2024

It was supposed to be sunny today, but we've got some clouds instead!

As I'm approaching the tree the Flickers had nested in... There's a squirrel in the tree! And for a moment I am hopeful that the Flicker parents will come out and chase the squirrel away.

But no. Instead...

This nest is dead and abandoned.

This would not be allowed if the nest was active. So, that's my confirmation. Nest Failure.

And when I think about it, it all adds up. The weather had been so very warm. And the Flickers took a risk with laying eggs so early. And right around the day the babies were to hatch, was the day the weather got so cold.

The high temperatures of the days has been in the 50°s, and I think the parents just couldn't find enough bugs to feed.

So, Mama Flicker just sitting there on that branch the other day... She had already given up.

But! It's early in the season. The Flickers will build a new nest somewhere else and lay some more eggs and raise some children!

I move on.

I don't know what the babies are eating, but they are very serious about it!

Cake, maybe? It's just a feeding frenzy for the babies and bits are flying everywhere... I think Mama is probably already thinking about getting a bath for these messy kids! *laughs*

Oh Good! They've removed the stupid temporary fence around the Fallen Leaning Tree!

These are very crappy photos, dang it. But it just cracks me up how much these American Goldfinches look like rubber duckies!!

*laughs*

Multi-Species Bath Time!

Okay, back to the Fallen Leaning Tree, and I jam the exposure setting way down to capture the clouds.

Here I am at Wayside micro-park and the flowers are lovely!

I study the new tree they planted to replace the Mimosa Tree that came down in the January ice storm. I guess Black Gums aren't even vaguely related to Sweet Gums, a common tree here.

So that's nice, I get to learn a new tree!

I'm heading back when I come across this flock!

Shoot! There's no way to get a good shot! I was just pointing the camera and hoping for some luck! *laughs*

Evening Grosbeaks!

Sheesh. That was a long walk, with many stories to tell!

It seems like it's been ages since I've come out this way at the river... I've mostly been going to the Rose Garden and walking east from there.

There's a trickle of river water coming over the spillover into the ponds... but you can see how the pond is already starting to dry up.

Haha! Her feet!

I come across this cute family just as another pair of Canada Geese want to come meet the babies. But the parents are not ready for company yet...

Everyone is getting pissy. Except the clueless babies!

And don't come back!

LaDeDa! ♪ We have good parents who take care of us!

I decide to go across the street to the official Delta Pond Park. And on the way, some older Canada Goose goslings!

They are all over the place, and families are mingled.

I walk to the end of the path, and it's still blocked off. It will be so nice when they finish the bridge and all so you can walk a loop around the ponds!

I love the turtles, even the invasive ones!

The poor stupid camera is having issues today with the light and the dark... I'm missing some good shots because it can't figure out where to focus. oh well.

Wow, that is one big turtle over there on the other side of the pond... she's almost as big as the ducks!

One more Canada Goose family as I come around the last turn at the ponds.

And then a family of Greylags!

Cute Overload!

But first a stop at the garden to check on the Snap Peas.
Aw, this is nice!

Great! Sugar Snap Peas are holding up! The bottom leaves and stems look pretty rough from the slugs, but the tops are good and the plants are grabbing onto the tomato cage.

Someone else has some Lacy Phacelia started as a cover crop in their plot.

It is pretty interesting stuff... The nursery I shop at sells it, and makes it sound like an invasive, aggressively out-competes weeds and readily re-seeds.

I did see quite a few plants escape to the wild, that first year after this was offered for sale, growing along the bike path... But, since then, there haven't been any solid mats of Lacy Phacelia created in the wild... just the odd plant living here and there!

So, it is def not a problem plant like I thought it would be. Maybe it's something I will try in my own plot next year.

Okay! On with the walk!

Oh sheesh... I don't know why I even bother...

Hmmm... That looks like poo sacks! You've got two children growing up in the nest already?! Nice!

I love all the different colours of Columbines!

So glad they didn't cut down this beautiful willow!

Sighs... I've gotten so used to looking up at the Flicker hole...

I've been looking up for a few moments, kind of mourning for the baby Flickers. And then I glance over and see this squirrel looking up in the same direction I was!

Haha! Is she trying to figure out what I see??

I'm coming around the bike path curve... and a Crow tips me off...

I walk back to see if I can get a better angle. She's buried in the tree pretty good... but at least I can get an ID. Red Shoulder Hawk!

The first native Nootka Rose bloom!

It started raining at 1:30 yesterday afternoon. It rained the rest of the day and it rained all night and it's still raining!

Ha, it's rained so much, the wet prairie ponds are filling back up!

And the bike path is flooded under the bridges!

It's unusual but not unheard of, for the rainy season to extend into May.

I pause, there are some Starlings making a racket... and when I realize they are circling around ME, I get a little offended. What did I ever do to them?!

But then I saw this one on the other side of the creek, directly across from me! haha, that's who the Starlings are upset about!

This Cooper Hawk is a juvenile, born last summer... her eyes will turn coppery red when she's an adult.

The Fallen Leaning Tree making some leaves.

I've gone across the street to look at different things, and wander into Washington Park. I've only been here once before, and this time I notice the colourful tiles around the splash park...

People who donated to make the splash park happen, I assume. There's lots of colourful designs and I love them!!

A bright bush on a dreary day... I don't know what it is!

Still some sprinkles this morning... The rain kept up, off and on all yesterday afternoon and it was so chilly it thought about breaking a record for the lowest high temperature! The high was 53°F and the lowest high was 50°F, 10°C set in 1950.

And the crazy thing is, we've got a heat wave on the way. Forecast says mid-80s for next weekend. ugh.

Leaves budding out on the Fallen Leaning Tree.

All the rain has filled up this Wet Prairie puddle as well!

Foo... dang it, that would have been so picturesque!

