese Tree Lilac in town.  I only had a couple of errands to run while Far Guy had his infusion. 

A nice looking tree.  And yes the fragrance is very strongly Lilac.  This one was on the edge of the clinic parking lot...although they are a common boulevard tree in town. 

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Buds

 The buds are about to open on the Japanese Tree Lilac. 

Fun to see the blooms, although the trees in town are covered in blooms.  I believe ours has seven blooms:) Which is better than none.   I cannot even blame the deer...who found she who sees robins first raised garden and ate most of her beans and some radishes:(

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Late late Lilac

 The Late Lilac is almost past full bloom.  It had more blooms than I thought it would. 

It is a bright spot in the yard! 

I mowed the yard yesterday, it looks pretty good again.  Far Guy fired up Tilly and we went to town yesterday...just a couple of errands...a prescription and to the Farm Supply store for ant killer, grass seed and diatomaceous earth and a stop by the gas station to fuel her up! 

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Well I'll be

 My Japanese Tree Lilac has blooms!  This is exciting because this is only the second time in 26 years!

See one bloom toward the center of the photo. 

There are more very high in the tree.

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Late Lilac

 The Late Lilac is blooming such as it is. 

It is a pretty bloom in bud. 

As it opens it becomes a pinky/lilac color.

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A bird and blooms

 I finally caught a Oriole at the Grape Jelly!  Such pretty birds that only stick around here to eat and rest before heading North.  He is in the orange feeder. 

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Our Oaks are leafing out more every day...it is not deep shade yet. 

The Red Elderberries are blooming.

The flowers are upright...Hummingbirds and Butterflies visit the flowers.   Birds eat the red berries when they are ripe. The red berries have seeds that are poisonous.  This is NOT the Elderberry that wine is made from ...those berries are purple when ripe. 

Steve and Jo's Lilacs.

I mowed for a couple of hours yesterday between the rain showers.   If we get rain mowing is almost a full time job in May and June.  Far Guy had his infusion and I ran errands in town. 

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Lilac

 The Lilac buds are expanding.  This is a Donald Wyman late blooming lilac

Far Guy saw a Oriole, the grape jelly feeder is out and waiting for them.  I saw a Hummingbird, so I quickly made the sugar water for their feeder.  Not much is blooming here in the boonies.  The Pin Cherries are about to bloom and sunny spots have a few dandys. 

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Few more days until mid June

 The Lilac is sprawling, it does not have good form. 

Possibly it struggles back here in the Oak Woods.   Bloom where you are planted even if it is a less than perfect spot! 

This Lilac is what they consider a late lilac called 'Donald Wyman'.

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Lilac

 Our Lilac is blooming.  

It has more blooms than it had last year...some are in bud yet.  It needs a good trim after it has bloomed. 

I cleaned the floor in the Desoto garage yesterday...Far Guy had Tilly out so she could get a new exhaust system.  I think perhaps she is ready for the summer now...except she has bug marks from the trip that need to be polished away.   I thought maybe she was so shiny and slick that the bugs would just slip off...well that did not happen. 

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Parties and Baxter

 We had two parties this weekend.  Saturday was Mason (Great Nephew who lives next door) High School Graduation Party.  We got to visit with a number of neighbors that we don't see often. Pulled Pork, buns, baked beans, potato salad, chips and cake were served buffet style. 

Sunday we celebrated my cousin Geraldine's 75th Birthday.  More food was served; ham on buns, potato salad,  pasta salad, fruit, pickles and many different kinds of desserts. Her children gifted her plane tickets to Finland in September...boy was she surprised!   It is a girls trip with her daughters going along and a daughter in law. 

Needless to say we didn't cook for ourselves this weekend! 

Sunday Baxter's family deserted him so he spent some time with me.  He listens to me much better when my baby brother and his bride are not around!  (Just like a little kid.)

Baxter and Lilac blooms! 

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Last of the Lilacs

 My Late Lilac had some very nice blooms this year.  Sadly the heat did them in a few days ago. 

I had a good day. I sprayed some Thistle and some Poison Ivy.  Saw just one deer standing on a dirt pile reaching for branches.  The Poison Ivy is growing really fast and tall this year...I need it out of the edge of the woods where I mow. 

