Just Pics 5-2

I didn't see the spider web when I took the picture.

More Burgundy Clematis Pics 5-1

Happy May Day!  This clematis vine is getting more stunning every day so you are just going to have to endure more pictures of it.  The white one will be next and the roses are getting ready to open so you can bet there will be LOTS more pictures of flowers.  


The big coyote was hanging out in the yard this evening like it belonged here...it was either hunting quail or just torturing the neighbors german shepherd and was taking a break.  It stood there for awhile and then just sat down, I couldn't get its picture without scaring it off.


Oh, I almost forgot, a few more pictures from our visit to Andrea's on Saturday at the end.

friend Rachel, Chloe, Larry and Ian

Chloe, Scott's youngest...she's three

Destiny, Scott's oldest daughter

cutie Connor and Andrea

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.