*laughs*

Still with the rain today! It's nice and I'm trying to enjoy it to the fullest, even with the stupid wind blowing it in my face... Because summer is coming... Those mid-80 temps are still in the forecast for this weekend, blah!

I love how the rain gathers on the leaves!

All the rain has brought back a puddle at the Wet Prairie!

It's been a while since I've walked this way. The last time I was here, there was a homeless camp and one of the people confronted me. It scared me a little bit and I didn't want to come back until I was sure they had moved on.

But I love this little piece of forest, and nothing will keep me away forever!

Still work to be done, from the January ice storm!

*laughs* Every time I come here, I have to replace this marker... there's a tree root sticking up here in the path that I've tripped over. More than once!

But this is the last of the pile of sticks I found... so I don't know what I'm going to do next time!

Ha! You'd think the Golden Crown Sparrows would be moving on by now... they nest up in Canada and Alaska. A long way to fly! But probably the cool weather here is keeping them. Who wants to fly north, when the weather here is crappy?

But that's their breeding plumage. You've got to wonder that the long migration messes that up! Don't they want to be pretty when they show up?

And behind the stick is a White Crown Sparrow... They don't nest here either, but only have a little way to fly to their summer spots.

Walking back home, there's still some Killdeers running around this dry lot... I can't tell how many there are, or if that cute ball of fluff Baby is grown up and still here. I hear more Killdeers than I see. They are mostly hidden in the grass.

The sun is shining today, but the clouds are moving around so much, it's actually sprinkling for most of my walk out to the park! The wind is pushing it into my face again. Stupid climate change wind.

Ha. On top of that... we've got a frost advisory for tonight. Arg! It's May! Can we please get over the cold weather now??!

Some Spanish Lavender, out in the wild. This is a well established bush!

I'm just loving the clouds today!

I see a pair of Barn Swallows swooping over the ponds. But when I get into the park itself, there's a whole flock of Tree Swallows swooping!

Too bad no one will sit for a portrait!

And then I get to the little patch of forest, and oh my gosh, the birds are singing like mad!! The sunshine is making them happy!

I'm taking my time here, surrounded by song, but wondering if I'll actually see any birds!

But then... Who is this??!

NEW BIRD!

Wow! And this little bird is such a bright yellow! I can see them clearly with my eyes... but trying to find them in the camera viewfinder? Good lord little bird just blends right in. It's crazy, and I just have to point and click in their general direction!! *laughs*

Anyway! This is a MacGillivray Warbler.

Gah, what a terrible name. I have to study the word closely to figure out how to pronounce it! That's somebody's name, so this lovely bird will be getting a new name in the next few years! Good. Because MacGillivray just does not cut it!

This is a male. The females have a warm grey head, and lack that little bit of black on their face.

And most of Oregon is their nesting range. So they are here for the summer!

It looks like this will be the last nice day before things start heating up for the weekend heat wave. But I notice the gusty wind even before I leave the house today.

I usually record the temperatures and forecasts in my journal. This climate changed wind, here this year, seems to be a permanent and annoying addition. So maybe I should also record the wind speed as well.

18mph gusts today.

I go into the Community Garden to assess my plot... the coming heat wave will start drying stuff out and I will need to work fast to get everything organized...

Most of that is grass and weeds, coming up thru the leaf mulch I put down last autumn.

This is the front right of the plot... An area I named the Garden Square last year. I don't know what those weeds are but they will be an easy first project!

That clump of upright green, left of middle, is volunteer Elephant Garlic!

And that tilled black dirt at the top right is the new right side neighbor. Hopefully not Evil, but that remains to be seen!

The Sugar Snap Peas are still alive!

There's just one little clump of Columbine that survived the winter, and it's blooming!

I should think about getting some more Columbines to plant... I love them, and they usually live a couple years. They also try to propagate themselves with seeds but that hasn't been very dependable in my plot.

Someone else's pretty pretty Chives.

Ha... awkward angle for this bit of bright bird! But look! American Goldfinch! Mostly I just see Lesser Goldfinches, so it's nice to see someone different!

The willows are starting to let their seeds go.

Oh My Gosh! Some Older Ducklings!!!

They don't seem to have a Mama... but they have survived their babyhood!!

H5N1 Avian Flu was killing all the babies last year, and I assume the same has been happening this year as well. So this is pretty amazing!

Okay! The sun shines and it's to be an uncomfortably warm 81° today. And I need to get going with the garden!

I'm in the porch room, getting the veggie starts organized into my backpack and I glance down... Oh my gosh! The Pansies are coming up! The directions said they wouldn't germinate until it was 75°!!!

I've decided to take the Leeks and the SunGold to plant today. The nights in the forecast are still a bit chilly... That frost advisory last night got us down to 35° brr! (1.6°C) But SunGolds are pretty tough!

The SunGold is too tall and I can't zip the backpack closed and go out with the tomato plant sticking up!

And I notice the people staring at me and the SunGold! One driver did such an obvious double take at me, it made me laugh out loud!

The sun is so stinkin' bright.

I get into the garden and wow...

This black Iris is just stunning!

Okay, here I am at my garden plot. I'm going to see how far I can get with clearing out the front Garden Square.

And the Big Comfrey is trying to come back... I'll have to give that another whack soon.

I plant the SunGold and then fork some of the Garden Square. I thought everything would just pull right up, but I had to fight with a big clump of grass. So this little section took longer than I thought it would.

That's okay, we are just getting started here. But the day is getting on and I still don't have a clue where to plant the leeks. I put them back in the backpack to take home. I think they are small enough that they won't mind this terrible affront too much! :)

I'm heading to the Community Garden again today, this time carrying the 2nd batch of Sugar Snap Peas in my backpack.

Along the walk to the garden, the bike path goes under a car bridge. And look who I found today!!!

OH MY GOSH! They are repairing this nest!!

This is so cool!

I wonder if they remember me. I think I've been watching them nest here for the last two seasons, at least!

Very exciting!

