GOOSE IN A NEW WORLD

 We gave our old wood goose weather vane the "Ashcraft treatment." Several coats of One Shot (lead based sign painter's enamel). He was looking very tired in his original dull gray livery, so we got out the bird book and painted him to resemble the actual Canada goose, with the trademark white patch on his head and the brown body.  

We also lengthened the staff he is mounted on since the New Dawn rose and clematis threatened to overtake him. Now he is flying free and clear. 

OUR BETTER ANGELS

Some days it helps to spend time with my angel...my garden angel Sonia. It has been a hard week and is going to get even more difficult. My brothers are struggling with my mom and her dementia, trying to move her to a really good facility that can make sure she is safe and takes her meds. The trouble is that one minute she'll agree to the move and the next she is telling "the boys" never to talk to her again! Dementia takes many forms, and for my mom it appear to be manic depression. Even the meds she takes (when she remembers) do not fully alleviate her bouts. So in the end they will have to do the move without her consent. She will be unhappy, but that is no change from the past year or two! 
Thanks for reading my vent.   

MUM'S DAY TREAT

Mah sonny Chris and his beautiful wife Susan gifted me with a cute little juniper bonsai, complete with a tiny fisherman. Cute, no? Now all I have to do is keep it happy in my kitchen window. I had a Pieris  bonsai for several years before I managed to commit horticide. I DO have a 20 year old semi-bonsai Japanese weeping larch that is happily living on the patio. It is about 18 inches high (Larches can reach up to 80 ft tall.)  And I have managed to root prune this guy several times to keep him in a 12" planter. So maybe baby June Juniper will survive to a ripe old age with luck.

WAITING FOR A STORM

This new iris is called "Before The Storm." It appear almost black except in the bright morning sun when you can see the purple falls. Not for everyone but a stunner if you want some drama! 

IT'S MAY, IT'S MAY, THE MONTH OF YES YOU MAY!

  The late spring garden is in full bloom. Clematis dominate the arbor until the rose take over in June.

 Here are the Dutch iris, a once a year treat. 

 "Easy money" as Jack calls Isabella as she lounges on one of her many favorite spots. 

 "Skating Party" is one of my favorite iris from Cooley's in Silverton, OR. They are no longer in business but their legacy lives on! 

 We kitted out the patio this weekend and treated ourselves to a new umbrella that just happens to match the newly painted lath. 

Couldn't resist the shadowplay of my metal "dance" sign!