April and Stuff...

Daisies are the flowers of April, so whilst walking the dogs at the park yesterday, and with camera in hand, I took the new Meandering photo for the month of this lovely little clump growing under an oak tree.  

Though the weather vacillates between torrential downpour and tropical heatwave, we have managed some great walks with our critters lately, sometimes getting home just in the nick of time before the latest storm sweeps across the Valley.  April is definitely an interesting weather month... 

"April cold with dropping rain
Willows and lilacs brings again,
The whistle of returning birds
And trumpet-lowing of the herds."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

"April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain."

- T. S. Eliot

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

- William Shakespeare 

"A gush of bird song, a patter of dew

A cloud and a rainbow's warning;

Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue

An April day in the morning!"

- Harriet Prescott Spofford

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Today is a busy day outside as the guys get everything prepared for tomorrow's big delivery of all the plants, trees and shrubs.  I'm just a bit nervous as I don't want a structured, uniform, too-planned kind of garden; I'm looking for a rugged, blending in, wow-how-cool kind of landscape.  I sure hope that's how it turns out.

Regardless--and nerves aside--I am very excited.  April seems like the perfect month to have this happen, doesn't it..??  Many photos will be taken, starting tomorrow, and no doubt continuing on through the week as things unfold.  I have crossed fingers that we've chosen wisely enough to avoid a "come and get it" smorgasbord for the deer.

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I have some cool stuff to post, but I'm going to save it for tomorrow's Coffee Break.  I will leave you with this however, and hope it brings a smile to your Monday...

Cinema Sunday

Here's a good short animation film for Sunday.  Enjoy it, and your day...

Saturday Trivia...

Yesterday's trials and tribulations didn't happen after all.  I was not selected for jury duty as there is apparently nothing noteworthy in Douglas County requiring jurors--so far.  I am also off the hook for Monday, though for the rest of April, I have to call the Juror Hotline every night at 6:00pm to find out if I'm needed the following morning.  At least I don't have to go to the courthouse every day, which is a slight reprieve from my angst-ridden expectations.

After a long, convoluted conversation with Matthew, we also decided it wasn't necessary to go with him to the nursery supply place today.  He had a complete inventory of plants/trees/shrubs from the nursery, so we just walked around our garden areas and working from his diagrams, could pretty much decide what would work, and where, and how many.  If all goes well, the stuff will be delivered on Tuesday, and planting will begin..!!  I can't wait.  It's been nothing but mud and dirt and barren ground for over two months now--I want to see some life, and green growing things.

Three heavenly days of sunshine and totally warm weather have evaporated into rainy, windy April showers today.  Yesterday it got into the mid-70s, which was almost too amazing to believe.  We had every door and window in the house open in an effort to dissipate the unexpected heat, and it was nearly 10:00pm last night before it felt cool enough to close things up again.  I know, I know.  I'm sure those of you still in the cold, chilly throes of early Spring are probably wishing I would shut up; if it's any consolation, today is just as miserable as April should be.

It's sort of an agonizing teaser to have these spectacular glimmers of sun, and warmth, and an early Summer-like feel to things, then have it abruptly snatched away in a flurry of rain and storms and cold.  Mother Nature has a strange sense of humor, I think.

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I've got a selection of things I fished from the Internet Sea over the past few days, so fill that coffee cup and sit back on this Saturday morning for a bit of trivia...

First up is this very cute video of the quickest way to get down a flight of stairs...

Via Arbroath

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Next are two bored, elderly ladies playing pranks on passing motorists.  I really laughed at this one...

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Last video is very cool.  It's called "water painting" and wow, it's amazing.  This is also an advert for the plight of millions of people around the world who don't have clean water.  Though it's in French, for a written English translation, follow this link then scroll to read the message under the video.

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And to finish the post today, let me share this mind-boggling link to the most stunning bookstore on the planet.  It was originally a theatre, but is now the Ateneo Grand Splendid Bookstore in Buenos Aires.  (I love it...not only Grand, but Splendid as well...)

