So, there you are!

I put this plant in the garden about three years ago, and it is only now that it has decided to bloom. I believe it is a variegated phlox.

Thursday harvest

Royal Burgundy bush beans, scarlet runner beans, cut and ready for dinner tonight, sungold tomatoes and cukes for the salad. There is nothing as sweet as homegrown vegetables to grace the dinner table. I already have several packages of beans in the freezer, and the way the beans are producing, there will be many more.

WEDNESDAY WHIMSY

WEDNESDAY WHIMSY

I AM GLAD SURPRISES NEVER END

I bought this Amaryllis last year and enjoyed the blooms for many weeks, and when it had done flowering I left it alone during the winter months and started re-watering it come spring. All I got for the care it received, was a lot of healthy leaves, so I decided to sit the pot out in the flower garden. Soon I saw that the leaves had died so I assumed the plant was lost, then a couple of weeks ago, much to my surprise, I noticed new growth, which turned out to be new flower stems emerging from the top of the bulb. This is the first stem to produce two lovely flowers and the other stem still growing. I am so glad this lovely plant did not die.

A SURPRISE VISITOR TO MY GARDEN

Western Tanager

As I walked out the front door I heard a bird call which was unfamiliar, so I started to look up into the trees. I spotted a yellow bird, one larger than the goldfinches hanging out in the yard, one I had never seen before. I rushed back indoors grabbed up my camera ready to take the perfect shot. Of course when I very cautiously went back outside, the bird was not where I last saw it. I stood very still and scanned all the surrounding trees, then saw the bird way up in the branches of a plum tree. I very slowly edged my way closer all the while readying the camera for a close up shot, and managed to snap just one before the bird flew off.
Back indoors I opened my "Birds of Washington State" book and looked for a yellow bird of about the same size of the one I had photographed. I was surprised to see a number of bird which looked similar, but had to look carefully at the photo to distinguish all coloring and markings on the bird, checking against the description in the book.

ID: stout orangy bill - check

dark eyes - check
bluish gray legs - check

Yes indeed, I am 99.9% sure I have I have correctly identified the visitor to my garden.

WEDNESDAY WHIMSY

PROGRESS ON THE SHADE GARDEN

Looking across the primrose garden, to where I am creating a shade garden.

This was last year when I started building some small connecting gardens.

The lovely old willow lends shade to this area. I have removed quite a lot of the English ivy which was covering the ground under the tree, to make room for other shade loving plants.

I have started hauling rocks, and arranging, then rearranging them until I get it to where it pleases my eye.

A little whimsy here and there for added interest.

The broken pot holds the soil around the fern's roots, so it will not be washed down the hill.

Looking back up towards the driveway. I still have a lot of work to do before I can say it is finished.

WOW! WEDNESDAY

VIEWS OF THE FRONT GARDEN

FLORA FAUNA AND AWARDS

Saturday just East of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, at the range just up the valley from Fernan, they held the Idaho State Steel Challenge Championships, better known as the Eddie Brown Memorial Steel match. It's very well run, in a beautiful (if hot!) location, and we try our best to be there every year. It took us around six hours on the road to get there, not counting the ferry ride to the mainland from Whidbey Island. You can read about our 2008 trip to this event HERE
For those of you who don't already know, Mr C and I are competitive pistol shooters who love to travel all over, to compete in steel challenge matches.

After we had arrived at the range on Saturday, (we stay at the range in our RV) I was sitting in the shade out of the heat enjoying looking around at out surroundings, when I heard the alarm call of a critter.

There was this little critter sitting in a bush, just chirping at me as though I was going to do it some harm. After a while, when it seemed to feel more at ease, it settled down to play the watching game. I calmly sat in my chair looking at the chipmunk and it looked right back, until it grew tired of the game and went about it's business.

Looking around me I saw a few things growing I thought would be somewhat interesting to take a photo of. (that's the gardener in me)

And the 'icing on the cake' is this award I came home with.