27 November: Studio Tour

Friday, 27 November 2015

We got to eight of the studios on the tour.  Our day included a nursery and a garden visit, as well as a visit to a friend’s art studio, and those will be in our next post(s).

The Picture Attic

our friend Jean Nitzel’s Picture Attic

The Picture Attic was an excellent place for photo processing during my pre-digital years on the Peninsula and now focuses on picture framing, craft supplies, and art classes.

card making kits and framing supplies at The Picture Attic

 

The Hobbit Shop (Jim Unwin)

down a woodsy road to a magical place

The Hobbit Shop

chairs made of pallets sitting by the Unwin residence

an observer who watched all the comings and goings

I do love just using old branches for decoration.

Allan’s photo

Jim Unwin’s art of carving

in the workshop

Allan’s photo

Jim at work

ingredients for future projects

Naquaiya’s Studio

the sweet little residence

Allan’s photo

by the entryway

inside the studio

Bette Lu Krause

leading the way….Allan’s photo

Betty Lu herself

inside

view from the window

refreshments

We especially like Bette Lu’s art

And look who crossed paths with us just as we left the Krause studio:

chatting outside with Our Kathleen

Don Perry Metal Art

Don’s studio; I brought my walking stick for his steep driveway.

Allan’s photo, summery weather

quail and driftwood

crab and mermaid

inside

All the metal “sayings” had to do with wine.  However, Don said he could make me one of a garden quotation, so I am pondering that.  Gardening is the slowest of the performing arts?  No…I think Village Green Preservation Society!  That’s it!

Before the next studio, we drove through Oysterville and had a walk through our favourite garden there.  That will be tomorrow’s post!  Then on to…

Carol Couch Watercolors

Carol’s dream house that she designed for beauty and comfort

so excited to revisit this pretty little house that I love that I had a shaky hand

inside the studio, where we found Our Kathleen again

Allan’s photo

the living room

a house full of light

The stromboli was so delicious…

and here is the recipe.

in the kitchen

dream deck on north side of the house

Marshmallows for toasting were provided for tour guests.

view from the deck

a hummingbird by the deck (Allan’s photo)

Wiegardt Studio Gallery

We visited the gallery of Todd’s brother, Eric, and of course had a good look at the garden that we used to do.

Todd has the garden looking tidy, mulched, with weed free gravel.

Allan’s photo of our favourite tiny bun: a dianthus

I think I see deer prints.

tidy, with a handsome fence repair by our good friend Bill Clearman

Bill Clearman recently repaired the fence and front door.

Todd is winning the battle against montbretia, a battle I never had time to wage here.

Allan touring the garden.

Indoors, we found the bouquet that I had provided some of the ingredients for two days ago.

Todd’s autumnal bouquet

It was a pleasure to visit Eric’s glorious art again.

the gallery

Eric Wiegardt Gallery

Eric Wiegardt Gallery

Eric Wiegardt Gallery

Our good friend Christl was working on framing in the workshop area.  She said she knew we would show up for the tour day because she had read our intentions in this blog.  That made me happy.

Our Kathleen, Christl hard at work (Allan’s photo)

Christl: Allan’s photo

Karen Brownlee Pottery

After a side visit and cup of tea at our friend Joe’s gallery (not on the official tour and needs it own journal entry), we ended at about one second before closing time at Karen Brownlee’s pottery studio.  She graciously told us she had been about to post that she would stay open late.

Karen Brownlee Pottery

Karen in her studio

Allan’s photo; Karen tells us what she is up to.

She was making a piece of this kind…

…by doing this.

Karen Brownlee Pottery

Karen Brownlee Pottery

I especially like the cranberry pattern.

photo borrowed from Karen. I love these pumpkins and apples.

Karen wrapping our purchases.

I can’t show you what we bought this year; our main mission was Christmas cards, and a few presents just may have been purchased, as well.

Tomorrow, and maybe the next day, too: the rest of our long and eventful day including a garden visit and tea at our friend Joe’s studio.  Regular readers have already read yesterday’s post which included our evening at the Sou’wester listening to the Skinks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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26-27 Nov: work and two Sou’wester evenings

Thursday, 26 November 2015

I woke at 7:30 to a heavy frost covering the garden, still too dark to take photos of it even if I felt like getting that cold.  So I fretted for awhile about the need to go out and do some post-frost clean up in Long Beach.  When Allan arose, he had to make pies for tonight’s potluck before we could go out and work; the work part came as rather a shock to him as he had had no warning of it other than the “post frost clean up” list on the work board.

Allan making pies with ginger snap crusts

The recipe was one that Our Kathleen had found online.  It turned out deliciously.

The sunny day would have called me into my own garden. (Acanthus ‘Hollard’s Gold’ from our front porch)

Long Beach

After the pies were out of the oven, we emerged from staycation to do the post frost clean up in Long Beach.

The front of the welcome sign, with the bidens on the edge STILL not ready to pull.

The bidens WILL come out when we make our last bulb planting go-round.

I like the look of new and old flowers on the echibeckia.

At least the back of the sign clearly had some bacopa on the edge that could be pulled.

In Fifth Street Park, the gunnera was down.

Allan clipped the stems and laid old leaves over the crown for winter protection.

Meanwhile, I trimmed any planters that looked like this…blue flowers (Geranium ‘Rozanne’ or not…they had to go today.

primroses under the tree in front of Malai Thai restaurant.

another primrose under the same tree

‘Twas time to chop down the pineapple sage in Fifth Street Park (center)

Fifth Street Park’s NW quadrant

When I clipped back the foliage of California poppies in front of The Hungry Harbor Grille, even though the leaves still looked pretty fine, the owner came out and said thank you.  This validated my opinion that most people like to see planters looking tidy now instead of having old foliage hanging on till a frost hard enough to turn it black comes along.

Allan’s photo: Gaura ‘So White’ in Fish Alley, before and after

Also I just can’t keep coming out and checking on planters every time there is a frost.  It is time to be done.

northernmost planter, Geranium ‘Rozanne’ still blooming…

It got the chop anyway.

We took the debris, clean and not weedy, home to our debris pile.

Ilwaco

But first, we cleaned up the Ilwaco planters.

These pedestrians crossed the street to avoid me.

Perhaps they were going to the free community Thanksgiving dinner that was taking place at the Inn at Harbour Village just down the street.

As dusk approached, we limbed up some of the street trees at the intersection of Main and First.  I was especially pleased to make the sign for the Portside Café more visible (and just wish I had taken before and after photos as it was not showing at all from this direction before).

