29 May: surprisingly social

Monday, 29 May 2017

Just as I was having my, um, breakfast (more like a very late brunch), I found a text from J9 asking if she could bring a friend to see the garden, someone who would not need “a tour”.  Because I had two friends coming at four, I said we would have to be mowing (Allan) and planting (me) during said visit because I still did not have my three days of modest garden goals completed.  Thus, there is not photo to record J9 and her friend walking through the garden.  Neither Allan nor I had organized having a camera in a pocket till after the lawn was mowed and the last of the at home annuals…the painted sage…were in the ground.

Allan tore off to water the Ilwaco planters in order to be home before Yudy and John arrived.

watering the Ilwaco post office garden

What is that weed? (lower right)..plus my Eryngium x Zabelli ‘Neptune’s Gold’

4 PM:  Yudy and John arrived as planned.  We had met when their small, artistic garden was on the Edible Garden tour and then recently reconnected through Indivisible and the political postcard parties.

I showed them some plants I had dug up to share with a local new gardener.

John was taken with the soft, tall, native fern and we gave him this one that had volunteered under the water boxes bench.

I think Allan took this photo to show the nicely mown lawn and the weeded boat garden.

I love the way the elephant garlic looks like tall grasses next to the boat.

Yudy noticed the bright thorns on Rosa ptercantha (which also has its small white roses now).

Smokey keeping just in front of Yudy.

John heads into the bogsy woods.

Skooter on the bridge.

buttercups looking rather charming

Maybe there is nothing wrong with a haze of yellow buttercups in the right place.

This viburnum got everyone’s attention.

Smokey keeping tabs on us.

John and Yudy’s dog, Lily, had to wait; she would have chased the cats.  (Allan’s photo)

After an excellent walkabout and plans for a campfire later in the summer (with a promise of Yudy’s ukelele!), I got back to my garden tasks.

I was disappointed in myself that I had not finished weeding this smallish area….

even though it did look better than on Saturday.

I went on with the planting of sunflower and some assorted mustard seeds.

While planting sunflower seeds in the middle of the west bed, I found a tragedy.  My Ghislane de Feligonde rose is dying.

one big stem all wilty and the other all dried up: WHYYYY?

the big old trunk…It was an own-root rose. Maybe there is still a piece in my old garden that I could take cuttings from.

I love this rose, and have had it for years, after the man who ran an antique rose nursery near Snohomish said to me “Buy this one.”  I moved it from Seattle to the Sou’wester to Shakti Cove to my house behind the boatyard to hear and it was doing well.  It had gotten pushed around by a vigorous Fuchsia magellanica and I had removed the fuchsia to give it more space.  It looked fine last time I saw it.  (And later, googling proved that this rose seems to be not for sale anywhere in this country that I could find.)

As the mustard seeds went into the  garden between us and Devery’s driveway, a car pulled up in front of her house and someone called out, “Your garden is amazing!”  Because the woman looked so friendly and had opened her car door partway, I replied, “You’re welcome to come on a tour!”  Four people tumbled out of the car and what ensued was one of the most delightful walkabouts I have ever experienced.

meeting Frosty

All they saw was the good and they noticed pretty much everything special to me, all on their own.  Except for one hidden fairy door; I pulled aside fern fronds to reveal it.

The view looking north to the house was commented on with enthusiasm, as was the fire circle.

Frosty, and later Smokey and Skooter, all got pets. (Allan’s photo)

One of the women stopped and read aloud the writing on the house walls.  It is so rare for someone to do that, I can only remember one other time.

As I gaze upon the garden, my heart grows peaceful, still. From its colour comes my being, from its spirit comes my will. -Ryan Gainey

The garden flew round with the angel,
The angel flew round with the clouds,
And the clouds flew round and the clouds flew round
And the clouds flew round with the clouds.

…That things go round and again go round has rather a magical sound.  -Wallace Stevens

The old lamp with shells in it got noticed.

They even admired my bamboo poles that have lost so much of their colorful paint over the winter.

As they departed, and because I had found out that one couple at least comes to the peninsula often, I asked them to re-introduce themselves if they see us working in Long Beach, because both Allan and I have face blindness.  One of the women said she totally understood that and will talk to someone thinking, “I know I like you, but who are you?” and I said, “Yes, I have such a warm feeling about you even though I cannot remember who you are!”

It was just grand.

my cool heather from Pam Fleming (Allan’s photo)

Chickadee-dee-dee (Allan’s photo)

Tomorrow: Back to work.

