Thursday, April 29, 2021

averting disaster, more yard work and spring blooms or not


I can do a brisk walk for a long time without getting winded or tired but I have no wind or stamina for running which was brought home to me yesterday morning. The county sent it's mower out to attend to the ditches and in the past that has been both sides of the driveway into the shop yard. Today since I've been keeping the ditch in front of Pam's house cleared and trimmed it's just the other ditch. And then he moved over to our side of the street and started pulling the tractor mower towards the ditch in front of our house where the bluebonnets are going to seed. The county mowed them down a couple of years ago when we weren't here much to our dismay because the seed wasn't mature yet and the last two years has seen fewer bluebonnets in the spring. When it became apparent that he intended to cut the bluebonnets down again I dashed out the garage door and ran as fast as I could down the driveway waving my arms and shouting NO NO! OMG, I thought my heart was gonna bust, panting for air. He very kindly moved back onto the street and opened the door so I could tell him why he shouldn't mow that section...bluebonnets (gasp) seed (gasp) not ready (gasp) we'll mow it. OK, he says, no problem, they just told me to mow the ditches.

I've been busy in the yard still, though I've had a day or two when I basically did nothing. I weeded a large section of the day lily bed, fertilized them and spread out some mulch, spread out fertilizer for the azaleas but I won't mulch them until after I fertilize again in mid-May. Also worked in another flower bed and still plenty of that to do. It's really dry, no rain to speak of for too long so I'm back on my watering schedule. The poppies still look good but they are starting to wane now 

and the other long flower bed with the love-in-a-mist and the rocket larkspur and the german verbena has finally come into bloom, a little later than usual due to the deep freeze. 

Not a big return on the larkspur so I plan to scatter new seed this fall. The sweet peas are growing, getting tall, and yet no sign of any flower buds. 

They better hurry up or it's going to get too hot.

I had a visitor to the house the other day. Big Mama was out of her pond, hungry, she spied me just inside the open back door and made a beeline for me and actually came in the house. She's approached the door before but never come in. After she got my attention she turned around and headed back to her pond.

I know it's hard to see her but the white triangular spot is the top of her head.

So other than working in the yard here and there, mostly weeding getting the woodland violets and the mostly gone by baby-blue-eyes and nut grass and invasive black and blue salvia and handfuls of orange cosmos I swear every seed that falls sprouts and other weeds out so they aren't crowding the next wave of bloomers, and relaxing and reading I haven't really done much. I still have two big projects ahead...cleaning out and reorganizing the garage and doing the same to the shop including replacing all the water lines which cracked, and in some cases exploded the PVC, and so, once again, I do not have a functioning toilet in the shop. Well, garage first. Maybe this weekend.

Did I mention that the Boston ferns are coming back? Slowly, but they are putting up new fronds. And it's been several weeks since I checked on the ponytail palm so I was glad to see this when I looked yesterday.

May 1st is nearly upon us so I'll be digging up the dead stumps of the hibiscus, bougainvillea, star of india, and desert rose bush.

And tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be 71. That just blows my mind. 



18 comments:

  1. I had you on my calendar to mail you a bonafide birthday card. Of course I forgot. Happy birthday. 71 is a prime number!
    I have Big Mama's journey going on in my mind's eye. What a gal.

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  2. Happy Birthday! Yes, it's surprising each year, isn't it.
    That bed of verbena etc is good enough for a catalog cover, just beautiful. I had to go back and look at it all over again.

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  3. Happy birthday, Ellen! I hope you do something nice for yourself today.
    I can't run either! Levon and August run like the wind. If I had to catch one of them, I could not.
    Your yard is just a thing of beauty. I admire your work in it so.

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  4. Your flowers just make me yearn for a whole field of wildflowers - so gorgeous! Maybe someday...

    I went straight to FB to wish you a happy birthday - I hope you have a FABULOUS day!