Portside neon sign

Allan’s photo: at the port at dusk

Allan’s photo

the work board: If only I had remembered to do the Ilwaco Post Office planter!

We had only a half hour turn around time before going out again to the potluck Thanksgiving dinner at…

The Sou’wester

Allan’s photo: entering the pavilion

the pavilion tables set for the potluck

Two tables were laden with food (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

an accidental photo that our dining companions quite liked (by Allan)

in the pavilion (Allan’s photo); the Sou’wester loves vinyl.

Kathleen’s curried carrot salad with raisins was so good (and I usually don’t like raisins) that I made a note of her recipe:

curried carrot raisin salad

group raising a toast, photo courtesy The Sou’wester

Later, we all adjourned to the warmer living room in the lodge for an array of desserts.  I managed to get a video (still dark ish) that shows the motion of that sign that I love.

Sou’wester vintage Spartan trailers (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photo

The dessert table; that’s Sou’wester owner Thandi’s mum on the right.

Thandi’s mother made several desserts including baklava and Turkish delight.

an array of delights

me, our Kathleen, and Julez, the owner of Salt Hotel

replete (Allan’s photo)

Friday, 27 November 2015

Today’s excursion to the Peninsula Art Association Studio Tour will be a separate post, tomorrow.

Just down the street, the Ocean Lightning is parked where a boat called the Ocean Thunder used to sit.

post office planter, before and after

We drove onto the Anchorage Cottages property just enough to see if the calla lilies had gone to mush. They had not.  So we backed out and returned to the studio tour.

At home after the studio tour: Only two frost clean ups and one go-round with bulbs (and Allan’s mulching of the library/community building garden) stands between us and true staycation.

amended work board with all Ilwaco clean up erased.

At 7:30, we were off again to an event I’d been looking forward to for a couple of months:

The Skinks (are the Village Green Preservation Society) at the Sou’wester

WE are the Village Green Preservation Society so that song is one of my favourites.  Can one song be my favourite ever?  I deeply regret having forgotten that my camera takes a few seconds to set up for a movie, so I missed the all important first few words on the following clip that does get across how well The Skinks captured the chugging, clunky, proto-punk, endearing sound of the Kinks.

God save the village green!

The Skinks filled my heart with joy.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

from the song Village Green by the Kinks (from the same album):

I miss the village green,
And all the simple people.
I miss the village green,
The church, the clock, the steeple….

And I will return there….
And we’ll sip tea, laugh,
And talk about the village green.
We will laugh and talk about the village green. 

It’s not often that a much anticipated event lives up to one’s expectation.  This evening was one of the those times.

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24-25 November: at home at last

Tuesday, 24 November 2015

at home with the cats, catching up on this blog and doing some billing for our November work

In the afternoon, we attended the Long Beach city council’s budget workshop about the distribution of the Business and Occupancy tax monies.

Allan’s photo, city council in session

We were especially impressed with Del Murry’s council skills (second from left, in black) and we are happy to report that the Columbia Pacific Farmers Market funding was approved.

Wednesday, 25 November 2015

Allan’s photo: ice! in the Lake Street puddles

I slept ridiculously long and felt guilty when I saw the sun was out…till I realized that the morning had been cold and icy.  In the afternoon, the weather inspired me to put in four hours of intense gardening.

in bloom: Jasminum nudiflorum on the east fence

Jasminum nudliforum

Mahonia in Allan’s garden

Icy birdbath made me feel better about sleeping late.

bird bath ice

Allan mowed; the lawn had gotten long during all the rain and then a week of workdays.

Allan’s photo, before he mowed around the fire circle

perhaps the final mowing of the year

a belated kniphofia

penstemon

penstemon, Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and Erysimum ‘Winter Orchid’

I decided to tackle the project of moving the floppy sanguisorbas from the front to the back (moister) garden.

front path view, before, looking west

before, looking east

a large frog awoken from a sanguisorba nap

Allan’s photo: a large frog in my gloved hands, disturbed in the front garden. “NOW I’m awake.”

relocated to a wilder spot in the back garden

The sanguisorbas that got so floppy in dry soil (like the ones above) got moved to the back garden.

Some with a more upright form were allowed to stay.

I bagged some to give away to friend at dinner tonight. This one, infested with a too-vigorous carex, went into the garbage can.

back garden, mowed

future staycation project: arrange some of the river rock around the back of the boat

We hauled a few more plants into the greenhouse.

Fatsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’ in Allan’s garden

Allan put his mother’s pot, now a water feature, away for the winter.

It would be a shame if it froze and broke.

I don’t think I’m supposed to put my sarracenia planter into the greenhouse…

I did put it in a small sheltered spot.

This had been my breakfast view.

same view, end of the afternoon

front path, end of day, looking west

and looking east

I was deeply pleased to have the sanguisorbas dug (and, later in the evening, Todd and Dave & Mel seemed happy to each get one in a big trash bag).  Last year at this time, I’d gone out to dig them and been discouraged by how hard it was and given up, so there they had sat for a whole ‘nother year..  Today, I asked for Allan’s help with only one of them.

At the end of the work session, I also asked Allan if he could “sometime” put one more line of wire along the sidewalk side of the garden.  With more plants cut down, I feared the deer would be inspired to try to jump over.  It seemed that in just moments, I turned around and he had it done.

deer proof, with a second wire added above (not very visible)

Allan finishing the second wire

Allan’s photo: dusk

We had a dinner engagement with Dave, Melissa, and Todd. Shortly before dark, Todd texted to ask if I had anything in the garden that would look good in a bouquet that he needed to make on Friday.  Allan and I hightailed it to the port, where we knew of a red twig dogwood that could be clipped.

Allan’s photo: Local kite flier Dave was walking his kite through the port parking lot despite the cold evening temperature.

From my own garden, I gathered some elephant garlic heads, some sanguisorba flowers, and some more  twiggy bits.  Two days later, we got to see the resulting bouquet at the Wiegardt Gallery during the studio tour.

studio tour sneak preview, Todd’s autumnal arrangement

The Depot Restaurant

Burger Night (Wednesdays during off season): Melissa, Allan, Dave, Todd

burger night at The Depot (Allan’s photo)

We began our burger night meal at 7 and were the last to leave the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

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The Depot Restaurant garden, 2015 overview

Here’s our garden bed on the north side of the Depot Restaurant dining deck through the year.  Some of the plants:  tulips and narcissi, Cosmos ‘Sensation’ mix, lilies, Solidago ‘Fireworks’, Coreopsis ‘Flower Tower’, Eryngiums, Verbascum, and hops on the lattice.  How quickly a year goes.  Just before we did this year’s fall clean up, we were dining at the Depot and Allan said we had “just cut the hops down”.  I suddenly had a strong tactile memory of the way the vines feel as I clip them and it did seem we must have already done it this fall and forgotten about it.  But when we went outside after dinner, the hops were still there, so that powerful memory came from a year before and seemed like it had just happened.

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23 Nov: erasing fall clean up

Monday, 23 November 2015

Would the rain hold off long enough to let us get the last of the fall clean up done?

breakfast table view

I’m longing for staycation so I can stay home with cats and books.

my Tetrapanax

I wish the Tetrapanax had time for these buds to open.

On the way to our first job, I did some clipping at the Post Office, and would have done more weeding and tidying were it not for an audience of two that formed.  One of the two audience members had a van covered with evangelical religious slogans so I decided to hightail it out of there before getting proselytized.

Post Office garden, almost all tidied

Port of Ilwaco

Yesterday evening, I’d erased the port from the fall clean up list on the work board, and yet I was still bothered by the thought of the unclipped  lavender in the port office curbside garden.  So we clipped it.

before

after (with the UPS truck)

Garden: much better. Next week this truck will be bringing me, Dave and Mel, and Todd one more box of bulbs to share.

dump run

We still had a large load of debris, from Marilyn’s garden, that had to go to the dump.

to the dump, east of Sandridge Road

entering with 5980 pounds.

to the wood and yard waste pile, straight ahead ($15 a load for clean green)

muddy and I had no boots, so Allan offloaded.

Allan’s photo

Out with 5640 pounds.  Comes to 340 lbs of garden debris from Marilyn’s yesterday.

Long Beach

Ah, here are the chrysanthemums that I meant to photograph a couple of days ago.

We began out on the Bolstadt beach approach, figuring that would be the most unpleasant place to be if the rain or wind came.

Allan’s photo

remains of a beer and smokes picnic in one of the planters

Thirteen sections of weedy mess in the beach approach garden loom in our weeding future next year.

looking east

and west

the horrible prospect

grass in the rugosa roses

I could weep.

The Horror!

Long Beach does not pay us enough to be able to hire Dave and Mel and/or Todd to help us with this mess next year, even if they were kind enough to help.  I am obsessed with the LB job, but our gardener friends have no reason to devote their time doing such hard and nasty weeding for less than top dollar.

At least, with fewer jobs, Allan and I hope to be able to get to this earlier next year.  (Like financial fools, we gave away our highest paying jobs and kept this one, out of love, I guess!)

One last rugosa rose flower.

Today, we just tidied the planters and pulled crocosmia from the garden.  There is no point in wasting the city’s money on weeding in November, when the weeds would have just returned by early springtime.

Crocosmia Lucifer among the roses

Allan’s photos, before

and after

Allan’s photo

The vista grew dark; I was sure a downpour would arrive any second. It did not.

The easternmost roses, protected by this building from the southwest wind, are tallest.

The parking lot berms just east of downtown also got some attention.  Their weed quotient is also high, and again, it is not worth the city’s money or our time to weed them before winter, so we just pulled crocosmia and clipped Stipa gigantea.

shabby looking center berm

I often wonder what the story is with this little house.

Stipa gigantea, before

and after

before and after, Allan’s photos

Sheets of grass have returned with the autumn rains.

Even the biggest dandelions must wait till next early spring.

Allan’s photo

in 2016, must have some mulch to loosen up these beds.

This year, the crocosmia we pulled last month is already coming back in the mild weather.

I think the solution for those flat grassy sunken areas is to just plant more Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’.  I always have it to spare, and it does keep the grass down, and the tourists like it.  Or even more mugo pines.  Or…something.  More ornamental grasses. Red hot poker seems to prevail over weeds. Delicate perennials get trodden upon or choked up with grasses.  Anything planted here must survive the summer with NO supplemental water.  This year was a harsh test and I am impressed with all that survived.

Next, we groomed the planters on the Sid Snyder beach approach.

The furthest west planter is the only one still done by volunteers, Back Country Horse Rides.  They filled it with annuals.  And watered it frequently.

Allan’s photo, before weeding it today

I guess we should have been checking up on it this fall!

Allan’s photo, after weeding. If the geraniums were mine, I would pull them now.  I did not as there is just a faint chance they might make it through a mild winter.

before and after (Allan’s photos)

We clipped the tiny pocket garden at the World Kite Museum.  While we were there, Museum Store manager Patty came outside and said “I knew I’d see you soon because I saw our name on your work board!” (on this blog).  That made my day.

Kite Museum: We did not clip the Oregano ‘Hopley’s Purple’ because it adds winter interest.

Our last Long Beach task: to trim the roses on the south wall of the police station.  They were about six inches out over the sidewalk, along which folks will be walking to get to the Christmas festivities at Veterans Field.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here then?” says the British bobby in Christmas lights.

Allan’s photo

Roses clipped back (Rosa rugosa ‘Blanc Double De Coubert’)

Veterans Field from next to the police station

Meanwhile, two members of the city crew had been decorating the city Christmas tree in Veterans Field.

Vet Field tree being installed and decorated

stringing the lights

flying bird of the day? Allan’s photo

We won’t get to see the tree lighting ceremony on December 5th because it conflicts with the lighting of Ilwaco’s Crab Pot Christmas Tree.

Just before 4 o’clock, we dumped our large load of Long Beach debris at city works.

The front mountain of debris is from out of the city parks and planters over the last couple of weeks.

The rain that had been forecast for 3 PM arrived at 4 as we were on our way not only to our last job of the day but to the last job of the fall 2015 fall clean up.

as we head south down Pacific Highway

The Depot Restaurant

I’d decided to do a pre-emptive removal of the annuals in the Depot window boxes (planted by Basket Case Greenhouse owner Nancy Aust).  A restaurant needs to look good always, and this way we won’t have to rush up there and check on the windowboxes any time there’s a frost.  Last year, we drove by several times during staycation to check on the Annuals That Would Not Die (till they finally did).

before: The escallonia in front of the Clamshell Railroad interpretive sign would like to be ten feet tall.

after: Allan clipped it. I did not have the heart to pull the annuals in the barrels.

before and after (Allan’s photos)

after: windowboxes decorated with some redtwig dogwood

after: Allan also clipped the Lonciera ‘Baggeson’s Gold’ (boxleaf honeysuckle).

And then the rain came in earnest.

That is it for the fall clean up.  We are now on Staycation(ish).  The “ish” is because we will have to emerge to do post-frost go-rounds of most of the gardens, and plant a few more bulbs here and there from the end of season sale order I made yesterday.  (Why???)  Oh, and I will have to spend some time doing billing!

