tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71969580899330626322012-01-28T08:26:55.859-05:00The Gardens at Melissa Majora - a Honeybee SanctuaryKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.comBlogger2681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-4676170121937484612012-01-27T12:45:00.004-05:002012-01-27T16:29:30.936-05:00DrenchedIt rained all day yesterday and the morning fog never lifted.
There was a brief break in the evening and then after midnight the heavens opened up again.
This morning there is almost 1.5" of rain in the gauge. The dense fog has lifted, but there is still some drizzle occasionally mixed with large wet snowflakes. The saturated ground can't take anymore and "the pond" has reappeared along the Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-25839739218206111662012-01-22T19:45:00.004-05:002012-01-23T07:31:12.321-05:00Snow day.Yesterday I used the snowblower on the 8" we got Friday night. And some idiot plowing the road filled in the bottom of my driveway with hard-packed stuff. My little machine wouldn't budge it and I'm far FAR too old wise to try and shovel that stuff myself.
I asked my neighbor's son if he could help me out with his much larger blower, and while he took care of that (thanks, Johnny), I did the Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-75420247759290045272012-01-21T08:16:00.001-05:002012-01-21T10:03:54.693-05:00Socked!Wow did it ever snow last night. Looks like a solid 6-7", maybe even 8!
Thankfully I'd gone out and snowblowed (snowblew?) the 5" that was already on the driveway and shoveled the same off of the deck. Otherwise I'd be having to move almost a foot of snow today.
But yeah, it's still pretty.
The birds are gonna have to wait for their breakfast for a while. I'm still recovering from Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-25914440696226477392012-01-20T23:22:00.000-05:002012-01-20T23:22:38.688-05:00Oh, deer.When I'd put up the snow fence along the back of the property (between me and the golf course) I was kind of hoping that the deer would be routed further down the hill and frequent my neighbor's properties instead of mine.
But these white snowy nights have shown otherwise. This poor night photo taken just a couple of minutes ago through the sunroom window show that a small herd of deer are all Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-82639537122213536222012-01-20T08:20:00.003-05:002012-01-20T08:48:54.830-05:00Bundle up!It started snowing - heavily - Thursday afternoon when the clipper came through. For a couple of hours it was mostly white-out conditions. Sure glad I'm not commuting anymore as the snow fell past sunset making for dangerous conditions for anyone on the road.
Then last night the clouds cleared and temps dropped sharply under starry skies. This morning the deck thermometer is reading -1F. Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-11133981030793851122012-01-19T07:10:00.001-05:002012-01-19T07:11:57.147-05:00Still best budsThese two squirrels (1 black, 1 grey) were raised by a black female in summer, 2010 and have never left each other's side since then. Here's a link to the original post.
They spent the long frigid 2010-11 winter together, then all this last summer, and are still best buds to this day.
They run, scramble, wrestle, share food and seem to find great comfort in each other.
Perhaps other squirrels Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-11591788850150904372012-01-14T08:20:00.002-05:002012-01-14T13:30:26.193-05:00Welcome winter!
Yesterday's front piled up about 5-6" of snow hereabouts. Winds up to 40 whipped it around but didn't seem to make a lot of deep drifts -- just enough to clean up the landscape and make it beautiful. I doubt we'll get much of the lake effect snow due today, so I'm not worried about shoveling out. After all, it's going to be in the 40s by Monday and rain is in the forecast (*gloom*).
So I'mKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-6432767406124004642012-01-13T08:10:00.000-05:002012-01-13T08:10:37.997-05:00Finally FRIGID!My recent lament has reached the ears of Ma Nature. When I went to bed last night it was still 42F. Then the front howled through with high winds and arctic air.
We dropped 30 degrees within hours.
This morning it's snowing, blowing, and generally looking much more seasonal outside.
What a GREAT day to have a fire, make soup and get cozy on the couch.
Got to enjoy it now. It's going back Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-54009754825318849402012-01-11T08:30:00.003-05:002012-01-11T08:35:07.525-05:00O Winter. Where is thy sting?This winter is a real disappointment so far. A rainy December. A mild January. Only an occasional (and fleeting) snowfall. About the only ones enjoying it are the golfers.
As for the slumbering rain gage? I'm afraid I'm going to have to roust it out from its rest. Poor thing. Another day in the mid-40s with precip on the way from the SW.
You call this winter??Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-38448729012763818142012-01-09T10:05:00.001-05:002012-01-09T10:47:57.423-05:00back...Back...BACK to the basement
It's getting to be that time of year. Click on the pic to travel down to the SECRET BASEMENT PLANT LAB and see what Igor and I are up to.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-81055589558947445202012-01-05T14:00:00.002-05:002012-01-05T14:16:33.889-05:00Bushed2011 was a good year for advancement on the ongoing Privacy Project. Not only was the cedar fence installed to block out the voyeuristic neighbor, but shrubs aplenty joined the fray.
From left-to-right and top-to-bottom:
3 azaleas installed beneath the north-most gum tree
2 azaleas 'healed in' in one of the compost beds for overwintering
2 spirea installed between the 3 pine trees planted in Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-39200561552521154742012-01-03T15:45:00.000-05:002012-01-03T15:45:13.783-05:00SquallWinter for sure.
