LoML's Garden

Last year on the blog I started at the beginning of spring telling you about the wonderful garden that LoML was planting. But I fell down on the job and didn't post updates as it progressed. (For you Brits in the audience I am referring to a vegetable and herb garden here...not just what us commoners over here call a "yard" :D ) He's done even more work preparing this year's garden and I intend to redeem myself by following its progress better this year. So here's some pix as we get things going...

It's entirely fenced in now. Even though Gwyn takes her job of vermin patrol seriously, she can't resist the occasional dig and/or personal business in the garden if allowed.

I love the new solar light with its copper cap.

This side is for the herbs.

The main section...

This side has a higher fence for the sugar-snap peas to climb.

This bird house was made by LoML's great-aunt who was a dear woman. Some little wrens were working on their nest while we were prepping and planting some of the veggies and didn't let our presence deter them.

These guys are on the side of LoML's shop.

Someone was not happy about not being able to supervise up close, but kept an eye on us.

Silver Linings

I know! I know! I've been MIA for over two weeks!

Sometimes, by necessity, your world can get very very small. It occurs to me that in an age where a lot of us (myself included) are so wired in that we have friends all over the globe it can be an odd experience to pull back from. But it's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just life. In all its richness. With silver linings to be found.

Am I rambling? Perhaps. I'm a bit out of practice here :D The quick version is that my normally hectic schedule went from busy to full-out wackadoodle. Go figure. A few weeks ago the owner of Solana's barn went into the hospital unexpectedly just before his gelding, Geronimo, needed to start chemotherapy treatments for his eye three times a day. Also during this time I succumbed to one of the evil viruses that's going around. No fun. But I did start off talking about silver linings, didn't I? Well, none of this started until after Solana had gotten completely off "restriction". That same barn owner went above and beyond in making adjustments to bring Solana back to good health from her illness this past winter. I am grateful that I was in a position to help take care of his horse when he needed it most.

Plus, I may have mentioned before that I consider 'Mo to be Solana's knight in shining armor. From the very first day she moved to a new barn for the first time years ago and I asked 'Mo to look out for her, he's taken that duty very seriously. And with that he earned a special place in my heart!

Wall Art

LoML's been doing lots of work in and around the yard this year. Part of that involved temporarily taking down part of the fence in the back yard while he built his "man shed" (similar to a "man cave"). When it was put back up he put up some white privacy fencing in the rear of the yard. It's perfect for displaying things like the sign he gave me at Christmas:

 

And some original art work...on the left is a surfer that LoML welded from copper. The piece on the right was made by one of our dearest friends.

A Different Perspective

Sometimes it pays to look at the world with a different perspective.

That doesn't mean you can't still have a cat involved! I find that generally, no matter what I'm doing at the table I have "help" :D

FCS

Everyone who has cats, especially kittens, knows that periodically you have outbreaks of FCS - Feral Cat Syndrome. I've explained it before. You know it's happened when all seems normal and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, your feline just takes off, running, meowing, attacking...maybe even attacking mommy-doggy!

And just as suddenly...it's over and your sweet kitty-baby goes back to looking sweet and innocent and has no idea what you're talking about.

Happy Reunion

Last week Mo had to go to our state's vet school for two separate eye surgeries. He's battled eye problems for years; hopefully now he will be able to get this behind him. The girls managed okay while he was gone, but were relieved to see him when he returned home.

Solana is greeting him with what I refer to as the baby mouth. Young horses will do this greeting to older horses as a submissive sign..." please don't beat me up, I'm just a little baby!" Solana still uses this with other horses sometimes. I think it's very cute.

Amazing Rays

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I am blessed to live in a beautiful and amazing place. Saturday I had the opportunity to behold a fabulous sight: hundreds of stingrays frolicking in the water beside the bridge that leads to our island. They were flapping the tips of their wings out of the water...almost appearing like hundreds of small fins. While not initially sure what kind they were, there was a fisherman who had caught one on his small trout rod. He had to fight it about 20 minutes before he was able to land it...enabling me to get some good close ups and (with help from family) determine that at least that particular one was a Cownose Ray

When I first saw them they were encircled by pelicans.

Don't worry, he (she?) wasn't hurt...this was to get the hook out of his back...and to give you an idea of the size of the ray. The ray was released and appeared none the worse for wear...

After the pelicans moved down a little way toward the channel, the loons came in.

I can't resist some flying bird shots...while I tend to call them all gulls, Mom reminded me this is a tern.

 

There are two bridges that lead onto our island. We were one-lane for about seven months while they repaired the smaller of the two. We had about two weeks of two lanes before they started working on the drawbridge:

While it may be inconvenient, it beats having the bridge fall into the water, and allows for some nice photo ops for me!

Oh, Baby!

Climbing Post Kitteh

The Other Watcher

Lest you think Willow never takes her turn as watcher: