Large Daylilies

I wanted to share a few more of my daylilies. These are the full-sized ones. I don't know the name of the double-orange one, but the beautiful deep red one is called "Firedrake". It was developed by one of the monks at New Clairveaux Monastery in Vina, CA, which is near us. They have an excellent winery which has tasting events going on throughout the year. And a wine club as well. But back to the daylily. The monk who probogated this lovely daylily has since then passed away. So I am especially pleased that his beautiful creation lives on in my garden. I repotted it this late last year into a much larger pot. And it's rewarded us with having grown much larger with 3 big stems of flowers, several of which open every morning.

Miniature Daylilies

It's that time of year when the daylilies open. These two are minis, very sweet and small. The yellow is called "Cupid's Arrow", the deep colored one is "Cranberry Baby." Though daylilies merely look like grasses for most of the year , now they bring forth new flowers each and every morning for several weeks.

Waterlilies

Since adding Mosquito Fish to a small water feature, the waterlily who lives in that pond has thrived beyond belief. It was always very modest in size. But the last few seasons, with the help of the little fish tickling it's roots, it blooms and blooms. A few blossoms was the norm, but these days we get 20 or more luscious flowers on it.

I was given just a few of the little fishes by a friend. They have multiplied as well. The only drawback, they are very hungry for tadpoles, more so then mosquito larvae. So I wouldn't get any more of them, ever. Nor release them in our creek ,which teams with tadpoles in the spring months. But for now, we'll enjoy the pond as is, with new waterlilies greeting us every few days.

Blossom

What is a sleeping pig doing on my blog you might ask yourself? Well, this is a special pig. Her name is Blossom and we found her wandering in our yard last year when she was just a baby. Someone had picked her up, maybe for dinner, and she managed to escape. Only to find herself in a yard with inquisitive dogs who went crazy upon seeing her. So we quickly locked them up and then went about catching the piglet. Then the phonecalls! What to do? Until I remembered seeing a group of nice young girls at our Farmer's Market, asking for donations for Farm Sanctuary in Orland, CA. Managed to find their number, made the call and they told us bring her in. And today we got to visit her for the first time since she's grown up. Well, nearly, evidently she still has some growing to do. We found her snoozing away, after having spend the morning playing with her piggy friends who share a big, cozy barn with her. They even have a nice pond at the bottom of their enclosure. These lucky farm animals will never find their way onto anyone's dinner plate. Instead they get to live out their lives, being taken care of with lots of TLC. What a happy ending!!

Tehama Sunset

On the day we drove up to Mt. Shasta, we came home fairly late. So as we headed out of Red Bluff, into the open country side homeward bound, the sun started sinking into the hazy cloudcover, getting ready to disappear behind the coastal range.

Though my little camera isn't much, still a few of the pics, which I took hanging out the truck window, came out pretty nice. So thought I would share them here. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day.

Mt. Shasta in June

Last week we headed up to the little town of Mt. Shasta. Wandered the New Age shops, ate lunch, sipped cappuccino in the book store. In other words, had a great time. Before heading home we decided to get a little closer to the glistening snow that blankets the great mountain. So got directions at the local tea shop and off we went, up the mountain. Finally had to stop at a little over 6000' as the road was closed at that point. The air was crisp and cool, about 20* cooler then in Shasta town. Blazing sunshine made the snow glisten and a good time was had by all. We had our granddaughter Ashlee along, who got a short reprieve from work to join us for nearly 2 weeks. This was our last outing with her before she had to head back home. Plus took along our Tai Chi buddy Jeanie. Of course before long Grandpa and Ashlee were lopping snowballs. :) It was a wonderful daytrip all the way around.

Black Elderberry

Last year we planted an Elderberry Bush. We do live on Elder Creek after all. But rather then plant one of the regular Elderberries, I found a black variety which features dark stems and leaves and delicate pink flowers, rather then the normal green leaves with white flowers.

It wasn't an easy starter. Sadly, the place we planted it was one heavily visited by the dogs while saying hello to our neighbor at the fence. So they nearly trampled it to death. Finally Richard came to the rescue and put a wire safety fence around it.

