Yucca

It's so nice to see plants blooming. Especially in the desert.

Backyard Yucca

Soggy Garden

I am anxious so I am putting off the garden no longer. It's raining today. It rained yesterday. It's going to continue to rain for most of the next several days. I've been waiting for a nice, sunny day to put my garden in, but I'm now done waiting.

Tomatoes are already out there. Along with chives, parsley and peas. Oh, and of course the rhubarb I put in last year is doing really well. Now for the rest of the seeds. Yes, all I have are seeds now - no starts. But it's better than nothing.

Cucumbers, onions, carrots, zucchini, beets, maybe some spinach - and I need to go and get me some broccoli.  And straight neck yellow zucchini (squash). We tried some of our neighbors last year and loved it.

So off I go to get bundled up and play in the mud.

Yard Day Postponed

I have a kitty on my lap as I type this. He is so warm and fuzzy, but it does make it tricky to type with his head resting on my hands and arms. I'm sure I'll make due; I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

I had high hopes of getting out and mowing the overgrown lawn, pulling some out of control weeds, and just cleaning up the yard overall. However, it is snowing right now. Big, fluffy, wet snowflakes. So instead I am sitting here on the couch with my warm kitty.

I had hoped that the snow would be all done falling a few weeks ago. But it seems the seasons are shifting on us. I keep saying that before too long, it will be sunny and warm in December and full on winter conditions in July.

So what to do today instead of yard work? I'll be heading to the gym with my mom in a few minutes, then off to take a load of donations to the local thrift store. It will be a day of laundry, reading, cleaning, guitar, and maybe a little TV. Or maybe I'll just bundle up and head out to look for brave, albeit confused birds along the Jordan River. That sounds more enjoyable.

Photo A Day - July 10

My first blooming Day Lilly. Sometimes it's just the liitle things that bring smiles to a heart.

Happy Memorial Day

It's a national holiday today to remember those who have given their lives in defense of our country, as well as those of our friends and relatives who have passed away.

It also ends up being a day to work in the yard, go on hikes, have BBQs, spend time with friends and family, etc.

It's a beautiful day, and I've spent a good portion of it outside pulling weeds. I love how the yard looks after a weed pulling adventure. Of course it's never ending.

Now I'll either go on a hike with family, or go to a movie with friends. Both very tempting possibilities.

What ever you do, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Bird Photography Weekly

This is the first winter my bird feeder has been up. I was pleased when my first visitor arrived a few weeks ago, and couldn't wait for him to bring his buddies. Surprisingly, it was a House Finch. Okay, that in and of itself isn't so surprising, as they are very common. What was surprising what that it wasn't a House Sparrow. I actually haven't had one, that I've seen, at my feeder.

I was very pleased yesterday, as I was out shoveling snow, to notice a few other visitors. Juncos. And I also have my resident Mourning Dove hanging around.

But for today's Bird Photography Weekly, I'll share a few of the Juncos, with a House Finch mixed in there as well.



My best guess is a "pink-sided" race. But the book I'm using isn't all too clear on that. I'll have to double check later.
Note: I think these are actually 1st year "Oregon" Juncos.

For a look at other wonderful, feathered friends, click on the link below!

Bird Photography Weekly

Mourning Dove

Just sitting out on my front porch, enjoying the day, this fella came along and just hung around the edge of my yard. I love their mournful cry, and am happy to share my space with them.

For other birds from around the world, click the link below:

Thanksgiving Bird Count

I just learned about the Thanksgiving Bird Count a few weeks ago, and thought it would be fun to participate. It's simple enough: pick an area, 15-feet in diameter, and for one hour on Thanksgiving day count the number of each species of bird that comes into or flies over your circle.

I have a couple of evergreen trees in the front yard that often has birds hiding amongst their branches, and they're easy enough to observe from either the front window or just right out the front door. So that was my circle.

I have a hopper feeder and a suet feeder hanging in the trees.

9:00 am was the time I decided to head out to watch and count. The turkey was in the oven, and I had a few free hours.

It was a very quiet morning. Several birds flew overhead and nearby, but this was the extent of the activity at the feeders:


Here's a list of the birds seen and heard within or just outside of my circle:

Rock Pigeon - 1
Northern Flicker - heard only
American Robin - heard only
European Starling - 14
House Finch - 9
Gull species (impossible for me to distinguish when flying) - 110
Killdeer - heard only
LBJs - 24

I need to work on IDing birds in flight, because that's all I had today.

But it was so nice to spend an hour outside this morning, enjoying the world after rain.

Progress Report

I enjoy getting a project in my head, especially when it kind of consumes me. I like the focus. I like to see a concept move from an idea in my head into reality.

So this was my idea. Take this piece of yard that I hate mowing, and transform it into something new, blue-grass free.

So the process of removing grass begins.

Two days later, we are grass-free.

After deciding what to do with this area, several times, I finally settle on a general design. Simple, yet nice. The middle area will also have rocks, once I get my hands on 3 or 4 more big ones.

Today I began the gradual purchase of plants. I'd like to purchase them all at once, but the budget will only allow so much. So here's where I am currently.

Yard Changes

There is this little corner of my front yard that is just hard to water. My main sprinkler pattern (I don't have an automatic sprinkler system, it's just me, pulling the hose around) gets the main chunk of the yard, but this little area requires me to re-set my sprinkler, move things around, and keep my water running longer than I want it to be running.

So I decided to make a little change. I'm removing the grass from that area and replacing it with a little rock, flower garden, with terracing and pretty little plants growing from the rocks. Maybe a bird bath as well.

Yard work sits well with me. I just bought an electric lawn mower (I've been borrowing my dad's gas mover for the past 4 years - it's about time I had my own) and have been enjoying my time mowing, edging, pulling weeds, planting flowers, watering rose bushes, and now ripping out grass, and planning for creative terracing.