Now THAT's more like it.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-26360176165548944212012-01-02T10:00:00.001-05:002012-01-02T10:06:53.526-05:00Winter finally arrives!By New Years Eve last year we'd had probably a couple of feet of snow that started falling December 1st and just never let up.
By this New Years Eve, however, the weather remained mild - and WET. We received over 5" for December. So here's an update of my monthly rain totals for 2011. (Keep in mind, these numbers do NOT include all the deep snows we received Jan ~ May, just the rain.)
March Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-47436085786427573792011-12-29T13:00:00.001-05:002011-12-29T18:48:41.096-05:00Saved by the belle
The neighbors promised to give me their Xmas tree after the holidays instead of putting it out for the trash collector. I didn't expect it until some time next week, but I guess the holidays are over for them, I found their tree in my driveway yesterday. Wow.
It always made me sad to see their trees in the trash. So, for the past couple of years, I've resurrected the poor things and made Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-57660429128711714072011-12-13T17:40:00.000-05:002011-12-13T17:40:27.800-05:00I need a little comfort....And right this very minute! Brrr. We've had a couple of days when it never got out of the 20s. Time for some comfort food.
I'd frozen 4 bags of stock from the Thanksgiving turkey. I grabbed one and added the usual suspects: carrots, potatoes, green beans, cabbage ribbons, corn, hot pepper rings, chunked turkey and some dried herbs. While that was simmering away...
I baked a loaf of my Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-25904281244101221522011-12-12T11:20:00.000-05:002011-12-12T11:25:04.822-05:00Crabby squirrel
Bitter cold (12F) and heavy frost this morning. These days I sip my morning coffee looking out the kitchen window. Waaay too cold to enjoy the sunroom now.
I've been watching the new crabapple trees lately. They held their russet leaves until just a couple of days ago. While they do have some fruit, I've never seen anything eating it (unlike the older crabapples which attract a lot of Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-359202638116934842011-12-08T08:40:00.002-05:002011-12-09T06:58:08.799-05:00Final sunface - the revealIn 2001 I'd been laid off from my job as a system's analyst. Wha? Sure, I could have gotten another, but I just knew they would call me back. There was no doubt in my mind. I knew that the guy they chose to keep wouldn't be able to do the job, satisfy the business customers or program his way out of a paper bag. So that Spring I took those couple of months while waiting for the phone to ringKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-83536766025544679732011-12-07T07:40:00.000-05:002011-12-07T07:42:54.126-05:00Sunroom - part 5The sunroom project nears completion. Click the pic.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-8983030700459788672011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:002011-12-06T07:02:44.257-05:00Sunroom - part 4It's been dark and pouring down rain for the past couple of days (1.5" so far). Thankfully I've got all these smiling sunfaces to brighten things up.
Click on the pic for sunroom project progress.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-44138954076695920352011-12-05T08:10:00.000-05:002011-12-05T08:13:05.180-05:00Sunroom - part 3
There's more sunroom story. Click the pic.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-51941940415957902132011-12-03T14:49:00.002-05:002011-12-03T15:25:51.406-05:00Sunroom - part 2Here's another sun.
If you click on it, you'll find another update on the sunroom project.
:-DKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-51717903153824571662011-12-02T16:20:00.003-05:002011-12-02T17:24:42.284-05:00It's up!
Happy happy, joy joy.
I'm jumping up and down for this pretty (and protective) pinstripe addition to the sanctuary!
Click pic for details. :-DKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-50372553326339939052011-12-01T18:45:00.004-05:002011-12-01T18:48:48.432-05:00High and dry
Why so many sunfaces?
And why are they smiling?
Click on this one to read the story. Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-71607074687267003182011-11-24T06:49:00.001-05:002011-11-24T07:53:12.820-05:00Tucked - and tuckeredThe leaves have finally finished falling and the beds are all tucked in. The firewood has been stacked. The deck has been cleaned off, the hoses drained and put away. Aside from giving the lawns a final mow this coming weekend then parking the Snapper in the shed for winter, it's time to stick a fork in me. I'm done. *woof*
The squirrels are still busy, fattening up for winter. Such a Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-33240677902124704232011-11-19T18:55:00.002-05:002011-11-20T07:22:41.521-05:00Dubious distinction
The 16-foot-long central leader of the Autumn Blaze maple broke off about 2 weeks ago and has been hanging from the side of the tree since then.
My friend said he would, if not actually take the tree down at this time, at least disentangle the huge limb from the live branches. No sight of him.
So I called a tree company a week ago Thursday. Sure, they'd come right out to look at it if not Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-45592552157890531002011-11-18T09:37:00.000-05:002011-11-18T09:37:08.145-05:00Brrrrrrr
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Got down to 18F last night.
Someone forgot to unplug the fountains.
At least the sun is shining, bright - but brittle. Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-1281731868619225192011-11-15T07:15:00.010-05:002011-11-15T07:58:13.892-05:00High winds and rain - doom and delight
*Click pic for better details*
High winds continued throughout Monday with temps near 60, ushering the (still advancing as of this morning) frontal system. Yesterday a.m. we received .75" of rain, and then another .75" late last night when the line of powerful storms swept over us. This morning the radar shows the front still in force stretching from Arkansas to New England.
