NOT BIRD BRAINED!

 I've been using a concrete birdbath for a couple of years and discovered that it has developed a leak. It was always hard to manage as I had to take the heavy top off to empty it and the porous concrete was very good at letting algae grow.  I had to frequently douse it with bleach. So the Wild Birds Unlimited store had a 3-hour 15% off sale for it's preferred customers...I've bought a lot of bird seed over the years so I am one of those customers. This new bird bath is cast iron base and a powder coated bowl.

We've kitted it out with a heater (the light grey rectangle), a water spout/mister which makes it easy to fill without dragging over the hose, and the battery operated "tiddler" that agitates the water and attracts the birds. No kidding, they like the water to be moving! Yeah, lucky birds!!!

LEAF ME BE!

I took this photo out our patio door about 30 minutes after I had cleaned up all the leaves on the patio. I was convinced that the "worst was over." Not so much! Seems I forgot to look up...on the roof. The wind came up as predicted by the weather guessers and all the leaves came cascading down from the roof and gutter.
We started our annual leaf-o-rama early this year...in early October as our maples were already dropping lots of beautiful red leaves. We filled up nine big black 40 gallon leaf bags and hauled them up to the road for collection by mid October. Surely, we thought, the worst is over now!
Expectations unmet as we were knee deep in maple by Halloween and loading up more bags. 
It's raining today so I'm glad we got most of the leaves collected before they got wet and slimy.
Seems like I've spent the entire month raking, blowing, raking, blowing, bagging, hauling........
Time for a glass of wine and a nap!💤🍁

It's been a while since I've blogged...so here goes. I finally was able to access this blog after we got a new computer with Windows 10. Ugh!
This fall I made a trip to Minneapolis/Saint Paul with my brothers to place my mom's ashes on top of her mom's grave in Mound, Minnesota (SW of the Twin Cities) on Lake Minnetonka. It had been the better part of 60 years since we kids were back there.
The photo is of my cousin Jackie Kielkopf and my younger brother Dean Coy out in front of Jackie's house in St. Paul.
It was a quick trip but we managed to get the grave marker ordered and hold a service at the gravesite. We also stopped by the little house where mom grew up right on the banks of the lake.
It gave us all some closure on what had been a very disheartening time as mom's health failed and she went into severe dementia. At least we were able to honor her wish to return to Mound.
I was able to reconnect with my cousin after all this time. I feel like I missed out on a lot.
There is a PBS series titled "My Mother And Other Strangers." That could be applied to this situation as several people that I had never heard of attended the graveside service!





gravesid

HAMMERED ON FATHER'S DAY

 While working on yet another Saab V4 engine rebuild, the unthinkable happens.... 

 Those pesky stuck rocker arms...using a hammer...not so good when it slips!

 The engine is turning out nicely, as usual...

Mr. A...no stitches required...and as he said, "It will ride up with wear..."

NOT SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL....

 I LIKE TO TRY A NEW PRODUCT FROM TRADER JOE'S EVERY TIME I SHOP. THIS TIME I FOUND CARROT SPIRALS IN THE FREEZER SECTION. WHO KNEW? I DIDN'T HAVE A PLAN AS TO HOW I'D USE THEM BUT I WAS INSPIRED TODAY TO ADD THEM TO A CROCKPOT FULL OF SAUTED SWEET ONIONS AND COUNTRY STYLE PORK RIBS.

 THE RIBS ARE ON TOP OF THE ONIONS, ALONG WITH SOME DOROT GARLIC CUBES, TERIYAKI SAUCE AND BBQ SAUCE.

THESE CARROTS ARE IN A FROZEN CLUMP SO I JUST PLOPPED THE ENTIRE PACKAGE ON TOP OF THE RIBS. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AFTER A FEW HOURS OF SLOW COOKING. BY THE WAY, THESE CARROTS ARE FROM ITALY! AS I SAID, WHO KNEW?

MINI DECKS FOR POTS

                                   
 Gosh, I love 2"x12" cedar planks! They make the best "mini decks for pots. I like to group my pots because it makes it easier to water when it heats up here in the Rogue Valley. Plus, I don't have to level each pot individually...I just level the deck and add a variety of pots. The perennials make up the most of what you see since it's too early for annuals. I'll add a Chamaecyparis obtusa Filicoides (Fernspray False Cypress) a nice pyramidal evergreen to the big pot next to the house. Hopefully I can find one at the nursery this spring. (I've always been glad I took Latin in high school!)  

Evidently no garden is complete without a gnome...and I finally found one that isn't so cute or painted hideous colors. 

HAPPY APRIL DAYS!

 We're reeling here in the Rogue Valley from more than one...more than two...up to five days of NO RAIN WHATSOEVER! Somebody up there finally turned off the spigot! So the "smart" tulips waited until now to bloom.  

These are my "pink and green" tulips...according to the label on the bag when I bought them...looking very orange and yellow to me! Oh well, they do spice up the early spring garden which is mainly white and shades of green at this point.