To celebrate, we decided to dine at the restaurant of a friend who appreciates the importance of arriving at staycation time.

Captain Bob’s Chowder

the season sea serpent in Fifth Street Park, as we arrive at Captain Bob’s

with that poinsettia banner that I want for my arbour (but it costs 3-4 thousand dollars!)

Allan’s photo. I have banner envy.

Captain Bob’s right behind Fifth Street Park

Allan’s photo, including the corner of Marsh’s Free Museum

Captain Bob’s: aglow and inviting

Inside: almost closing time (it is mostly a lunch café although good for early dinners and take out)

a view of the Christmas lights

We got almost the last of the chowder, and two delicious crab rolls.

Allan’s photo

Cathy, who is going to close through Thanksgiving, gave us a to go container with the rest of her yummy crab mix for us to enjoy later tonight.

as we leave Captain Bob’s

In this regrettably slightly jerky video clip, you can see the NW and NE quadrants of Fifth Street Park, ending at the World’s Largest Frying Pan.  I tried to do a better version but a passerby kept wanting to talk to me about it!

at home

The fall clean up list is erased from the right side of the work board.

Just have a gander at that work board.  The frost check up list is easier than it looks and would probably only take a day, day and a half at most.  As for the library garden mulching, that is Allan’s job (although I might help).

And have a gander at THIS, as well:

The first wave of staycation reading from the library. (I’m presently reading The Family Man by Elinor Lipman.)

Gardening books I have acquired and not yet read…

AND this book of fiction and cartoons lent to me by Bayside Garden Steve!

I already am feeling that while staycation might last till the end of January, it won’t be long enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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22 November: almost there

Sunday, 22 November 2015

The plan was to get right out the door and get a lot done, polishing off the Port and boatyard gardens and the last few tasks in Long Beach.  However, upon looking at my phone before breakfast, I found a text from Todd that the Van Engelen end of season sale had begun.  This led to a phone call with Todd, who was working with Dave and Melissa at the Oysterville garden, as I scribbled down what each of them wanted from the order, and of course I ordered some more for myself.  Much discussion seemed necessary, leading to some anxiety at the end when I saw that the company will only hold the chosen items in one’s “wheelbarrow” for 20 minutes, as the competition nationwide is fierce for these choice and well priced items.

frantic bulbs scribblings

Allan’s photo, after the morning’s bulb ordering mayhem

We therefore got out the door later than I had planned to the gardens at…

Port of Ilwaco

We started at the easternmost garden on Howerton Avenue.  A glance at the weather on the way there had me thinking hard about altering the day’s plan.  Rain tomorrow would make it likely that we might drive all the way to Marilyn’s garden and then get rained out.  Just perhaps we could get the port done in time to do Marilyn today and Long Beach tomorrow.

looking west down Howerton, before

before: blurry with low weeds

I was thrilled that the weeds peeled off ever so easily (due to having mulched with cow fiber a year or more ago).  We did not even seem to lose much soil with the sheets of weeds (grasses and little dandelions).

 

after

after

Allan noticed a kayak launching and went for a closer look.  He commented to me that the boater was going out on a falling tide.

Allan’s photo: a Sunny Inflatable Kayak made for backpacking

At my request, Allan took out a few more Pacific Reed Grass by the Ilwaco pavilion.  They reseed like mad and I prefer to have just one group of three in this area (which is in a stretch with the original plantings of lots of too-big shrubs).

Allan’s photo: before with one already removed

after. I just don’t love that particular grass.  I try but….can’t…

I clipped the lavenders at the Port Office south side garden.

the view with a falling tide

I debated whether to clip these lavenders on the north side of the port office:

clipping dilemma

I decided not to, for lack of time, and on the theory that gardeners could go either way on that question, and non gardeners will probably not notice the difference.  My time decision proved to be wise. I may still be tempted to clip them on the last go-round after a hard frost.

Time Enough Books garden with ceanothus in full bloom, again

freaky out of season ceanothus

Allan’s photo: no time for a café lunch today

Allan weeded in the river rock bed at Salt Hotel.  (his photo)

two westernmost beds…an after but not a before. We left loads of poppy seedlings; the peskiest problem here was a dandelion infestation.

I was feeling hopeful about Marilyn’s.  Next, the boatyard garden.  Allan had weeded it while I was sorting bulbs, so today’s mission was to pull cosmos and sweet peas.

the biggest most amazing sweet pea of the year (Allan’s photo); it was ‘Black Knight’.

boatyard: yarrow and blue globe thistle still blooming

Knautia macedonica still blooming; lots of poppy seedlings

Persicaria ‘Firetail’ still blooming

not a perfect job…trying not to blow out the port’s budget with end of season perfection

Although I long to clip the santolinas, last time I did so in the fall, many died over the winter. I will wait till at least mid February.

looking north upon two blocks of boatyard garden, as good as it is going to get till 2016

Last thing at the port today (other than dumping debris): limbing up a columnar pear at the request of a business, for traffic sightline:

before

after

As I had hoped, we were done by 2:30.  I figured it would take half an hour to get to Marilyn’s, way up in Surfside, giving us two hours before dark.

Marilyn’s garden

It took 40 minutes to get there via Sandridge and Joe Johns Road.  We pushed ourselves to get as much done as we could, as this will be the last of the fall clean up (except for a possible post-frost visit to pull some mushy foliage here and there).

before, looking west from the driveway

two hours later

Allan’s photos: trimming along the east side of the house, before

and after; might not look much different, but he emerged with a lot of clipped shrubbery, so no branches will bang on the gutters on windy nights.

In this third session of fall clean up at Marilyn’s, we ended up clipping way more than we usually do in this wildlife friendly garden.  This year, I felt inspired to reveal the shapes of the grasses and shrubs more.  I will be curious to here whether this has any effect on how much the deer bed down in the garden.  They certainly will have fewer places to hide while sleeping.

one of Allan’s projects, before, looking south

and after. The pesky montbretia was the only perennial here when the lot was newly cleared, and it persists.

looking north, before and after

path before, looking south, before

before: another miscanthus that had grown a fresh new center after the outside flopped open.

after, in the gloaming, with the buddliea (a sterile form) clipped, as well

I clipped madly till almost dark, with Allan pointing out that if I did not stop it would be mighty hard to clean up.

after, looking northwest

My good friend Scooter came to visit at sunset.

basic fall clean up: as done here as it is going to get.  (Bye bye, Scooter!)

