Boy is someone going to be surprised when their search turns these up instead of…well, you know. 🙂
Tag: Nature
Wordless Wednesday: Splish Splash Hummingbird
I Spy
I spy something in the meadow. Sometimes you have to look very closely …
And sometimes, they just come rushing to greet you – like my buddy Noah, who I see fairly often.
I love my workday walks on the trail behind our offices.
I never know who, or what, I’ll meet.
Today I spied Presley and Sienna.
I almost mistook Presley for a Jack Rabbit.
Presley, it turns out, is on his third home.
He started as an apartment dog, but needed space to run and dig.
Then, he became a family dog, until he got lost in the shuffle of kids and kid activity schedules.
Hopefully, he has found his third and final home with Wendy. She volunteers at a local shelter and seems to truly understand the needs of a high energy Weimaraner.
Sienna certainly seems to enjoy his company.
If a tired dog is a happy dog, then Presley and Sienna must be very happy dogs indeed.
Great to meet you. See you in the meadow. 🙂
Of Birds and Man
“There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.” ~ Robert Lynd, The Blue Lion and Other Essays
Wordless Wednesday: Uninvited Guest
Walk With Me: II
My work commute is an hour drive each way. Not fun. The good news is that it puts me out of town and within walking distance of tucked away walking trails filled with old oaks, small ponds and flocks of birds. Walk with me through some protected trails in Roseville, CA.
Fifty years ago, there was nothing here but miles of oak trees.
A suburban city sprouted, but someone had the foresight to set aside designated open space – areas where natural beauty would remain for the generations to come.
It remains largely unspoiled – save for a few forgotten or visiting treasures.
Oh to be as free as a bird and stay all day.
Someday.
Wordless Wednesday: California Quenched
Fall whispers farewell
The garden is tucked under a blanket of leaves.
We’ll let it wear this thin cover through the winter to protect sensitive perennials from frost while feeding the soil.
I am always surprised at how quickly the garden can fade; from brilliant oranges, reds and golds
to a canvas of grey and brown.
Not dead; just moved to a new state of slumber as if to say, ‘let’s rest awhile.’ It is a well-deserved. Fall whispers farewell.
Last year at this time, two weeks of record cold and frost were upon us. Unheard of for our area, it stole – overnight – the last color from the garden and resulted in more than a few casualties.
This year, we are blessed with successive days of warm rain. The last roses shine like neon against an earth-colored backdrop.
The long-term forecast says we will not yet escape the drought – but the outlook improves somewhat. For this we are very thankful. With the grey skies and the holidays upon us, the pumpkins were promptly dispatched to the compost pile
and a living tree was moved in.
While the décor has changed, we are still filled with the spirit of giving thanks. Our kennels are only half full after so many “going homes” including eleven of our twelve puppies –
Only sweet Titania remains. We have promised her a home by Christmas.
The breeder dogs that came in recently are all spoken for, including this beautiful pup – surrendered for a heart murmur. One person’s “defect” is another’s great fortune.
For once, the pace is relaxed – with time for enjoying each other’s company as well as the company of dogs.
Our own well-earned rest.
“And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch hazel wither;
The heart is still aching to seek,
But the feet question ‘Whither?’” ~ Robert Frost
The Dogs of Klamath III
“There is new life in the soil for every man. There is healing in the trees for tired minds and for our overburdened spirits, there is strength in the hills, if only we will lift up our eyes. Remember that nature is your great restorer.” ~ Calvin Coolidge
Every September, we camp where the river and ocean meet at Klamath, California, visiting with friends and restoring our spirits. Surrounded by the towering Redwoods and the expanse of Pacific Ocean, cares just drift away.
The tonic of camping requires few comforts; a fabric roof overhead to protect from fog and dew; the warmth of a fire and a cozy sleeping blanket; good coffee…and of course, the company of dogs.
Following: The Dogs of Klamath III, along with a link to the full trip album for those so inclined. Enjoy. http://ogeesnaps.smugmug.com/Klamath-2014/
“Going to the woods is going home.” ~ John Muir
Elfin Magic
There are elves among us.
I don’t know where they hide, but they leave their mysteries and mischief all over the garden.
Bunnies that rearrange themselves to better smell the flowers…
beautiful sayings that magically appear in the beds…
stepping-stones crafted by small hands…
wind chimes and bird houses that find their way into trees…
and trees that are mysteriously deposited without so much as a note.
Can anyone identify this tree so we know what to do with it, please?
Each week, they leave little surprises in the garden to bewilder and bemuse. And gifts…they bring us gifts.
They brought us sweet, sugar-faced Hudson with his ever-outstretched paw,
And darling Nikki, also recovering from surgery.
They delivered Winston to us, with his crazy legs that go every which way but forward.
And magic. With barely a drop of rain and little water, they still manage to bring us flowers…
birds…
bees…
and butterflies.
There is elfin magic here.
“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” ~ Eden Phillpotts
Brown is the New Green
This summer, it seems the weather forecast is always wrong. Friday was 110. This weekend was supposed to hover near the century mark. Instead, someone ordered up a breeze and clouds. Rainless clouds. But clouds, nevertheless. We have been surfing temperature waves all summer. Peaks and dips. They are taking their toll on the garden.
The USDA declared a drought disaster for California, now listed as being in “exceptional drought.” Fires are breaking out everywhere. The forecast calls for a warmer than normal September through November. While our friends in the east endure soggy – we sizzle. And pray for rain.
In my favorite public gardens, you will find casualties of city-imposed water cutbacks.
Brown is the new green.
In our Memorial Garden, we have reduced our water use by nearly half.
We’re fortunate to have established trees to provide more shade…for the plants – and the dogs!
The soil contains a good amount of clay to hold the moisture in…and drought tolerant plants combined with heavy mulching have kept the losses to a minimum.
In sharp contrast to the brown, dry dog walking paths at Homeward Bound –
is this strange sight: the lush green of flooded rice fields which surround us.
Don’t ask me to speak with authority on this embarrassment of riches. Apparently, if you are a farmer high enough on the water rights ladder, you have the option of paying dearly for the water you use (up to ten times the usual rate) or letting your fields go fallow and selling your rights to someone else.
Those that are less fortunate are on long waiting lists to dig ever deeper wells – hoping and praying that the ground water will be replenished this winter with rain. If not – we are all in a world of hurt.
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” ~ John Muir
Brown is beautiful and all of that. But please send rain.
Second winds
After weeks of scorching hot and dusty dry – we caught a weather break and had unseasonably mild temperatures for a bit. The garden got its second wind, and sent blooms skyward again.
Spectacular Sunflowers…
Dazzling Dahlias…
Daylilies…
A second round of Delphinium…
And the long-awaited appearance of those elusive Naked Ladies.
Then – on Sunday – something truly amazing: clouds and a very light rain. You don’t realize how much you miss those drops until you live in California through three years of drought. It was short-lived, but spread a hush of gray over the garden.
From riot to quiet.
“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” ~ Benjamin Franklin (Lucky agrees!)
Even the dragonflies were smiling.
Gardens For Goldens 