Pink Flamingos

Meet Dulcy and Mahar. They just flew in and were named in honor of my favorite Portland, Oregon garden writer, Dulcy Mahar.. who's garden I would love to see sometime.

I used to think pink flamingos were about the tackiest things around but then, something happened about 10 years ago and I suddenly had a flock of them. Apparently someone else liked them too because they all vanished one spring. Mind you they were on the yard side of the picketty fence, a good 25' from the road. Guess they should not have had their heads poking through the fence because, well, they vanished! Grrrrrr. These two will join the 6 who have come since the um, migration, but who have been content to stay up near the house where they are guarded by fearsome Attillas-The-Hens, Carla and Bette.

The sun is shining, its cold, but THE SUN IS SHINING so I am headed back outside to see what can be done without sinking into the muck and mire.

and, there's more!

Also blooming; white Hellebore, Snowdrops, and Oxalis.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

I don't know why this won't allow me to post more photos than 4 at a time but here they are. Hardenbergia, which I thought I had killed last winter, my favorite violets, the feral narcissis on what we call "the hill", and a clump of pink Hellebore.

The Inspector General

I must get new screen doors and/or remember to secure all outside doors ALL THE TIME because Amanda will find any open door and go exploring.
I do love my chickens and I am not a super housekeeper but then again, I am NOT this much Ma Kettle either. At least (thus far) she is house broken.

rootball, chickens, iris

The Girls are taking all the credit for finally removing the root ball. Harumpf. They DO get credit for snacking on lotsa bugs and wormies and for finding all the millet that the Dark Eyed Juncos & White Crowned Sparrows missed. (that's a stretch... because I see a flock of Juncos out there this morning busily gleaning.)
Wouldn't this make an interesting little table with a round piece of Plexiglas atop it? It will need a bit of leveling and it won't last long, but sure would be fun for a year or two. Phoebe's just in the shot for size comparison. Its a pretty poorly composed photo but you get the idea.
Can anyone tell me the proper name for this little winter blooming iris? Its only about 7" tall and blooms faithfully every winter.. with a few surprise blooms at other odd moments in time.

shovels, chickens

Decided today would be a good day to remove the old Purple Trumpet Vine stump because the ground is damp, the sun is hot (wait! This is February? its at least 70° outside!) and the girls were eager to help me. I am finding that my body is not yet over the nasty cold it came down with a week ago and is still in LAZY mode. Would you believe I had to come in and exchange the t-shirt for a tank top! In February. Oh well, aren't I always proclaiming "Spring arrives in February!"? Yes I am. And yes it does... in Northern California.

so then the shovel broke and I left the girls to finish digging out the stump. For some reason I do not have a lot of faith in them completing the job. I was needing (no I wasn't) another shovel for signage anyway. Need one that says "Make Compost, Not War!" (there must be at least 12 handle-less shovels on this place)
Either I am stronger than I thought or they just don't make 'em like they used to. Perhaps I could buy a shovel with a man attached. No, TOO expensive. On many levels.


Suppose I ought to mosey back outside to see how far Carla and Bette have gotten on the stump project. May have to coax Amelia, Verna and Methuselah to join in. If there were a way to do a deep infusion of bread smell under the stump, Phoebe the Wonder Dog would have it out in a heartbeat. There are Drug Dogs, Cadaver Dogs, all sorts of dogs.. I have a Bread Dog.

OK. Going back outside to bake the rest of this cold out of my head & breathing apparatus. AND another shovel, I must locate another shovel!