Allan lashing down the load; we will be stuck with it overnight.

Allan’s photo: moonrise over the lashed-in trailer

at home

Bulbs have made a reappearance on the work board.  The Long Beach planters would benefit by my sharing my soon-t0-arrive very early blooming crocus tommasinianus and iris reticulata with them.

work board tonight

Staycation is so close: just that short fall clean up column and, later, one day of post-frost checkups from south to north.  I think, because cold weather is due this week, we can do a pre-emptive strike on the Depot windowbox annuals tomorrow, and finish Long Beach, if only it does not rain too much.

 

 

 

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21 Nov: crab pot, kitty, KBC, concert

Saturday, 21 November 2015

My big plan for the day was to get Klipsan Beach Cottages and Marilyn’s garden both erased from the fall clean up work list, and then to finish Ilwaco and Long Beach tomorrow and have staycation begin on Monday.  (Except for the post frost clean up.)  Didn’t quite work out that way.

We pulled the last of the cosmos out of the post office garden.

post office window

Before driving north, we swung by the west end of the port to get some photos of the crab pot tree decorating party.

My good friend Misty was there.  (That’s Allan taking photos.)

Misty getting her butt scritched.

That meant our gardening client Diane was there, also.

Diane decorating the crab pot tree

Saturday Market manager Bruce Peterson on the right

Our former garden client and realtor Cheri Diehl (Discovery Coast Real Estate)

Allan’s photo

On the way to KBC, we dumped yesterday’s last partial load of debris in the city works pile, figuring we would need room for lots more at Marilyn’s.

park debris from Long Beach, and a sign we found floating in Fifth Street Park pond yesterday.

The day was progressing as planned when, about halfway to KBC, we passed a cat lying in the road, and Allan said “he’s alive”.  A surprising amount of traffic was on the highway and as we slowed and turned around (not easy with the trailer on), we saw him get bumped twice by cars, one of which appeared to run over his tail and one which maybe just jostled him or came really close.  It was a traumatic sight.  Allan ran back and scooped him into a bucket (while I hobbled along).  With the bucket set down on the edge of the side street, I hurried to the nearest house and knocked, and asked if the resident knew of the cat.  He did not, nor did his sister who lived just north.  Meanwhile, the cat lay sideways in the bucket.  We called the shelter and were told we could bring him in.  Thank goodness, because we could then count on a volunteer from there to take him to the emergency vet, which we knew from experience might be all the way to Seaside, Oregon.

Allan’s photo: After looking almost deceased, the cat nestled into the bottom of the bucket.

In the van, the cat curled into a ball and let me pet his head.  His breathing was ragged.

The rescue operation went pear shaped when we got to the shelter.

South Pacific County Humane Society

Thinking the cat was pretty much comatose, Allan got the bucket out to carry kitty into the shelter and suddenly kitty woke from his stupor and ZOOMED out of the bucket and around the neighbouring building.  We and three humane society people followed; they got a cat carrier and a blanket to catch him with.

in an open storage area

humane worker goes with blanket to nab him

And VROOM, kitty ran out and around the building and disappeared.  Damn it.  We felt like pretty lousy rescuers even though he was better off than an awful death in the road.  The humane society folk said they will put out food for him and I suppose they will put out a live trap.  Feeling frazzled and unhappy, we went off to work an hour later than we had planned.

Klipsan Beach Cottages

The first thing on my mind for the job was to clip a climbing rose that had been drooping last time.  Today, it was right down in the path, so both Allan and I worked on it in succession.

rose over path

later the same work session

Meanwhile, Allan spread 10 bales of Gardner and Bloome Soil Building Compost and I got myself into a pruning mess.

This rose and honeysuckle combo was way tall over the fence, which unfortunately this before photo does not show.

Once I began clipping, I simply could not stop till the climbers were well thinned and off the fence and level with the top of the arbour.  Mary and Denny were grateful because now they will have a winter view of the garden from their dining room and kitchen.

end of day, Allan rakes the debris while Denny enjoys “beer-thirty”.

What with embarking on that project and the hour lost to feline almost-rescue, I realized we were not going to get to Marilyn’s in time to accomplish enough, and therefore we stayed at KBC to make the pruning job pretty near perfectly detailed.  You can see in the background, above,  the deck from which Mary and Denny will now have a good garden view.

I clipped some perennials as well: shasta daisies, old hellebore leaves, Persicaria ‘Golden Arrow’, lavender.

garden all mulched

KBC garden is now officially cleaned up for 2015.

the debris pile from the rose and honeysuckle pruning

Score! Denny gave us this little picnic table that he built years ago.

On the way home, we drove by the humane society again just to look for Mr. Orange, to no avail.

sunset from the humane society parking lot

He is very much on my mind.  At least I noticed, back at the shelter,  many doorless storage areas, nooks and crannies where he could shelter out of wind and frost.

We had a look at the progress on the crab pot tree.

I hope Mr. Orange Cat ends up as safe and contented as these two who had snoozed the day away at home.

Staycation will be delayed by one day as we will now hope to do Ilwaco and Long Beach tomorrow and Marilyn’s on Monday.  That will be better.  We won’t be rushed, we won’t end up doing a half-arsed job trying to fit Marilyn’s final fall clean up into the end of a day, and we will be able to take the debris to the dump instead of ending up stuck with it at home.  (Later: or so we th0ught!)

the work board as of tonight

I just had time to post the crab pot tree photos on Discover Ilwaco and write up this post before turning around and going out again to a musical evening at:

The Sou’wester

The band tonight was Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, an ensemble featuring an alumnus of Napalm Beach, one of my favourite punk rock bands from olden days.   Click here to listen to a love ballad by Napalm Beach with an unusual subject, one of my favourite pop songs of all time.

Later: We had an exceptionally excellent evening at the Sou’wester.  Not only was the band great, but I had the delightful experience of finding out that a Peninsula acquaintance of mine (soon to be a closer friend, I think!) was the mother of the bass player and therefore had known many of the punk bands that I knew back in the day.  I’ll call her Ocean Park Debby to differentiate her from my good friend Bayside Debbie (with whom I share plants for the Master Gardener Plant sale).  We’ve met before when her garden was on the 2007 Long Beach Peninsula garden tour, and she’s friends with Prissy, the legendary plantswoman who used to be at Back Alley Gardens in Gearhart.

OP Debbie and I enjoyed our conversation and agreed that it is funny how people who meet us now just think of us as nice older ladies.  I certainly would not have guessed the truth, that her spouse played in a band that even predated my days attending show after punk rock show in Seattle.

on the sun porch at the Sou’wester

It’s an honor system store.

