One day at a time

I just finished producing our monthly church newsletter, with photos. I've learned that I can move them from iPhone to laptop by emailing them One. At. A. Time. This tedious process makes me more selective, which is probably a good thing. Not that you might be able to tell by the number of photos below; playing catch-up after visits to two different commercial flower growers with display gardens would challenge the most selective photographer!

In chronological order, here are a few of the photos I felt worth sharing. First, four of my eight hens:

Next, photos from our visit with friends to Adelman Peony Gardens, mostly taken in the fields, rather than the display gardens:

Two days later, we went with family to Schreiner's Iris Gardens, where all my photos were made in the display gardens:

Chuckie, our resident hay inspector:

Poppy, my mighty hunter:

I've had to take Poppy on leashed walks for awhile now (during which she caught that young California ground squirrel in tall grass) because she thinks she can take a deer. I'm sure this doe has offspring stashed on our property because she goes after Poppy in the pasture, and although Poppy thinks it a grand game to dodge her, one strategic blow with a sharp hoof could disable or even kill her.

The ewes escaped their paddock on the neighbor's property recently and wandered around in the nasty grass that I've been calling foxtail or cheat grass but which my neighbor has identified as Ripgut Brome. Scary stuff. I spent hours in the fold monkey-picking the sharp awns from their wool, hands-on time with each ewe which they all came to love.

It's raining today, which is always appreciated this time of year. Too often in recent years the rain has stopped abruptly in spring, followed by a long, hot, dry summer that feels decidedly un-Oregon. But so far, June has been cooler and often damp, if not always wet. But after typing that I looked at the forecast, UGH; temps at 90 and above are in the ten-day forecast.

No other big news right now. We're coming up on our 42nd wedding anniversary, and haven't made any plans yet. I like plans; my husband is more spontaneous. Yep; opposites attract. 😉

That's it for now from . . .

Busy days with lots to write about

I follow Leigh Tate's blogs 5 Acres & A Dream and Leigh's Fiber Journal. Her last update of the first one had lots of updates and no photos. Point taken. One does not have to share photos, as much as one may like to. Since transferring photos still isn't possible, I decided to follow Leigh's lead, as much for my own record-keeping as for you. So here goes.

On May 23 I shared the photos I took on Mother's Day, partly out of frustration that I couldn't share the photos I took on the 23rd of Adelman Peony Gardens. We went with friends on a perfect Sabbath afternoon and it felt like being in the Garden of Eden. 

Rick's sister and younger niece flew in Sunday night, May 24. They stayed with Rick's mom, but we all spent Memorial Day together, first enjoying fresh strawberries over waffles at my MIL's, then going to Schreiner's Iris Gardens. We mentioned needing to get hay in our barn, and bless their horse-lovin' hearts, the visitors offered their help. So the next evening the four of us unloaded two trailers full of hay; Rick and I got a third load of hay in the next evening, and the last half-load in today.

And where was Brian? Taking it easy inside. On the 21st he punched a door and both broke and dislocated bones in his hand/wrist; he had surgery on it last Thursday. 😒

Between Friday, May 22, and today I got our garden in. Rick was going to amend the garden soil with compost but I got tired of waiting. I purchased some starts (six tomatoes, two sweet peppers, two eggplant, two six-packs of assorted salad greens, three basil, two curly parsley), was given some starts (two cape gooseberries, two cherry tomatoes, five assorted cucumbers), purchased some seeds (Detroit Dark Red Beets, Tendergreen Improved Bush Beans), and used seeds from my stash (Scarlet Nantes Carrots, Armenian Pale Green Cucumbers, Long White Zucchini of Palermo, Tricolor Zucchini, Butternut Squash). The salad greens and herbs went into the stock tank on the east side of the house; the rest into our little garden plot on the west side of the house. Oh, and Rick finally planted my poor potted fig tree up in our 'orchard' – and he's even watered it a couple times.

Recently one of our hens died after acting poorly for several days. One of my older ewes has also been ailing; I'm hoping the antibiotics we have her on now will turn her around. In spite of the medical problems the humans have racked up, all has been quiet with the animals' health (other than Lance's asthma flare-ups) for the last year and a half at least. Guess it couldn't last forever.

That's the update, sans photos, from . . .

Mothers Day 2026

Before my devices stopped cooperating, again, I managed to transfer my Mothers Day photos from my iPhone to my MacBook. Since it was a lovely day and it's what I have, here we go.

First, we (DH, DS, and me) met Rick's mom, step-father, and his oldest daughter at a restaurant in town for a delicious breakfast.

Lemon crepes, which I split with Brian

Veggie hash, with Brian shared with me

Then all but step-sister, who had to work, drove to Portland to take in the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens, always a beautiful destination. And the enjoyment started before we even entered. We parked, I looked up, and there was a bald eagle over Portland! There were lovely flowers along our route to the entrance as well.

I'm sure I've shared photos from past years' visits to Crystal Springs. But since I don't think it is possible to take the same photos every time, perhaps you'll enjoy the following regardless.

For scale, my guys are both well over 6' tall

That's what I've got for now from . . .