I live in this small town in the wilderness--(yes, I really do; any town that doesn't have a bookstore is a bloody wilderness in my book...pun intended)--so to see the magnitude of this place just kills me.  Not only the sheer volume of books, but the beauty of it, too. Sigh...

Via DRB

Have a great weekend all...

Busy, busy...

Yesterday we went with Matthew, the landscape guy, to a local nursery to see what plants/trees we wanted for the grounds.  Saturday we are to drive north to the big city and go to a large nursery supply place, but Matthew wanted a glimmer of what I had in mind, so we went local first.

It was a glorious afternoon to be out looking at flowers and plants.  Got to 71* and was so warm and pleasant, it made wandering around the gardens totally enjoyable.  We bought a few things--because Matthew said his supplier up north didn't carry these particular specimens--then more or less nailed down the types of plantings I have been envisioning, at least for the most part.  

Here's what we got yesterday...

I love these:  Mexican Feather Grass.  I will plant these around some boulders, maybe with a fern or two for company.  Up close they are variegated, with gold and green and yellow all mixed together.

At the side of the house, near the back door, is a very shaded, quiet area.  These Hellebore will work just perfectly there...

I couldn't resist this beauty.  The fragrance, the twisty coil of the branches, and the perfect little white flowers just captivated me from the first moment.  This Osmanthus will grow about 6 feet tall, so the place where it's sitting in the photo is just about where it's new home will be when we're ready.  It will cover up the mine shaft area under the porch stairs...and smell heavenly when we're sitting out on the front deck.

Again, irresistible.  These Japonica usually come in white, but when I saw these delicate, Victorian looking, rose-colored ones, well, what can I say...I had to snatch them up.  The perfect mauve/rose color isn't coming across in the photo, but you can sort of get the tone.

Here's the whole group, including the new deep purple Lilac tree which will go in the backyard on the slope.  This is just the tiny beginnings of the ultimate finished garden, but I feel it's a good start.

Of course, I can't have any of the flowers from the Edinburgh cottage garden, though there will be some flowering shrubs, ferns, herbs and a variety of daylily that the deer supposedly won't eat.  It's really annoying that I have to build the new garden around the wildlife, but there you go.  Such is life in the wilderness.

Almost forgot.  I took these shots of the back last night, after we returned from the nursery.  This is the new landing as you step off the back deck.

Ozzy, sitting on the edge of the landing before going down the steps...

The piazza, steps and new enclosure wall.  The shadows make the stone on the piazza look a different color...they're not.  All the stones are the same color.

In this photo, I'm standing on the upper deck, looking down onto the piazza.  The part where the steps go down, and where it looks slightly dangerous if you fell off, will be where the BBQ or one of the whiskey barrel planters will go to minimize the break-your-neck aspect.

All things considered, when the plants and trees are in place, the back will look pretty good.  And how totally cool to be rid of the Path of Doom...

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Today we went over the planting diagram Matthew drew up, based on yesterday's field trip, and with any luck, the front will look very cool by this time next week.  More rhododendrons than I would have liked, though I understand the why and wherefore of having them:  color, concealment and deer-proofing.  To me, they require a lot of maintenance, like roses, but if they serve their purpose, I guess it's okay that I'll have to pinch a million sticky deadheads after the growing season.

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I'll be off the grid tomorrow for the jury duty crap, and again on Saturday as we head to the big city for the landscape stuff, so have a great weekend everyone.  I can only hope you'll have a much better Friday than I anticipate having.  Buggers...

Dirt

Yes, dirt.  Piles and mounds and hills of dirt.  The top soil is going in today on the front yard, which is exciting and encouraging, and already is making things look better.

The truck driver moves the rig by remote control, which is interesting.  In this picture, he's just making sure all is ready for the dirt to be blown into the yard.

