May Flowers...lets chat

Rain, turning the world green.  Tulips are up.  Bunnies are running around.  News article about fishing opener.  Must be spring.  Jr is watching a bunny eating my  new grass in the front yard.  Should have a new batch of squirrels soon.

Saturday  is our yearly trash pick up day.  Piles are growing everywhere.  TVs and appliances will not be picked up, nor hazardous stuff.  People drive through town slowly, checking out the piles.  Saw one pickup that was loaded full with discards.  Some of that stuff is just garbage.  Old mattresses will not be picked up,  but are getting stacked out, and now they are wet.

Several of the neighbors have made their lawns into hobbies.  Hired lawn care to aerate , fertilize, and spray weeds.  I've noticed that my lawn thrives on neglect.  I mow it down to 4".  Hides the weeds (which are green) and looks great from the road.  I fertilize every few years and kill some dandelions once in a while.  Reseed doggie burns.  Neighbor cross the road vacuums his grass.  He has a vacuum on his rider mower.  I know he hates me in the fall.  He is downwind from my Maples.

Doug, enjoy the tulips.  Ours have come and gone for the most part.  Now I'm watching the huge buds on the peony and rose bushes -- they'll be opening soon.

I heard a comedian do a whole thing on lawn/grass care once -- something about how people spend all kinds of time tending to it, adding water and fertilizer and various other procedures, encouraging it to grow, and then they get out the mower and cut it down, just to start all the rig-a-marole over again.  I've tried to point out the same thing to DH since it seems like a vicious circle, but he worked on a landscaping crew when he was young, so he's a bit picky about the lawn.  Whatever -- I don't have to do the work, so it's his deal!

Fabulous weather today and more all weekend.  We hope to have our friends come over with their dog -- he's also a pittie mix and has a rambunctious play style like Ruby, so we've wanted them to meet for a while, just haven't had the chance.  She doesn't have many doggy friends but always has fun when she can play with one.

Enjoy the weekend all!

Oh boy Play Date.!  Have a great time.

Hello, everyone. April was difficult--Dad passed away on the 7th, and I feel like I just can't catch up. The upside--I got to see a lot of my extended family . We decided we really need happy reasons to get together. (We've only seen each other at funerals for the last 6-7years!)

Today was the last day of classes--exams are all next week. We also had the inauguration of our "new" university president (a really nice

ceremony)--he's been with us almost a year, so I guess it was time to do the official ceremony.

I have been spending as much time as possible in the garden--dirt therapy--the daffs are in bloom and the tulips are just about ready to pop. Jt's still too cold to plant tomatoes, but the asparagus just started to come up. Yeah!

I'm taking a pet therapy course that starts on Wednesday. This first course is for the humans. The second is for the humans and animals.

Ruby, I hope you had a great play date. You and Ronnie would have a blast together. He loves to play and is very rowdy (and noisy!).

OK--off to grade!

I is so good to see you!  I was so sorry to hear about your Dad;s passing.  

I will be very excited to hear how your pet therapy class goes, have always been interested.

Hope your May shapes up and brings some needed sunshine into your garden :)

Sorry about your Dad.  Been there.  Seems like most families only get together for weddings and funerals.  My folks made sure we got together for Christmas and T Day also, and one brother has enough land so we have our "Hillbilly" get together there in the summer.   Food, drink, clay pigeons, dogs, and extended to really distant family.  It gets harder, as extended family is really spread out.  One bro in  Virginia, sister in Idaho, a bro in New Mexico, BIL in S. C,  another in N Dak.  

Morgan Creek Winery is open for business now.  Going to head there this evening for dinner and music.  I know the guitar player, the wine and beer are excellent (same family brews Nordeast , Grainbelt, and 1818 root beer.   Several of the wines are really good, and the setting is perfect.  Also, too early for insect activity.  I won't need the mosquito club.

Didn't make it to the winery. Thunderstorms last evening..  The world is really green.  Sky was getting really crazy, so I took him for a run.  Little retrieving action, a little rolling in mud, and a swim in a creek.  The first time he swam was in a pool, wearing a life jacket.  This time, he walked in and swam.  Water was clear enough to watch his feet move.  No panic.  Piper never would swim.  She would jump across an 8 ft ditch and not get wet.  

He also discovered the nesting ground of the common wood tick.  Joy.   Got about a dozen off him and a bunch off me.  You know how the skin crawls after you find a tick, and every thing after is a tick crawling on you.   Watching TV, Sky curled up next to me getting scratched, and I felt the vampire crawling up my arm.    Renewed the Frontline, searched him and me.  

I'm so sorry about your Dad, Kate. (((((Hugs)))))

Our first wave if Iris are blooming.  About two more waves to come.  The previous owner of our house was a member of the MN Iris Club and we inherited a greenhouse and a garden filled with  exotic varieties of Iris.  Neatly labeled but overgrown with grass and other assorted weeds.  The labels have disappeared, but the grass and weeds still show up.  This last rain and now warm seem to have convinced the short stuff to bloom.  Color!!!.  Will posy pictures later.

I didn't check the forum all weekend - just now seeing the news of your Dad's passing, Kate.  I'm so sorry.  I hope you and your Mom are able to keep your spirits up with the support of family and friends.  I'm sure it's a great comfort to your Mom having you right there.  Sending hugs your way.

I know what you mean about family gatherings being limited to weddings and funerals.  Sadly, since I'm 3,000 miles away from my family, I don't always make it to those gatherings either.    .

As much as I miss living in CT, one of the benefits of living in this part of Oregon is the low risk of encountering ticks.  You might see them in certain areas of the state, but in 20+ years, I've never seen a single tick.  Just reading your post, Doug, makes my skin crawl!

The play-date was a bust. Ruby was pretty good -- excited to see Tank coming up the walk.  She was whining and chortling and hopping around on her leash, but when they met face to face, he growled, barked, and snapped at her.  We thought it might be because we were in our yard, so we kept them leashed and we all walked around the block together.  She kept trying to get nearer to him, but he wasn't interested, and when she did, he'd snap at her.  She even play bowed, but no luck.  We didn't push it since we were afraid a fight would erupt.  

Tank is very friendly with people and other dogs, but maybe we should have met on neutral territory like a park, rather than our yard.  Who knows.  We were bummed her blind date didn't work out.  I told Ruby, "I remember how it feels to be rejected by a boy you like; I'm sorry!"  DH told her it was Tank's loss and that we think she's beautiful.  

@tacran

 DH told her it was Tank's loss and that we think she's beautiful.  

I agree, Ruby is a beautiful girl. 

Doug I cant wait for pics of those Iris.  I have just the basic purple that everyone has.  I love Iris.  Mine are blooming I have one area that has Pink knock out roses on a incline above a "waterfall effect" group of Iris.  I took some pics but they just don't do it justice.

FYI  Just read site change information in Announcements    Here's hoping for some positive changes!

This one got JRs attention.  Through our picture window..

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