Jenny Don’t and the Spurs

I love the new neon sign in the living room; the trailer and car rock up and down.

Here is a clearer photo from a seller of this charming piece.

At the beginning of this brief video clip, if you look closely, you can see the trailer and jeep rocking.  It just made me happy and I gazed upon it frequently during the evening.

Allan’s photos:

my friend Debbie’s son!

appreciate audience

the wonderful sign

Folks got up and danced.

Ocean Park Debbie and I

I was quite possibly telling her that sometimes, at a show like this, I desperately miss being young and not in pain and able to dance until the wee hours of the morning.  Yes, sometimes that makes me sad.  I feel so old when I hobble around but in my mind I am still dancing.

Debbie recommended to the entire audience that we watch the band’s video filmed in the desert.  While they were filming, a fellow offered to do a shot for them with his drone and it turned out very well.  Here it is: Rattlesnakes and Dogs.

If all goes as planned, we’ll return to the Sou’wester for their Thanksgiving Potluck and then for a show I’ve been anticipating for a month:  A band called The Skinks will perform the entire Village Green Preservation Society album!  We ARE the Village Green Preservation Society, so I can hardly wait!

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20 Nov: countdown to staycation

Friday, 20 November 2015

Soon I’ll be able to spend the days at home with my feline friends!

Long Beach

My big plan today was to finish all the fall clean up in the Long Beach Parks, beginning with the south east quadrant of Fifth Street Park.

Allan clipping siberian iris

I’m not tidying the bed under the three trees because I am hoping the city crew will dig it out so we can start over (or maybe they will river rock it).  I’m afraid to dig in there because it would take a heavy pick and I don’t want to damage the sprinkler system.

a possible do-over is in the works for this bed

I clipped back the gunnera by the pond to make it easier for the city crew to do the end of season pond cleaning.  After the first hard frost, the rest of the leaves will turn black and I will lay a couple over the crown to protect it for the winter.

before

after. two baby gunneras at lower right.

We noticed a banner of poinsettias made of Christmas lights suspended over the intersection.  I said to Allan, wouldn’t that be great for our front arbour?  So I googled it when I got home and found out that it is called a “Skyline” (across the street banner) and that this particular one listed for $3953.00

Never mind!

The Anchorage

I decided it would be great to throw the Anchorage fall clean up into the day’s work since I’d rather work there during the week than on the possibly busy weekend.

Allan cleaned the front of this garden bed. Before…

and after

We’ll have to return after a hard frost to remove the mushy calla lily leaves.

I planted a cyclamen from Our Kathleen, who used to stay at the Anchorage before she bought her cottage.

This volunteer yucca (?) near the office will simply have to go. Today, it charmed me for some reason.  I think it will get too big and pointy.

Rose ‘New Dawn’ got all its black spotty leaves picked off. Before…

and after, with poky-outie bits trimmed off.

Melianthus major in the courtyard might go down in a hard frost.

Other than a post frost check up, we are now done with the Anchorage Cottages garden for 2015.

back to Long Beach

The Long Beach “Holidays at the Beach” extravaganza will be centered around Veterans Field, so that was our next project.

I have a suspicion that the Grandmer Mermaid’s under-the-sea photo booth just might turn out to be created by our friend Queen La De Da!

corner garden in Vet field, after pulling more painted sage and some perennial clipping

 

flag pavilion garden, before

I decided the Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ did have to be clipped as they were simply too whirled around by wind.  And the blue oat grass came out as it is old and tatty.

Allan’s photo: I’m poised to tidy bits of debris off of the lawn, not to run a marathon.

After. Almost no wind. American flag at half mast for France.

I checked up on a block’s worth of planters, forgot to photograph some glowing yellow chrysanthemums still blooming in one of them, and Allan weeded and clipped in the park next to the Kabob House.  No time to eat lunch there today.

We took a load of debris to city works.  An argy-bargy ensued when I thought we could go first to Coulter Park and pull all the crocosmia and put it in the trailer also.  Allan felt that there was so very much crocosmia that the trailer would be overloaded so we dumped the first load.

Next, Coulter Park got a good crocosmia pulling and some weeding.  I also pulled the crocosmia by the Peninsula Arts Association building next to the park because it was such a mess.

PAA building, before

Historic photo from 2007: Long ago, it was the Kite Museum and we had a sweet little garden there.

As you can see in the present day photo, the garden has now disappeared except for the crocosmia.

today, after pulling crocosmia

Meanwhile, Allan pulled the Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ next to the entry ramp for the old train depot building, a job that got much harder to access when the new railings and ramp were installed.

 

going in

Allan’s photos, before

another before view with Dennis Company in the background

I cleaned up the little circle garden at the front of the park and checked two blocks worth of planters while Allan cleaned the strip by the ramp.

after

after

after, admiring his accomplishment

 

The second load of debris did turn out to be quite substantial.

After our second debris run (accomplished before the gate closes at four, to avoid fussing with the keys), we returned to Coulter to prune one more siberian iris and do a bit more weeding.

the iris in question (Allan’s photos)

after

This is all done in time for Shoeboxes of Joy to set up their annual volunteer HQ and donation station in the old train depot building.

coming soon

Shoeboxes of Joy: “Our goal is to be able to provide a “Shoebox of Joy” to the low income elderly and/or disabled, who may not have family or friends close by. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to work together and provide a “special gift to those in need”. A “Shoebox of Joy” may be the only gift they receive during the Holiday Season.”

Before dark, we did more clipping in a couple of blocks worth of planters.  Passing Fifth Street Park, we saw that since our work session across the street at noon, the city crew had erected the seasonal lighted sea serpent!

And they did not cut down my ornamental grass to do it. 😉

the southernmost planter, and the last cosmos in town about to be pulled

In her office just north of this last planter, we had neatly arranged a 4:30 appointment with Shelly Pollock of NW Insurance and Financial so she could help us transfer to a new medical insurance plan for 2016.  She is brilliant (and is also the founder of the Grass Roots Garbage Gang beach clean up group), so if you are local and need help with such things, do look her up.  Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, we are still able to afford medical insurance (even though our cost will double from last year).  Thanks, Shelly.

Steve and Shelly at our place on Halloween

at home

three more items erased from the work board: LB Parks, LB planters, Anchorage

A bit of a cheat: I erased Ilwaco from fall clean up list, too, as I decided it will save the city money if we just do one more walk-around AFTER the first hard frost.  As for the mulching library (Ilwaco Community Building) project, that is Allan’s to organize because it is his job.  (I might help spread the mulch even if it means emerging from staycation.)

