We drove up North for our Great Grandsons birthday party.
It was a really warm day 83F or 28C eh and sunny not your typical Memorial Day weekend in Minnesota weather. Chance stayed at home.
The party had a Fire Station theme. It was a very nice party.
Today is our Great Grandson’s first birthday. Hard to believe he is already a year old.
He visited us on Mother’s Day and played first in the light garden and then further in the yard. He is not walking yet.
He was on a mission.
His Granny Trica was poking him making him giggle. She was saying something like “I am gonna get you.” He would squeal and crawl faster!
Finally his destination was reached.
He was intrigued with the flower spinner.
Hey Mikey Happy Birthday!
We found a red white and blue spinner for him…I bet he will like it!
Adam gave us a private concert the other day.
Here he is attacking the music. Such determination!
More relaxed…he plays quite well and we enjoyed the music.
It was warm yesterday. 75F or 23 C eh! The Chokecherries came into bloom.
As you can see the flowers are cylindrical flower clusters. They are mildly fragrant. I have made Chokecherry jelly…you cook up the berries and put them in a old dish towel to drain off the juice. I used to hang the towel up on a hanger and suspend it over a pan so it could drip, there is probably some fancy smancy way to get the juice but not the seeds or the pulp. I measure out so many cups of juice and add sugar and pectin and you get a runny jelly…or syrup once it is cooked up…it tastes great on toast!
Chance was following me around the yard looking for blooms. We had to leave him home alone yesterday( Doctors appts) for the afternoon and he was very demanding after we got back. He didn’t want to eat his supper, he just wanted his treats. SPOILED. It was just too warm to take him along.
I did some watering of some patches where we have grass seed planted and since Far Guy was at a meeting I hosed down everything on the patio…the pollen is horrid…everything was yellow…including Chance’s feet. I cleaned out all the bird baths too. We need rain to settle the pollen.
Not a little boy anymore. Our fourth grand and first grandson.
Here he is at Susan’s Daycare…he is in the center in a blue t shirt. Look how blonde he was!
We went out for lunch for his birthday. It was good to see him and give him a birthday hug.
I told him that I wanted to keep him little forever but his Mom couldn’t stop him from growing. He said “I did stop just at 6 feet 2 inches.”
This is the last of his teen years….seems like only yesterday that Far Guy and I walked into the hospital very early in the morning to the sound of a baby crying…yes it was Noah…his Dad was giving him his first bath and he was letting everyone know he didn’t like it.
I can never recall what this shrub is called. I always have to look it up. (getting older) It is Red-berried Elder or Sambucus racemosa. It always blooms after the Pin Cherries but before the Chokecherries.
The flowers are upright pyramid shaped. Red berried Elder’s berries are bright red.
We have one along our driveway. My baby brother has many of these in bloom at his lake place.
If it gets berries they are poisonous…but birds can eat them.
Reminder to my baby brother who has eight grands five years old and under…all berries except wild raspberries are off limits to small children. These will likely get frozen and not produce berries but just in case. Good thing these are tall shrubs…but you never can tell what kids will do.
It should not be confused with the Common Elderberry or Sambucus canadensis which has flat topped flowers and blooms later and has purple berries…from which some homemade wine is made.
If you live near the woods do you research all the plants that bloom that may produce berries?
The Pin Cherries are in bloom.
They are always the first shrub/tree to bloom in our area of Minnesota.
Next will be the Chokecherries. Maybe enough fruit this year to make some jelly.
I mowed the lawn for the first time yesterday. Thus it begins.
The Rosebreasted Grosbeaks are really different yet they are a pair.
Female on the left and colorful male on the right.
Orioles; female on the orange and the male waiting patiently.
The Orioles are still here, the Grosbeaks are just passing through they only stay a few days.
I watched the Royal Wedding mostly it was so early in the morning…I fell asleep for some of it. Some of the so called “famous people” I had no idea who they were…neither did Far Guy.