Not nearly so exciting, here I am at the garden.

This is the SunGold I planted yesterday. Apparently not bothered by the cooler temperatures last night.

Oh dear! I watered these well, but the Snap Peas got really wilted with the transplanting and the harsh sun. Ya know... It may have been a mistake to plant peas right before hot weather. foo.

Well, I buried some Sugar Snap Pea seeds all around, as well. The first set of seeds that I planted around the first batch of Snap Pea transplants, aren't doing great, getting munched by the slugs.

Ha, kinda artsy...

Try again...

Looks like they'll be putting in some lamps along the bike path.

It's probably a good idea... I never walk at night, but it's probably really dark here. I do worry about light pollution, tho.

The heat wave has arrived. Yesterday it was 85° (29°C) and the forecast is about the same for today. Can you believe that last Saturday the high was 53° (11°C)!!

I'm heading for Saturday Market to get more veggie starts and the morning is warming up fast... it's already 67° as I leave the house.

I buy a new-to-me variety, Old German, which is an heirloom that makes big, orange tomatoes! A green Zucchini, the first 4 Lemon Cucumbers.

And I'm looking for some beets, but don't see any, so I splurge on an Eggplant instead. Which is ridiculous... I plant an Eggplant every once in a while, but 100% they die. And if this one happens to live... I don't even like Eggplant! But, like my Dad said, They ARE pretty! *laughs* Aubergine! :)

I drive the haul to the garden...

Aw, the second set of Sugar Snap Peas has not recovered... Look at that poor droopy thing on the left.

So that's a bummer. I get most everything planted...

The Lemon Cucumbers are so little and cute!

And that green thing is the new small trellis that got shared with the Community in January. They had cleared an abandoned plot, put some things up for grabs, and so I got a couple trellises for free!

But it's starting to get very uncomfortably hot. So I get everything watered well and I'm taking the Zuc and one of the Lemon Cucs home with me.

I drive home without a problem... but as I turn into the apartment driveway, the engine just shuts off.

Huh. I look down at all the lights on the dash that have come on, and think, That's Weird! I stop the car, put it in park, crank the key... and the car turns over, but the engine doesn't catch.

I breathe for a few moments, then try again, but now the engine barely even wants to turn over.

Well. Crap.

I roll up the windows, grab the baby plants and walk home, which is just around the corner. I'm a little embarrassed that I was taking a wide turn with the car as it died, and it's stopped rather in the middle of the driveway, def not in it's lane! There's just barely enough room for a car to get around it, and one does as I'm walking away.

I get Partner, and we push the car into a parking space... Cars are heavy! It looks so easy when some other guy is doing the pushing! But seriously, cars are heavy! Plus we have to roll it over a speed bump. We just barely got the back tires over. Around the corner is getting easier. But then the parking spaces are on a tiny incline. That took a couple of tries.

But the car is out of the way. And now we get to sit and worry, because our usual mechanic is closed for the weekend.

Sighs!

But I'm determined to get the car fixed, no matter the cost, even tho the old jalopy isn't even worth it... because it got me all the way home before it died!

Yesterday, it got a bit warmer than forecast and we tied a record high for the day, 88°F (31°C) set in 1931!

The forecast for the next week is all over the place, low 70s and upper 70s... but any kind of 70s is way better than 88! *laughs*

Oh Wow! You can see the new work they've done!

I'm at the Garden, and oh yeah! I've finished forking up those big weeds in the front Garden Square!

The Eggplant looks happy.

Grow! Grow! Grow!

Oh! Are you eating a slug?! Can you come to my garden plot next, if you are still hungry??!

Heading home.

Bittersweet Nightshade.

You've got a meal as well?

Nootka Roses, our native species.

In yesterday's news, I was vaguely interested to read this...

∞ Native wildflowers in bloom at Dorris Ranch following ecological prescribed burns

The prescribe fire killed off several invasive and non-native grasses, blackberry bushes, thistle and more and now the prairie has been reborn with native wildflowers like camas and western buttercups.

Wait. Western Buttercups???

I didn't know we had a native buttercup!!!!

Huh! oh my gosh! I had assumed that all the buttercup flowers around here were the invasive Creeping Buttercup! And... hmm... yeah, it turns out, they are hard to tell apart.

But this is brilliant! I am so glad to learn that we have a native!

Woke up on the wrong side of the bed today... I'm just grumpy.

I would like to take a break from the garden... my back aches a little from the work I've been doing, and I had trouble getting to sleep last night because of it.

But! I've only just started! There's so much to do! And there's hardly anything growing yet because I've only planted a couple of veggies. And it's all nice and warm, finally, I can't be wasting this time!

Just a little bit of weeding today, okay? Please?
Sighs. Okay.

The work continues on the Barn Swallow nest... and on the other side of the bridge, I see the parents swooping over the garden with some Tree Swallows!

Okay, I think I am going to start with this mess. This is the Big Comfrey, trying to come back to life after I been hacking at it, a couple times over. Die, Comfrey, Die!

*laughs* It's not that I don't like you, Comfrey. I just don't want you in my plot anymore!

The leaves are coming up from small chunks of roots... nothing like the huge established roots I pulled out of here last time! ... But that's the problem. The roots break apart easily, and the bits left behind are eager to regrow.

And then I get distracted by this one!

She or he is so intent on getting more of this lovely nesting material!!

And then I hear a swallow singing, and I turn around! Ha, it's one of the nest builders!

Just singing his heart out! Aw! I love him!

He lets me get pretty close since he knows me, but then he's off!

And this one is still at it...

But that reminds me, I have my own work to do!

I'm going to dig up the small Comfrey as well. It's still really muddy here, under the leaves.

There were still some bigger roots to pull out with this one. The first time I dug it up, I was just using the hand spade, so I couldn't get very deep. I did a better job of it, this time with the heavy digging fork!

