I was so tired while writing that I called yesterday’s post “Friday” instead of Thursday. In real time, here is a PSA:
Friday, 5 May 2017
The predicted rain storm and thirty mile an hour winds did not arrive!
I was so hoping we could accomplish a whole lot of garden tidying pre-Sunday’s parade so that we would not have to go back to Long Beach on a crowded Saturday afternoon. (We will be attending the Saturday parade in Ilwaco, but not the Sunday one in Long Beach.)
Others in our household had no particular worries:


Ilwaco
Before leaving our block, we did two tiny garden tasks: mowing at the J’s and weeding round the Norwood garden.
We spent a little while weeding our volunteer garden at the Ilwaco Post Office. The garden is still looking rather dull. While we weeded, an old man said “Why don’t you plant something I like so that I’ll have something good to look at?” While I chuckled weakly, here is a hint: Gardeners prefer to not be teased while they are working.
Depot Restaurant
Just some quick deadheading…
Long Beach
When we got to the welcome sign and I opened the back of the van, I was momentarily appalled to see a flat of bidens sitting there, that had not been unloaded last night. I then decided to just plant the darn things, since the welcome sign was their destination. I would usually wait for annuals planting till the magic date of Mother’s Day (which is next Sunday).
The tulips on the back side had gone over, every one.Here’s how the whole welcome sign would look if we didn’t control the horsetail:
The Red Barn
Part of the weekend’s events will include a “cowboy breakfast” at the Peninsula Saddle Club. Figuring that the patrons might spill over to the Red Barn Arena next door, we detoured to make sure the little garden there looked ok.
Diane’s garden
I was eager to talk to Diane about garden plans, while deadheading her narcissi.
Long Beach
Allan and I finished the north parking lot berm at last.
I had high hopes that the second one would also be done today. I even had a fantasy that Allan would have time to do the string trimming that is the way we handle the less planted middle berm. I left Allan to it….
Allan’s photos: …while I went to groom four blocks of tree garden and planters.I used to tidy up foliage like that before parade day. Now I leave it, on the theory that it is good for the bulbs…and that the fuller the planter is, the less likely to be sat or stood upon.
I called Allan to see how he was doing…and due to the plethora of weeds, the south berm was still not done. We had to abort that mission so that he could de-horsetail by the Heron Pond while I tidied the north two blocks of trees and planters.
As I weeded the tree garden outside Dennis Company, a friend and business owner stopped by to tell me of her anger at a politician who had just said that “Nobody dies because they don’t have access to health care.” (Really? It took me less than one minute to remember two people I knew who had died of exactly that.)
As I deadheaded tulips in a planter five minutes later, a friend and valued community member walked by and told me how she and her family are seriously exploring a move to Canada. I felt sad to hear it but I certainly understand.
Meanwhile, Allan’s project:
We still had the east side of Fifth Street Park to check up on with some light weeding.

Darmera peltata leaves…

and flowers (Allan’s photos)
Just last year, I would have been able to push till 8:00 PM to try to finish the berms. Now, I find that I just cannot. We drove by to look…and found a stack of lost buckets! Allan said he thought he was running inexplicably short on buckets. This is a sign of how tired we both are. Nobody’s parade day is going to get ruined by some weeds in the parking lot beds and so…we are not going to finish the berms till next week. Planting Time is starting to show up on the work board.
For a tired person you did amazingly well.
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