I'll get some pictures of the slow progress.

Old Man

I've had some wonderful moments this past week. The weather has slowly been warming, buds are popping out on trees, swallows are skimming over the pond, racing here and there, enjoying a few of the emerging insects, building their nests.

Kids have loved feeding the ducks and looking for insects. They thrill over finding an earth worm, or a pill (potato) bug; the anticipation of waiting for them to open up and walk around was just intoxicating.

As I was leaving work a few days ago, I noticed a bird flying over the pond, hunting little fish. At first glance I thought it was a gull, which would have been unusual in and of itself, as they don't generally venture into this little mountain valley. However it wasn't a gull, so I hurried back inside and grabbed my bins for a closer look. It was beautiful. Swerving, diving, soaring over the pond. It was a tern of some kind, but I'm not up on terns, so I just sat and watched. It took a dive into the pond, but came out empty handed. I continued watching, taking in every detail I could. It was such a beautiful day, I'd have loved staying and watching him longer. But once I got home, I looked him up. It was a Caspian Tern. Not too uncommon, but rare in some parts of the state.

On Tuesday, I was out working in my little flower garden. Pulling happily growing weeds, getting the soil ready for new additions to the garden. I heard a gull flying over head. Down here in the valley where I live, gulls are plentiful. But this one sounded different than our usual California Gull. So my interest was peaked. I glanced up, just curious to see who had this interesting voice. Look at that black hood! I dropped my gardening tools, and made a bee-line around the house for another look at him. But all I could see was his tail end, heading off to some distant waters. But there was no mistaking that hood. A Franklin's Gull had just graced me with a quite look. Beautiful bird.

Last night I drove home through a blizzard. And this morning came to work with the world looking like December again. That old man just doesn't want to let go.

Hot cocoa anyone?

Grass and the Neighbors

The grass is coming up nicely. There are a few spots that are still bare, but most is coming in thick and green.And then the county decided to bring these in to the neighborhood, and land one right in front of my new grass. And of course everyone had to fill it up, and not just from the roadside.

Sad...

I may cry. But I will try to contain myself, and try really hard to believe that it will either come back, or fill in.

It's Grass!

I know I've spent a whole lot of time talking about my yard and my attempts to grow new grass, but I just have to share some more. I'm sorry.

Because I have grass growing! Baby grass, but grass all the same. And coming up much sooner than I expected. I hope it can handle the heat at such a young and tender age.


The little weeds are still coming up, too. And its becoming more of a losing battle now. But I'll keep trying to keep them at bay as much as possible.

KBG and more weeds

After three days of tilling, weeding, and more tilling (on and off of course), I finally finished prepping my front curb for new grass. I had a little help, which was nice, but they didn't want to do the tilling - they just helped with getting the weeds out and sweeping up.

So then we threw seeds down, and covered them with peat moss. It looks much better now even before the grass comes up.

Now I just hope the grass actually comes up. Its been pretty hot. The seed bag says to avoid planting when temps are consistently above 80. Well the first two days after putting the seed down, the temps have been in the 90's. But yesterday was cooler, and today feels like it might be cooler. So we just keep it watered (3 or 4 or 5 times a day).

I was excited the other day when I saw something starting to sprout. It didn't look like grass, but then I wasn't sure what new germinating grass looked like. So I looked it up. It's not grass. They are new little weeds poking through. So yesterday, although I felt like I was fighting a loosing battle, I went out, with my roommate, and we pulled those little devils.

So now it's just a waiting and a watering game.

Sad how the most exciting thing in my life right now is anxiously waiting for grass to grow.

New Loves

So I sprayed my weeds. I used round up on the front curb, and something that is supposed to kill weeds not lawn on my entire front lawn....ya, its all turning yellow. Not sure what I did. Maybe my entire lawn was really just weeds. Oh well, if it all dies, I'll just re-plant.

I bought 2 new rose bushes and I am unrealistically protective of them. I planted them on the side of the driveway where in the past it was just a strip of, what else, weeds. Now it is cleared and nourished, and eventually it will be lined with roses. For now, there are only 2 new bushes. But being where they are, next to the driveway, I fear for their lives. I never new how much I loved roses until I bought my house complete with two existing rose bushes. One of which produces one of the most beautiful and fragrant roses I've ever seen or smelled. So I am excited to see how these new little guys survive.

My sister, gratefully, taught me how to properly prune them to keep them looking their best, and ensure they stay as healthy as possible. I think my concern for my roses has sparked an overall concern for my yard. I think mostly to give the roses a nice backdrop. Funny.

Now I need to rid these bushes of the evil aphids that seem to love my flowers as much as I do. But I don't like to share. So they must go.

Weeds

As much as I love nature, there are some things I am happy to kill. I don't like to kill spiders, unless they are in my house, but even then, I feel bad. I don't like to kill moths. They are just confused little critters trying to navigate by the light of the moon, but get dragged in by our lights. I don't like to pick flowers or walk off the trail and damage plants.

But there is one thing I am more than happy to kill. Weeds. But not every weed. Weeds that are native to Utah, that have always been here, may just be a "flower" that's in a place people don't want. For the most part, weeds are amazing survivors. And I applaud them and where they can grow. Even dandelions have their place.

But other weeds, especially non-native, invasive weeds! They must go! And my front lawn is full of them, unfortunately. Especially my front curb area. I have decided the only thing I can do is to Roundup the whole area, remove it all once it's dead, and re-plant new grass.

I'd actually like to do that to my entire lawn - front and back. But that could get a little out of hand. So we'll just start with that front curb and see how it goes.

I'm going to Roundup tomorrow. Wish me luck!