We are now three, perhaps even two, days way from the start of staycation, other than the pesky frost cleanup.  Tomorrow, weather permitting: Klipsan Beach Cottages and Marilyn’s.  Sunday, we just might be able to finish the port and the boatyard and the last tidying in Long Beach.  (No matter how weedy the beach approach garden and berms are, all they are getting from us till 2016 is the pulling of some crocosmia and clipping of a few more perennials).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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19 Nov: a bulbing frenzy

Thursday, 19 November 2015

I woke at 7:30, after a mere five hours of sleep, with bulbs on my mind.  When I simply could not go back to sleep, I went outside at about 8:15 (almost unheard of!) and planted a few of my bulbs-in-waiting in the front garden where the chilly shade almost made me give up.  Instead, I moved to the back garden in the sunshine.  By the time Allan had made a nice hot breakfast (which he does on all work days, bless his heart), I had all the back garden bulbs in the ground and I asked if he would help me plant the front garden ones so I could stop losing sleep over them.  It will only take two of us about 40 minutes, said I, and it turned out to be just 45.  Total number of bulbs planted at home this autumn:  a mere 171 (more than last year’s 116).  I’d like to plant more but I run out of steam and I worry about money.  Memories of being poor are too strong to overcome the fact that I could buy more bulbs for me nowadays.

me being so happy to have help with the at-home bulbing

tossing out bags of bulbs in their proper planting place

Just as we were finishing the planting of the front garden bulbs, the final end of season order from Colorblends arrived, so we were able to plant up the garden boat (the Ann Lovejoy) as well with 20 tulips Big Ups mix.

I got this as one slide was fading into another on the colorblends site.

I wondered why the Colorblends catalog often does not name the bulbs in their mixes; Todd suggested that perhaps this enables them to change the mix depending on which compatible bulbs they can get a good price on each year.

The arrival of the Big Ups tulips changed our plan for the day.  Instead of doing fall clean up for Ilwaco port and town, we could possibly finish Bulb Time today!

Port of Ilwaco

I had pulled 20 narcissi from my own stash to fill in the empty spot along Howerton where some arbutus had been removed for the sake of traffic sightlines.

with my head in the game (planting narcissi); looking west on Howerton

Allan planted these clusters in the formerly shrubby area

 On the way to our next job, we witnessed the Port of Ilwaco crew working on the Crab Pot Christmas Tree.

Allan’s photo: The tree has gotten much too big to build with just human power now.

Ilwaco Community Building

Allan had helped me plant my bulbs, so I helped him plant the last of the bulbs at the Ilwaco Community Building (his job).  The difference is, I will get paid by his client.  His reward is just me having a lower stress level.

the last of the leaves at the community building

As we planted narcissi, some tulips (in an area inaccessible to deer), some crocus and pushkinia and iris reticulata, a library patron said that the garden there looked so much better since we had taken it over.  I gave all the credit to Allan.

Speaking of compliments, last week someone told me she had taken a guest to walk along the curbside gardens at the port (going to the shops and galleries) and he had commented on how tidy and well tended they are.

Allan’s photo: He, or we, may emerge from staycation to mulch the community building garden which badly needs it.  (needs weeding, too; he’s been too busy bulbing)

Allan’s photo: the really horrible soil under the new sign

Long Beach City Hall

On the way north, I planted some hyacinths in the narrow raised bed along the city hall entryway.  They will be at a good height for smelling.  We both worked on finishing the fall clean up and clipping at city hall, thus being able to cross two things off of the work list (the dregs of the LB bulbs and the city hall cleanup).

city hall entry ramp garden (Allan’s photo)

Geranium ‘Rozanne’ still blooming, west side of city hall. Allan was shocked when I clipped it, but I knew the first frost will bring it down.  (Allan’s photo)

hebe blooming (Allan’s photo)

Allan’s photos: city hall, south end of west wall, before

after Allan clipped the Rozanne

west side of city hall; I wish I had gotten the whole “Ocean Beach Boulevard” sign…was not trying to. 

dumping debris at city works

After dumping our debris, we went on to the last of the 2015 bulb jobs at…

Golden Sands Assisted Living

Golden Sands: in the courtyard, four quadrants of flowers

Each of the four garden quadrants in the center courtyard got 20 Big Ups tulips and a few others.  I have a tiny budget there.  While I’d like to have way more tulips in this deer protected garden, at least next spring there should be a bigger show than usual.

view while bulbing in the courtyard

the last bulb job of 2015

So very tired of planting bulbs!

The newly cleared (of old siberian iris) triangle by the dining room door got some special bulbs: viridflora (green) tulips, some species tulips and narcissi, and a cluster of snowdrops.

dining room pocket garden

with Junco close up (there had been many in there eating fallen bird seed but most flew away when I raised the camera.)

cyclamen donated by Our Kathleen

We did as much fall clean up as we will do this year; thinning pesky plants can wait till next February.

Each of the four quadrants presents a different challenge.

The SW quadrant

SW quadrant problem: beach strawberry and creeping buttercup invading from the back

SE quadrant: the most problematical

SW: too much cranesbill geranium, and an infestation of big horsetail from the back corner of the courtyard…It is marching, marching, marching.

SE: invasion of weedy grass, beach strawberry, and creeping sorrel climbing over the edging board.

The outer areas of the courtyard landscape are in some areas sort of a wasteland that Allan hits with a string trimmer but that we don’t have time to maintain otherwise.

more SE quadrant mess: too much blue scabiosa and (sadly) too much Sweet William.  The scabiosa MUST be thinned or eradicated.

A pink cranesbill geranium in one of the original pocket gardens would love to take over the SE quadrant completely.

The four quadrant gardens used to be scrubby, weedy lawn, and the only flower areas were the four little triangular pockets, two at each entry.

the NE quadrant

As I was trimming down the euonymus in front of the window of my mom’s old room, I saw it had been vacated. 

the Euonymus in question (Allan’s photo)

(Note:  Don’t plant shrubs that want to be huge in front of windows.  Why this was done is beyond me, as the fire department wants the shrubs at sill height, and the residents would like to see out!)  I inquired and was relieved to learn that the latest resident of my mom’s room had moved to Seattle to be closer to family.

Biggest problem with the NE quadrant: Getting rid of the damnable pesky running salal behind the garden, as it constantly wants to invade from the back.

NW quadrant has gone from worst of all to the most problem free.

I pruned the poor, oversized Ceanothus outside the quadrants some more, taking some off the top so the resident behind it can see the courtyard.