And then I start forking and weeding a new section... I'm going to plant Soybeans again this year, so this will be my Tofu Patch!

Here's the garden plot from the back corner...

So.....

We are getting the poor dead car towed to the shop today. Partner seemed to be organizing that this morning, as I was heading out for my walk. And I asked him to try and start up the car, before he called for the tow truck...

Of course, there's all kinds of ... issues, if the car does start up. But I'm trying not to think about that!!

So, I head out for my walk and partner goes out to the car with the keys.

And the car starts right up.

And he's sitting there, thinking Now what?

And then the car dies.

In exactly the same manner that I described it. The engine just shuts down and all the warning lights on the dash come on.

And partner calls for the tow. And calls the mechanic shop. and everything is arranged.

And now we get to worry about what they say when they look at the poor old thing.

Hello my cute lil neighbor!

And Hello, Mama, my cute lil Community Garden neighbor!

I am going to be expanding the front Garden Square today with some forking and weeding.

But let's talk about that marker on the left...

This is the marker for the rootball of Sunchoke that I buried last fall. (also called Jerusalem Artichoke.) There's nothing coming up. Maybe you're not supposed to plant in the fall? No, it should have been fine.

This was my 2nd attempt at getting Sunchoke. The first attempt, I didn't bury very well and the squirrels ate them! Haha! I found bits of Sunchoke roots with little teethmarks, all over the garden plot!

This rootball was pretty big, so I didn't think the squirrels would do much harm if they decided to chew on it. But I buried it deeper than the first set, anyway.

But nothing. Two failed attempts at growing Sunchoke... I guess the universe is trying to tell me something! *laughs*

It's a bummer, because it's a native and very pretty.

Aw, somebody munched a hole in one of the cute little baby Lemon Cucs. Damn them!

Heading home, and this time both the Barn Swallows are at the nest!

And the other parent is working on the nest.

So Cute! Mud on their beak!

And stuff to say!

And the nest re-build is coming right along!

The Barn Swallows are still hard at work rebuilding their nest!

This one studies me for a moment...

They fly and do a few swoops, and then land at the edge of the creek... RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!

Oh my gosh! They take a minute to scoop up some mud and get back up to the nest.

They work the mud into place.

And now they're asking Did you get all that?

Because, OH MY GOSH! They let me see what they are doing. They SHOWED me!

They didn't have to gather mud right in front of me. I'm absolutely positive there's better mud elsewhere! But they wanted to show me!!

So I'm thrilled! Thrilled to bits!

And I've said they this whole time, because at first I assumed this was the female. The male has always been more nervous around me. (Haha, I am totally assuming I could tell them apart in the past!)

But what if that was the male, singing at the Garden the other day? He let me get so close! Maybe this was him, letting me know we are friends now.

well. Either way: Thrilling!

And now I'm getting stuff done at the garden plot. I've forked and weeded a bit more in the future Tofu Patch.

I fork a section, and then go thru the dirt with my hands, breaking up clods of dirt, and pulling out grass roots and putting them in the bucket.

They say that squatting is the most natural form of sitting for human. ha, but eventually I need to sit on my butt. I usually grab that row cover to sit on.

A cute lil ant! Hello my dear!

The slugs have found the Eggplant.

So far, the slugs have only munched this one leaf of the three Lemon Cucumber plants...

But these plants are so little. Maybe I should have let them grow a bit in the Porch Room before I planted them?

heh, there's a Buckeye tree growing near the Sugar Snap Pea Patch.

I will have to chop that down soon... woody plants are not allowed in the Community Garden. Lots of people break that rule with Roses and Grapes... but I think a line would be drawn with an actual tree! *laughs*

I'm heading out, and Oh, Hey! Hello Again!

*laughs* He? He let's me come around to the front, but then I realize the sun behind him is going to ruin this photo! :)

I have to walk around the outside of the Community Garden, on the way home. And I finally spot this one...

I kept thinking I was hearing a hummer when I was working in the plot, but couldn't find the singer. If he was singing over at this end of the garden the entire time, he must have a powerful voice! (Humans can hardly hear Hummingbirds!)

It's been ages since I've had a Hummingbird supervising my garden visits. I miss having the company while I work.

Wow, look how much the Barn Swallows have built up their old nest!

They aren't here today, and I'm wondering if they are going on one last adventure before laying eggs! :)

I've forked and weeded a bit more of the future Tofu Patch.

A pathetic little Sugar Snap Pea, coming up from seed, very munched by the slugs. sighs.

As I'm packing up to leave, I hear Swallows talking and I look up and see the Barn Swallow parents swooping above the Community Garden! Yep, one last adventure!

The Red Osier Dogwoods are blooming!

It's cooler today, and Partner complained that I left the window in the kitchen open all night. It's Freezing, he says. Haha, I think it feels nice!

It does feel so nice after last weekend's 85° and record breaking 88° / 31°C.

Still with the new, climate change wind. Today we've got 12mph. And it still annoys me even tho I've been dealing with it most all spring.

My friend Roz's plot is so lovely... He says since he's a single guy, he doesn't need to plant so many veggies and so he fills his garden plot with flowers!

House Finch...

And def not a Purple Finch! I wondered if I would remember how to tell them apart... The female Purple Finches have a lighter coloured eyebrow on their face.

Okay, at the plot to do some work... and oh foo, I forgot I need to grab a new pair of garden gloves...

That hole is letting mud in, plus there's a tiny stone that has settled in the tip of the pinky. Really, Really Annoying!

I love this type of garden glove... these are a little snug and the fingers aren't long enough. Tho that's normal, I have long fingers and no gloves fit me properly. But the rubber palms on these things are brilliant and -- so far -- I've not had any blisters when I wear them, and the grip on garden tools is perfect!

So, yeah, I asked, and my Mom got me a whole stack of these gloves!! ♥!

Forking and weeding in the future Tofu Patch again today. Slowly, slowly it gets bigger!