Now he's standing in the road, remotely spraying the soil and moving the truck along as Matthew watches the flow.  It's very good soil--really rich and loamy--and should be great for all the new plantings and trees.  Though, I've gotta say, it's pretty strange to see this huge dump truck move along with no one in the driver's seat.  Right now it's reversing up the road, seemingly by itself, no one in the cab, though the steering wheel is moving...

It's great to finally be heading toward the planting stage.  We're starting to think of what trees and shrubs to put in, plus I want to make a trek to this place Matthew has mentioned that has really cool boulders; there are a few places around the front that I want more rugged and natural.

Today it's in the high 60s, warm and totally pleasant tee shirt weather (I know...how amazing is that..??).  And look..!!!  The Birch trees in the front are getting their leaves.  I can't believe it.  The trees have sprouted almost overnight.  Truly, Spring is here...at least in southern Oregon. 

 

The landscape guys are still working to finish the backyard, too.  Later today I will take some photos of the ex-Path of Doom, and the new piazza.  I was very cranky when they jackhammered my planting/privacy area, though it has given me a larger area for my little piazza/niche space.  I'll just have to do containers, I guess, instead of ground planting.

Speaking of containers.  We got two whiskey half-barrels over the weekend--at a very good price I might add--and because there's no place to put them outside just yet, we stored them in the garage.  OMG.  I could have gotten falling-down drunk on the fumes the next morning when I walked into the garage...!!  Wow.  Talk about a contact high...whew..!!  The fumes have mostly dissipated now, over these past few days--with the garage doors wide open--and I can only hope that whatever was stored in these barrels will help my plants grow.  Either that, or it will make alcoholics of the deer when they eat them.

Not Much...

Stormy, stormy, stormy Tuesday.  Another wet walk with the dogs.  March will slog into April in a few days...and April is always about rain.  Though, when all is said and done, rain is truly why any of us live in the Northwest: we love the green, green hills and valleys, trees and landscapes...all due to the rain.  I'm absolutely positive the reason I felt instantly at home in Scotland was for that very reason: the rain, which brings the myriad greens to life.

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Today starts Week Seven of no smoking.  It's amazing really.  Even though I feel ever so much better, not a day goes by that I don't have a...let's see, what's a polite word for it...hmmm.  Okay.  At some point, every single day, I have a moment where I would mow down a flock of school children to have a smoke.  Thankfully, I resist the urge to do any mowing or smoking.  It helps a great deal that we aren't around anyone who smokes, and rarely encounter a smoker when we're out and about.  I'm beginning to think Alan and I were the last two people in Oregon who were still lighting up.  Now we've become two of those self-righteous non-smokers we used to blow smoke rings at.  Sad, but true...

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Here's a laugh for the day.  These twins, 17 months old, are having the most involved conversation.  It makes perfect sense to them, as you can see.  I think, as an outside observer, it has something to do with a missing sock.  Very cute, and I have no doubt in my mind, they understand what each other is saying...

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ABC and People magazine did an online poll for the all time Best in Film.   There were 15 categories (Best Movie, Best Comedy, Best Action, etc.), and only films in the English-speaking language.  Over 500,000 people voted.  I was surprised at a few of the winners, not so surprised at others.  

For Best Movie, I would think it a toss-up between Gone with the Wind or To Kill a Mockingbird, though only the winners are posted, not the runners-up.  Interesting to see which films took the honors.

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Had to go grocery shopping this morning, then take the dogs walking, have lunch, blah, blah, so I'm pretty behind on some stuff I didn't finish yesterday.  Because of the damn frigging crap jury duty obligation starting Friday, I'm trying to get organized, just in case the worst case scenario happens (i.e. I actually get stuck on a jury), so best get on with what's left of the day.

It's such a dreary Tuesday though, maybe I'll just go make brownies instead.

Monday Stuff

Did you all remember to shut your lights off on Saturday for Earth Hour..??  I was deep in my book when suddenly Alan started shutting off the living room lamps.  Scowling, I said, "What are you doing..??  Reading here..." 

