Our Fleglings

They spent the night under the trees nestled in the beach strawberries. The adults don't make a fuss when we visit so I guess we are considered OK, but they do check up on them once we leave. They will be curious monsters soon, getting into all kinds of mischief, but it's been fun gaining our crow's trust.

Irises are still the big show-offs in the garden but peonies are gaining ground.

We're busy these days fixing up the rental, painting, putting in energy saving lighting and doing little fixes to make things comfortable for our tenant. Hoping to get back to the usual routine soon. I miss tending the growing things.

Iris Update

What a difference a day makes. All but the late blooming black iris are showing off their colors now.

I'm putting my hand in there to show just how big these tall bearded iris are. This is the iris with the odd tongue on its beard.

These yellow central petals are a detail I never noticed before. 

The boys still look forward to a chip of hay in the morning. Timmi finally succumbed to my back scratch spell and allows me to scratch him head to tail. He isn't demanding it like the others... yet... but that will come. 

Hattie is disgusted that the boys get this attention. Ball throwing is so much better.

Garden Pictures

Because it's sunny this morning after a day of gentle rain and things are flowering I am posting pictures.

The iris were divided last summer and I gave most of them away to the neighbors so I hope they are all enjoying flowers like this.

So happy to be expanding the rhodies and azaleas in the garden because even though they are still small the flowers make a big impact.

The red peonies are going strong. All the new peony plantings from the last two falls are growing nicely, too. At three years they really start filling out and producing flowers like mad. Peonies are very long lived, like a hundred years, and one of the easiest plants to care for.

This one is waiting its turn to put on a show.

More rhodies. I have to buy varieties that can handle full sun and feed them liberally to compensate for the poor soil. 

Coming back faithfully every year and finally producing a lot of flowers, this poppy was labeled a red, but is definitely orange. I planted a pink one last week so keeping fingers crossed it survives. They can be fussy and who knows what color it will turn out to be.

The "anything goes" area with some of my most spectacular irises forming. 

The second iteration strawberry tower we constructed last year is looking good, not a leaning tower like the first one. We should be eating berries soon.

No pictures of the sheep today. They were hiding someplace in the shade and maybe a little shy about showing off their sleek bodies after shedding. 

An Epiphany

Today I have a new understanding of the sheep. They're aware of me in complex ways and try to communicate in much the same way dogs do.

I was snapping pics of flowers around the yard. It was quiet in the sheep pen so I thought the boys were laying in the shade of the barn. Mocha came round the side, running towards me and bleating. Normally the boys are silent so this vocalization in itself was unusual. When he had my attention he turned toward the barn, then back at me. Timmi was upset and breathing hard but I brushed it off as the two of them battling and totally missed what was happening. 

Some time later, after helping Bob build a gate for the garden, I noticed Gimp, Stomper and Boots were locked in the barn. Mocha had been asking for my help to get them out but I was too dense to understand! Either Mocha or Tim closed the door while rubbing on the side of the barn and locked the others inside. Being separated is the very worst thing that can happen to these guys so they were very upset. I had a good laugh and gave Mocha some extra special scratching under that wool rug on his back once everyone was reunited and happy again. 

Mocha asking me to open the barn door

Chores like weeding, trimming winter plant damage and watering have consumed most of my time when not hunting for a house in Port Angeles. (More on that another time.)  I've been exhausted by days end. Temperatures have been well above normal for this time of year so my plants are dealing with water stress before getting a chance to recover from the hard winter. Our sandy soil is too dry for mid May and the snowpack in the Olympics is melting fast so we are just keeping fingers crossed that we'll have enough irrigation water to make it through the summer. Flowers however are blooming and giving me much pleasure while I work. 

A Busy Time of Year

I am too pooped to peep by the end of most days and don't have the energy to take pictures much less post anything. At some point things will slow down and I will try to write something. But I am thrilled to see my mini-irises thriving and must share them. Have a look at these lovely colors...

Wool

The boys will not leave me alone about plucking their wool so I bought scratching pads for them to take care of themselves. It was disappointing that they were too big to wrap around the 4x4 posts they scratch on now. I had to attach them flat to the barn wall and hope they figure out what the pads are for. Of course, the boys were ready to help whether I needed it or not. They stick to me like velcro.

Tux spends most of the day outside, rain or shine, usually sleeping soundly. She always preferred being outdoors, even in the heat of the desert as long as there was shade. 

Clever Hattie. She knows how to work a crowd.

It's all about the flowers

 Work on the orchid pots goes slowly. I'm using porcelain so there is a lot of waiting for the clay to be just right before going on to the next step, and with the humid weather it takes days or weeks even. This little pot will get some holes when it's good and ready. I'll have to be extra careful not to break the dish part off when I'm cutting the holes like I did to the pot in the second picture. Orchid pots don't really need holes but I like being able to keep an eye on the root growth.

I'll have to throw a little dish for this one now and put them in the glaze fire together. The glaze will fuse them into one piece. They're a little rough at this point but when they're bone dry I can refine them a bit.

This is the coil built asymmetrical bud vase I worked on forever. Those deep cuts might split wide open in firing but I'm living dangerously.

The garden is coming to life, mostly weeds of course, but this rhododendron is a pretty sight at breakfast.

Peonies are taking advantage of the rain and growing fast. They don't look like much yet but will be fabulous soon. 

I hate cleaning up after bulbs, but they do so well in my horrible sandy soil that I can hardly NOT grow them. And they bring some much needed color into my life at this time of year.

April Brings the Busy Time

I've been busy with all the stuff that needs doing around here and haven't had the energy to take pictures or post anything. My good knee has been bothering me, too, but I'm not ready to even think about surgery again. I'm toughing it out and hoping it's a temporary thing.

The barn overhang is finished and the boys make use of it all the time. They do not like being rained on or getting too much sun and they are quite spoiled now.

With such pampering you might wonder why they look like ratty old wool rugs. 

Hattie is quite bored with my busy stuff. Working the sheep or chasing a ball or visiting with neighbors is more to her liking.

Part of my busy stuff is fixing the snow damage around the yard. I was afraid the hellebores were ruined beyond repair but even with their leaves trimmed off they roared back to life with a flush of flowers. 

I plan to start throwing orchid pots today if I can muster up the energy. I wedged the clay last night but I've been dragging all week and really just want to do nothing.