No real damage, Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-29144040267461309192011-11-13T10:10:00.000-05:002011-11-13T10:14:27.479-05:00Birthday guest
The quick brown fox jumped out of the golf course to greet the startled birthday girl.
What a great pressie! I've not seen signs of fox for a couple of years. How gratifying to know they're still out there. Windy and m(w)ild today. Blowing 20-30 mph with gusts expected to hit 40-50 this afternoon. Won't be any trouble at all to blow out all these (So many? Good grief!) candles. ;-D Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-82814960376147042182011-11-05T11:00:00.004-04:002011-11-05T17:04:52.983-04:00Leaf wrestling - and rustlingThis morning my friend H. came and hauled off his trailer that I packed to the gunnels. What a BOON it was to have access to it this year. And, boy, did I take advantage of it. I'm pretty sure when he dumps it at the township compost station it'll come out as a solid block. It's amazing how much you can pack in if you stomp the stuff down every now and then. But there, I've cut back, pulled Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-59226869475348850222011-11-04T15:05:00.000-04:002011-11-04T15:05:11.328-04:00Just leaf me be...I'm worn to a frazzle from cleaning up beds and wrestling with leaves and am not even going to post anything about those hassles today. I need a break! So MUMs the word.
I prefer the pom pom mums that have larger petals but with fewer of them. They make for a nice, long-lasting bloom and hold their colors well. With the pom pom, there are always more petals to unfurl to keep the colors freshKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-47971648840549998842011-11-03T07:45:00.001-04:002011-11-03T08:21:15.966-04:00She's still singingThe fat lady sings most every night now. We've had several more freezes and there is usually frost every morning. It's taken full toll on the summer gardens. They looked very ratty after Sunday's blast.
I've been busy cleaning up the beds. I don't remember it being such a fight to pull up annuals last year. But then, it had been a very dry year and most of the plants were stunted and not Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-21034932669238143972011-10-30T12:35:00.000-04:002011-10-30T12:38:51.704-04:00The fat lady sings!Well, after a couple of rehearsals (2 light frosts, 2 (barely) freezes), the fat lady finally let it all out last night. It got down to 27 under clear skies. This morning everything was frozen and covered in a hard frost.
The last clematis bloom stayed for the final curtain - what a trooper it was this year!
This frost/freeze has now taken the stuffing out of the annuals, salvias, cannas, Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-36806552513750056122011-10-27T13:15:00.002-04:002011-10-27T13:34:17.897-04:00Quick privacyMy shrubs along the side of my driveway help screen piles of debris, rotting wood, abandoned garden plants, equipment and other mess from next door (under the 1st 2 arrows). They also help block the windows of the voyeuristicly-inclined other neighbor (under arrow #3). But now the shrubs have been trimmed and both they and the crabapple are losing foliage. Now the front of the turnaround, the Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-91375498542376754982011-10-26T11:05:00.004-04:002011-10-27T08:43:26.137-04:00Kind of a drag...Lawn drag, that is. Monday it rained so I played inside. But Tuesday was bright and mild, though everything was still wet from the rain AND another light frost that morning (flowers still un-fazed). Time to haul the leaves from the front/side of the house to the garden beds in back. The pic shows the first load using an improved lawn drag.
Previously the tarp was attached to the 8-ft 2x2 Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-48165732589314369412011-10-23T18:20:00.002-04:002011-10-23T18:32:16.972-04:00First frost - LITEWell, that wasn't much of a frost. Most 'first frosts' are really freezes - either just skimming the birdbath with ice or freezing it solid. Last night's frost was almost nothing.
So today everything, those that I covered up by the house and those that spent the night out in the field, are doing just fine. *sigh* It's almost too bad. I mean, it's one thing to go at cleaning up the beds whenKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-65745198502450315082011-10-22T18:00:00.002-04:002011-10-22T18:42:58.903-04:00The beginning of the end.... (Part I)...of the growing season, that is. Supposed to dip into mid-30s tonight with frost. But if things can survive tonight, then there is warmer temps for the next week. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the far flung flowers and covering up those close to the house (dahlias, mums).
As for those that have already succumbed from the heavy downpours this week (3" total) and high winds (steady 25Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-83969490825469655092011-10-20T08:15:00.004-04:002011-10-20T09:33:50.027-04:00It's official. Wettest year ever!If you're tuning in from the drought-stricken south and central, I'm sorry, but yesterday, just a little after 6 pm, Cleveland records that Northeast Ohio broke the record for combined rain/snow precipitation since records were establish in the 1870s. Click here for the story.
Looking for the silver lining
While my calendar doesn't reflect snow melt, I do have rain totals. The first rainy Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-65743278558220483752011-10-16T16:25:00.003-04:002011-10-17T17:15:47.717-04:00Wind and rain and more windSaturday the wind near ripped the grass right off the lawn. Sustained winds off 20-25 with gusts over 40 (closer to 50 really). I felt bad for the nabes that had only just had the leaves cleaned away. You'd never know it to look outside now.
Since I was tucked well inside, I amused myself by making a vat of ham and bean soup. The twist was I was determined to use up about a pound and a half Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-90242177974726677242011-10-15T08:50:00.000-04:002011-10-15T08:50:52.653-04:00A really dirty postJust how cruddy can wood get?