And here's the plot from the front left corner. Lots of grass to take care of out there...

I'm thinking about buying a stirrup hoe.

The Community Garden is SUPPOSED to provide all tools for gardening, but last winter the locks on the gates got stolen and then a bunch of stuff from the tool shed got stolen.

They did bring us some extra wheelbarrows a couple days ago, so that was nice. But we've still only got two heavy digging forks, one regular hoe, and one stirrup hoe which is broken and useless.

I don't really want to own a stirrup hoe. sighs. we'll see.

I'm heading home... and Oh My Gosh!! A Crow mobbing a Heron??!

Haha, I've never seen that before!

Hmm... is that Henrietta? Maybe. I think so. And the stupid wind is messing with his hairdo! *laughs*

Duck Henrietta!

Whoa!

Kinda Annoyed! Bahahaha!

Oh my gosh, this is just cracking me up!

Poor Henrietta! That look is saying Why?! Why do I have to put up with this ridiculousness?

Okay, back at home. And look at all the tiny Pansies that are coming up!

I thought I was going to put this pot outside, once things got started. But dang, these seedlings are so tiny and delicate looking. I think I'm going to keep them here in the porch room for a while longer.

So. It's Saturday. And ordinarily I'd be going to Saturday Market to get the next batch of veggie starts from my favorite farmer.

But the car died last Saturday and it's still at the shop... I guess one of the important mechanics was out sick this week, and stuff isn't getting done at the normal pace. And they've not even looked at the car yet, to see what's wrong! Sighs.

So. I thought about taking the fast mass-transit bus to Saturday Market. But then I thought about all the people staring at me on the way home with a tray full of baby plants. Eeee. Nope, nevermind!

But I did think I deserved a break from the garden, tho... I've been working there every day for over a week! So I'm headed out to Wild Iris Ridge!

But first I gotta get there! It's 2.1miles to get to the trail, but at least the neighborhoods I walk thru are photogenic!

Oh, I didn't know that Salsify came in yellow!

Sal-suh-fee! and Sal like Sally!

Heading up the hiking trail!

The tree trunk in the middle of this photo is the Acorn Woodpeckers granary tree...

From this angle, it's probably 50feet from the path. The path curves around on the right, going up the hill, and it's a better view from that side.

Hello!

The guard today is bouncing around too quickly and the pictures aren't great.

And then he flies away! What? HEY! Get back here, you! I came all this way!

*laughs* I saw two of them, far away, probably checking on their other granary trees in the forest. But they didn't come back to this close one. foo.

I look around more carefully than I did last time, and I scope out two other snags being used as granaries.

This Acorn Woodpecker territory is nothing like the one at the top of Hidden Trail, where there are a bunch of dead fir trees, all together. Here in the forest, the dead trees are more random and far apart. More natural, but probably more work for the Woodpeckers trying to guard them!

I go on up the hill. As I'm taking pics of this pretty Mallow, a guy passes by on his way down the hill.

Admiring the Poison Oak? he asks. I look up and notice a lot of Leaves Of Three, Let Them Be right in front of me!

I laugh and say, oh! Is that what this is? He chats about the Poison Oak in his yard, climbing up other trees so high and he doesn't want to mess with it. And I point out the happy Mallow plants that I was actually looking at. :)

Just a few Oregon Irises left blooming. Their time is almost up, already.

I just love the cool old trees here.

But it's time to head back... as much as I would love to wander around in the forest all day, I do have other things to do!

I make sure I walk at a leisurely pace on the way home... I do not want to overwork my poor back again like I did that one time when I speed walked home! heh.

The weather has been absolutely reasonable the last few days. Highs are still a bit above normal of 63° for this time of year, but nice. And today we have pretty, puffy clouds!

Heading to the garden for some more work!

I started forking and weeding a new section... That was last years Tofu Patch, and now I'm envisioning having some squashes growing in that corner. And I'll need a place to put the new big trellis for the Wax Beans, too. I'll have to think about it!

I am thrilled to see a bunch of Sugar Snap Peas coming up from seed! The first attempt at seeds was completely munched to death by slugs.

I'm really hoping these will survive the slugs... it's kind of terrible having to buy Snap Pea starts, six at a time, with the 50-50 chance of growing up! It's a lot cheaper to have 50-50 odds with seeds, except I can put plants in the ground much earlier than seeds.

And then I go on a wander around the Comm Garden, looking at everyone's plots!

This Lacy Phacelia is still growing in one of the back plots.

And these black Irises. Amazing!

There's a tiny bit of colour coming thru, like subtle and quiet fireworks!

The new mud is starting to dry on the Barn Swallows nest, but no sign of the parents yet.

Still nobody at the re-built Barn Swallow nest. When?! When will we lay eggs??!

Oh sheesh. Is it going to be one of Those days?

Today I brought the fourth Lemon Cucumber and the Leeks in my backpack to plant today.

The poor Leeks! I bought them at the Farmer's Market on Apr28, and had already brought them to the garden in my backpack once. I couldn't figure out where to plant them tho, and I hauled them back home in the backpack.

They are feeling much abused, and they all got droopy when I put them in the dirt!

I feel bad for the Leeks and water them to heck. It doesn't help at all.

I've put them at the faucet end of the future Tofu Patch, and then put in a stake to keep the hose away from them!

Starlings have brought at least one child to the garden today! They are fun to watch. This one was just taking in the day! Maybe she is not a parent yet?

I planted the baby Lemon Cuc with it's friends in the front Garden Square.

I thought about moving the trellis further inside the plot, to have more walking space at the border... But Why? Everyone else is a jerk about going right up to the boundary lines. Why do I have to be the one to provide all the stupid walking paths along the borders?

Plus, I had to move one of the new neighbor's pots... it was right on the border and I bumped into it a couple times as I was working.

