Ian Pitching 4-28

On Saturday we went to watch Ian's Little League game.  He got to pitch part of an inning and I think I heard it was his first time pitching.  The vertical pictures are a series of one pitch.  He is getting so danged tall and grown up looking!

Love of Lizards! 4-29

Ian LOVED his blanket.

We've had a busy weekend.  Yesterday we spent the day in Ukiah getting our grandkid fix.  We hit the road by 7:30.  We stopped to see Larry's Mom first and caught the Sandoval crew before they left and got to play with our youngest niece who was a smiley girl.  We went to Ian's Little League game and I got some good pictures of him which I'll post later.  We had a wonderful dinner after the game prepared by Andrea and Scott and we were on the road back home around 8 p.m.  We were in our bed by midnight.


Today was laundry day and I did some weed whacking around the iris.  The first iris of the season unfurled this morning.  Larry worked on the shed.

The iris is there at the top of the little stairs
and up on the hill to the left of the oak tree
are clumps of wild iris.

I was going to pull a few weeds out of our gravel when I heard a rustle of the dry oak leaves under the stairs.  A medium lizard rushed out and ran along the base of the foundation.  I had scared him and he runs along and then jumps onto the cinder block piece under the rain gutter down spout, but as soon as he did he does a quarter turn and jumps in the air hitting his head on the upper edged of the down spout.  I not only saw him hit but I heard his poor little head hit the metal, he then makes a leap up onto the side of the house, seemed to rest a moment and then ran around the corner of the house to land behind the rosemary.

This was taken after the excitement so
you could see what I was talking about.

I chuckled over the funny episode but it struck me as odd the more I thought about it.  In looking at the scene from where I had witnessed it I was thinking that that was an oddly colored circle on the surface of the cinderblock that the lizard had landed on so I wander over.  W E L L, the coloration of the cinderblock was a small snake with the classic scary coloration of a rattlesnake and as it was in the shade I hollered for Larry to come check it out...plus if it turned out to not be a harmless gopher snake, it wasn't going to be me moving the thing.  Larry scooted it out and sure enough a baby foot long rattlesnake.  WHICH explains the shocked jump of the lizard....hahahaha....landing on a snake must have scared the crap out of that lizard...I think he was on the wall checking out what he had jumped on and was thanking his lucky stars.


I am thankful that I have learned to pay attention to nature's signs, see patterns and listen to my intuition and I hope it continues to serve me well.  I know rattlesnakes have their benefits, I just wish that they would give our two acres a wide berth.  I will have to be really cautious and not run around in sandals like I love to do.

The clematis is going crazy...this flower is as big
as my hand.

Miss me?! 4-27

It has been a busy week...visiting friends, dealing with tree pollens, cutting down and digging out a plum tree, getting a new shed and another inch of rain.  We were excited about the rain coming to wash down the thick coating of oak and pine tree pollen that has steadily been coating everything.  It rained heavily and everything was shiny and new for a few hours and now the pollen is sprinkling down still.  It should be done soon...it is just nasty while the trees are doing their thing.  Enjoy the photos...the garden is starting to pop.

The plum tree had to go...so diseased and bug ridden!

Now we have to decide, tree or not to tree.

The clematis vines are loaded with buds!

Howard getting some sun and keeping an eye out for bugs.

Wild iris

our pretty new TUFF shed.  Just needs paint.

but we are going to insulate and rock the inside.

Larry's Views 4-18

These pictures are from Larry's hike yesterday.  We were hoping we would see some big spring colors out there in the Rec Area but this is all Larry found and just a few measly clumps of poppies here and there.


I want to send love and hugs to my Aunt Gretchen who came home from the hospital today after having had surgery Sunday night and to Lou who had open heart surgery on Monday...speedy recovery!  We love you!

Terrific Tuesday 4-17

It was a transitional Spring day...trying to be warmer but the clouds moved in and the breeze was cool.  I had a good workout at my Pilates class...amazing progress is being made.  While I was in class Larry went for a hike, I'll post some of his pictures tomorrow.  I worked on getting some more of the roses fertilized.  Just a beautiful day.

Pretty yellow and  red ranunculus.

Larry ran across this snaky looking bad boy out in the yard.

Not Much Happening 4-16

The rains finally stopped, everything is growing like crazy and we are supposed to be 80 Friday or Saturday so I expect by Monday the weeds will be like three feet tall.  I finally finished Ian's afghan, as much as I dislike working with this particular yarn it is soft, heavy and warm.

It looks awfully good on my couch!

Today we ventured into town for new library books, plants and groceries.  I wanted some different violas, which I found and I also chose a peony, three different colors of carnations (Larry's favorite) and yellow tiger lily bulbs.  The drive in and out of Auburn was so pretty with all the bright new greens and the splashes of color from the redbuds, lupines and California poppies.  The big old cherry tree and wisteria at the library were in bloom too.  Pictures you say?  Well I left the camera at home...oops.  The next couple of days I'll be planting, transplanting and fertilizing.

This isn't a very good picture, but
I wanted Lori to see the tulip and show off my pretty vase, I had
polished the silver base.

Soggy 4-13

Ran out and snapped a few pics while there was a sun ray!

Dang...that was a gully washer monsoon of a storm that swept in and stuck over us.  Raining since Tuesday night...an inch and a quarter of rain by yesterday morning and then from yesterday afternoon until this afternoon another two plus inches.  Yesterday, early evening we had a big thunderstorm right over us, thunder, lightning, hail, torrential rain...a jack rabbit flew across the yard and took shelter under the truck, quail hung out under the car.  This morning it was still pouring and on my way to Pilates there were mallard ducks floating around in a pond that was formerly a field, raging creeks flowing through horse paddocks and our little seasonal creek looked like a white rapid river.  

Moniz Lake

It stopped finally and all the water receded, but it continued to rain off and on all the rest of today and even this evening.  I went out and walked around a few times and the water is just standing all over the place.  Up in Chester where we used to live they got a foot of snow last night....yuck, yuck, yuck...we really, really don't miss that!

A bunny's gotta protect the pelt!

Soggy honeybees

Where soggy bees end up...there was a break in the rain for a couple hours this afternoon
and many of these bees were moving about and seemed to be helping others dry off.

The tulips just glow in the gloom.