PSA: The darling house three doors down from us is for sale.  It has a small yard, which might be good for someone who wants a small garden, and a partial view of the port.

reading 

For those who like book reports, I read a book (and this short one took me over a week because it is planting time):

*****************************************************************************

*****************************************************************

Fourth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, 1994:

Ursula Le Guin:

Rebecca Solnit.  I love her, and she must be a gardener.

 

 

‘

 

 

 

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1 May: frustrating rain, pleasant reading

Monday, 1 May 2017

WHAAAAT?

I was taken aback by completely unexpected cold rain and 20 mph wind.  No!  What happened to our five nice weekdays? Ok, maybe the beach approach garden won’t get done before the Sunday parade.  After all, the parade takes place downtown, not the beach approach.

I decided that I would enjoy a reading day, as did Allan.  I returned to my wonderful birthday present book; Allan had discovered and acquired it for me from the UK.

Smokey loves a reading day.

I was pleased to finish the very funny homage to Bill Bryson’s Notes From a Small Island, in which author Ben Aitken retraces Bill’s route 20 years later.  While much of the book is humorous, I also appreciated Aitken’s occasional serious comments on class.

An amusing passage:

In Lincoln:

More much appreciated (by me) musings on class:

Later, in the north:

I gave the book five out of five stars and I highly recommend it.  There were just a few moments when Aitken suggested Bryson did something that made me think, surely not.  When I cross referenced my copy of Notes from a Small Island, I was right, and now I intend to re-read Bryson’s book while Aitken’s is still fresh in my memory.

I still had plenty of time to read a rather short book that I had somehow missed by one of my favourite authors.

An interesting digression that had little to do with the plot:

And after that, I had time to start (but not finish) a third book, another birthday present from Allan.

I have some reservations about this book, particularly my thought that if you are going to travel from Lands End to John O’ Groats starting off in just your skivvies, begging along the way for clothes, bikes, food, and lodging, it will go a lot better if you are young white men.  These two chaps are the sort who insist on making it quite clear that they really don’t want to share a double bed.  And it does not seem to occur to them to examine why their journey is not especially dangerous.  My feeling when I read Dear Bill Bryson is that I’d love to be friends with the author.  These two…maybe not. However, I am very much enjoying the descriptions of England and I wouldn’t mind another rainy day to finish the book…if it were not for the fact that we are behind on work. (Edited to add…I am almost done with the Free Country book and have enjoyed the travelogue but am AWFULLY tired of being constantly reminded that the two young men are not gay.  They need to grow up!)

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25 April: rain and reading

Tuesday, 25 April 2017

As predicted, we had a rainy and windy day.  I felt a little restless about it.  Views as I paced from window to window:

kitchen

north front

north front

east front

Allan’s study, east

Allan’s study, east

Skooter does not like to go outside in the rain.

south

I pondered how if I got my whole south window replaced, I could take photos out of the non screened side.

This and one of the front windows is “blown”.

I find it very hard to spend money on things like this.

Just going out on the front porch to take this photo made my hands cold:

Allan did take a few photos on his way between house and shed:

and at the post office:

hesperantha blooming now instead of waiting till fall

one broken lily sprout

Fortunately, I had a big book to read with over 300 pages to go.

No Logo

I finished it by nine o clock, and then watched Deadliest Catch and felt wimpy for not being willing to work in the rain.

I felt blessed that we live in a relatively advertising-free environment.  Here at the “lost corner” of Washington State, we have only two chain restaurants (a rather gaudy McD’s and a low key Subway that blends in), and even though two of our three bigger grocery stores are franchises (IGA and, I think a Thriftway), they are still referred to by their old names (Sid’s and Okie’s).  While we do have billboards advertising local businesses, all but two extra large ones (between Black Lake and Seaview) are gentle on the eye compared to most billboards, and just advertise local motels and resorts.  This makes the Long Beach Peninsula a more restful place to live if, like me, you want to get away from advertising, brand names, and glitz.

Post script for those who are interested: No Logo by Naomi Klein

The book was excellent, even though somewhat outdated (published in 2000).

Some particularly interesting points:

How a certain McD restaurant went after any restaurant with McD in its name:

This reminds me of the local story of how Starbucks went after an Astoria coffee shop named SamBuck’s.  The owner’s name was Samantha Bucks!  (She had done a logo that was sort of a take off on the SB logo.)  Read more about that case here.

A mention of community gardening:

A whole chapter about the Reclaim the Streets movement had this interesting story.

