The blog has suffered, but most of last week it was more appealing to be outdoors watching the dandelion blossoms open to greet the sun. It is so nice here not to have to breathe lawn chemical stench. More below…
The trees are starting to leaf out and the first lilac blossoms opened today. The weather is still mild and breezy, great for drying clothes — put three loads out today in anticipation of wet and cool weather later in the week.
A week ago today I took Bode to the vet for a follow up test. I like to take the kind of roads where you drive right down the middle and only pull over if someone comes by. My dad calls them wagon roads, Tim calls them cart roads. There is a network of them to connect farms and the market towns. Just beyond St. Paul Congregational Church a wild turkey was standing in the middle. I stopped and admired it as it took its time getting off the road. On the way home, one was on the road at the same place and a second one was in the bushes to the side. They seem to be in pairs now instead of flocks.
On Tuesday I took mother and father to town to help me shop for mini-blinds and traverse curtain rods. Got some garden and kitchen stuff too. Ended up at the garden center in Loews — shop ’til you drop time. They had thousands of bedding plants as well as shrubs, trees, and house plants including some lovely orchids. Was planning to pick up groceries too, but after four hours, just went home.
I heard a turkey call from across the road while I was working on my little garden. Haven’t spotted any here except for one flying into the little hollow. It might be anywhere on the hill. Last fall I discovered that this valley is sort of a natural ampitheater. I could hear people talking outside, discovered they were hunters way up on the hill. So, when Delbert went up the hill to get Bode, I could talk with him in a normal conversational voice while it would have been difficult to hear each other shouting down in the yard.
The birds are depending on the feeder a lot less now, although the goldfinches still visit for thistle seed. The woodpecker still visits daily. Last Friday I watched a pair of cardinals while eating breakfast. The female stayed on the ground below the feeder while the male went to the feeder, selected choice bits, then flew down to the female and fed them to her. This is probably some kind of well documented behavior, but I thought it was sweet.
There are more insects out now too including several kinds of butterflies. My mom told me she heard wrens a week ago, then when I was out on Saturday I heard them near Gastown too. The house sparrows are still trying to wriggle into the tiny hole in the wren house every day. I hope some wrens find their way here.
The dandelions are starting to produce seed so the sparrows and finches will soon have lots to eat. Yet another plus for these great plants. My neighbors at the winery said they were gathering dandelion blossoms for wine last week. My mom still talks about cooking the greens in the spring although they haven’t for some time. I understand that the root can be roasted and used like chicory for coffee, although I haven’t met anyone who says they have done it. It is a real travesty that large companies have persuaded people to think this plant is dreadful enough to buy poison to treat their lawns.
I stopped knitting on the stockings. They are almost done but I need to do some math to figure out exactly where to start to decrease for the toe. When I got itchy for something to do over the weekend (still haven’t replaced the TV) I got Size 30 cream crochet thread and a No. 10 hook and started working on a runner for my sister. It is a variation on the Ripe Wheat pattern I made two years ago.
