Rabbits

Rabbits are not so cute.












I'd like to scream.












I think I will the next time I see one.












Cover your ears...

Random Thoughts

Time wise this coincides with the post full of photos, but I didn't want to randomly blurt out these thoughts during it, so you get it now...
As I was making my first mug of tea this morning I began thinking about the phrase "A watched pot never boils." Pondering where did the saying originate. And how would you explain that to someone who takes it literally... Later as I'm uploading photos & it is taking absolutely forever! I decided to change the phrase: a watched computer doesn't upload. Because that is what it really felt like!
So, to "not watch" I decided to make a bagel. Friday after I was done with work I stopped at the store to pick up a few things. While there I saw these lovely, plump New York style blueberry bagels. Mmmm. Made my mouth water just thinking about it. So I picked them up to go with the cream cheese I had at home. Well, later I discovered I only had, at most, a tablespoon of cream cheese -- and that's just not enough! I learned how to appreciate cream cheese from my uncle. He taught me to slather it on so thick you can't even tell there's a hole in the middle. While I don't keep up with it that much, I do like to have a decent amount. A tablespoon just isn't enough, and it would be a tease to try it. So instead I went for the "spread." (I'd call it butter, but really it's not. I don't even know if margarine would be appropriate -- it's the stuff with yogurt in it. I'd go to the kitchen & look, but what's the fun in that. Let's see how many of you readers out there can Name That Spread! You feel like you're on a game show, don't you?) Back to the story... Turns out, "spread" on bagels is pretty good. I've gone through most of the bagels on my own!
As I was making my second cup of tea I noticed the chippies outside which of course, lead to various thoughts...
Saturday when I was walking through the yard I saw these two huge (HUGE!) chipmunks. Usually they're about an inch round, these were easily two inches, probably more. Not only are we getting fatter, but apparently so are the chipmunks. (Seriously, there was some meat on that puppy!)
How do you pronounce H-U-G-E? Do you say the 'h' or is it silent? I've always said the 'h' & will always do so. I ask because two years or so ago I heard someone say huge with a silent 'h' -- it sounded very strange, and she was a speech therapist! Even so, I'm not changing the way I say it. I hadn't noticed it again until this past year. Not only was the 'h' in huge silent, so was it in human. (That sounded even weirder!) So I ask, how do you really say it?
Another question for you... what critter digs a little hole, maybe an inch round & deep? It's definitely a hole & not a hoof print -- there's a small pile beside it, mulch on the bottom, dirt scattered on top. I find them everywhere. For the first time I was able to be both mad & amused about it at the same time... I have a small garden area off the side of the house where I have containers sunk into the ground to put plants in (so I can pull them out next year & give them away already root bound). I recently pulled out the containers from last year, put new ones in & planted some of my seedlings. Well yesterday morning I noticed those little holes inside the containers. My first thought was "oh no, not the seedlings!" (very dramatic), but then I had to laugh... I was picturing the critter digging down, hitting it's head on the bottom or side & having to do a u-turn! Rather cartoon like! (Ok, so I amuse myself.)

Some 'Almost Summer' Posies

I didn't get to enjoy watching the beans grow last year since I planted them directly into the container outside... and summer was already in full swing, so I was busy else where. This year however I started some inside. The way they truely pop open & form leaves from the inside -- well that is just too cool! Here's what they've done so far.



Some outside plants to check out:
Lovage anyone? (left picture, in back)


Claudia -- the foxglove is growing strong & starting to bud. The seedlings I've started are doing well too!

Hello Spidey! (It's a spiderwort, would you rather 'worty'?)Do you notice as you're looking down past my plants all those purple flowers... That is my neighbors living wall, aka. a huge rhododendron! Isn't it massive?!? Makes me wonder how old it is... I think it's gorgeous. (There are even more, this is just one of them.)

I know it's a little sad looking, the leaves are disheveled, the flower lost a petal. There is still excitement & enjoyment to be found -- it is officially the first of the 2006 seedlings to bloom.

Ohh, ahh! (Share the love people!)

Coneflowers

Here they are. My sad, poor, pathetic, puny looking coneflowers.
Boo.
Hoo.
Seriously though, could they look any worse?!?
Like that one little leaf still standing, wouldn't it be terrified having to witness all it's fellow leaves being nibbled off one by one. Now it's left to wonder, when am I in for it?

The Garden

The garden is growing by bounds... Except where the bunnies (& other animals I don't necessarily see) are eating them. The ones that seem to be hit the worst are the coneflowers on the back hill. There are two sections, the left has clumps of purple coneflowers, while the right has a few purple & a white coneflower. For days now the right side has been pretty much mown down, but the left side stayed green & tall (3 times as tall). Not anymore. It apparently became a meal or two yesterday. I suppose that if that is all that is going to be destroyed (ok, that's an exaggeration -- it will however be likely that it won't bloom, so as far as that goes, it's a goner!) I should be grateful. But you know, I'm not. I want my blooming flowers!

Fridays

I really like Fridays.

ahhh...

(I'm talking about the day of the week, not the restaurant.

Although that's good too, just not as good!)

Walk for Autism Research

June 10th I'll be participating in the NAAR & Autism Speaks Walk for Autism Research.
So far I've reached $50 of my personal $150 goal, while my Team has reached a fabulous $1, 955 of their $2,500 goal.

I've just sent out a second e-mail to tell friends & family about the walk & to ask for a contribution or to even walk along side! In case those e-mails have gone unchecked or sent to your junk mail, let me know & I'll send it to you again.