Find out by clicking the pic.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-35338510972418350512011-10-12T12:05:00.002-04:002011-10-12T14:15:40.507-04:00Sassy AND frassyThe sassafras trees are looking especially resplendent this year due to the recent stint of surprisingly nice weather - above average temps, clear skies and no wind. Usually by the time the trees color up, most of the leaves have been blown off. But not this year. WOW.
Meanwhile, when presented with 8 GORGEOUS days in a row, yours truly has been criminally busy around the house and gardens.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-46695417239364178392011-10-08T08:26:00.000-04:002011-10-08T08:26:33.634-04:00StumpedHey! Where did all that crabapple wood go?
Click the pic for more clues.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-31021051359917933322011-10-04T13:30:00.003-04:002011-10-06T07:14:13.848-04:00Black death? or just rainy weather....
After 5 cold and rainy days, the sun is peeking through. A quick walkabout led me to discover this oddly colored monarch chrysalis hanging from a leaf of re-blooming lavender agastache. Some Google research suggested that this chrysalis may be infected with Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus ("Black Death"). Other info was more hopeful, that the coloration may be due to the recent soggy weather.
Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-20088622563385889792011-10-01T11:05:00.003-04:002011-10-02T13:16:35.692-04:00Chilly? Nay. Downright COLD!It only got to 49 yesterday and rained on and off. Today is the same. Dark, windy, showers. And it's even colder to boot! Tomorrow is looking like more of the same. :-(
Well, if it's so darned chilly outside....
I'll just have to CHILI up the place inside. Here's what's simmering on the stove right now. The first hot, savory batch of the season. Ole.
===== Later that same day
Since I Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-30376742135432841482011-09-29T09:00:00.002-04:002011-09-29T09:00:09.436-04:00Under wraps
I'm not giving up on this plant. Click the pic to unwrap the story.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-46982390445159126902011-09-25T10:40:00.001-04:002011-09-25T10:41:26.570-04:00Cash crop
I babied these wintersown perennials all summer on the deck: 3 kinds of foxglove, red lobelia, ironweed, New England aster, dame's rocket, lupine, columbine and (not pictured) Golden Jubilee agastache and blue globe thistle. I watered and fertilized and kept up the sun umbrellas so as not to scorch the (most) shade-loving plants.
But it was time to go, babies. Time to go. So into the Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-30083071105954072882011-09-21T19:35:00.000-04:002011-09-21T19:35:19.415-04:00Vegs vegs vegs
The harvest is winding down. Click the pic for more...Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-51853618849585999662011-09-19T09:20:00.000-04:002011-09-19T09:21:58.404-04:00Cutting down
Uh oh. Now, what the heck is going on here? Click the pic for answers.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-80962576528086779182011-09-14T09:06:00.000-04:002011-09-14T09:06:16.958-04:00Cutting backIt's been a worrisome month or so (financially and emotionally) and to compensate I've had to cut back.
To see how I'm coping, click on the pic.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-13689790394477087142011-09-12T08:11:00.001-04:002011-09-12T08:26:47.811-04:00SunshowerWith the odd retrograde weather that started with Irene and continued with Lee, the clouds don't know WHERE they are going. These days rain falls without notice, even from a very sunny sky.
After the sunshower, this spider web is squeaky clean.
Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-84895474539221785562011-09-07T10:09:00.000-04:002011-09-07T10:09:36.073-04:00Sweet success!
For all the juicy harvest news, click the pic. :-DKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-64421612743688658782011-09-03T21:20:00.002-04:002011-09-03T21:25:20.102-04:00From out of the blue......a rain shower. How bizarre. The sky was cloudless except for one nearly transparant powdery puff, yet a light shower persisted for almost 5 minutes. Very odd, indeed!
Not so odd, yet equally surprising is to see that the transplanted clematis (H.F.Young) has surpassed itself this year. Usually I get a first flush of flowers early in spring, then a 2nd, smaller flush beginning of July. Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-33912009937498269192011-08-26T10:35:00.001-04:002011-08-26T10:46:12.064-04:00Judgement day
Labor Day is upon us and it's time to decide which, if any, of the new (2011) plants will appear in the gardens next year -- or in the compost pile this Fall. Click on the pic for the judge's decisions.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-11695682630502927082011-08-24T15:13:00.000-04:002011-08-24T15:13:27.012-04:00Fog
I've not been blogging recently. So many things going on around here right now that, like the gardens above, my brain is in a thick fog most of the time.
Hopefully issues (personal and family) will be resolved and I'll get back to posting soon. Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-37541538367016729422011-08-13T17:40:00.002-04:002011-08-13T18:23:28.069-04:00Coffee clubMy (extremely generous) friend gifted me with his Canon digital camera, one that is far and away better than the old Olympus I'd been using for this blog. What's he doing for pics? Well, he's got an iPhone and honestly, it takes pics and vids probably just as good as the Canon, if not better.
I've been trying the new features on the Canon. Not only does it take terrific still pics (refer to Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-33386341912103689762011-08-08T13:05:00.000-04:002011-08-08T13:08:27.948-04:00Hi....biscus!
What a delightful surprise awaited me in the arbor garden this morning!
