The Blooms of June

 Peonies have always been one of my favorite flowers.  When I was growing up my neighbor, Mrs. Powell, had a huge peony garden.  Her entire back yard was basically peony plants.  She would always give us bouquets of peonies to give to Mom, or to put on our Dad's grave.  This peony from my garden was given to me almost thirty years ago by Stan's Aunt Miriam.  It came from Stan's Grandma Jones's garden.  The original plant it comes from has to be more than 40 years old, probably closer to 60.

When we lived in West Mountain, Mom had a large iris garden on the right side of the front yard. 

 It had dozens and dozens of different colors of iris in it. 

Mom had one iris plant that she said was root beer colored.  I can remember standing in that iris garden as a little child, irises as tall as my shoulders, and looking at the brown iris.  It looked just like root beer.

I've seen a lot of different irises over the years, but I don't think I've ever seen another root beer iris.

I do have some beautiful yellow irises, also from Aunt Miriam, and originally from Stan's Grandma Jones.  She gave them to me when we lived at the duplex.  I moved them with us to our current house.

They are gorgeous when in full bloom,

and they make the perfect cut flower for the vase Lisa D. made.

My columbine is also in full bloom right now.  My Grandma Kenison had a large bed of columbine on the side of her house closest to the road.

My Kenison cousins, Marvin and Gordon, showed me that if you bit the "spurs" off of the back--those long, thin petals-- they contained a sweet nectar.  I helped them suck a lot of  nectar out of Grandma Kenison's columbine. She must have wondered what was happening to all of her flowers.  

 I've never mentioned to my own kids or grandkids that they taste so good. 

Don't you mention it to them either!

My Grandma Kenison had a beautiful hedge of lilac planted in her yard along what I think was an old chicken coop, or maybe an old work shed or animal shelter.  I used to love to walk in the space between the hedge and the coop and just enjoy the smell of lilacs.  I've always associated the scent of lilacs with Grandma Kenison.  My yard isn't big enough for a traditional lilac bush, but I do have this fabulous Korean lilac in my front yard. I planted it shortly after we moved to this house, and over the last 23 or 24 years it has grown to its full size of 4 feet. It doesn't have the same scent as Grandma Kenison's lilacs, but it smells so heavenly that I look forward to the 2 weeks in June it's in bloom.

This bleeding heart that endured so much smooshing and a couple of late snow storms is completely recovered and blooming its little hearts out.  I originally planted it in the front year 20+ years ago next to the faucet, but I couldn't get my kids to stop trampling it when they played in the water, so I moved it.  I was pretty sure it would snap back because it has endured so much abuse in the past and managed to recover.

It's amazing to me how long some perennials live, growing stronger and more beautiful each year.  If you can bottle that, I'll be your first customer!

Sabbath Rest

Playing In The Dirt

Now that the fence is up and the temperatures are stable, I decided to force myself to quit scrubbing the toilets and work on finishing the yard work today.  It was a tough decision.  You know how much I hate yard work!

I got my garden gear on.  For some reason, Megan always cringes when I come out of the bedroom this way.  I'm pretty sure it's because she is totally coveting my fashion sense.

Oh, Megan, there's so much to teach you, so little time.

My potatoes, which I planted in April, are doing well.

In April, I also planted pots and pots and pots of squash to give them a good start.

They spent their days on the porch and their nights indoors.

Stan made me this fabulous, 12" deep raised garden between pounding boards on the fence, which I planted with bare root roses on Thursday.

By today they were already leafing out.

I planted zucchini, spaghetti, delicata, kabocha, acorn, butternut, and buttercup squash, as well as pumpkin along the length of our new fence.

They are all winter squash, except zucchini, and we love to store

and eat our winter squash all winter long.

This is the front yard, to the left of our driveway.  There used to be small river rocks here, which we painstakingly picked out.  It's a great garden spot, getting full sun all day.  This is cucumber and a cantaloupe which is planted in a wall o' water, helping it think it is actually growing in California.

I planted 18 tomatoes in this front yard spot.  We will not have red tomatoes until early September, then we will have 17,953 of them a day before the first frost.  There are also 16 mild to super hot peppers planted along the sidewalk in front of the tomatoes.  The delicate, exotic green things growing among the tomato plants are "weeds".  "Weeds" are Monday's chore.

In addition to the rose boxes, I also have raised beds of carrots, beans, peas, herbs, cabbage (below), bok choy, lettuce, radishes, beets, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes.

Can't wait for my first water bill!

A Tragic Junior Tale

Did you notice what day it is today?

That's right, it's the last day of school. 

The last day of Megan's life as a Junior. 

The last morning Junior Meg bounds out of bed, full of energy.

The last morning Megan eats her pancake breakfast while cramming for her Junior AP English exam. 

 See the stress on her face?

The last time Junior Megan eats 8 pancakes, stuffing herself to breaking,

only to be starving 5 minutes later. 

 It takes work to maintain that Junior 100 lb figure.

Here she is, packing her Junior backpack for the last time, 

wearing her chemistry final--the tye-dye shirt she made...

...and in her mature, Junior way, wearing her coat in case it snows this morning, with her capris for the 80 degree temperature we will no doubt see this afternoon.

Just look at the tragic sadness etched on her Junior face, as she goes forth to meet her last Junior day.

Good-bye, Junior Megan.

Be brave!

Prepare for impending Seniorhood!

Today Is My Lucky Day, Part 3

YOU WERE RIGHT!

Megan would be surprised I uttered that phrase when I wasn't looking in the mirror.

Stan would be astounded to learn that phrase is directed to a male. 

Poor Stan.  

Actually, that phrase is directed at John Pedroza, who predicted I would actually get paid after going to court against the woman who hit my car.  You are really smart, John.

Lookee here!  My first of 40 monthly checks for $25!

I figure if I save all these checks over the next 3 years and 4 months, I will have enough to buy the front right floor mat for that car I'm buying when Megan leaves home.

More likely, I can pay cash for the car Stan will insist we can afford instead.

Unfortunately, my joy is somewhat tempered by the other mail I got today. 

A letter notifying me I've been called for jury duty.

Sigh.  You can't win them all.

Do Fence Me In

Our new fence has been moving forward verrrryyyy slowly. 

Stan spent several hours trying to dig out the old posts last week.  The posts had been set in cement, and after destroying several tools, it occurred to Stan that all he needed to do was to cut off the old post and dig a hole for the new post to the side of the old.

After catching us skinny dipping in the pool (sorry, I forgot to get a picture), for some reason our neighbor decided to pitch in and hurry things along.  He rented an auger.

It was worse than worthless.  Stan and the neighbor spend more time

getting it unstuck then digging holes.

Stan and our neighbor started at 8 am on Monday and finally made some serious progress.

Be still my bleeding heart! The smooshed plant is looking smashing!

Stan practiced not cutting his fingers off all day.

Stan framed while the neighbor hammered on the boards.

The two of them worked until 5, when we had to leave to go to a graduation party. 

 I just hate it when we have to stop working and go to parties.  As you can imagine, the grandkids complained bitterly about having to eat cake and pop for supper at the third graduation party night in a row. 

Hailey had fourths in protest.

 By the end of the day on Monday, half the fence was done,

and half remains to be done.

Now it's Tuesday night, and here is Stan, working in the rain to finish the fence.  Our neighbor is no where to been seen.

I guess we're going to have to visit the neighbor's pool at midnight again.