Thursday, 18 August 2016
In the morning, we put Skooter’s Birds Be Safe collar on. Tomorrow will be his debut into the wider world.
Allan’s photos
I hope it won’t be “leaving time” when he gets outside. (A worrisome omen? not planned for the photo.)
With 90 degree weather predicted for Friday, I was glad that today was watering day for Long Beach and Ilwaco planters. I thought maybe we could get some fair food and look at some kite festival kites, as well.
Long Beach
deadheading the welcome sign
Two of the echibeckias have gone grey and mildewy and I had to cut them al the way back. I remember now that happened last year, as well, to ones with poor air circulation and always wet feet from a soaker hose that runs constantly at low pressure. It is not ideal watering; we have so much to do that we could forget to water otherwise, and the other plants seem to like it ok.
sad echibeckias in the trailer
The day had started fraught because of hot weather and my lack of a hat. What happened to the pink one I was wearing yesterday? I don’t like wearing hats because they cut down on my peripheral vision, so I might have tossed it off somewhere during the day. Fortunately, Allan found a hat for me in the back of the van. I take sun stroke seriously because my grandma got it once and was quite sick….and that was in
her Seattle garden, not in a hot climate.
In town, I trimmed sheafs of lavender off the biggest one that was sticking so far out from a planter into the street that bicycles could not easily pass it. The lavender is past its best for beauty. Because it is still so fragrant, I took it to the nearest person who would appreciate it: Kathy at the Home at the Beach shop.
Home at the Beach and Beautiful Things in the tiny Sandpiper Mall (just south of Long Beach Pharmacy.
Mural painting continues in Fish Alley. I noticed the lettering saying that the Long Beach Candy Man has sponsored the project.
Allan’s photo
Agastaches still going strong by the police station (‘Blue Boa’, I think.)
a huge dog in Fifth Street Park
NE quadrant of Fifth Street Park
finger blight of the day: pulled out painted sage
The planters under hanging baskets, which the city crew waters daily, do best. Geranium ‘Rozanne’ thriving with extra water.
my only sweet peas success in Long Beach this year. by Paws by the Sea pet supply shop (where I bought some more catnip today).
Allan photographed the same sweet peas while walking through town.
Allan’s photo: a favourite shop, The Wooden Horse.
metal bird and elephant (Allan’s photo)
lots of big kites visible from town (Allan’s photo)
I had a cunning plan for watering today. I crisscrossed the street heading south, while Allan watered the street trees, the two north blocks (including planters), and Fish Alley barrels. When I reached the southernmost two planters, I walked the two blocks over to Sid Snyder approach to water those ten planters as well. I realized that we were unlikely to be walking out the Bolstad approach for fair food because I was dragging leg by then (the Walking Dead look).
looking back on the walk across First Place Mall….
and ahead to where the planters begin (across the street from that building).
Allan drove up when he got done and started watering those planters from west to east, and we met in the middle. The timing worked very well.
Allan’s photo from the west end of Sid Snyder
Sorry we did not make it out to get y’all some kite photos. (Allan’s photos)
Someone saw this sign and asked “Are you Teresa?”
The sign above is actually “Tessa’s Garden”, named in memory of a former volunteer’s hamster. The volunteer program fell away years ago but some of the plaques remain, so I often get thanked for volunteering.
Maybe if we did not still have to water Ilwaco, we’d have gotten our fair food. As it was, I was lucky to remember, finally, to stop at the Depot Restaurant office and pick up Skooter’s bed, which Nancy had brought down for us. I will move his cat tower into the living room tomorrow so that he will feel it is his territory, and the cat bed will replace it in “his” bathroom.
Ilwaco
I watered the boatyard garden while Allan watered the planters and street trees.
at the boatyard garden
It was still pretty hot. (Allan’s photo)
Thanks to Scott Weber of Rhone Street Gardens in Portland, I now know the name of this ornamental grass: Pennisetum macrourum:
Pennisetum macrourum escapees. Since it is not ultra hardy here, it may not be as invasive as it would be in a warmer climate. So far, this is the only escapee after ten years.
south end of the boatyard
Two enormous dumpsters had appeared along the fence.
