Garden update...

I have a slug problem. Argh. They have never behaved this way before - the hosts remain untouched and yet as soon as a flower blossoms, it is slimed and munched. They've gotten the day lilies, the petunias and the pansies. Suggestions?

On a happier note - it's official! We've got our first little red tomato! I feel like everything in the yard has doubled in size in the blink of an eye. The cilantro and lettuce have bolted, but I'm keeping them on as "wildflowers."

It seems we are in the thick of our third round of blooms (daffodils and other bulbs being first, irises and peonies being second). The roses are up and going, along with speedwell, coreopsis, and the first of the asiatic lilies.

How does your garden grow?

In the kitchen this week...

The kitchen has been busy this week with cleaning and packing, eating up leftovers in preparation for our first camping trip of the season. Here are a few snippets. Be sure to check back next week (add me to your feeds!) and see what we ate in the wilderness.

swiss chard from the garden :: hot wings and veggies :: zucchini fritters :: sea salt and honey ice cream - conceptually brilliant flavor-wise, but in practice, kinda weird because the ice cream doesn't melt :: gooey caramel popcorn, no road trip is complete without it :: i spring cleaned my drawers, nice tidy potholders :: the camping kitchen box

Joining Heather.

nature all around us

With the beautiful weather, we've had a heavy dose of nature these past two weeks. Here's a look at our most recent excursions.

woodpecker evidence :: grass carp spawning, an amazing experience to behold (that's a big fish jumping in the photo) :: the end of the lake trail :: goose family :: lake sunset :: wee rhododendron :: first lady slipper of the season :: ghoulish tree :: love tree :: ravens rock :: don't look down :: the view from there (remember that picture) :: orchid colony like none other :: even more of them :: all day paddle trek :: tiger swallowtails (I couldn't pick up that trash without them flying away :( ) :: on cheat river looking up at ravens rock (that's why you were supposed to remember that other picture)

In Bloom

Full of loveliness - our little kingdom is. The only problem is that its all moving too fast. I can feel the days slipping by too quickly. Summer is in the air and before I know it, the dog days will be here and we will loathe stepping outside for even the smallest of chores, but for now... for now we will drink it in.

Yesterday afternoon was spent on the patio, under the umbrella where the breeze kept things cool. After three hours, I finally noticed that our baby sparrow wasn't peeping - I panicked! What had happened to him? He is ALWAYS peeping from the inside of the birdhouse, right outside my kitchen window. Later yesterday evening I saw him - a fledgling! He was resting on our patio chair and getting a snack from mamma.

The peas are scrambling up the netting I placed for them this past week. The berries are plumper everyday. Cilantro and dill are taking over and I am pulling them both like weeds. We added sage to the garden this year: common and pineapple. Any recommendations/recipes for the pineapple?

I am anxious for rain and today is promised to give us some showers - but you know how weather goes. We are at the point where we will have to start dragging the house out each night if the plants in containers don't get a good drink soon. We had a quick shower this morning when I snapped some photos of the berries and sage, but the sun is shining bright as ever now. Bring on the thunder storms! Bring on the drizzle. I'll take it any way I can get it.

Short Days, Long Days

Knock-Out Rose at sunset

Until yesterday, it literally had been MONTHS since I had even looked at the blog. I found this picture sitting in my draft folder. It was taken back in the fall when the days were short and the shadows were long. Isn't it sweet?

My rose bush looks pretty dead at the moment but I'm happy to report dafffodil buds which will be opening any day now. This past winter was the first time I realized that the longest days and darkest nights really do come and go so quickly, before Christmas. So when we all have the winter humdrums, we really are getting longer days and more sunshine each day despite the fact that it still seems so gray.

Anyhow, here's to a new spring and soon-to-be-green-again rose bush.