Annoying. I still haven't met them, and I'm still assuming they aren't evil. Even tho their stupid pots are all over the stupid place. Pot People. *laughs*

Four little Lemon Cucs... The beginning of this year's Lemon Cucumber Empire!

That little scraggly mess of green in the bottom left is a baby Love-in-the-Mist plant that I accidentally dug up as I was weeding. They are pretty, and I like them, so I carefully re-planted it and watered it thoroughly. I don't know if it will live, but I'm giving it the chance.

And the poor Eggplant. Not looking good.

I planted this Old German tomato the other day and I decided to put a heavy duty tomato cage around it...

The internets tell me the fruits can be over 1pound, so that will need some support. But then I also found a couple people talking about how big the plant gets. 5 and even 7feet tall? Holy. I don't know how that will work out!

Back at home...

I am on the email list for The StoryGraph newsletter. So far I haven't done anything with my account there... but it's interesting looking at the progress made and the work put into it.

∞ StoryGraph #172 | 20 May 2024 Morning Walk Thoughts

Nadia has been walking this year and was reminded about how important good ol' pure thinking time is!

I agree! Walking is the best!

It's good exercise. You get good nature time! You get hundreds of photos! *laughs*

And of course, you get thinking time. That's nice too!

This is a new cat who has been hanging around the last month or so. She's beautiful but suspicious of humans.

Oh Yay! The first pic of a Damselfly this season! I've been seeing Dragonflies and Damselflies flying around for about a week now... pretty late, they usually start flying in April. But it's been chilly, except for a few short periods of record heat.

I'm glad I finally found someone who was willing to sit for a photo! *laughs* I think she's a Vivid Dancer!

Damselflies hold their wings above their body, Dragonflies hold their wings out!

Oh Yay Some More!

Both Mama and Papa are here!

Thinking about laying some eggs?!

I've brought a green Zucchini plant in the backpack today. It's planted and then I forked and weeded some more... I'm going to call this the Squash Square! (and that's the Pea Patch on the left.)

Looking a bit pathetic.

The Sugar Snap Peas I planted as seeds are pretty pathetic as well. Slug munched.

And the poor Leeks I planted yesterday are really, really pathetic. Dang it. I'm not sure they will live!

Aww, and the fourth Lemon Cuc has gotten sunburned. I am a terrible gardener!

But, okay. Here's a success... The little Love Mist I tried to murder by accident is def perking up!

And the Strawberry plants never give me any trouble.

The Barn Swallow nest is empty on the way home. Birds lay their eggs in stages, so it'll take a few days, depending on how many eggs there are!

Taking a break from the garden today, and I'm walking out in the other direction.

My gosh, the climate change wind is crazy today, very blustery. The weather page said 11mph, but I didn't believe it! And later it said 18mph. idk. It's starting to feel like we live in Kansas or something!

The same damselfly as yesterday, I think? A female Vivid Dancer.

Another unknown flower... I am getting so lazy about looking up new flowers! haha.

Oh hey! It's Knotty! Long time, no see!

Here I am at Stewart Pond Park, and the Wet Prairie ponds have converted to their summer prairie stage! ... that's not water out there, that's flowers!

The swathes of different colours of flowers are so lovely.

And all the variety of grasses makes good bugs for the swallows!

Huh. The swathes of white are some kind of Forget Me Nots!

A Common Whitetail Skimmer, an immature male. I don't know how long it takes for their tail to get white.

When I was double checking the species of that dragonfly, I came across this website...

∞ Dragonflies and Damselflies of Columbia County, Oregon

Oh, this is brilliant. Amazing and clear photos, of both males and females. Just excellent and I'm adding it to my bookmarks!

I finally got to the little bit of forest... and I totally tripped on the stupid tree root that I've been marking all year! Bahaha!

You can't see it! It's there, just left of center. and you can see the last board I placed too, but it's now useless and sunken into the mud.

Dang it. But there's nothing I can do. I've run out of white boards, and there's nothing else laying around to mark the spot.

Watching me as I contemplate tripping hazards...

*laughs*

Nootka Roses are blooming! Our native rose, used to stabilize the creek bank.

Nobody at the nest again today. That's okay.

There are some Starling youngsters up in the branches of the Fallen Leaning Tree!

I've zig-zagged my way thru the neighborhood, looking at the flowers in everyone's yards! and now I've looped around, back to the Fallen Leaning Tree. Here's a view from the side, where you can see it's leaning on the ground.

It's leaves are growing, but so slowly. Is the trunk still attached to the roots?

I probably won't be able to walk out this way for a good long while, due to Garden work. So the question will have to remain a mystery!

Oh ugh. I am having one of those mornings when nothing goes right!

I've overslept a little bit and that always makes me feel discombobulated.

I'm trying to get a first cup of coffee and I notice the bag of compost in the fridge has sprung a leak. No big deal, but today it has to be a whole grumpy thing.

Well, I'll feel better when I get some exercise!

Oh! Are we sitting at last? I think we are! Yay!

But then I get to the garden and most everything here is disappointing... The poor stupid Leeks are still laid out on the ground. It doesn't look like they are going to recover from transplant shock, not to mention all the abuse I heaped onto them.

And the Green Zucchini is getting severely munched by slugs.

There are lots of Sugar Snap Peas sprouting...

But they are getting munched as well.

The Eggplant gets ever more pathetic each day.

The Lemon Cucs are getting slug munched as well, but I can't bare to look at them.

I do my work for the day... Murdering the Big Comfrey plant some more:

And then continuing to fork and weed the future Tofu Patch.

And the work did make me feel better.

And on the way home... Yep! Sitting on the nest!

I wonder if this is the same parent, who just re-arranged herself, or if this is the other Barn Swallow parent.

Anyway. I've looked up incubation times... 12 to 17 days...

We'll say 14 days, from last night, which puts us at the babies being born on June7 at the earliest.

I am excited and happy... but also worried and scared!

You know: Don't count your bird babies before they hatch!