I thought they’d make my watering life harder. Instead, it was pleasant to work my way along next to them with a wall to lean on and wind protection. The wind had begun kicking up even more annoyingly.
As I watered along from the inside of the fence heading north, I noticed a young woman with a long dark ponytail heading south on the garden side, accompanied by a child maybe four or five years old. They were leaning into the garden doing…something. I thought they both had little baggies. Maybe picking poppy seeds? I knew something wasn’t right when she saw me from a distance and immediately turned around and headed back north. I left my hose and picked my way along the inside of the fence…
…through the usual boatyard obstacle course…
…down to the corner by the red sign.
I could see her and child picking through the street planter and yelled “Whatcha doin’ in there!?”
“Picking flowers!” she replied.
“Please stop that!” I was like an animal in a cage behind the fence. “We work really hard on those!”
She and her child headed north up the street. I called Allan to tell him to watch out for her. He had already seen her picking through a vacant lot…which is fine. Later Allan told me that a business owner said to him that she had been caught on his property picking flowers from his planters, so any guilt I felt at persecuting a young mother who just wanted a tiny bouquet of posies dissipated. It was especially irksome to me that she was training her child that flower jacking is just fine.
Here’s the thing about flower jackers: I have no way of knowing if they are picking tiny flowers that won’t be missed or if they are going to pick an allium or lily or eryngium that only has one or two stalks of flowers per YEAR.
Two men working on their boats said they appreciate the garden and see people picking from it. “Why not just enjoy looking at it?” one guy said.
Sometimes, I feel an idea percolating for making a public cutting garden area. The problem is, I think ALL the flowers would be picked.
I finished watering, then walked north to check on all the Ilwaco planters. Finding chickweed was my main mission.
boatyard garden
I am sure someone has been jacking entire plants, leaving big gaps.
This sign is being ignored again.
Someone is using clippers to cut blue globe thistle. If I cut a stem like this, I cut it to the ground.
The woman and child were picking right by THIS sign. I think it would have been useful for her to teach him to read rather than pick other people’s flowers.
Here’s the planter she was picking from.
She was at the planter and I was behind the fence like an angry zoo animal.
another planter with diascia, golden oregano, Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’
Allan waters these planters two or three times a week. Watering and moving on to the next does not leave a lot of grooming time, so I found a few weeds he had missed….
like this ornamental chickweed….
and this one, before….
and after
I think I had better schedule more walkabouts for these planters. Checking on them enables me to get photos of their progress, as well.
This one is along a deer path (Main Street) so the nasturtiums are getting chomped.
Volunteer California poppy matches a new paint job….
as do some nasturtiums.
by the stoplight.
by Queen LaDeDa’s
back on First Avenue
a ridiculous monster cosmos by city hall (I would clip it or pull it, I think!) (Allan’s photo)
at home
A gift for the kitties had arrived in the mail today, from Snooter-doots Gina, a Facebook friend who grew up in Ilwaco. She is someone I feel I have much in common with and hope to meet someday. In support of adding Skooter to our household, she had mailed us 4 Kitty Karrots with Katnip. (Skooter loves the way that is spelled.) These are available for purchase on Etsy. I can already think of three cat friends who would like these at Christmas.
Kitty Karrots with Katnip
Frosty meets a Karrot.
He was very pleased with his gift.
As was Skooter, in his room.
Tomorrow, Skooter gets to come out! He is so very ready. Tonight, he was reaching both paws into the hallway from under the door. I’m excited for him.
1997 (age 73):
August 18: Cool-Rainy Spent afternoon puttering with houseplants. Repotted some, threw a few out, etc. Sprayed seed trays in shop. Later in afternoon did some weeding in strawberry rows.
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Tangly Cottage Gardening 