Of course, they lost…

Re child labor, the National Labor Committee, and director Charles Kernaghan:

About how sweatshops and child labor get so much more attention when attached to a brand name (Nike, for example):

More about the Zapatistas (Klein also wrote about them in The Shock Doctrine).  I just very much like what Marcos had to say:

Note to those who care: From what I had read recently, some of the Romany people consider “the g-word” to be a racial slur and would prefer that we use the word Romany.  If you care about that sort of thing, as I do, here is some beginning reading about it.  Google will give you much more.  I’d rather err on the side of politeness so have given up “the g word”. 

Tomorrow more rain is predicted, and I have a book of light reading lined up for a change.

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22 April: Earth and Science Day

Saturday, 22 April 2017

The weather did not look good for our planned political activity.

out the window: wind and rain

Such a day would have been just perfect to read this book that just came from the library:

Nevertheless, we persisted in our plan to go to Astoria.  Maybe the weather would be better there, as sometimes happens across the river.

crossing the 4.2 mile long Astoria Megler Bridge

The weather was not better.

as we drove by to find a parking place

For two hours, about thirty people braved pouring rain and 30+ mph wind gusts to join in the nationwide March for Science.  Our version was a rally, not a march.  This intersection is one of high visibility where every vehicle going east through Astoria drives by.

We parked and joined the others.

I’m pleased to tell you that during the entire two hours, even when the group dwindled toward the end, our ears were filled with a cacophony of vehicles’ horns tooting in approval, and we got many waves and upturned thumbs.  I saw only one negative face, followed by two bumper stickers: One read “Trump Pence” and the other read “[something something something] GUNS.”

my photos:

I am slow with puns and just realized…There is no PLANet B.

My sign held up well, covered with clear adhesive shelf paper and edged with packing tape.

Some walked down to a traffic island down the block.  There, they were visible to traffic coming east and turning toward Commercial, and also to traffic heading west on Marine Drive.  I decided to join them, partly because I wanted a better look at the garden.

a well kept garden

My sign is a large one and the wind was strong on the traffic island.  I decided to rejoin the others over by the post office.

That was the moment when my saturated camera said it had had quite enough of the storm.

I hope it revives!

I turned to my iPhone for a few more photos and then decided that it, too, was getting much too wet.

Here are four photos taken by another attendee (I do not know who):

Someone got much better photos of my sign than I managed to get:

 

Photos by Carol Newman: 

Allan’s photos:

1:01 PM we were done!

And then the rain stopped!

PS. Here is an earth day oriented gofundme to save a local woods. https://www.gofundme.com/help-save-a-forest

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31 March: shortened work day

Friday, 31 March 2017

I knew the day would be shortened by a political event.  It got shortened much more than that.

Skooter likes to go outside for about ten minutes after his bedtime snack, and then return to go to bed.  Last night, at 1 AM (typically late night for us), he came tearing up the ramp to the cat door and burst in to the living room at top speed.  Sometimes the cats enjoy chasing each other.  This was different.  Something rammed up the ramp behind him and slammed into the cat door frame. Then there was blood on the kitchen floor.

I got my shoes on and a flashlight as fast as I could, which was not as fast as I wished, and went outside for a look.   A woman was out in the street (at 1 AM?), and she seemed to be cradling and talking to something in her arms. She walked away so fast that I had no hope of catching up to her.  I  thought, does she have a little dog that got after my cat? That seemed impossible.

Skooter’s foot bled; he would not let us look at it, and he yowled and growled for an hour from his favourite late night sit spot in the hallway.  He then took his place next to Allan’s pillow and complained some more.  I felt terrible that he was in pain and got very little sleep myself.

I woke in intense anxiety at an early hour and got an urgent veterinary appointment for the afternoon.  But meanwhile, we had to go do some plant shopping and some work.

On the way to work, I felt compelled to pull some weeds in our volunteer garden at the Ilwaco post office.

one weed bucket pulled, at least one more to go

The Basket Case Greenhouse

The Basket Case, under new ownership (Darrell and Roxanne) is now open every day.  We bought some violas for two jobs and admired the refurbished greenhouses.

new greenhouse entrance! and new co-owner Darrell on the left

checking out the annuals for later on

check out desk with mosaic by Roxanne’s mother, Anna.

fairy gardens

Allan’s photo; That is a lot of fairy world for $25.00

the perennials house

bleeding hearts

Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’

Callistemon…choice, and unusual to see it for sale here!