Far Guy and I went on a parts run for my other baby brother to Fargo ND.  Talk about traffic...I am not sure I could ever live there again.  We lived in Moorhead MN just across the river from Fargo from 1970-1972, 1974 - 1986 and then in Harwood ND ( North of Fargo) from 1996-1998. 

Have you heard the old joke?  One guy said to the other "Where are you going?"  Second guy replies "Far go"  First guy says "Moor head."

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Home work

 I got the lawn mowed, it was a sad sight with the dandys shooting up their seed heads.  It is better now for a few days. 

Still have not decided on flowers.  Procrastination.

 My Late Lilac is just about to bloom.  

Today I will tackle weeds and thistle....and maybe some ants.  Yes it will be mass destruction and I will enjoy it! 

We are hoping for a good rain shower to settle the pollen.  Far Guy has been held hostage in the house most of the past couple of weeks.  He goes outside for very short periods of time.  Another week and we should be over most of the pollen.  Far Guy is feeling short of breath and wheezing which irritates him.  He wants to get out and do "stuff."

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Lilac and other stuff

The late Lilac is blooming.  I believe there are 16 blooms this year. Pruning right after they bloom helps to promote more blooms next year.

This is the Lilac named Donald Wyman...it was just a tiny sprig when Far Guy planted it many years ago.

See it is growing!   

Our trip to town was short and sweet I got almost everything on my list delivered curbside...they were out of Naan Bread...but my baby brother and his bride were making a grocery trip later in the day...and they located some at Wally World.

Far Guys weekly infusion took less than 30 minutes this week.  Both of us having Cell Phones really helps on Thursdays. ..as long as I remember to charge mine up.

On our way home the Detour signs were up...showing people the way to go ...right into a Corporate Farmers field. (ha)

No doubt some dumber than dumb people will go that way....especially confusing at night! 

Last summer four miles were redone on our nearby highway, this year the next six miles will be done.  It will not be a big deal for us this year.  But some of our neighbors down the road are going to have some fun travels getting to their homes the rest of the summer.  "Minnesota has two seasons...Winter and Road Construction."

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Almost Blooming

The Fern Leaf Peony just has one bud  But that one bloom will be appreciated!

This was a gift from long time blog friend Larry in Iowa a number of years ago.

Our late blooming Lilac has a number of buds.  I pruned it way back last year right after it bloomed...I will try to do that again this year.

We had several busy days.  We hung up the wasp nests, Far Guy only hit his cut up thumb once...ouch, I took care of more thistle and poison ivy, Far Guy sharpened his woodcarving tools.  We visited the last two cemeteries and took up the flowers...it makes it easier for the people who mow.  We trimmed the Purple Leafed Sandcherry shrub...it was looking leggy and had some dead wood.  We seem to find enough "stuff" to keep us busy everyday.  I harvested some rhubarb from the neighbors who always share their rhubarb...I washed it up and chopped it into cubes and froze it in 2 cup portions so it will be easy to make some jam or some other marvelous rhubarb creation! We took some time out to hold hands and watch the Bluebirds come into the bird bath in the evenings.

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Very Late Lilac

I walked around the Gardens in Menahga on Tuesday while Far Guy was getting his teeth cleaned and a dental checkup.  They are Fall Gardens now, only one Daylily blooming but the Profusion Zinnia Series makes for a colorful border.

As I walked the outer circle looking at various plants...I was suddenly transported back to Spring or at least early Summer.

The sweet smell of Lilacs filled the air.  I think this may be a Miss Kim Lilac...who really knows for sure, I wondered why it was so late blooming. ...but I enjoyed it anyway.

After my stroll in the rain I drove over to the Lake.

Spirit Lake ...it was a gloomy rainy morning.

Then it was time to get my teeth cleaned and an exam. " No cavities but remember you can have that wisdom tooth that is sensitive to cold removed anytime."

Far Guy didn't have any cavities either...but has part of an old wisdom tooth that was not removed sometime long ago....it needs to come out sometime.

Two Dental Appointments accomplished and a loaf of flatbread was purchased from the Bakery.
 ( probably the best little bakery in our area.)

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