Because the Flickers had a nest failure that I witnessed, earlier. And I desperately don't want that to happen to my Barn Swallow friends, who I have watched over the years!

Partner is taking us to Saturday Market this morning, and I'm grateful for the help! I need to buy a lot of veggie starts from our favorite Farmer, and some extra arms to carry baby plants will be useful!

Our Farmer is happy to see Partner, There's two of you, today! :) and then she comments on my excessive Lemon Cucumber purchase, Didn't you buy cucumbers last time? ... Me nodding, enthusiastically. They didn't die, did they?

*laughs* I explain how Lemon Cucumbers are my favorite, and I try to have 10 plants every year!

Partner dropped me off at the garden. I sent most of the veggie starts home with him, because I wanted some extra time to murder some Horseradish.

The new neighbor (might not be evil, but we have yet to determine that) still has the landscaping fabric, covering most of the back of their plot. But of course, the Horseradish is growing around it.

I'm using the dandelion tool to get as deep as I can with the roots. As usual. But they'll be back, and so I pull up Horseradish several feet into the neighbor's plot.

And then I planted the two squashes I bought today! And all of a sudden the Squash Square is starting to live up to it's new name!

Strawberries there on the left. The bottom squash is a Crookneck. The middle-ish squash is the Green Zuc that I planted the other day that's getting seriously munched by slugs. and right of top is a Spaghetti Squash... which makes the Square a mix of summer squash and winter squash!

And, as I mentioned yesterday, the first batch of Lemon Cucumbers aren't doing well. They are all in various stages of slug munched, and a couple def will not live.

So the only thing that's giving me hope in the garden is the Sugar Snap Pea Patch...

When I transplanted the second batch of Snap Pea starts -- which is that droopy mess of mostly dead stems there, top middle -- I also planted a bunch of Snap Pea seeds which are coming up all over the place.

AND it seems like they are trying to out-grow the damage the slugs do! So I am def cheering these little guys on! Grow! Grow! Eye of the Tiger! Risin' up to the challenge of our rival!

*laughs*

Okay! Walking home, and looking at the Barn Swallow nest. There's homeless people sleeping under the bridge, here, so I only took a couple pics. I don't want to disturb anyone...

But I have to check out our sitting Barn Swallow parent!

♥ ...

Oh, wow. These Sweet Peas at the Garden are beautiful!

Altho I don't know why people would want them in their garden plot... Sweet Peas are poisonous!

I did a little bit of forking and hand weeding, to expand the future Tofu Patch.

The other day I mentioned the new right side neighbor and called them Pot People. Seriously... Look at all their planter pots.

It's crazy! There are dozens of pots, all with little plants growing in them. crazy! They bought so much dirt to fill those pots, and how will they keep the plants alive during our hot and dry summer? They'll have to be watered twice a day! *laughs*

Okay, heading home! I am kinda wondering if the Barn Swallow parents each sit a different way...

This parent with their tail sticking out this way, and the other parent sitting with just their head visible?

Okay! Partner is driving me and a bunch of baby plants to the garden! We got a lot of veggie starts over the weekend at the Saturday Farmer's Market, and I want to get all the biggest ones in the ground.

I give Partner a quick tour of our garden plot... There are a few plants here, but the tour is mostly about plans for the future. The future Tofu Patch, where the Wax Beans will be, replanting the poor sad Lemon Cucumbers, who are fighting to live thru the slugs. Ha.

I get to work, and look how nice the Squash Square in the back is shaping up!

Well, okay. The green Zuc, top middle is probably not going to live thru the very hungry slugs. But the two Butternuts are happy, and that Crookneck, top left, is only slightly iffy with the slugs.

I had six Giant Marigolds to plant! I put three up at the front left of the plot.

And the other three are along the edge of the Tofu Patch.

These are unhappy here... I had bought these a while ago and they were extremely root bound and I had to be not-gentle trying to separate them from their seed tray. Hopefully they will get to live.

And then the Brandywine and a 2nd SunGold are rounding out the front Garden Square, with the volunteer Elephant Garlic and the Lemon Cucs on the other side.

Mmmm! Bradywine! They are my favorite tomatoes... but the plant needs such a long growing season, and the plants are never very productive, either. So I rarely get to eat any...

But I have high hopes this year. *laughs*

The strawberries in the back are making things happen... but the slugs love strawberry fruit as well, so this is another thing I probably won't get to eat much of.

Okay! That's nine starts I put in the ground today, and I'm starting to feel like this is a veggie garden instead of just a place where I fork the grass! *laughs*

I'm packed up and walking home... and Oh My Gosh!

Virescent Green Metallic Bees!!!

Every website I look at says these beautiful bees are common... But this is only the second time I've ever seen any. So I'm not sure what their definition of common is!

Hi Mama. um, or Papa! *laughs* You can't tell the difference with Barn Swallows, except by behavior.

I love Poppies!

And Bees!

Can you tell?! *laughs*

Okay. I'm at my plot and checking on all the plants.

Slugs have about killed two of the four Lemon Cucumbers. And the Eggplant, tho it still has part of a green leaf left.

All the Tomatoes are good, so that gives me happiness. But some of the Giant Marigolds I planted yesterday are still looking a bit pathetic.

I get started forking and weeding more of the future Tofu Patch. But then these two distract me. Wikka Wikka Wikka! with a different tone than usual...

Oh! Two males! They are displaying!

I wonder how they win the contest.

Oh their beautiful red shafts!

(Yeah, actually, they are orange... but our western Flickers are called Red Shafted! The eastern Flickers are Yellow Shafted, and it's a serious, banana bright yellow!)

The Winner?

Yeah. This other one looks a little forlorn.

Okay. Back to work! I've forked a good section...

But I got a little too close to the Columbine.

I gave it a good watering to apologize!

And I'm done for the day. I stop by Roz's plot as I take the digging fork back to the shed.