Plant talk with Darrell.  We take our plants to heart.

That was a pleasing visit and not one to cut short.

I still hoped to get two small jobs done before vet time.

Diane’s garden

Next door: Horse bundled up for a rather cold day.

The yellow ones are for The Anchorage.

pots with a few pansies and violas added

my good friend Misty

Fritillaria meleagris (Allan’s photo)

roadside garden

Bad weather has prevented the removal of the tree stumps. Eventually we will help with a re-creation of this front garden.

The Red Barn

a mat of weeds mixed with California poppy seedlings

Allan’s photo

We did an adequate but imperfect job of weeding because we were running out of time.

 

a mare named Sophie going out to pasture as the weather warmed up (Allan’s photo)

Oceanside Animal Clinic

At home,  Skooter did not enjoy being put into his carrying crate.

our neighbours one door east 

not a good day for our dear Skooter (Allan’s photo)

one block north, on the way 

at the vet, another orange kitty (Allan’s photo)

member of clinic office staff (Allan’s photo)

more cuties (Allan’s photo)

The veterinarian cleaned up the hurt foot that Skooter would not let us touch, gave him a two week antibiotic shot and a pain shot that will last for three days, and said that the bite on his rear paw had indeed been caused by a small dog.  She could tell by the kind of puncture.  I said, Could a small dog really run up a cat ramp? and she said yes, in the frenzy of chase.  The garden is almost dog-proof….but not tiny-dog-proof.  I can think of a couple of places where a small dog could have squeezed in.

Now, because the wounds are on his paw pad, Skooter has to stay indoors for ten days until he is healed (and must have hydrogren peroxide applied twice daily.  No one will enjoy that one bit).  He loves the garden so much, and the watching of the frogs in the water boxes, and he will not understand why he must stay in.  I feel almost as sad as if I had to stay indoors for ten days of spring time.  At least I would have books to read.  (Cats are said to live longer if they never go outdoors.  Humans would also be safer from predators, including bad humans,  if they spent their lives indoors.  The idea of that makes me feel suffocated.)

We had a very quick turn-around at home before going out again to arrive late to the…

“Burma Shave Sign campaign to invite our Congresswoman and the community to our town hall.”

But first, a garden peek over the fence by where we parked in Seaview:

nicely done

and a Little Free Library across the street

We walked past a car with a bumper sticker that we knew had to belong to one of the demonstrators.

on a different car

So the idea was to use signs to illustrate that we wish Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler would meet with her constituents on the Peninsula. (I, of course, have never voted for her.)  She has not held a town hall discussion meeting with her constituents here for six years, I am told.  As a group of local liberals, there are most certainly some items we want to bend her ear about.  Other speakers, including one of her potential Democrat challengers for 2018, will appear at the event.

my photos:

oops, her name is misspelled on a last minute sign!

except…Jaime is a congressWOMAN….

Allan’s photos:

by the busy Seaview intersection that is one main entry to the Peninsula

We will be having the town hall with or without Jaime.

group photo

Afterwards, most of us repaired to Chico’s Pizza for an early dinner and discussion hour.

Back home: The work board list got just slightly shorter.

This blog post got written.  And now for the poignant watching of the final episode of Grimm, one of our favourite telly shows.

You may have noticed we had a lot of rain this month.  From The Chinook Observer, our local paper:

“March came in like a lion and, well, pretty much went out like a lion. Rainfall for the month set a new 149-year record of 17.77 inches, smashing the old record of 16.16 inches in 1975. Third place goes to March 1997 with 16.15 inches.”

Also from the paper: The ribbon cutting ceremony from the new car charging station where we weeded yesterday.

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12 March: to Skamokawa and back

Sunday, 12 March 2017

Because we had a political meeting in Naselle this afternoon, we had decided to leave home in time to drive half an hour further and visit a museum in Skamokawa.

driving along the Columbia River

I was not best pleased that it was a beautiful day and would have been excellent for weeding the boatyard garden.

two wrecks?

Here is what the white remnant of a boat looked like in 1995, in the same little bay:

For some reason, it had been deemed unsalvageable.

As we drove along, I pondered the fact that the many conifers along our roads are why our landscapes look more somber than the airier ones that Mr Tootlepedal photographs in Scotland.

scenery heavy with evergreens

We arrived at our destination in Skamokawa: Redmen Hall, which I had read was hosting an exhibit about tugboats and steamers on the Columbia.

The view from the parking lot

A back door offered easy access without all those stairs…and a disheartening sign.

