My Work Here is Done - Almost

Design - "Black-capped Chickadee Chirp" (kit)

Designer - Bent Creek

Fabric - 32 count Summer Khaki linen

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 17 May 2015

Completed - 21 May 2015 

Ironically, I'm not seeing many Chickadees at the feeders. I think they are nesting and raising families.  They feed their young insects rather than seeds, so no need to frequent my feeders.

With the holiday weekend, Tuesday has come around even faster than usual.

 I spent lots of time buying plants...

...and even more time planting plants, so I've lots to share with the Tuesday Garden Party and the Maple Hill Blog Hop. 

I'll start with a quick survey of the Back Patio.

My red-necked plant stand is perfect for succulents. 

It will quickly become apparent that I love sedums and succulents.

See? 

Tom-Cat like them too!

My mother and I are amassing an ever-growing (pun!) collection of Agaves and Lewisias. 

Solomon is partial to Lewisias!

We have some Dianthus in pots in the full sun. 

I 'themed up' these pots - all the flowers are in shades of orange.  The Mimulus on the far right is going crazy with blooms. 

Also in the full sun pots of Agastaches and Salvia.

Pansies and Fuchsias are tucked back in a shaded nook.

I have four or five Cuphea - cigar plants - the hummingbirds love 'em!

Now let's walk around to the Front Porch...ignoring the weed-infested flowerbed.  That is a project for another day!

Orange again - two large clay pots on the steps up to the Front Porch.

Here's a few of the long side of the porch. It gets some morning sun, but is otherwise shaded. 

So it is perfect for Hostas and Coleus.

And Begonias.

More Fuchsias...

...and still more Fuchsias.

Here's the short side of the porch.  It does get a bit of late afternoon sun.

I have lots and lots and lots of Hostas and lots of ferns.

And still more Begonias.

I do not have much left to plant..truly.  If I'd only stop buying plants and get all caught up. I still need to set out all my Garden Art - wind chimes, watering cans, and the like.  Then I'll tackle the weedy flowerbed!

We call this the Mudroom Flowerbed as the back side with windows is the Mudroom. Thanks to my sister's considerable efforts it is weed-free and looknig good.  The earliest of Salvias are in bloom as is the pretty Penstemon "Electric Blue".  Soon the larger Salvias will be in bloom and then the flowerbed will be the scene of ongoing Hummingbird Territorial Wars!

That's it for this week.  I'm tired and you probably are too.

  

Memorial Weekend

On Saturday morning my sister and I headed off to the Farmers' Market.

Even though it has a holiday weekend, it was bustling.

We stopped to listen to this group - good music!

By the end of May, there's a wide variety of produce available.

Signs of spring - snap peas and strawberries.

This stand offers all kinds of mixed greens.

Yep, it is finally warm enough to plant tomatoes.

Amazing to have raspberries and blackberries already. 

I was in search of a couple of bouquets.

It was hard to chose.

Cold pressed juices are The New Thing at the market.

They are expensive from $7.50 to $9.25 a bottle.

Most of the shoppers were oblivious, by I noticed that there was a very large flock of Cedar Waxwings in the trees at the market!

My sister bought a tomato plant, 2 pepper plants, red potatoes, 2 pints of strawberries and green onions. 

I found two lovely bouquets for Memorial weekend. 

Later in the afternoon, my sister, mother, aunt and I headed off with these flowers and lots more to visit three local cemeteries.  We visited memorials for two sets of my great-grandparents, both sets of my grandparents, and a couple of my uncles. After all that is what this holiday is all about. 

Watching and Being Watched

We're outside enjoying some decent weather.

And we wish you'd stop staring at us...

...so that we can go back to waiting and watching.

Bunny watching

Another bunny watching

The last few days there's been six chipmunks waiting for me in the morning.

Here's Chip.

It must be Dale.

Here's Alvin.

Simon

and Theodore.

Saturday - Having a Drink

It's the weekend. Let's have a drink!

Female Anna's Hummingbird

Male Anna's Hummingbird sipping nectar.

Note the yellow pollen 'dusting' is beak - that's how he functions as a pollinator. 

Keep up the good work!

Male Lesser Goldfinch (old camera - a bit blurry) 

Female Black-headed Grosbeak - note how much clearer this photo is with my replacement camera. 

Male House Finch

Female Black-headed Grosbeak and male House Finch 

Party at the Watering Hole!

Female American Goldfinch, male American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, male House Finch.

Female American Goldfinch and female House Finch

Male American Goldfinch whistling away.

Male California Quail

And while my Male Rufous Hummingbird does come to the feeders once in a while for a drink, he's very hard to catch there.  Much easier to get a photo from his look-out atop a young Douglas Fir.