As the spring season started, the remaining parts of the bush came to life slowly. Then new branches sprouted from the base of the plant. Finally as time passed our Elderberry bush started getting taller and taller, with beautifully colored leaves and then flower buds started appearing. As time goes by, new flowerheads keep popping up. I love the color of both the shrub itself and the wonderful flowerheads. If they get pollinated, we'll even have Elderberries . Should we not have enough for jam, the birds will be happy to dine on them as well.

King Tut & Beauregard

This is an image I took 2 years ago this coming July. Our beautiful Beauregard aka BeauBear, left us 3 weeks after I took this photo. He's the regal looking Shepherd/Rottweiler Mix in the background.

The big, silly looking boy peering through the gate is King Tut who will be 7 in July. BeauBear did his best to teach Tutter all he needed to know before leaving us.

Tut is a Pitbull Mix. A lovely boy, though a bit nuts at times. When excited to see friends, he does a frantic, wiggly dance. Therefore he's also known as the Mambo King.

Sadly he has severe arthritis in his left hind knee, but despite the daily pain he endures, he's mostly in good spirits and takes his meds like a good boy. As long as they are liberally coated with catfood or liverwurst.

Succulents

This year, as I am starting to replace plants in some of my containers , I've decided going with succulents. They are much more forgiving when it comes to summer heat. It's amazing, so many colors and textures. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy them over the more colorful plants I usually keep in pots, but I am starting to enjoy them and they're thriving. The two I am sharing here remind me of tiny, little cabbages, or roses. Since planting them a month ago or so, they've already started spreading in their pots.

Roses

And then there are the roses.

We have about 40+ bushes of them. And though we give them only minimum care, they thrive. This year we are battling black spot, due to our long, wet spring, but they bloom regardless. Especially the lighter roses shine at dusk, just before night falls.

The rose in the first picture Richard bought me in a small pot at Trader Joe's a few years back. After it was done blooming, I moved it to a larger pot and stuck it in the corner, next to our fence. It must have send a taproot into the ground because it now takes up the entire corner in that area. It's probably 3-4 ft. wide and again that high. Covered from head to toe in fragrant, sweet blossoms and buds. I don't know the name of it, nor the name of the exquisite bud below the first picture. That wonderful, butterscotch colored rose gets the most perfect buds and open into huge, long-lasting flowerheads. The open flowers are as big as my hand.

I could post pages and pages of rose pictures alone. But you'll enjoy them more a few at a time.

Happy Mother's Day

Gathered a bouquet of flowers and thought I'd share them with you. The roses are amazing this year. loaded with blossoms. At the moment rain is threatening, but they shine, even on this grayish day. What a joy!! Though the garden work seems to be endless, what a wonderful, scented reward in the end.

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's day!! And yes, those with fur children only do qualify! ;-)

Iris

This year has been a good year for Iris. Even those who hadn't bloomed in a season or two suddenly decided to surprise us this year. So I wanted to share a few of the more spectacular ones with you. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as we do.

In Memory of Teddy

Today we laid to rest our wonderful boy Teddy. He was 14 years old and will be missed sorely.

He was born here the year after we moved permanently to the country. His only direct remaining sibling is Siegfried, our Silver Tabby.

He was laid to rest next to his brother Cheetah, on a bed of Lambs Ear leaves, mixed with Lavender buds, Rose petals, cedar chips and Lemon Balm branches.

We planted a Magnolia on his grave.

It will be some time before the pain of his leaving will get easier.

But he will live on in our memory always. His deep purr, his abiding affection and love. And last but not least, even his annoying drooling no doubt. Every passionate encounter with him would leave me full of damp dribbles. You were well loved my boy, and will always be in our hearts. :)

Flutterbye Rose

As you can properly tell by now, I love capturing visitors to the flowers.

I think this might be a Wood Bee, it's nearly all black with just those few, thin stripes on the abdomen. I don't often see them visiting. Mostly we're inundated with Honey Bees and Bumble Bees. Right now everything is in fresh bloom and the bushes are humming with activity.