NOOOOOOOO

Across the highway, below, is a general store and café where we have stopped before.  I thought that, because of Skamokawa being such a small town, I might luck into a museum docent there.

looking down on the grocery store and post office

Redmen Hall from below

In a room right on the river, behind the store, an antiques sale was on for the day.

antiques in a light filled room

I used to have an apple like this till my good friend Sophie (a dog) broke it…for which she was forgiven.

I found two things to buy.  One is a present so I cannot show it!

And sure enough, when I mentioned having driven from Ilwaco to find the museum was closed, I learned that one of the docents was ill, and another one offered to open it for us.

behind the store/café

Off the deck by the store, a boater was buzzing around.  I am sure Allan wished he was out boating, too.

Allan’s photo

We followed the docent back up to Redmen Hall.  The hall was once a school house.  Amazingly, it used be down where the highway is.  When the road was put through, the building got moved up the hill with “steam donkeys” (not really donkeys!).

The old school house remembered.

Allan went straight up to the bell tower. (I did not.)

Step on a pedal to open the shutters for the view.

The views from the bell tower.

river town from high above (and a boat ramp)

On the second floor, well designed historical panels go all around the walls of a big open room.

What Skamokawa means

interpretive panels

the kind docent who let us in.  The way the panels are put together reminds me of my grandma’s scrapbooks.

when the road went through

a dance where “ladies may walk on their partners feet, and no questions will be asked”.

another strong woman

river pictures (Allan’s photo)

A glass case held birds provided by the Audubon Society…

an erstwhile Mr Grumpy had fine plumage.

the view

We dropped a contribution into the money jar and also spent a pretty penny in the well -stocked gift shop, including two books (quiet, because one is a present), a documentary called Work is Our Joy (about gillnetting), and some notecards.  If we’d had time, we could have watched Work is Our Joy right in the museum.  I will enjoy it from my comfy chair at home.  I already identify with the title.

One of three nooks of books.

Well represented: the books of Grays River author Robert Pyle

Musician Doug is the spouse of our friend Beth; they live nearby but we had had no time to look them up.

river town art

most of our purchases

The hall is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to four.  We recommend a visit.

We had a little over half an hour to to get back to our Indivisible meeting in Naselle.  I could not resist a side trip to the historic 1905 Grays River covered bridge.

on the way

Tying in with our visit to Redmen Hall: author Robert Michael Pyle lives in a house with a view of the covered bridge.  I thought it would be kind of nosy to add a photo of his house, so here is the bridge.

under the bridge (Allan’s photo)

The river running fast and high.  (Allan’s photo)

In particularly stormy times, the river has flooded the valley.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

Here we go.

the other end

Before we turned around, I had to get a closer look at two trees beside  the parking area.

going in for a closer look

moss and licorice fern

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

assorted critters

Ooops.  I suddenly realized time had slipped by and we would be 25 minutes late to the meeting at Hunters Inn, Naselle.  I told myself that it was ok; we have been to almost every liberal political meeting available since November so we could be late to just one.

part of the gathering

postcards laid out on three booths

One member brought this.

We discussed, shared ideas, and laid some plans for future events.

On the way home, Allan and I detoured to look at a garden we had admired when attending last month’s meeting.

The garden in question is next door to Naselle Timberland Library. (Allan’s photo)

lots of narcissi about to bloom (Allan’s photo)

Next door: a large garden which I intend to look at every time we have a Naselle meeting.

Allan’s photo

Allan’s photo

pieris and the church next door

Right across the street sits another charming house.

I wonder if there will be sweet peas on that fence in summer. Or that could be a dog path!

wrap around porch

a tree with personality

Allan’s photo

As we got close to home, I looked at the weather forecast and must admit I did begin to fret about losing what might be the only nice gardening day this week.  Remembering that we now have light till after 7 PM (yay for daylight saving time!), I resolved to get two hours work done in my own garden.

While clipping some Joe Pye weed, I gave an experimental dig at a large fuchsia.

one of two many fuchsia magellanica

To my surprise, it shifted, so Allan helped me pull it out.

after…Ok, he pulled, I watched and encouraged.

project: clean up middle bed, before…

and after

Woe!! One of two matched asophedels has disappeared from the right hand pot.

I will snag this asphodel from a different pot.

Frosty

bogsy wood swale

Oh for more time in the garden; so much to do.

Skooter obsessing about the frogs.

The unfortunate forecast:

Resolved: no more daytime meetings on nice days till we have spring clean up done!

