My idea of best kind of day off in gardening season, except perhaps for one touring gardens, is being in our own garden all day. Saturdays are never like that from May through September because I always go down to take some photos at the Ilwaco Saturday Market for the Discover Ilwaco page. It’s enjoyable enough, and is a project I set for myself so no one makes me do it (it’s a volunteer thing), but there are some Saturdays when it is hard to fit it in. This was one, and last week was another.
Some garden themed photos:
From last week, when we managed to get down to take photos before Nora’s funeral:
Our little garden on the west side of the port office is filling in and the baskets by Nancy Aust of Basket Case Greenhouse are looking wonderful.
Below, my view of our garden when I return from the market across Nora’s back lawn:
We were expecting exciting garden company at 11:15 and I got back with time enough to put out a bit more of the garden art that is slowly making its way outside now that the late spring winds have stopped. (I just remembered a hanging blue bottle thing that is still not out!) Debbie, a local woman who reads this blog and her friend Helen, who has one of my favourite gardens in Astoria, were welcome guests. I had been looking forward to their visit. (Helen’s garden was so good that we went back to see it in the winter!)
Helen took to all the cats, and almost every one got picked up! Even cranky old Maddy got picked up and seemed to enjoy it…something we never dare to do because of her claws and teeth.
Helen and Debbie were on their way to the annual Garlic Festival in Ocean Park and Allan and I were going to a cash mob in Chinook, so we parted ways. We go to all the Peninsula Cash Mobs because we help organize and publicize the events. We hadn’t had coffee yet so our first stop in Chinook was the café part of the cash mob, Chinook Coffee Company.
When I set my coffee on top of the car to open the door, this crow stole the straw right out of the cup!
When Allan came out of the café, the crow flew over and grabbed the cuff of his jeans.
I went in to get a new straw and the barista said that the crow was the pet of someone who lived nearby. He certainly was bold.
I found him fascinating…until he jumped on my shoulder and bit my ear and the top of my head. Then it was more like “The Birds”.
He flew off to a nearby roost when I moved but sat poised to return so we got in the car rather quickly and went to our next destination, Inpirations Stained Glass. The owner, Debbie Patana, when I described the experience said “OH, that’s Boyd’s crow” and added that the bird gets around town and is known for stealing pens at the outdoor art show over labour day.
Years ago in Seattle, Robert and I took a stained glass course and made some things. I like the glass and “jewels” and all that goes with the craft.
(Outside the front door were some pulmonarias, which you do not see in many gardens around here…)
The cash mob was a creative one; the shop offers some quicker projects for an afternoon of crafting, so I made two fish stamped onto a porcelain clay and Allan made a colourful bowl.
When my little fish are fired and coloured, they will look like the ones on the right:
They will be outdoors-hardy so I think they will look good in a small birdbath.
I have mentioned before that I find the show Deadliest Catch to be inspirational when it comes to hard work, so it was a treat for me to hear Debbie’s fishing stories as she comes from a fishing family; she grew up helping on the boat. She knew a lot of the oldtimers, including Nora, and I loved that.
We got home at about three. I did some weeding but my main inspiration was to reorganize the patio to create better access to all the planters and to find and fill with soil some containers to grow edibles in. Allan nobly went to water the Ilwaco planters without me. Nancy had stopped by while we were out and left me some kale and lettuce starts and I at least got them planted: very significant because our not very edible garden is going to be on the edible garden tour in August. More on this tomorrow. At least I have strawberries; Devery came in the late afternoon and picked some. I told her to keep picking daily because a huge number are getting ripe each day.
I had better find a better place for that lettuce bowl than right next to my white, highly poisonous monkshood!
Love the crow story! I’d like to know how Boyd tamed it, though I know it wouldn’t be difficult, they are so intelligent. He might have added a lesson in not attacking people, however! And maybe that stealing is wrong.
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What a sunny post.
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[…] at Inspirations Stained Glass to finally pick up the two little fish and a bowl that we had made on cash mob day back in June. That shows how busy our summer has been; any Saturday trip taking us through Chinook town has […]
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