Chinese Foxglove

I thought it only fitting to move into May with the flowers that are bursting into bloom throughout the garden. This is one of my favorite ones. Chinese Foxglove. A much looser habit then the ordinary Digitalis. I reseeds itself year after year. I love the intricate patterns in the throat of each flower.

Butterflies

With spring finally arriving at long last, everything is in bloom. At our house, the bees and bumble bees are present in huge numbers, which is a blessing. Especially given the honey bees precarious state in so many places.

But the other day, while walking through the Botanical Gardens with a friend, I captured this beautiful butterfly, enjoying a sip from the blooming Ajuga. While this species is bright metallic blue-green on the inside of the wing, didn't realize until I downloaded my images the even the outside has color. What a beauty

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Easter Wishes to all! Hope on this rainy Easter Sunday you will still find many bright spots to greet you. As I did, wandering the yard in the fine mist. Finding blooming things, turning their faces towards the sky , drinking up the delicious watery bounty. While we might mutter at the long rainy season, Nature savors each and every drop, as do the many flowers in bloom.

Lavender Bumble Bee

I know this picture isn't terribly crisp and clear. But I loved the way that Bumble Bee was hanging onto the Spanish Flag Lavender. His heavy, striped body, dangling on slender legs, with his wings down behind him, translucent. You can see the flower head behind , through the "windows" of the wings. And though they are plump of body, they move rapidly from blossom to blossom. So very difficult to capture them sitting still for a moment. By the time I would focus and bring him up close, he would usually be gone again.

Tulip

Every year this tulip surprises me. Each time it unfolds its many petals I am astounded on how nice a tulip it is. The open flower reminds me of a Lotus blossom. I don't remember the name or even where I got it. But it comes back faithfully, year after year.

And each year we're delighted to see it slowly unfold those petals. It's been open now for well over a week. So before you know it, it'll die back once again. So wanted to capture it's beauty before the petals fade and fall.

Spring Bee

For the first time, in what seems to be ages, we had a Spring Day. It was heavenly.

Spend most of it outside, wandering around to see what's popping in the garden, other then knee-deep weeds.

And there it was, our little crabapple tree, bursting into bloom. To the delight of the bees who were swarming it in large numbers. You could hear them hum in content at the bounty of the fragrant, newly opened blossoms.

I love that little tree. In the spring it puts on such a show, which is followed by sweet, golden applets with red cheeks.

Sleeping Tree Frog

As I am sitting at my computer this morning, I can hear the voices of the tree frogs, happily talking to each other from the ponds and puddles all around us.

The rain has been relentless this winter, it's seems never ending at this point. But the frogs are thrilled, as I am sure are ducks and other water creatures.

Note to self, check for webs between the toes!!

As I was listening to the frogs chatting away in that funny voice of theirs, I remember a picture I had taken of a tree frog sleeping it off in one of my roses a few years back. And here he is.

Stormy Creek Clip

I've never tried the video option on my blog yet. So thought I might as well give it a whirl this morning.

Roaring Creek

We've been getting hit by some heavy storms this year. Seems like winter just doesn't want to leave us. On this day, the Spring Equinox, we'd given up all hope of even seeing the sun.

So imagine our delight when the big storm, though roaring through on the Coastal Range to the West of us and the Sierras to the East, seemed to hit and miss us.

Not only were we able to do our doggy walk up into the woodlands this morning, we also walked down to the creek to see how the mountain rains were impacting it.

We could hear the roar as we walked toward the back of the property. The closer we got, the louder it became. How delightful to find not only churning waters, racing along with bits of debris and logs bobbing on the waves, but also clouds of all colors. Dark gray ones. Fat white ones. And in between, bright blue pools of sky and quick bursts of sunlight as well.

It feels like spring will come...........even if it's not quite ready as of yet.

Pink Stellata Magnolia

Every year I promise myself I'll not buy anymore plants , other then low maintenance succulents to go into my empty flower pots. And then spring arrives and with it sunny, balmy days filled with wonderful blossoms everywhere.

Of course I could not resist this wonderful Stellata Magnolia in pink. The white ones are plentiful, but Kathy ,who owns a local nursery, only got this one pink in with a shipment of white Stellata. So of course I had to add it to my collection.