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11 March: ACLU and gardening

Saturday, 11 March 2017

I can tell you the library joke now, shared by Maggie Stuckey at her talk two days ago.  I found a version online:

A chicken walks into the library. It goes up to the circulation desk and says: “book, bok, bok, boook”. The librarian hands the chicken a book. The chicken tucks it under her wing and runs out. A while later, the chicken runs back in, throws the first book into the return bin and goes back to the librarian saying: “book, bok, bok, bok, boook”. Again the librarian hands over a book, and the chicken runs out. The librarian shakes her head. Within a few minutes, the chicken is back, returns the book and starts all over again: “boook, book, bok bok boook”. The librarian gives her yet a third book, but this time as the chicken is running out the door, the librarian follows. The chicken runs down the street, through the park and down to the riverbank. There, sitting on a lily pad is a big, green frog. The chicken holds up the book and shows it to the frog, saying: “Book, bok, bok, boook”. The frog blinks, and croaks: “read-it, read-it, read-it”.

Bad weather made me happy today because we had an afternoon meeting: an ACLU training session focused on supporting undocumented immigrants.

The Long Beach welcome sign today

both sides

On the way, we ran a couple of errands in Long Beach.  I was started to see that the planter just north of Dennis Company has been completely browsed by deer.

The planter looked raggedy.

every tulip nipped by deer

I am beginning to wonder if any place in Long Beach is safe for tulips.  I just hope they don’t take a liking to the tulips in the welcome sign garden.

container outside the Adrift meeting room (Allan’s photo)

People Power ACLU meeting

Today’s ACLU  meeting was one of 2000 simultaneous watching parties across the country, with 200,000 people signed up to attend a broadcast of the actual live meeting in Florida.  We had 22 in attendance, one all the way from Westport.  We all appreciate Adrift Hotel providing the meeting room for free.

Since the election, membership in the ACLU has swelled from 400,000 to 1.2 million members (including me).

sign in and cookies

Resistance Training on the big screen

discussion time afterward (A few folks had departed.)

It saddened me to hear, again, that there have been immigration raids on at least five local families, with fathers taken away.  These are men who are known to be hardworking good folk, certainly not the stereotypical “criminal”. It is difficult and can take years to become documented, especially for folks from Mexico and Central America; it is not a matter of laziness or wanting to be “illegal”. (By the way, it is considered much kinder to refer to someone as “undocumented” rather than “illegal”.)  Many folks in the room had grandparents who were immigrants, in one case, by illegally stowing away on a ship.  Mine on my mother’s side were immigrants (and invaders)…of the Mayflower type.
If you would like to watch the presentation that we saw today, it is said to soon be available for viewing right here.

“Even when we lose we must not despair, for there is dignity in entering this battle”, said ACLU executive director Anthony Romero.

“As DT is going about his amendments of hate, we need to live our love”, said Faiz Shakir, ACLU political director.

Allan’s photo

We heard three other speakers as well, Louise Melling (deputy legal director), Andre Segura (an ACLU attorney), and Padma Lakshmi, a star of Top Chef,whose mother was an immigrant and who said “I want my daughter to live in a country of compassion, not fear.”

I fell in love with audience member Daisy. (Allan’s photo)

so soft

This is all going to lead to a whole ‘nother set of meetings, all with a productive and well informed agenda.

the beachy view from our meeting room

at home

By the time we got home, we had an hour and a half of daylight and a cessation of rain and wind.  Some front garden clean up was suddenly possible.

before

Skooter inspects, 20 minutes later.

That was a favourite sit spot for Skooter.  He may have liked it better before.

before

after, much weeding still to do. I look forward to it.

hellebore

Clematis ‘Freckles’ has been blooming on west garage wall all winter.

narcissi

Skooter’s way in (where a bottom piece is missing)

front path looking east

hellebores

the floppiest hellebore

double white hellebore

“black” hellebore…with mulch of last autumn’s apples

Pieris finally sizing up and blooming (left)

Iris histroides ‘Frank Elder’

Because it was at the same time as the ACLU training, we missed today’s postcard party.  Here are a couple of photos (by Michele) of the latest efforts.  You can stop reading now if you don’t like the postcard efforts, because they comprise the end of today’s post:

ingredients

Bannon is the most terrifying of all…

Dang! I wish I’d been there.

Tomorrow (Sunday): an Indivisible meeting which we are planning to combine with a brief and, we hope, photogenic side trip to Skamokawa.

 

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