Click on the pic for the whole story. :-DKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-47789348250252832812011-08-03T08:40:00.000-04:002011-08-03T08:41:05.610-04:00Better late than never....
Finally, finally, finally!
I've posted a complete vegetable update on the Vegetable page.
Click on the picture for lots more pics and details.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-46533544894721317692011-08-01T09:25:00.001-04:002011-08-01T09:28:17.663-04:00Bloodsucking swarmLike a lot of you, the massive heat wave has put a big crimp in garden enjoyment this year. And even when we catch a break (like the big rain 2 weeks ago), it turns around and bites.
The only way to endure even the least of garden/veg maintenance this summer is to get outside around dawn before the world turns into a blast furnace or dusk, when things simmer down. But lately, it's absolute he!Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-1069835549620758872011-07-28T12:22:00.001-04:002011-07-28T13:28:37.950-04:00Summertiiiiiiiiiime.........and the lemons are squeezy.
Temps keep on jumping...
...and I'm cotton-mouthed dry.
I just don't miiiiiiind...
If I'm rich OR good lookin'
With iced lemonade
I'm sure not gonna cry. *sip*Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-23697022033152125382011-07-27T11:35:00.003-04:002011-07-27T19:30:45.074-04:00Clip jointI can't tell you how many times I'd wander around the gardens on some errand or other and notice that something needed to be clipped or trimmed. I chastise myself often for not having my hand pruners with me, but I just can't carry everything with me everywhere.
So when temps cooled down to 70 last evening, I started clipping in earnest. First off the spent daylilies had to go. Then I crawledKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-84844166707309679932011-07-24T10:50:00.000-04:002011-07-24T10:51:39.858-04:00Hedge fund gone!Privet hedge, that is.
PRIVET
Saturday in the (relative) cool of the morning, I was still feeling the glow from figuring out the sunroom leak problem. Being in a positive attitude, I decided to tackle something I meant to take care of last year, but I let go because I'd spent weeks refinishing the deck instead.
Three years ago (Spring 2009) I Wintersowed privet seeds and ended up with a Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-82425298347896018052011-07-23T11:05:00.001-04:002011-07-23T11:11:44.855-04:00Vigilance
Critter hole
Some folks wonder why I wander around the gardens so often during the day. I'm out in the yard ALL the time. Yet I can't NOT go walk-about. Things happen so quickly in a garden. They are not the static landscape many people assume. No. It's a living, breathing and ever-changing world out there in the yard and it's waaay more compelling to watch than any TV show.
For the pastKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-33118922867078644622011-07-21T07:00:00.005-04:002011-07-21T10:59:41.141-04:00AftermathNothing likes a good thunderstorm (and 4.5" of rain!) more than cukes.
I harvested cukes (sweet success & diva)
The soil was moist and loosened so ...
I pulled out all the raspberry canes and a patch of tickseed - everything pulled up easily.
That leaves me a clear space by the golf course for some commando gardening this Fall
Then, what with the soil so well watered, I decided to plant Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-36102058440413941812011-07-19T17:00:00.000-04:002011-07-19T17:01:42.494-04:00Deluge
This morning within 3 hours we got almost 4.5" of rain :-D
Unfortunately a large measure ended up in the sunroom :-(
Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-61226765453004779692011-07-17T15:30:00.003-04:002011-07-17T22:18:00.011-04:00We now return......to our regularly scheduled blog-gram.
I'm back. It's been a looong June and July. I pushed myself very hard to catch up with the April/May projects that were not attended to due to the overlong winter. At the same time I stretched myself to finish June/July projects that I just would NOT let slide. *woof* I've worked myself into near exhaustion a couple of times and have lost nearly 10 Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-72318540280627856652011-06-14T08:55:00.004-04:002011-06-14T09:37:08.633-04:00More HIATUS
June, 2011 - kitchen window view
(click to enlarge then magnify to focus
click => for May, 2010 view)
Still on a 'blogging hiatus' and working full bore in the yard and gardens. (And, as you can see by the blur, no new camera yet. Sorry.)
Still mostly foliage at this point with only the catmints, perennial geranium, Queen of the Praire and some of the swamp milkweed in bloom. Honeybees on Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-84588415631578792742011-05-29T09:00:00.009-04:002011-06-14T08:51:53.391-04:00Hiatus
I'm finding the blog (what with the main page and the other pages) has become too much effort for too little traffic/feedback these days. I'm going to regroup and consider if I should quit the blogs altogether, or just drop the side pages, or what.
Right now I'm overworked, frazzled and, truth be told, kinda grumpy so I think it's best to let go the pressure of documenting all the stuff I'm Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-59056439726490386372011-05-28T06:15:00.002-04:002011-06-01T06:44:00.210-04:00Peek-a-BlueThe rains (and storms) have let up, giving this gardener a respite from very wet (and threatening) weather. Even though the sun is still elusive, the temps are fine and the blue, while not in the sky, is definitely showing up in the garden beds!