Internet problems this morning. At first I thought it was just my email being slow and annoying. But then we had zero connection, and lost the tv as well. I re-booted the box... to no effect.

Sighs.

We live in the city, and we never have problems with the internet. So it feels really weird to go about the day without it!

But I'm not going to worry about it for a couple hours! Heading out for my walk to the garden!

Good Morning My Dear.

It's cloudy and so nice today!

And with the humidity, look who has come out to traverse the bike path. And she-hes got a jaunty flick of the tail!

Okay. Here's the back of the garden plot...

The middle front is the Pea Patch, where I've got transplanted starts AND some seed planted Sugar Snap Peas coming up!

In the middle is the Squash Square, and then the black landscaping cloth is the right side neighbor.

The plan is to fork and weed a new section in front of the Squash Square (to the right in the pic), where I will eventually set up the big trellis for the Wax Beans. It's big. 6feet long and 4feet high. But I think it will fit in there, with enough of a walkway between it and the tomato plants which are off screen to the right.

I am so happy with the Sugar Snap Peas...

The second batch of transplanted starts never recovered from the shock of the hot day, when I stupidly put them in the ground. But the seeds I planted around it are outpacing the slugs! So I'm thinking I will have a beautiful Pea Patch here!

Okay, good forking done today, I'm heading out.

You know. It just occurred to me that the Barn Swallows have built up the wall of the nest so high... I'm not going to be able to SEE the babies! humph.

The other parent is here too! That's nice!

The parent in the nest flies away, and Oh, the other parent was waiting to take over nesting duties!!

And, Oh My GOSH! We've now got proof that each parent has a unique nest sitting style!!

I don't know who's who, yet... Mama or Papa? Sitting with just their head poking up, or sitting with their tail out this way. But I'm excited to learn this about my Barn Swallow friends!

Back at home... sighs! The internet is intermittent. It connects for a few minutes, and then goes down for a few minutes. So irritating.

It's well into the afternoon before it connects for good.

But I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder, huh. I do love me some internet!

Hello My Dear! How's it going up there?

*Gasp* Oh my gosh... Are you looking down at SOMEONE??

No. Okay. You just need to turn an egg or something?

*laughs* Okay, but why you gotta freak me out like that?!

I'm at the garden, and I'm continuing to fork and weed the new area in front of the Squash Square in the back corner...

I've laid the big trellis down here to give myself an idea of how much I need to fork and weed here. Still a ways to go!

Peas in the making, on the transplanted Sugar Snap Pea plants!

Trump is guilty. Convicted by a jury of his peers. Not that anyone wants to be his peer: traitor and lying liar and pos. 34 counts of falsifying business records... And paying hush money to Stormy Daniels was election interference.

∞ I had convinced myself Trump would never be convicted. I'm happy I was wrong. So rarely held to account, Trump has finally had a small taste of justice. This is a good day for American democracy.

I'm heading out to the garden. There's homeless people gathered under the bridge, so I just sneak a peek at the sitting Barn Swallow parent on the nest and don't stop to take any photos.

I've got the seed packet of Pansies with me today, and I'm going to put them down around the Giant Marigolds in the front. I highly doubt they will come up, since seeds mostly don't grow in the plot. But I'm going to give it a try since I'm watering there every day anyway!

When I wander around, I discover a beautiful looking strawberry fruit on the plant! But when I pick it up, I find the slugs have eaten a big hole in the bottom of it, and slimed it as well. gross!

*laughs* Let's focus on the pretty parts!

Okay! I'm forking and weeding to expand this spot in front of the Squash Square, where I'm going to set up the new big trellis.

I'm getting closer, but the work is going slower... I'm taking my time to do a really good job and getting out as many of the grass roots as I can!

I had been removing the flowers on the first SunGold because I wanted it to focus on making good roots after it was planted. But these flowers are new, and I'm letting the plant do what it wants now, even tho it's still pretty small.

The Love in a Mist by the front Garden Square is blooming!

That's the Brandywine in the background. Well, and a big Dandelion! *laughs* I've been letting them grow, this year... I think they are pretty. And when there's just a few, like I have, that indicates good dirt! (When you have zillions in your lawn, that means you have problems!)

Plus, of course, Dandelions are edible. Not that I'm going to eat them, they're yucky! But they do have a place in a veggie garden! :)

Unlike these Sweet Peas, which are poisonous. *shakes head*

Heading home... oh my gosh! Some older ducklings!

There's three of them, and sadly without a Mama... but they have survived H5N1 Avian flu that's killing all the babies!

Thank goodness.

Last year, the Mallards were having big batches of babies, and when they died, the Mamas kept trying and trying. Well over 100 babies died, just along the section of creek that I walk regularly. Terrible. And so hard on the Mamas, both physically and emotionally.

This year, there were a couple of big families in April, but since then the babies have come in much smaller batches. I think, five was the biggest batch of ducklings, this month. And there just haven't been as many families showing up either.

So they seem to be adapting. Tho it is concerning that I've seen two batches of babies without a Mama. Sighs.

I get home, and I see the email.

A warning that our garden plot is not in compliance with the Community Garden rules.

I'm upset because I've been working SO FREAKING HARD. And what's wrong with the plot anyway???! What the hell?

When I calm down enough to actually read the email... it says remove grass in the pathways. um. huh?

Yeah, there's grass in the pathways. but it's short, for the most part. mostly just covering the dirt. It's nowhere near the rule that says to keep the weeds under 18inches. So now I'm upset and confused.

As I go to find the Community Garden manual, online, I vaguely remember they changed it a couple years ago. Sure enough, the Keep weeds under 18inches rule is gone. The rule now says Keep your plot free of weeds, including grasses, throughout all seasons.

Oh Shit. Our new garden director. Grass in the pathways has never been an issue. But we got a new garden director this year. Damnit, she must be nit-picky about the rules.

Great. That's just great.