Week #8 Porch Shot

Porch Shot

Hollyhocks

Mallow

Week 8 already...I planted a walking stick that got me home on a very icy road when my car couldn't one night a few years ago. It's where I want the left side of the arbor to be. The rose is already reaching out for its support. Maybe it's a climbing rose after all. Hannah is coming down for the 4th and will be here just in time for the Hollyhock bloomation. The Mallow has also decided to bloom today in all its pinkness. A little steamy sunshine always seems to bring out more flowers. I noticed that there are no honey bees around for polination and that hornets and ants seem to be doing their best at filling in. I hope the bees can make a comeback one of these years for the love of honey!

Smiling Metal Face and Mr. Blblblble

These two just seemed to belong together. They seem to enjoy each others' company. Maybe there'll be fireworks tonight? I'll be looking for faces to add to this garden wall....

Mileage Report Week #2

Another really good report - 515.2 miles from 11.279 gallons. Once again I'm really thrilled....45.677808 mpg. This is a very satisfying experiment fellow scientists!

Root Canal - Where does it hurt most?

Although the jaw is still pretty sore from 2+ hours in the chair, my wallet will be hurting a lot longer..... Still, at least it's over with and time to go on to happier things. I'm still happy about the arbor idea and have been designing in my head for the last day or so....I wonder if the tooth thing will work it's way into the design? It just might.

Last night.

Today.

Budding Gardener

Sarah's blog discusses the conversation we had yesterday about my feeling like a garden neophite after looking at her site and Black Swamp girl's.
Well, I still feel that way but in a good way. One of the problems we talked about was the fact that my yard is relatively small, and that I live in a trailer, so I worry a bit about going over the top sometimes....you know....bronze lions, pillars, fountains and the like.
I've been thinking about making an arbor where the porch shots were taken, but I was a little worried that it may too much or something, but Sarah assured me it would be ok. I had an arbor in the entryway of the house I grew up in and it just feels so inviting....
We looked at some natural arbors woven from twigs and sticks, driftwood etc....not sure what I'll do but now I think it's my next project....I'll leave the gilding off...or maybe I should just go all out and make it really fantastic....

The Kitties Profile

This is the first time I got somewhat good pictures of all my girls. They don't really like to be photographed - most likely because of the flash....but it's difficult to get any picture at all without the flash when you're indoors.....




This is Sid, the eldest cat....though only 6. She's a pretty good catcher if you throw her a ball but loses interest rather quickly. She has better concentration skills with Tuna juice. Sid is very friendly and would meow in agreement, but she only has a high pitched and barely audible meow, so you might miss it.

This is a double-decker shot of Lola and Sid. You've seen Lola before...she showed up at that same door last fall as a very small ball of fur that decided she wanted to live here...and decided not to be one of the many stray cats around here that struggle through the year. She's well cared for and well loved now, and is a constant source of amusement. Lola is a very devoted fetcher of a particulary ratty looking stuffed mouse.

This is Pakhet, the very small, but 4 year old adult cat. She is named after an Egyptian half-lion, half woman goddess who guards, rips and shreds, and balls up carpets - but no matter - Pakhet is my favorite small grey cat. She, like Moo below is also very shy except with me.....

So here's Muca (most often referred to as Moomoo). She was a bit more willing to pose for pictures when I was outside looking in. Moo is 1 year old this month and is very shy. You can't see it, but she has a small white bib. She is very vocal and seems to have to stretch more than any cat in the world....

STELLAAAAAH!

Stella can't run but she's pretty.

Trumpet vine, also loved by humming birds.

Broccoli, loved by me, leaves and all.

I waited and waited to catch a shot of the humming birds at the feeders but wasn't quick enough. Then, after snapping a couple defenseless plants, the mosquitos and some bees that are trying to make a home of my unscreened porch came and drove me indoors to the screenporch and the ballgame on the radio. Poor Stella couldn't fly so I snapped her. But heck....she's beautiful too...
I was wondering if broccoli leaves were edible and sure enough they are hardly distinguishable from kale or collards, but more bitter as they grow larger, and as an added bonus have more beta carotene than the fleurets. I had two big bowls of salad with mixed greens to try to make up for the effects of the antibiotics taken for the upcoming root canal. There's nothing quite like fresh greens from your own little garden....except maybe getting a good picture of the humming birds at your own feeder perhaps?

The broccoli will be ready to pick soon if it isn't already, and peas too. Small comforts are sometimes just enough when things don't exactly go your way aren't they? Humming birds will have to wait another day I 'spose.