Walker's Low catmint
Baptisia (false indigo)
Blue flax
H F Young clemetis
Johnson's Blue geranium
Hope you all enjoy the long holiday Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-25292871228665164202011-05-24T21:55:00.002-04:002011-05-25T14:04:38.059-04:00New and Improved Crab Bed
CLICK to ENLARGE then MAGNIFY to FOCUS
The crab bed didn't thrill me at all last year. And less so this Spring. About all that survived the long winter were the crabapple trees, the 2 Walker's Low catmint, 1 (of 4) English lavenders, 11 (of 11) Golden Jubilee hyssop and 8 (of 8) Apache sunset hyssop. Add the new (still in a pot) Hakuro Nishiki willow and that was what I had to work with.
I Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-56791006478535899072011-05-23T18:13:00.001-04:002011-05-24T07:13:11.918-04:00Missing in Action?Yes! And that ACTION would be GARDENING!
I'm not AWOL, just crazed and obsessed due to some darn tolerable weather!
I'll catch you all up soon.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-47471472775587081562011-05-15T10:55:00.003-04:002011-05-15T12:55:29.035-04:00The UGLYI hate this tree. I'm afraid of this tree. It's roots grow in the golf course. The larger trunk arches over my property. I've tried to let the golf course know for years it should be cut down before it falls on me and I'm squashed like a bug. But to no avail.
I can't plant anything under it. Anything I place there would be crushed when (not if) the tree falls. I planted those 7 pine treesKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-71971327446163047192011-05-12T10:04:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:54:59.560-04:00Another little bed definedI've not given much thought to this crabapple behind the privacy fence, except when I have to mow and then it is quite an irritation. My mower is not zero-turn (it's barely any kind of turn!) so I have to hand cut the weeds around it.
Yesterday was the 3rd (THIRD) sunny day in a row and I was flying high. But by 2:30 I was pooped and was actually LAZING on the deck. I sipped iced tea and Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-84429714761938895832011-05-10T08:55:00.000-04:002011-05-10T08:57:15.157-04:00Panoramic view......of the backyard beds.
Click to view, then enlarge to focus. (Well, as focused as an autostitched shot can focus!)
Keep in mind that when I bought the house 8 years ago there was only a firepit where the veg bed is now and while the arbor bed was here, it was rectangular and smaller. I'm guilty of all the rest.
(Rest? Moi? HA!). LOL
* * * (Use links on top of sidebar to view my other Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-24835618810426246842011-05-06T10:00:00.006-04:002011-05-09T08:03:42.533-04:00Glimmer in the gloomI'm sure some of you (especially Glenda) remember last year's post "My Muse is Crazy" in which the following pic appeared. If not, go read it. G'head. I'll wait. Dum da dum dum...
Back? Up to speed? Okay, now for the rest of the story...
Right after that post, the rains left us and the grass dried up. There were no resources to make those beds happen. And oh, how that gnawed at me!
Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-47678697987390990842011-05-04T09:35:00.001-04:002011-05-05T08:04:08.292-04:00Gloom and gloomerThere is very little to blog about. It is cold (35F this morning), wet (raining since Sunday), windy (now from the North) and the clouds are dark and heavy. Even the crabapples are late in opening, like this unknown variety behind the privacy fence.
The birdbath keeps filling and overflowing even though I bail it out now and then. I hope it's finally crested... Guess I should be happy at Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-85777049069976635252011-04-30T06:00:00.007-04:002011-04-30T07:22:35.949-04:00Super salads, et alI was going to post this on the vegetable page, but few visit there and I think this bounty should be shared!
The addition of sweet and tender asparagus spears have really ramped up the spring salads. Even the thicker-than-a-thumb spear was butter soft all the way through. As the asparagus bed really gets going, there will be some fine eating in my future. :-D
Otherwise not much Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-29107438302266615652011-04-26T14:25:00.001-04:002011-04-26T14:28:21.930-04:00Benign neglect
The Spring lawns bless me with a breathtaking display - masses of violets and violas. In late May this will be a blanket of white clover. The bees and early butterflies gorge on nectar and pollen, a victory for both of us.
Every year I mount a watchful defense against overspray by golf course owners and certain neighbors who religiously treat their property with chemicals, their goals of Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-9347582400919998832011-04-22T09:10:00.004-04:002011-04-22T10:48:17.271-04:00Another EARTH DAYWell, today, like every day here at the Gardens, is a day to celebrate, respect and enjoy our home planet.
Today is no biggee here. It's pretty much samo-samo. The compost piles are full and steaming in the chilly morning. The recycle bins in the garage are fed regularly with plastic and glass, cardboard and cans. The perennials are pushing through their winter mulch of last Fall's leaves, Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-43593585094476432892011-04-11T11:45:00.006-04:002011-04-18T11:15:28.167-04:00Boots big day!
BOOTS
SLEEPY SNOW BOOTS
BOOTS PLAYGROUND
BLUE MEANIES
TOOTHY RAKE
MR WHEELBARROW
GRABBY GLOVES
BOOTS was sooo excited when the lady pulled them on. YAY! It must be Spring at last! It must be wet outside too! BOOTS was so tired of sitting under the bench in the breezeway for months on end.
Spiders. Cobwebs. SNOW BOOTS lived there too, but no fun. So busy since Dec and when theyKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-2791378903411513152011-04-09T16:05:00.002-04:002011-04-10T09:26:29.892-04:00The promised land(ing)Is something amiss in the basement? Where are all the greens I've been blogging about on the Plant Propagation page? There's a lot of table space going begging down there!