The walk will be here in no time! Thank you for any donation, large or small! :)

I have access to "footprints" for a donation (to be posted at my office) for the NAAR walk.

While they're not directly related to the NAAR Walk, I also have access to Autism Awareness car magnets if anyone is interested in purchasing them.

Amazement

Right now we are the same temperature as Australia. Nothing huge to make a press conference about, I know. But I've never seen it to be the exact same before. Considering we're heading into summer, while they're going into winter... I'm easily amazed. (Especially when I'm tired, & it's a week day before work.)

Our own little pond

We've had the un-delightful experience of having our own flood.

(So to speak.)

Not destroying the city (again), but taking place in our very own kitchen!

Yesterday morning we noticed a small amount of water on the kitchen floor. Enough to say, maybe an ice cube melted. But really it was too much for that.

By the time I got home from work yesterday, he was already at it -- frig pulled out from the wall, tools out, grumbles & moans inserted here & there. But he thinks he took care of it.

The next morning (aka today), not only was there the small stream running away from the frig, but a tiny pool, or pond on the far side of the table.

He turned the cold water off & said "I think that will stop it."

Tonight when I returned home, I entered through the garage, as always, walked up the basement steps, only to find drips. Drips I say, coming from the kitchen!

They were trickling down the hole for the radiator pipe.

I walk upstairs...

The pond has turned into an ocean.

:( boo hoo

I went outside to forewarn his entrance. "It's dripping into the basement."

(Only one of us needed to be surprised.)

I mopped up 1 1/2 bucketfuls of water; soaked up a half dozen towels; and who knows how much ran into the basement. (Fortunately the drain works there!)

As I'm doing this I manage to stay rather cheerful. (I don't quite know how!)

..."The floor will get good a clean!"...

... "What's a traditional meal for a flood? It must have 'soggy' in the title."...

At least we didn't get around to putting in a new floor yet!

At this point it really does seem to have stopped.

But really, only time will tell.

Cool Place

My yard must be the place to be... Tonight there were 3 bunnies frolicking about. (By their size I have to wonder if they're the ones that were nesting in the front. Anyway...) I went out briefly to see what exactly they were doing. They were just running back and forth & eating. The eating part is what concerned me, but the only thing I noticed them going for was in the grass. And that's fine with me! (It's my plants in the beds I worry about!!) I would have taken some pictures to share, but my soup was ready for me. You'll just have to use your imagination! :)

This Weekend

Well I nearly forgot to test out a method of brewing my loose-leaf tea this weekend. While I did completely forget yesterday, I just barely remembered this morning. It was not an easy going morning to say the least. I woke up sometime before 3am, tossed & turned for about 40 minutes & made my way to the sofa. There I watched TV for about 2 1/2 hours, then dozed for another few hours. But after all that I did actually remember to try the tea. Didn't go as well as last weekend. But now I know what not to do!

Hope you enjoy the pictures I took this week. (Post below)

I'm happy to say the seedlings are doing well. I'm particulary pleased with two from last year: rock soapwart (small purple flowers) & the snow in the summer (soft light green leaf, tall white stemmed flowers). They took a year of growing to bloom, which is why I'm excited about it. I'm still perplexed by the primrose though... I can't tell if it is growing, or if it is a weed. The one "controlled" area is just starting to grow, while the questionable ones are taller. But they are in a sunnier area. So I still don't know whether it be weed or primrose! The only other seedling that survived from last year is a bit of columbine. But it's still quite tiny. I grew more this year from seed pods I got from my dad's garden. Hopefully they'll take off better.

Speaking of seeds from that neck of the woods -- my foxglove seedlings are looking quite healthy. And the baby I brought home last fall is growing quite nicely too. I think between the two, I'll be able to maintain yearly blooms. (Foxglove bloom every other year.)

Ok, time for me to pick out clothes for the 'morrow.

Here are two last pictures I just unloaded from the camera.

Ok, I lie... here's a third. (What can I say, I like close ups!)

Long Over Due

Here are a handful of photos I took this past week.

My other love...

In addition to my passion for gardening, I love tea. If you've ever been to my house you know I have at least a dozen for you to choose from. Well I've discovered a new kind of tea that is so tasty -- The Republic of Tea. It's not so much a tea, but a brand of various teas. I discovered it at the outlets when I was visiting my family sometime around Thanksgiving last year. I brought home the Kiwi Pear Green Tea & was amazed by how good it was. During my last visit I went back for more. Not just more Kiwi Pear, but some new flavors. Wild Berry Plum Green Tea, yum! I think I may even like it more than the Kiwi Pear! Today I'm trying out the Republic Chai Traveler's Tea. Still need to experiment with it -- I accidentally grabbed the loose tea... It will take a few cups to figure out. Which will mean a few weekends -- too much work for 6am before work & I typically don't drink caffeine past noon. While the site offers many more flavors to choose from, I don't think I'll be buying them online, they were a bit cheaper at the outlets!

Foliage & Blooms

Any ideas what this first picture is of? (My guess is some sort of hyacinth.)







Can you believe this last one is a tulip?!?

Mulching Mad Men

This weekend was a gardening one... go figure! Saturday I did some transplanting. Our most recent project includes getting ready for a gardening shed located in the backyard. (I guess my seedlings are being served eviction notice from the dining room.) Along with a few bulbs that I was given, I needed to move things from my "shade" garden. (Now the Japanese garden turns into future shed site instead of shade garden.) Sunday we were mulching like madmen. This is what we've accomplished so far...
Still so much left to do...