I loved the way the morning sun lit up the open petals. Later that same day I noticed that not only are the flowers stunning, the honey bees and bumble bees love them!! Doesn't get any better then that. :)

Cherry Plum Blossoms

After a wonderful preview of Spring, this last week it's gotten very chilly again. Our nights are freezing once more. But despite it all, the Cherry Plum has decided it's time to bloom. And during the warm afternoon hours the bees appreciate the effort to provide nectar. The blossoms aren't very thick on the tree, but those who are open make up for that lack in delicate beauty.

Morning Splendor

We're getting hit by some of the last winter storms (we hope) this week. A very wet one just left and this morning the next, much colder one is moving in with strong winds and clouds that are racing along.

But we managed our doggy walk in between storms this morning.

As we came around the corner and started down the road, suddenly the rising sun broke through the clouds in the East and illuminated the landscape in front of us with a wonderful golden light.

It was absolutely breathtaking. All I need now is a Digi Cam that can capture it a bit better. But for a little pocket cam, not bad, all in all.

Spring Beauty

Though the nights are still fairly cool, the arrival ofspring cannot be stopped.....it might stall for a while yet, but there are signs of hope. Almost daily I find more messengers assuring me that the cold, dark season is slowly making way for the longer, warmer days. I love the deep yellow cups on these little Narcissus. Miniature suns!!

Hummingbird HQ

Most of the time, as I look out the window from our little table, this little hummingbird is resting on that same branch. It appears to be his, in between sips of nectar, Headquarters. At first I only noticed him in the late afternoon/early evening hours, as the sun is setting. That's when I took this picture.

But now I look for him a lot and he sits there throughout the day, whenever he needs a breather from visiting the feeder, dipping into flowers or chasing of rivals.

As I am posting this, he just zoomed back into the pale blue skies once again.......snacktime!!

Snowdrops

Yesterday, with the sky cleared after the recent storm , I was wandering around the yard, enjoying the fresh,moist air. As I rounded the corner by the small pond, my eyes fell on a patch of white in the oak leaves. To my delight I found a small group of snowdrops who had eagerly pushed their heads through the debris, determined to find sunlight. What a beacon of hope! The first signs of spring have arrived on delicate stems. To me snowdrops have always meant that we're slowly moving toward the new season. Though our winters aren't very harsh , I am always looking forward to being able to spend my days outdoors once again.

Goodbye, Rosie

Though I try to share only joyful things, today I wanted to share something that reminds us to savor each and every day.

This morning we had to say our goodbyes to our old girl Rosie. She suddenly got critically ill, we're still reeling from the speed in which it all happened. She was in her teens and suffered from arthritis and had for some years now. But through it all her tail never stopped wagging. Even today, while enduring the pokings and proddings at the vet, she was sweet and wagged that tail. But her suffering was such that it was only right to let her go. She got to wander around the yard at the vet's with her "dad" sniffing at this and that while we awaited all of the test results.

And that's the way we'll remember her. Everyone loved her and we'll miss her terribly.

She was a part of our lives for 10 years , we found her abandoned by the roadside as a grown up girl.

Farewell, dear Rosebuddy!!!!!

Sunsets

Lately we've had some of the most amazing sunsets. Huge, strange cloud formations, building and moving to the West of us, over the coastal ranges. Some evenings I just sit on the steps and enjoy the show. But often that's the time of night I am feeding the cats and dogs their evening meal, only to find myself running back out again and again in between getting their dishes ready, for one more look or one more picture. I don't think the four-legged ones are impressed. But I just can't resist. Too beautiful to miss.

Manzanita Blossoms

Right now is the season in which our Manzanitas are blooming. I love the porcelain white bells, some tinged with pink. Usually I see a special kind of bee visiting them. They are large and dark with a little "funnel" of sorts at the tip of their" faces", which fit neatly into the tight opening at the bottom of the blossoms. They'll hum around me as I get too close to their treasures. I think they might be what are called Mason Bees.

