The New Look: Chapter I

The transformation of the back garden started in mid May. Is it complete? Not quite. Complete enough to finally post about our progress? Probably. Is any garden project ever completely done? Not around our house! There are still some plants to plant to fill in the gaps, but I am waiting to do some fall bulb planting and see what little gems I pick up at the Friends of Manito Plant Sale http://www.thefriendsofmanito.org/index.html in September.

For years (10 to be exact) Dave has been wanting to build a water feature in the backyard. Our backyard is long in width and narrow in depth. Our drain field for the septic system is the whole backyard. So, our options are limited in what we can dig up. Thus, a few years ago a section of the front yard beside the front walk leading up to the door became a basalt columnar water feature and patio. Very nice. But, we don't sit out there even though there is a bench. So, next plan was to build a sluce box-type water feature off to the side of the house with the pond area next to the deck. Plausible. Would we see the pond? Probably. Would we hear the water? Definitely. But, I think that the best view would be for those people walking down the street and looking into our yard from the neighbors viewpoint.

Then, last summer a glimmer of a great idea started to take shape. The back garden had become very overgrown with a few select plants which had decided that none of the other plants needed to be seen. It called for drastic measures like digging up the whole 12 x 50 foot garden and starting over. If we were going to do that, why not incorporate a water feature? A Cathi-type water feature with slightly more refinement than the Dave-type water features of rock and hard edges. An urn! A large urn!

We went shopping at the end of the season to see what was left but, nothing worthy of coming home with us was found. So, with much patience and the help of a long, snowy winter, we waited. In May, we went shopping again. This time we found the perfect urn. Only the cost of the urn ate up our whole budget. My very clever husband decided that instead of spending big bucks on a "pond package" he could figure out how to install the urn on top of it's water base by purchasing the needed items individually and putting them all together. The urn was purchased and left at the site for drilling and installation of the plumbing.

A return visit in driving rain netted us an urn and all the parts needed to complete the project loaded into the trailer.

Well, almost all, as they sold us the wrong pump. But, the owner drove the 40 miles to our house to bring us the correct pump and consult on the project to make sure we were on the right track. Just how heavy is a 3' by 30" urn? Very. And, that is even before it has water in it. The urn made it home in one piece and was unloaded and moved to its new home.

Friend, Steve, who helped unload the urn and move it to the backyard.






The new home ready and waiting


The abridged version of placing of the urn






Fountain and dirt and rocks! Oh, yes. Gotta have the rocks!


Fast forward a couple of weekends and you have this:

The path leads from the deck out to the fountain with new stone patio and bench.

Another view


Trial run


Now to the garden.

Poor iris got dug up even before they had a chance to bloom this year. Hopefully, they will be forgiving and bloom next year once they get back into the ground.

Dirt & wheelbarrows





We were being watched!


The dug up garden replanted. Hopefully, it will remain tame for a while.


Chapter II is the companion project which was taking place just to the left of the urn/garden project. Will post that soon!

Holly's Engaged!

Holly's sister, Klay, already posted http://klaydoughdreams.blogspot.com a wonderful missive about Holly & Matt's engagement, but seemed like I couldn't let the opportunity pass by without noting the occasion. Dave & I are thrilled that she has found the person with whom she wants to spend the rest of her life.

It was such fun to share the moment with Holly & Matt. Her grandparents thought they were coming over for a shared birthday (Grams) - Father's Day dinner without all the fanfare of an additional reason to celebrate.

Should have known that there was an extra glow to Holly's lovely face all day before the big announcement.

Holly opening the chicken box which contained the ring. Ask Matt about the chicken.


Phones permanently attached to the ear for the next 24 hours as they had THREE pages of friends & family to call to share the news.




Oh, yes. Grams opening her birthday cards and Gramps opening his Father's Day present.




Matt, welcome to the family!!

Snake River Expedition Through Hell's Canyon

A little late is better than never. Here are some photos from a picture perfect day jet boating the Snake River earlier this month. The Snake forms the border between Idaho and a part of Washington and Idaho/Oregon. According to our pilot, it is the deepest river gorge in North America, eclipsing the Grand Canyon in total depth.

We took a jet boat with 56 of our closest friends. Actually, only 7 of our friends; the rest, riff raff from who knows where! We started out in Clarkston WA and went 100 miles south with the current, then turned around and came back 100 miles against the current, which was quite a ride as we estimated we were traveling about 45 mph. The whole day took 11 hours.

Supposedly, it was to only take 9 1/2 hours, but the pilot announced as we were leaving historic Kirkwood Ranch after lunch that we were a little low on gas and shifted around some of the seating. One member of our party was sitting close enough to the front to watch the gas gauge hit bottom about 20 minutes before we were due in for a landing at the refilling stop. As they were approaching the dock, the boat suddenly smacked into the dock quite hard. To those of us in the back, it was a bit of a jolt! Turns out we ran out of gas at that moment, engines stopped working and we were proverbally up a river without a paddle. They managed to grab the dock and hold us close enough to tie up before the boat started drifting down the very strong current.