I caught a glimpse of them hanging out in the sunroom of all places yesterday.
But when I looked there this morning they were gone, flit, nada. Now where?
Oh, wow. Look!
Greens and onions out on the deck. At last. Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-48902208934195057442011-04-08T08:50:00.002-04:002011-04-08T09:24:26.083-04:00Colorful dayToday it is dark and gloomy and raining - like it's been all week. But yesterday! Yesterday was an odd duck of a day!
The sky turned a funny color.
Temps were in the 50s for a while and look what happened. The sky flowed down to the water in the birdbath and it got all loose and wobbly and the birds couldn't walk on it. They'd land and get all wet. So funny! LOL
Finally the sky made Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-28926554878940587862011-04-05T12:00:00.001-04:002011-04-06T07:54:57.260-04:00Hope springs -- internal! Because it's sure not external around here! Though we haven't had any snow since Saturday morning, neither have we had any sunshine. It's cold and windy. And dark. Yesterday it "soared" to 57 while the front plowed through with 1.25" of rain, high winds and some really impressive sound effects! Then temps plummeted again. Today it is not much above freezing. In fact, while I was taking this Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-60452919628102087072011-03-30T18:30:00.003-04:002011-03-31T08:32:55.576-04:00No Spring in my stepIf anything my 'step' is buried in snow - again!
So far this year 'Wintersowing' might be the only way go.
Wednesday afternoon:
Within 4 hours we got 4 inches of snow. It's still falling.
For over a week nights have been in the low teens. The days hover just above freezing.
Spring? Spring? What is this "Spring" of which you speak? There is no sign of Spring here in Ohio. *sigh*
I Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-85454018025692765522011-03-23T13:55:00.004-04:002011-03-27T08:31:26.622-04:00Spring bedsAll the Fall backbreaking work of weeding, leaf collecting and mulching really pays off big time in Spring. Since I pull all the weeds and annuals and cut down 95% of the perennial stalks in November, then mulch deeply with tons of leaves, there is very little to do to make beds ready in Spring.
As you can see, there are no weeds. No cleanup per se. This type of gardening is a function of myKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-64425209679690897692011-03-19T11:00:00.005-04:002011-03-20T10:54:47.383-04:00Easy markAnd that mark would be me! I can be such a pushover when someone or something shows a kindness. Like a bit of good weather.
First off - it's been a WHOLE WEEK since we've been buried in snow!! The mind reels.
Second off - today is our 3rd sunny day in a row and my whining ways have gone a 180.
Although Thursday was in the 50s, the wind was fierce and relentless so I went out only long Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-68114732063810671532011-03-17T13:25:00.000-04:002011-03-17T13:25:41.728-04:00Harbinger
There are signs and portents of change popping up from below, with a bright sun and blue sky above. Seductive, but Ma Nature will have to do better than this to get me to play outside anytime soon. Once burned (frozen?)... ;-D
So if you want me, I'll still be in the basement. Visit. I'm doing most of my posting on the Propagation Page these days anyway.
* * *
(Use links on top of Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-57539860590824750382011-03-12T19:00:00.002-05:002011-03-12T21:23:06.895-05:00Now you see it...Friday morning - 8" snowfall.
Now you don't.
Saturday afternoon.
There's something dreadfully wrong with the weather... drastic shifts like this are rather disconcerting to say the least and don't help my mood any. I'm staying inside; I don't trust Ma Nature anymore. She's got some serious issues this year and I'm not playing with her until she gets some therapy!
If you want me, I'll be inKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-36670262225151922972011-03-10T13:30:00.004-05:002011-03-11T08:00:12.088-05:00Grim & grimmer....GRIM
I must sound like a broken record by now, but hey, I don't make the weather, just report it.
On the 25th we got 8~10" of heavy wet snow. Then on the 28th 2" of rain on top of the snow caused a lot of flooding. Up in Gates Mills the dam broke and a wave of water raced downstream.
Cleanup is still ongoing and people are pumping out houses. Over the weekend we received another 2" of rain.Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-56919017075504909102011-03-09T09:35:00.001-05:002011-03-09T09:38:34.776-05:00Losing yewLast April I planted 20 1-gallon yews along the back property line.
Then, in June, I planted 6 3-gallon yews along the North property line.
Due to the heat last year and lack of rain, I watered them all religiously. They rewarded me with lots of bright green growth.
In November I gave them all a good tuck-in with hollytone and a deep drink.
Then winter came - a long cold snowy icy no-holds Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-5595275827603262532011-02-28T03:41:00.001-05:002011-02-28T08:01:04.769-05:00Deluge!It started raining around 10:00 last night. They forecasted us for perhaps 1/2 of rain so I wasn't overly concerned about flooding problems due to the deep snow from last week's 2 storms and went to bed.
I was woken up at 2:00 a.m. with lots of thunder and lightning. I listened for an hour then decided to check the radar to see when it was going to quiet down. What I found was a massive frontKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-35714642223598353912011-02-25T07:44:00.002-05:002011-02-25T08:00:56.694-05:00BLIZZARD!!It started with freezing rain around 3:00 a.m. to soak into the snow left over from Monday's storm. Then around 5:00 a.m. it turned to snow. Lots of it. And more to come! Add high winds and we've got a blizzard. About 4" already and they are predicting 8-10", maybe more.
