city chickens

I'M PRETTY EXCITED. Terrie, Vicki and Brian and I went to the City Chickens Tour presented by Seattle Tilth. Also saw my bees. Can hardly wait to introduce them to the Farmlet. Brian turned this pic of me holding a chicken into a chicken holding me.

9-ft hollies

THESE HOLLYHOCKS ARE growing up the side of the turret, in a little planter that hugs the bldg and gets lots of heat and light. I'm only allowing the Nigra (alcea rosea nigra) to seed. If I see a pale yellow, it goes to the compost. They look red in sunlight, but in the morning and evening light, are near black. These come back every year now, even though they are bi-annual bloomers. They have self-sown into happy giants.
photo: Lee Fehrenbacher

rose parade

MY FATHER'S ROSES are sprinkled over the property, coming on full in the July sun. I love all the south-of-the-border colors he chose. Here are only a few...I'm building a tribute garden with all of his roses and will mount pix soon.

it's so hot

MUST GET USED to the hotness again. 90° last couple days, and probably going up in July. The roses like it though.

the bluest sky

...YOU'VE EVER SEEN is in Wenatchee. I'm going to post some night shots if I can get them...a neighbor said the silica in the hills reflects off the moon and clouds, and makes the evenings so beautiful and bright.

sometimes they fall

THIS LITTLE BUSHTIT didn't make it far from his nest. To understand his smallness, the space he's in is a birdy tealight holder. My sister observed two tiny fledglings just sitting on her porch, and a frantic mother apparently trying to get them to follow. One did, but this little guy was weak and didn't survive the night. Even the little tufts of hair on his tiny head are counted by God.
photo: tshattuck

what a nut

THE FARMLET is blessed with many trees. Lotsa nuts around here. O haw!. My Poppa made these charming markers from found material to identify plants here and there. The Hickory has an unusual sweetness to its leaves.

idea for entertaining

HERE'S A SNACK for just about any occasion. Easy to nibble on, and delicious with a tangy dipping sauce.

mañana hermosa

BEAUTIFUL MORNING in Wenatchee after the rain, with the sun shining on my funky buildings...

the town time forgot

YESTERDAY I WALKED with Ophee, up the river path, and took in the beautiful hills and blueblue sky, and we greeted an ancient, greyfaced Great Dane and his dad, and watched the swallows dive-bombing each other (and us) because their young were near. One the way home, a little freckle-faced girl on her bicycle stopped to ask if she could pet Ophee. We talked for a minute, then she said, 'well, I should go home and do my chores." Whaaa??? haw.
I had to look around to see if I had transported to a different time.

poppa + twinz

MY PROFILE PIC is an old photobooth of me and Ter, and dad popped in at the last minute to our hilarious delight. Chewin' on a Swisher Sweet. This was at the Space Needle. I miss my poppa. He has left me and Ter a wonderful gift.
(as a courtesy, I have identified mySelf in the pic..the goofy!! one. As if I needed to. hawr)

let's bee friends

PACKING UP TO get over to Wenatchee. Here's a bee friend visiting the cotoneaster out at the end of the Bothell garden. Soon I will have many many more of these at my farmlet.

my new home...

...THE FARMLET. It may look funny right now, but it's mine!

no words describe

A BABY BEE on a bee plaque.

beetles must fly

A LITTLE BEETLE headed up out of the shade he was enjoying (until i molested him) and took flight from that sunny leaf. Possibly in a huff.

new bee

I THINK it's a baby bumble. no words follow.

morning in wenatchee

MY FIRST POST from Wenatchee will be misleading. i'm not moved here yet, but i'm posting it anyway.
It's a clear morning, typical of Wenatchee in springtime. All the birds are out.
I've been watching a litttle quail pair wander around the property...she's obviously gravid or they're watching a nest of new quailettes.
I'm channeling my mom this morning: she loved them, and she would stand outside for what seemed like hours, just watching the birds, with her arms crossed and her little cardigan on.
But she was smitten with the quails, their babies tagging along in a row, looking like ambulating walnuts, and the little family was her charge. It snowed one year, and when she looked out to her crabapple it was full to bursting with quail, just roosting in the branches. I know it made her swoon and she was forever watching for them after that.
Of course karma is at work--Terrie and I used to hear her comments about them, and as self-indulgent teens, we thought 'BORing!' or 'whatever.'
Now I'm leaning out the kitchen window, at an uncomfortable angle, with a gleeful grin on my face. Delighting in the quail.

more change

SO NOW IT'S MAY, and I have an interview for a job in Wenatchee. If it comes through, this vision of living over there becomes real. And then this blog is going to be STUFFED with the things that will happen there. And it will start getting interesting.

change in the air

I FINALLY GOT a job!! But wait...
The job was only 2 months, and then they did more cuts, and off I went AGAIN. I'm going to laugh about all of it. A plan is stirring, and I feel a good, big change coming. I'm seriously trying to line up all my ducks so I can create the Farmlette in Wenatchee.