A brief flashback...

... to iris time. Here's a short vid I made while experimenting with the camera. Turn up the volume to hear the birds singing. Better ones will be along next year. This year was just for practice.

Spotted fawns spotted all about!

Mom has been bringing her newest little darlings out and about this past week. They're too cute, but don't take my word for it:

I'm in the bedroom, photographing Mom and babies through the window. Chewie is sitting on the window next to me. She is very concerned about those large 'dogs' right outside her window. Mama has noticed us, but she is unconcerned, being as confident in the safety of modern windows as Chewie is.

Aw, aren't they too cute? Prosh, even?

My weekend project - compost bin

Look what I did this weekend!
I built a 3-bin compost center out of that old lumber Mom and Dad brought by the other weekend. I'm pretty pleased with myself, too. Usually, my 'carpentry' projects don't turn out so well.


The central dividers are easily removed for turning the piles over into the next bin, the two front outer posts (and the backside) are supported by metal fence posts driven deep into the ground. A display shelf allows me a place to view interesting rocks and knick-knacks. I've even got Bin #1 loaded and composting already!


The space between the garden and the compost center is about three feet. It gives ample space for my little friend the fern to live, as well as buckets and a bin for poles.


The compost center is backed up against that large mound of kitchen scraps and garden waste, stumps and sticks, and dirt and ashes that I had been using to compost waste this past year. I intend to simply shovel stuff off the mound and into a bin, and hope to have the mound significantly reduced by summer's end.

It was a lot of hard work, but I am very happy with the results, and even more happy that I have a real compost center to work with! I can't wait to make my first batch of mulch and spread it lovingly over a bed.

My veggie garden - and other things

Omigoodness, it's been a while since I posted here... shame.

I finally took some pics of my veggie garden... I think it's looking pretty good. See for yourself.

This is Bed #1. I have planted baby spinach and broccoli here. Nasturtiums are tucked in along the corners and sides. Tuesday, I transplanted a handful of dill seedlings from Bed #2 to the back row of this bed. I think most of them will do alright.


This is Bed #2. I have a wider variety of tasties planted here - shallots, miner's lettuce, sorel, arugala, red cabbage, green cabbage, redleaf lettuce, dill and dandelions, with nasturtiums again tucked into the corners.

This is the berry bed. These are red thornless raspberries. A blackcap vine which grew along the driveway has been transplanted to the the (upper-left) corner. I'm glad I did, as a number of those which I didn't transplant are now dead - I dunno why.

Two of my Canadian Explorer roses... technically, the canoe is not part of the garden as it sits outside of the fencing.

My third Canadian Explorer rose - this one is called

I built this little 'pond' for the water loving irises. I think it turned out pretty well.

I built it by laying out a lumber frame. I didn't nail it together or anything, I just laid boards down. I then laid down a double layer of thick black plastic. I place a few bricks around the rim to hold the plastic in place, then filled it with a bit of water and placed the plants inside.

Here is a close-up image of the pond:

I filled it further to check for leaks or overflow, and because it is built on not quite perfectly level ground, there was a bit of an overflow which resulted in the other end of the pond not getting more than an inch deep. I raised the lumber frame a couple of inches on the low end, and then did my best to hide the ugly lumber frame, hence the bricks and large hunk of wood.

This is another project I did with brick recently, to protect the pots of plants that Mike built a sunscreen for. While the plants were protected, their black pots were still overly exposed to the harsh and drying sun and wind.

I can't be certain, but I think things are happier for it.

Mom and Dad are retiring, and downsizing as they'll be moving soon. Among a host of tools and things, they've offered us their hot-tub! Here it is in place after two days of tugging, heaving, hauling, cursing, sweating, dragging, pushing, cursing, sliding, and shoving. Did I mention cursing? What a chore to move! Here it is all ready for wiring:


I don't know that the teal works for me aesthetically, but I'll put up with that much for a free hot tub!