For crying out loud. UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE already! #(*&(@$&
* * *
(Use links on top of sidebar to view my other Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-78349804482046684962011-02-22T07:30:00.002-05:002011-02-22T07:34:20.848-05:00Socked inAs Monday afternoon slid into evening, snow fell more than an inch an hour! It was unbelievable.
And it kept coming. Deeper and deeper.
Finally, at the 8-9" depth, I had to bite the bullet and go out into the dark and the storm and fire up the snowblower. My blower won't handle anything over 8" and I'd actually delayed longer than I should have. Not only was the snow almost too deep, but it Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-46316628696911794682011-02-21T07:35:00.013-05:002011-02-21T16:09:03.693-05:00We now return to.......our regularly scheduled winter.
Sunday afternoon
After those 60s on Friday, Saturday got cold and Sunday dawned 11 degrees. Then another front came through and dumped 2" of snow within 30 minutes! That would have been fine but then it was followed by freezing rain.
Monday afternoon
Now everything is frozen over again with more freezing rain for the rest of the day. The driveway is Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-14951851121352816032011-02-19T09:10:00.000-05:002011-02-19T09:14:11.162-05:00s(NO!)wGoing ....
Going ....
Gone!
It ... it's so .... naked out there!
A couple of days of blustery warm wind has stripped Ma Nature of her nice white coat. Temps soared to 60 yesterday then back to below freezing last night. Forecasts now are for daytime 30s and freezing nights. But there's no insulation on the plants. *whine* Still, I am enjoying the sunshine -- while it lasts. :-D
Meanwhile,Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-5644024684588494352011-02-14T10:20:00.000-05:002011-02-14T10:20:17.429-05:00Green stuff in the snow??Something extraordinary! Yesterday the temps soared to 40 and mild winds blew all day and the world began to change.
Today I see green plants. And brown leaf mulch. And blacktop!
I see pine needles and tarps and shrubs and way back in the golf course - grass!!
Is it the end of the world? I thought we had until Winter solstice, 2012? Have they moved up the apocalypse? Why don't I get all Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-45493573447380354642011-02-11T10:40:00.001-05:002011-02-11T11:12:14.809-05:00Pink rinkWe're still under snowpack and it has dipped below zero for the past 2 nights. Yesterday it only got up to 12 but today we may hit 20. Needless to say, MELT is not in the vocabulary yet.
But at least the rosy glow of this morning's frosty dawn made the ice rink I call driveway all pretty in pink. Looking at it is waaaay safer than actually walking on it. yiiiiiii!
I thought I'd try Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-79268357967710933392011-02-08T11:30:00.000-05:002011-02-08T11:31:34.614-05:00Bright brittle cold
It's almost too bright outside to see. I have to peer through half-closed eyelids to prevent snow blindness. At least when I squint I can almost not see the dark bones of ice-ravaged trees that litter the landscape after the storm. So, instead of dead stuff, here's a pic of something bright and green and growing.
I turn my gaze away from the false and frigid sunshine (down to 0 tonight and Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-15773049484097919412011-02-03T07:40:00.001-05:002011-02-03T08:10:59.044-05:00Ice aftermath
Dawn - aftermath
All is calm. Today dawns with clear skies, no wind and single digit temps. I bundled up and swept away 3" of snow out to the birdfeeder. The exposed path is not blacktop but inches of ice and must be negotiated with great care. According to the forecast we won't get above freezing in the near future so melt is yet to come. (There are glaciers in all my gutters, nothing IKrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-8590853715402798892011-02-02T00:53:00.018-05:002011-02-02T17:43:20.050-05:00The trees are fallingIt's almost 1:00 AM Wednesday. The freezing rain drenched us from 7:00~11:00 then tapered off. I looked outside and saw almost an inch of ice on everything. I had to look out the window because the deck door was iced closed.
I tried to convince myself it was safe to go to bed, but then heard something. Like a heavy snowplow rumbling by. But we have no snow removal on our private road.
I Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-17334185878272708542011-02-01T07:55:00.004-05:002011-02-01T09:37:45.163-05:00Winter storm - first wave through
Ice Glazed Japanese Maple
The first wave of the "Winter Wallop" (don't you just love the names they give land-based storms?) slid through last night. It was predicted we would get 1-3 inches of snow overnight, then 1-3 inches more during the day.
But I was woken in the middle of the night by what sounded like gravel hitting the windows. What we got was sleet and freezing rain. In fact this Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7196958089933062632.post-23200927242115644272011-01-29T08:40:00.003-05:002011-01-29T10:40:47.320-05:00First seed order arrives
My order from Pinetree arrived.
Vegetables:
redbor kale
fringed formula kale mix
sweet success cukes
copra onion
red wing onion
white sweet Spanish onion (backordered :-( )
Hungarian yellow wax pepper
Flowers:
esprit mix penstemon
Digitalis excelsior hybrid
crazy daisy chrysanthemum
I'll sow the onions right away in the basement. They should be large enough to transplant out in April. I'll Krishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17822528453563683772noreply@blogger.com5