Don’t tell Plant Amnesty about my ugly pruning. Note the yellow rose blooming in the background.  I will likely cut the ceanothus to the ground next spring.

Allan’s photo

leaving Golden Sands at dusk

Ilwaco 

We checked on the crab pot tree progress.  It is all put together and ready to be decorated.

crab pot tree, real tree at 5 PM

Allan’s photos by the crab pot tree:

a moon tree topper

boat heading for the river

at home

These housemates of ours had apparently not moved all day.

the rapidly thinning work board!

Bulb planting is completely gone from the work board, and from the fall clean up list I removed City Hall and Golden Sands.  With 20 degree weather due on Thanksgiving, we may even get to do the post-frost checkups before the end of the month and then will officially be on staycation.

The 2015 bulb total of 3,374 is much less than 2014’s 5,121 bulbs planted, mostly because Flowering Hedge Design and Sea Star Gardening (Dave and Melissa) have two of our former big big big bulbing jobs, and Todd and Sea Star have a couple of our former medium sized bulbing jobs.  Thank heavens above!

 

 

 

 

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18 November: a dent in the list

Wednesday, 18 November 2015

We have a few dregs of bulbs to plant here and there, and one more order coming by UPS.  And mine to plant at home.  Without that order, we can’t plant at Golden Sands, so we decided to achieve some erasures on the fall clean up work board.

at home, before work

In the back garden: I may never have had Geranium ‘Rozanne’ blooming this late.

looking east in the front garden

Melianthus major and Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Ravenswing’

The newly wired enclosure to the garden is protecting my Joseph’s Coat rose from deer.

Hymenanthera, still with berries

Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’

Tetrapanax flower buds…Could it possibly stay mild enough for them to actually burst into white flowers??

Mike’s Garden

Just down the block, we did some pruning, shaping, cutting back of perennials, and weeding at Mayor Mike’s garden.

Allan shaped the Lonicera ‘Baggeson’s Gold’ because Mike likes a formal look.

looking south

Mike’s front garden

Did not prune the escallonia because I feel it provides nice privacy for the new outdoor covered deck.

Allan’s photos: a bed of the dreaded Geranium ‘A T Johnson’ (planted by the garden designer years ago)

after (It’s still there, but won’t look mushy after a frost)

Mike’s garden is now done for the season except for a post-frost check (for anything made blackened or turned to mush if we have a hard frost).

The Red Barn

The fields were flooded at the Red Barn.

Amy bringing a horse in past the little garden

Barn co-owner Amy said she had never seen so much water in the fields, and that it had been worse the day before.

I got to pet my good friend Disney.

Amy in the wet paddock

Just for kicks, here are more photos of the funny faces a horse made for me last time we were there:

Today, we could not park in the field next to neighbour Diane’s property because two horses were enjoying the dry conditions there.

So we walked the wheelbarrow along the highway to get to Diane’s garden.  We usually cut through by the white horse trailer.

on the way to Diane’s

Diane’s garden

Along the roadside, we clipped perennials and pulled cosmos.

roadside garden, after some tidying

Allan’s photo; this whole bed may come out this winter for a septic project.

The back yard planters will need a post frost clean up…

…because the annuals just are not done yet.

Other than the possible post frost visit, Diane’s is now done for the season.

water along the roadway; we heard it was much higher along Sandridge yesterday.

Next door, in Amy’s garden:

schlepping back along the road (Allan’s photo…obviously)

Long Beach

It will take several sessions (at least three days worth) to get Long Beach erased from the work list.  Today, I decided to trim back a tall ornamental grass in Fifth Street Park.  The Christmas sea serpent will be installed atop this fence.  I like the idea of him swimming along above grasses, like in a marsh, but this one is so tall it will block part of the serpent’s body.

This is during….partway thinned.

after. I won’t be surprised if the crew cuts it down all the way.

It is so weird that narcissi (probably ‘February Gold’) are blooming.

I decided to clip the flower border in the frying pan park while Allan did some trimming by the restroom sign.  I planted some stray tulips (‘Night Rider’) and species crocus, as well.

Allan’s project, before

park corner

after

my project, before

When it started to rain, Allan (in yellow), the van, and my raincoat, were so far away.

Fortunately, the hard rain was a brief one.

after

I had decided to cut down the Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’ in the Frying Pan park just because people do like a tidy garden.  The gaura had still been blooming.  I am debating whether or not to just leave them up in the semi circle garden at Veterans Field, where they also are still blooming:

Vet Field semi circle: to tidy or not to tidy?

As I finished my project, Allan had dumped a big load of debris at city works, including the still blooming gaura clippings.

a visit to Jo’s

We stopped by Jo’s, plant a cyclamen, and got to see our good friend Coco.

and, as we were leaving, we saw this fella.

Ilwaco

Coming into town in the dusk revealed that the city crew had been busy putting up holiday lights.

At First and Lake, with a lighted crab pot at the base and a crab light at the top.

By the boatyard, First and Eagle

At the west end of Howerton Avenue, the crab pot tree is under construction and is going to be huge this year!

an extra large base, built around a pole

Surely this will outdo any other crab pot town!

photo from a previous year, featuring the World’s Shortest Fireworks Display

At the other end of town, the lights and crabs are up on Elizabeth Avenue

The Depot Restaurant

We moved our North Beach Garden Gang weekly meeting to burger night at the Depot, because the Cove, where we usually go to fish taco night (and eat fancier food than the featured fish tacos)  is closed for dinners for a couple of weeks.  Melissa and Dave had been wanting to try out burger night.  They were impressed.

Pelligrino orange for Allan and Melissa. (Allan’s photo)

a beer from North Jetty Brewing with a touch of Starvation Alley Farm cranberry juice

Allan’s photo: burger night at the Depot with fried egg, bacon, pickles and lettuce visible among a long list of tasty fillings.

Melissa’s first burger night, with Allan

We were regaled with stories of Dave, Melissa, Todd, and the owner of that lovely Oysterville garden all working together in the wind and rain on Saturday and Monday (and maybe Sunday, too), including the moment when both Melissa and Dave took a tumble while transplanting and “went down like bowling pins”.  I look forward to driving by and seeing what they’ve been up when we go on the annual art studio tour after Thanksgiving.  Even though I suggested Mel and Dave for the job, I’m kind of jealous of them all working together…and yet I don’t feel I would have been up to it.

Even though rain is bucketing outside while I write this, I’m hoping the forecast of dry weather for several days will be true.  We just might get the fall clean up done, the rest of the bulbs in, and be on staycation by Thanksgiving.

the dwindling work list; I hope to have three more jobs erased by this time tomorrow.

 

 

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