But for some reason haven't spotted them yet this year. However our honey bees are desperately buzzing around the clusters, attempting to find a way in to the nectar they can obviously scent but not get to. The opening at the bottom is very narrow, they can't even get their heads in, nor they front feet. But they keep on trying. I can feel their frustration as they attempt, blossom after blossom, to find the bounty within. But as they are determined, in the end they must find a way to extract the nectar.

Buddhist Boy Monk

As we already have too much stuff, I was craving a space which is peaceful and tranquil. A place to get away from it all. To sit and think, breathe, practice Qigong and Tai Chi. So my lovely husband build an exquisite little building for me, which we call the Zen Room/House.

In it resides this sweet Buddhist Boy Monk, which Karma seemed to have send our way. So now when I need to settle my thoughts, read a few inspirational lines or explore my Tarot and Oracle cards I have a "companion" to help me focus and be at peace. There are still a few finishing touches to be added to both the interior (trim) and the exterior, but it's nearly complete and just having this peaceful statue set up makes it feel complete. :)

Siegfried, the Silver Tabby

This is one of our original cats, now 14 years old. He's a handsome Silver-Tabby named Siegfried . When I saw him for the first time as a kitten ,I immediately thought of Siegfried and Roy's white tigers .

On this particular afternoon he couldn't make up his mind whether he was coming in for the night.............or not.

So he sat on top of the cattery, next to the weathervane to think about it for while. I am glad I got this shot, as he came down shortly after I put the camera away. It was a cold, but sunny afternoon and in the end the thought of a heated throw won out over the temptation of continued freedom.

Snow Still Life

While on our walk after the recent snowfall, found this nice oakbranch which had broken off in the storm.

Loved the color of the moss and lichen against the snow. Shortly after taking my first picture of it, Tut, our big boy came racing along joyfully and trampeled it into the snow. It did not survive.

Happy Snowy New Year 2011

After longing for snow endlessly all winter, last night, shortly before midnight our wish was finally granted. It started snowing and continued to do so for a few hours. Sadly now the temps are slowly rising and the WinterWonderland is gently melting away.

But here's a little Snowbunny I was able to capture before it's all gone. At his feet a violet is blooming.

The Tree at Night

Decided to take another picture of our wonderful tree as night was falling, just before there was need to use the flash. I am very pleased with the end result. Love the way the treelights and shadows are playing on the walls.

Christmas Tree 2010

For the first time in ages, this year we have a real, full-sized Christmas Tree. What a treat. My dear husband worked tirelessly to ready the Zen Room in which the tree is housed.

It turned out wonderful. We drove to town late yesterday afternoon and found the perfect tree in the last Christmas Tree lot in town. Ashlee, our granddaughter was as thrilled as we were.

We rushed home, got it set up and started decorating at once. Worked until late in the afternoon/early evening and got it done. Revisited many nice ornaments I hadn't seen in many years. I'll share a few before the season is over.

Nest in Winter

When leaving the fitness center after our Tai Chi Class the other day, my eye fell on a lovely, little bird's nest, newly revealed by the falling of the last autumn leaves.

All summer we walked past that tree, not knowing of the cozy home, hidden in the center. Protected by lush growth, nestled securely amongst the branches.

But now, with inhabitants long flown, it's been exposed . We'll be listening carefully come spring. Will the former occupants set up home once again., maybe raise a feathered family?

Abalone

Earlier this year my dear husband of nearly of quarter of a century celebrated his 70th Birthday. So rather then spend it at home, I planned a 3 day outing for him. We spend a few days in Monterey. The highlight of our stay was a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

As the year is nearing it's end, I wanted to share some of the images I took that day.

This Abalone shell was resting in a shallow pool, allowing visitors a close-up look and touch of it, and the brilliant sea stars and seaweeds alongside it.

Winter Morning

Many of our mornings are now frosty. Which is wonderful for getting us in the Christmas Spirit in sunny California. Growing up in a land where the holiday season tended to be of the Winter Wonderland variety, even frost in the morning gets us in the spirit. So on those winter mornings when our garden is sparkling with diamonds of frost, I always skip around cheerfully, trying to capture as much of it as I can with my camera. The amethyst gazing globe glittering in the morning sun was a wonderful find for me.