Chance had to go out at daylight. We were serenaded by many birds…then I heard a tweet tweet tweet sound and a Indigo Bunting flew near the patio. It was almost as if he was announcing his arrival.
I went in and got my camera. Of course by that time he was gone.
Soon he landed near Far Guy’s garage.
He and one of his pals hung around all day. I did not see the females…they are brown…so they blend in with other birds. Typically they only stay a few days a week at the most…but I can always hope they will nest here. They are ground feeders and like the thistle seed on the ground and they visit the birdbath.
It rained, Chance and I had a nap. Far Guy worked in the woodshop. The Buntings were the highlight of our day.
I went down on my baby brother’s dock and sat for a bit on Wednesday evening. Watched the Loons. I am not sure how many pairs are on the lake this year, last year there were 3 or 4 pairs. Last year the nasty Bald Eagles took the babies that were born on the North end of the lake…it was heart wrenching to listen to…Loons wailing and crows cawing…
I sat and enjoyed the breeze off the lake. Only one pontoon was making the rounds.
The Marsh Marigolds are in bloom. They are Caltha paulustris but another name for them is Cowslips; because they grow on hummocks and cows can slip on them.
Last night my Dad and I went to Bingo…we were losers..so we will try again next week.
Badly needed rain is forecast for the next few days.
We have two Humming Birds as far as I can tell. I still have the little feeder out, I will replace it with the larger feeder soon.
Can you see the Hummer in this photo?
Resting on a branch, making sure the coast is clear.
At the feeder
Bluebird passing through I hope he stays. Not a great photo I took it out the kitchen window.
Chance and I sit outside after supper, there are just a few bees and no skeeters yet.
Far Guy had a crawling wood tick and we heard the first Loon May 16 2018.
Only two Doctors appointments this past week, I have an infection in my eye and it is much better after antibiotic drops. Far Guy has been woodcarving outside just about every day the weather has been fantastic.
Years ago we had a small greenhouse business. It was hard work with long hours. I hated watering and felt like I was attached to a hose 12 + hours a day. We opened the business in 1999 and closed it in 2007 when potting soil, plastic and heating costs went through the roof…that was also the winter that Far Guy was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia.
We began with just one greenhouse and expanded to two and then added a small Perennial house. Far Guy had his own Greenhouse where he grew vegetable plants in four packs… and many tomato plants in small pots. He grew special order veggies. I grew only flowers…and kept my special orders over in his greenhouse.
This was Far Guy’s Greenhouse. Now a days he uses it for a work/woodshop. I use part of it for a glass studio to make glass flowers. We have a warm dry place to work on rainy days. I have many projects stacked up out there to work on. Out of sight out of mind. I should really take a photo in there but I will spare you.
May 16 2004 My Greenhouse
As you can see my OCD or CDO made an appearance. Tags just so and banks of color. Aren’t those Marigolds pretty! Here in Minnesota people don’t plant much of anything until mid May to June 1st. We will sometimes get freezing temperatures into June. This greenhouse is no longer here it was sold after we closed the business.
I have been thinking about what I want to plant this year out in my little flower garden under the bird feeders…Salvia of some sort for the hummingbirds…and maybe Impatiens. Some pansies for sure. Years ago I had a Day Lily garden out there then they froze out.
I have my Solar Lights…last weekend Far Guy told our Grandson Adam that it looked like Las Vegas at night in our yard.
Do I miss the business…sometimes…I miss the people that came back year after year.
The Orioles scouted out our yard and feeder for a few days before six of them…one female and five males sat like ornaments in the trees.
One Oriole
A few more
Finally the bravest three explored the feeder.
It was fun to watch. I have oranges and grape jelly in the feeder for them. The oranges were huge so I put out a half of an orange cut in half again. The orange pieces sit on a screw head. You have to remember to pierce them before you take them out to the feeder.
The female finally chased everyone away so she could eat by herself, the males went to the bird bath for a drink and poof they all left the yard.