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  5. Happy Birthday, Ellen! I will be 71 this year too (in August) - so I know 3 Ellens born in 1950! (I went to grammar school with an Ellen!)
    Your flowers are lovely! Hope your bluebonnets bloom well as a thank you for saving them from the mower! Hope you have a terrific birthday!

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  6. Happy Birthday to you Ellen! Your flowers are beautiful which is good because I know how hard you work to keep them that way:) Big Mama... such a cute story. ha!

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  7. Bravo. No glass but plenty of weeding. Thanks for saving the blue bonnets. And, happy birthday.

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  8. What do you feed Big Mama when she's asking for food? That's a smart turtle.
    Happy Birthday to you.

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    1. red ear sliders are vegetarians once they reach maturity. and Big Mama is 31 if our memory serves and our son was 11 when he brought her home after spending a week with my parents whose backyard backed up to a golf course and he caught this baby turtle in one of the ponds on the course. she was about the size of a 50¢ piece when he got her. she cycled through ever larger aquariums and then kiddie wading pools and then one of those vacuum formed ponds for water lilies until we came out here and had the space for a 600 gallon stock tank in which she now lives with goldfish and minnows for company or entertainment or exercise when she chases them around. we have had other turtles that people have given us and I even bought a male to keep her company but she eventually runs them all off. she was so sick of the little male pestering her constantly that she became very aggressive and would attack him. more info than you wanted, I know. I feed her fruit like blueberries, peaches, tomatoes, banana, grapes and a water plant I grow just for her in a separate container and elephant ears. I also buy turtle sticks to make sure she's getting all the nutrients she needs. she also likes the occasional worm or snail or grub. she has a board from her sunning spot in the middle to the edge of the pond and a ramp from there to the ground so she can get in and out which she usually only does in the spring when the egg laying urge hits her or when I'm not feeding her enough after her winter hibernation like the other day. her pond is in the fenced little backyard so she has an area she can roam but not escape. which she has done many times before we got the big pond and moved her out here. fortunately, or not so for her, she never got far before we noticed and found her. usually in the ditch in front of the house or in front of the neighbor's house. she got halfway down the street once but one of the neighbor kids saw her and brought her back.

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  9. Love that turtle! Such a sight to see her walking into your house.
    Happy happy birthday to you!

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  10. I absolutely loved that long paragraph about Big Mama! I can just see that kid toting her back home. "Hey, Lady! Your turtle got lose again!" I enjoyed the thought of you running out to stop that mower, too. some of our garden club ladies didn't do so well a few years ago, and their big wildflower project on a huge median got taken out by the city mowers. Unhappy? Oh, my.

    Happy birthday! You almost shared one with Willie!

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  11. It's so funny that Big Mama came to ask you for food! I love the flower bed with the love-in-a-mist and verbena, both of which we grow as well. And bravo for stopping the mower! I will never understand why these utility crews don't have more respect for the natural cycle of the plants and animals they're mowing over. (Don't get me started on that!) Happy birthday!

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  12. Yes - and startled me no end to see you running pell-mell down the driveway until I looked around and saw the mower!

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  13. Happy birthday Ellen! Your flowers are simply gorgeous.

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  14. I can easily commiserate with your lack of breathing/stamina. I wound up in the ER on Thursday morning, was transferred to a hospital in Bakersfield (40 mi. west) and spent the next 24 hrs. there. The end result was that I had suffered an episode of congestive heart failure and was sent home with three new meds and heart rehab referral. Breathing is still iffy... beautiful flowers and I'm glad you were able to save the Blue Bonnets!

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    1. OMG Linda.what were you doing out in Pecos County? nevermind, looking at native flora no doubt. here's wishing you a speedy recovery.

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  15. Just read about your birthday! Belated Happy Birthday to you!!!! And wishes for many more to come.

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  16. Missed this post. I remember when your turtle was under the ice but did not know her whole story. She's wonderful!

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.