Archive for ‘May, 2014’

Week wrap up

The yellow jackets…

I keep emptying…

And refreshing the traps.

Although, today, Friday…a warm (72F) and sunny day…the activity seemed not quite as hectic around the house. Good news ??? I don’t know. It may mean that remaining queens are nesting.

A worry for another day.

Tuesday morning, it looked like the above.

Bear, Auggie and I have been enjoying quiet mornings as I had info that this was to come to an end.

Someone(s) purchased one of the lots on the loop. The build area was surveyed and marked last Fall. I hoped against hope that I was wrong.

But not.

Water well drilling equipment moved onto the property mid-morning Tuesday.

RATS!

We will focus on this and think on what we shall do.

Lily of the Valley: Continuity

Happy Happy Birthday to my Mama this day!

And it is a bit fitting that this day, there is a strong breeze from the southwest.

A breeze that is bringing the scent of Lily of the Valley into the house.

Fitting because my Mama’s Mama had a Lily of the Valley patch on the path to her back door – the door we used. The scent of Lily of the Valley takes me back to that house, to that path and to my Grandma Ruthie…my Mama’s Mama.

Grandma Ruthie’s birthday is also in May: May 5. I thought of her that day when the Lily of the Valley were just sticking up their heads.

But, today…on my Mama’s birthday, they are in full bloom and full scent.

Continuity.

Lily of the Valley.

The little green mowing machine

The mower arrived Friday.

Saturday…grumbling a little, I opened the box.

Might as well charge the batteries.

And roll the thing out of the box.

I took the manual in the house.

It looks like a toy.

Much of it is plastic.

It reminds me of those kid toys with the “popcorn” top.

BUT…this lever…ONE lever that moves the mowing deck from low to high. I messed with that. SO much fun and so easy compared to my gas mower with spring loaded thingies on EACH wheel. They were difficult to adjust. They made me say bad words. Not this lever – EASY! Partly because of all of that plastic toy-like structure. The mower is very light.

And it has a push button start. No full arm pull.

So, maybe I will never LOVE mowing but I might dislike it a bit less.

I went out late morning today. Both batteries were fully charged. I thought I’d test the starting.

It started.

With a push of the button. (***there are safety features which include a key and a sequence with a bailer bar)

So.

I had my mowing boots on.

For safety.

I decided to at least take a pass at the high grass and see how she did.

Yes, I’m sure it is a she.

And then I decided to just mow the section where the garden used to be. It is the only part of the yard where the grass grows fairly well as it gets sun and is a bit removed from so many trees.

She mows well and quietly and no vibration. My hands did not fall “asleep” and my elbow was not irritated.

I think the little green mowing machine and I might get along.

The good, the bad, the ugly, the cute and the “not today”!

We’ve been having our typical mid to late May pseudo Summer.

Bear and I walked on the road which is a continuation of the Road Home – across the highway.

70 something, breezy, beautiful…

To the northwest, Big Mountain ski runs.

To the West-Southwest, Blacktail mountain ski runs.

We have been walking away from home, because of the bad and ugly…

Not to worry, this particular bad and ugly is trapped between the window and the screen. But it is bad because it WAS in the house.

Just 1 of 5 trapping venues in the yard.

The traps are getting about 100 yellow jackets each day. It is a bit horrifying.

Before today, except for the 2 early emergents in April, I have not had any in the house. But today: 5!

I’ve been keeping Auggie in except for early morning and early evening and a midafternoon time when things seem quiet. He’s doing fairly well with the plan but is not 100% happy.

We might run away from home!

Bear, Auggie and I went out briefly about 3:00. There seemed to be a lull in activity. The photo above is Auggie mid dirt bath. That’s the cute!

This is the “not today”. I succumbed. I’m not sure it was a good idea, but it is here. I have no intention of running it around the yard, though – not with the buzzy-flying-stinging things out there also!

No, not today!

The army has nothing on us…

The U.S. Army slogan – or at least it was: “We get more done by 9 a.m. than most people do all day”.

Here at la Casa Summers, we are NOT most people.

Plus, at Latitude 48 North, sunrise is now before 6:00 a.m. It is light by 5:00 a.m. The birdies are singing about 4:45.

I’ve always been a morning person, but in the summer I get going even earlier. Auggie is right with this program as he’s ready to go as soon as he hears the birds!

Bear has no objections either.

Wild strawberry on this morning (Wednesday).

Sticky shooting star – not many of these in my woods and it is always fun to find one!

Auggie, in the morning sunshine…looking very serious!

Auggie’s legs are fluffy down to the “knee” and then the hair is short to his feet. I laugh every time he trots ahead of me as with his tail in the air: his fluffy behind and upper legs with the close haired lower legs – it makes him look like he’s wearing pantaloons.

Bear’s turn to be serious and he did it very well. A herd of 6-8 deer ran near the west property line and out onto the state land. I asked Bear to “Leave it”. He didn’t want to, but he did. Good Boy!

Meanwhile that boule was baking, the dough for the tortillas was resting and post walk the tortillas were made as well as my breakfast of a fresh tortilla stuffed with black beans and cheddar – topped with tomatillo salsa and a side of fresh pineapple.

It was 8:09.

I ate my breakfast at the island in morning sunshine and was at my desk by 8:30 a.m.

Bear and Auggie were having morning naps.

The army has nothing on us!