work, July 26; small crisis, July 27

I had planned another all Ilwaco day for Friday because our friend Patt was going to be passing through town. She’s a former resident who had to move away because of her spouse’s job, and she takes every chance to come back and visit.

We began at Larry and Robert’s, where I realized that their Escallonia is the wonderul white Escallonia ‘Iveyi’, old and large. I think of it is rare down here, so I wonder how that happened!

very big and white Escallonia

I watered while Allan dug the birdbath pedestal into the ground. The base was cracked, and we want to make sure it will not tip over onto one of their little dogs. Allan made it good and solid.

backyard birdbath

Then on to Mayor Mike’s; the rambling rose that is climbing into his tree needed a lot of dangling canes clipped with the long handled pruners.

Mike’s rose

In Mike’s garden: Eryngium ‘Jade Frost’

Kitty corner from Mike’s is Cheri’s garden where we weeded and deadheaded and pulled out a lot of spent Rose Campion.

Cheri’s front garden

We timed it pretty well as when we stopped off at home, we were only running about fifteen minutes late for a coffee klatsch at Olde Towne. I tried to pick Luanne a nice bouquet. However, I was feeling exceedingly tired and could not seem to find enough flowers to make a lush arrangement.

This was the best I could do….

I wish my sweet peas had done as well this year as last year. I suppose I can blame the weather. They are lacking in all “my” gardens compared to last year’s amazing bounty…except for Klipsan Beach Cottages where they are doing well.

Patt had arrived and was already enjoying her time at Olde Towne with Judy and Tom and Donna and MR. Luanne got to take a break and join us.

left to right…Donna, MR. Tom, Allan, Judy, Luanne and (just her shoulder), Patt

The delicious veggie sandwich on a croissant was mine.

Donna herself took some excellent photos. Here she is behind her big camera:

She edits her photos in Picasa with all sorts of delightful effects.

Patt and me, photo by Donna McKinley

MR and Tom, photo by Donna McKinley

Olde Towne’s darling Luanne, photo by Donna McKinley

Luanne kept visiting with us till about half an hour after closing time (which is 4 PM); then Allan and I went back to work in Ilwaco. He watered the planters while I weeded and watered at the boatyard.

the planter closest to the boatyard

As almost always, there was boat work going on while I watered from behind the fence.

Pacific Breeze

I had an incident while watering. As I stood behind the chainlink fence, hidden by a tall bronze fennel, I saw a couple walk by. The man does not register with me in particular but the woman stands out because she has a large dog and tattoos and piercings. (All three of those things are shared by a number of my friends.) She walks around a lot with her dog. She has made comments to Allan while he waters that imply she knows something about gardening. This time, I saw she was picking a very LARGE bouquet. I stepped out into a view and said (not shouted) “Hey, no picking!” and added the usual: “If everyone did that, there would be no flowers left.” “Sorry”, she said, seeming sincere. I saw what was in her other hand from the one holding the LARGE bouquet: Professional looking red handled garden clippers. I said, “I am SHOCKED. You even brought clippers!” “Sorry,” she said again and she and her friend and dog walked on. I went out after a bit and thought I should take a photo from afar of finger blight in action (the bouquet in her hand as they walked away) but a car got between me and them. Maybe just as well.

As I went down the garden side of the fence pulling weeds, I saw some more finger blight. As always happens, someone had pulled the flowers off the Echinops (Blue Globe Thistle). It seems to be irresistible to finger blighters wherever I plant it. At least I know the attempt to twist off the flower stem was not from the woman with the red clippers.

finger blight

I am amazed and pleased that the Alliums have for some reason been immune to picking, maybe because they are low to the ground. They are teetering due to our recent heavy wind but still there.

Allium albopilosum

The big poppies are just going to seed…

red poppy

big fluffy white peony poppy

Allan helped me finish weeding….

You can tell the gardening is entering the less flowery midsummer time…

…and then we went to check on the Port Office gardens to make sure they looked excellent for the annual Tuna Classic event. Allan went up on the port office balcony to get some photos of the sporty tuna boats that come to town for the event.

marina overview

And he snuck a photo of me working on the south side of the port office.

at work

I was not feeling happy because both of my eyelids were stinging and burning, especially the right one. I thought (and still think) it might be because when I was weeding and clipping at the boatyard, I leaned into the Stipa gigantea ornamental grass to cut some broken stems, and the flower of the grass might have brushed against my eyelid when I closed my eyes to protect myself from the dreaded ornamental grass cut. (I should wear goggles when I do that.)

At home, I did the blog for the day while Allan made dinner and then we watched a show as we ate. The whole time, I fretted and fretted because of the burning eyelid syndrome. This had happened before, twice, in the previous two years, with unpleasant results. In a state of extreme anxiety I almost wept because the very next day was the Gearhart garden tour. I had been counting the days and had indeed been looking forward it it ever since last year’s wonderful Gearhart tour. What if I couldn’t see? What if I had to go to the hospital? Oh, the distress.

The horror! Above, 6 AM.
Below: 9 AM

And indeed, when I woke up at 6 AM my right eye was swollen almost shut, just as I feared.

I took photos to email to Judy to garner sympathy. I did not think I would get a wink more sleep after 6 AM, and fretted about how I could enjoy the tour on only four hours of sleep…but I did fall back asleep for two more hours. There was little pain involved, just some eyelid burning, and my eyes themselves were fine, or I might have had the sense to go to the emergency room (or, er, waited till after the tour and then gone immediately). Fortunately, I had a pair of dark glasses so that my still swollen eyelid and under-eye bag would not scare the other tour guests. So off we went across the bridge.

There was the usual bridge work slowdown.

bridge work

The usual complete halt, allowing for a photo through the bridge rails (for which I removed the cold washcloth that I had kept pressed to one stinging eyelid).

view

And the slowdown allowing a closer look at the bridge itself as we go nice and slowly up the highest spot.

And then, after all my suspense and fear of missing the tour, we were on to Gearhart for Gardens by the Sea!