Long story short, it took an hour to prime the pump, move the boat to the refilling dock, fill the tanks, come back to the passenger dock and let us on for the final trek to home base. Wasn't too bad as we were at a place called Heller Bar which has BATHROOMS, cabins, a lodge and gift store. We stood on the deck of the lodge pondering a worse-case scenario, and glad that the excitment wasn't more than we could handle.

The traveling crew

This guy knows how to travel! I have never really thought I would be up for a rafting trip, but after watching all the rafters on the river that day, I think they had the right idea! The river was still running high from the snow melt off, so the rapids were higher and not as exposed to all the rocks. This part of the river, and the feeder rivers we passed are prime rafting and kyacking territory for the very brave souls who get their thrills going very fast down a very powerful river. The Snake River has Class II, III, & IV rapids.

A rare stretch of still water

The view of the river through the trees at Heller Bar.

We stopped for lunch at Kirkwood Historic Ranch.

It was first homesteaded in 1890. It was the largest sheep ranch on the Idaho side in the 1930's. It is now run by the US Forest Service and serves as a respite stop for boaters and hikers.

On the day we were there, the creek was running strong and full of water. I am sure that in the middle of summer in 100+ heat, this creek looks mighty refreshing.

Old farm equipment

The boat...

.....with Dave standing on the bow wondering where in the heck I was! I was having a very interesting conversation with the USFS volunteer who, with her sister, was at the ranch for a full month as caretaker. Everything they need for the month is brought in with them by boat at the beginning of their stay. She had been serving as caretaker for the month of June for five years. I learned that people wait for years to get the chance to be there and that when you finally get your month, you hold on to it for dear life! The boat didn't leave without me, but I was the last person on!

Our wake with rafters in the distance.

About to get wet....... something which happened a few times on the trip back. We were sitting in the very back of the boat with nothing but those chains between us and the water!

It was a fun trip and I am glad we went, but next time I am riding on the mail boat. It goes down river once a week and takes two days to make the same trip with many stops at the homes and resorts along the river in a boat that only holds 6 people. I like the idea of going slower and getting up close and personal with the river.

Spring Skies

We have been having some really interesting spring weather. Nothing like the damaging cyclones, tornadoes, floods, and even fires in other parts of the world, but nevertheless, interesting as the evening skies can attest.

The first pictures were taken at sunset in early June.






The following pictures were taken last night as a severe thunderstorm rolled through at the whopping rate of 19 mph from the northeast. The whole thing was overhead for about 30 minutes with the rainbow glowing and fading several times during that period.

Spring??

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke



Included the sign just in case you were confused as to what scene the photo was supposed to represent on this snowy March 30.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. ~Doug Larson





The view from the front door.

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~Hal Borland



Silly me. I was thinking of taking in the sleds now that winter was over.

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Proverb

The Garden is Blooming -- Sort of

These pictures represent the total blooms I found in the garden today. Of course, I am trying (the operative word is "trying") to not walk on the soggy grass yet, so couldn't get close to a couple of accessible by grass only beds. But, didn't look like anything was blooming over there anyway.

I know this is the dangerous time of the year in the garden. Planning is still a better activity than planting, weeding, trodding, etc. But, the garden muse is starting to call loud and clear.

This weeping pussy willow is finally producing a very healthy looking crop of pussies! Interesting thing about this little tree is that the first major snowstorm of the year toppled the tree clear to the ground. We stood it upright and tied it to the tree next to it, hoping it would stay put through the rest of the winter. But, then the granddaddy of all our snowstorms toppled it again, only in another direction. I thought for sure it was a goner, but this spring it produced its first noticable crop of plump, velvety pussies! I know that it can take several years to see if the roots were permantly damaged by the uprooting in the middle of winter, so for now we will enjoy and see what happens in the future. And, you can still see some snow on the ground. I cut a few to bring into the house and take over to my mother in her senior apartment.






The witch hazel is two years old, purchased from Heronswood Nursery (the original) on a very cold, crisp, sunny day in February. I hope one of these days it will start to grow! It is special for a couple of reasons: 1) it blooms now!, 2) that trek to Heronswood Nursery was my last as Burpee closed the nursery a few months later. In protest, I will never knowlingly buy a Burpee product.





I bought several hellebores on that trip (it turned out to be a fairly expensive side trip on the way to a conference), all of which, except one, have survived.



The primroses are blooming low to the ground and under their protective leaves, but they are there!





There are lots of spring blooming bulbs starting to push their leaves up and lots of helleborus foetidus getting ready to bloom, so things are looking up!

90th Birthday Party!

On February 20, my father celebrated his 90th birthday. It certainly was a milestone we couldn't let go by without having a party in his honor, so we did! Friends and family gathered from near and far on a sunny Saturday afternoon to wish him well and enjoy lunch.

My parents have been married for 65 years, so it seems appropriate to start with a picture taken at that party (it has been a party year for them!) as an introduction to the festivities.

Dad is the eldest of five children, four of whom are still living. My Aunt Jean lives in Idaho. Aunt Leah & Dad live in eastern Washington, and Uncle Steve lives in Colorado. Steve flew in from Colorado as a surprise to Dad.

Younger by two years less three days, brother Steve



Sisters Jean & Leah





The rest of the family and friends