He gave me a look, then said "It's 8:32..."  Well crap.  Leave it to me to get all involved in the book plot, and forget about the reality plot.

It's very, very dark up here on the mountain.  There are no street lights and we're up beyond the reach of any residual light from down below, so the darkness is nearly absolute when you've turned everything off.   It's cool, though also creepy if you start imagining things...like what really goes bump in the night...

The response around the world was totally overwhelming, with millions of people participating and hundreds of countries.  The most interesting thing to me though was Scotland became the first country to get 100% support across all municipal councils in the nation. In other words, the whole of Scotland got behind Earth Hour.

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Yesterday was another blustery, stormy day.  There just isn't a time during the day to take the dogs walking lately without getting rained on in some fashion.  Though, after the afternoon walk, we managed to get home before this monumental storm came charging over the Valley with serious rain and wind.  With the way our house sits--exposed on all sides--some days it feels like we're lost at sea in a rudderless ship; even the creaking of the house as the winds wail around the corners sound like an ocean-tossed vessel.

In the midst of all this weather excitement, I noticed this odd rainbow across the Valley floor. It wasn't an arch, and was barely above the ground...more like a band of color, just shimmering in the air.  I took several photos, but really, this is one of those times where you  had to be there.  The colors just didn't translate to the photos, though even if you can't see the rainbow, you can sure see those storm clouds coming...

 

 

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The Oxford English Dictionary's latest edition has just come out, with revisions on over 1,900 words and an additional bunch of new ones, including "initialisms" like OMG, LOL, and TMI among others.  For a complete list--which is really interesting--check out the OED site. 

Funnily enough, I looked up initialism (cool word) in my Concise Oxford Dictionary, 1983 edition.  No such word existed at that time.  Modern technology has changed much in our world, hasn't it..??  For better or ill remains to be seen...

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I have a ton of chores to get done today so must get on with things.

Mondays.  Crap...

Cinema Sunday

There are some brilliant animation short films out in the big world these days.  I don't post them as they usually run anywhere from 4 to 20 minutes--too long for the normal blog attention span and/or a person's time frame during the week.  However, I think Sunday is a great day to share some of my favorites: a day usually not too busy or fraught with other things.

So.  Take a wee Sunday break and watch French Roast, a wonderful film about a snobby Frenchman, having coffee in a cafe, realizing too late that he doesn't have his wallet.

Enjoy the rest o' your day...and this short film.

Chaos and Cat Naps...

I had a computer/camera glitch this morning--I'm still not sure which.  I had planned to take a few photos, download them, do a quick blog, and get on with other things before it was time for the dogs' walk.  I took the pictures, went to my photo program...and discovered I no longer had the download function...in fact, my photo program had no recollection or memory of my camera.  Gone.  Zapped.  Disappeared into cyberspace.  It was like my camera, which I use nearly every day, didn't exist anymore.

This was soooo not good.  If I were still in the house in Edinburgh, I would know exactly where to lay my hands on the CD to reload the lost functions.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a bloody clue where that CD might be now.  Over an hour later, the house turned upside down, still no CD, though in all my cursing searching, I did manage to find a CD from an older version of another Canon camera I used to have, and miraculously, I was given the choice (after downloading the whole frigging program) of picking which series of camera I wanted to apply the program to.  And eureka.  It worked.  I was able to get the photos off the camera, into my photo program, and hey, only waste an hour and a half of my morning.  Buggers.

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The Flowering Plum tree--next to the driveway--is in bloom.  It's pink, and pretty and I was reminded of how it looked in the Winter covered in snow, so I decided to do a seasonal montage--though Summer and Fall look fairly similar except for the background and a slight tinge of the color change.

 

I'll start with Summer.  We had just moved to America, to Roseburg, and into our new house.  I took this shot from the old deck, looking over the drive, in the scorching heat of August...

 


Late October and the Oaks are losing their leaves; the Plum still has plenty of foliage, though the color was changing from the Summer burgundy to a bright Fall red...




 

February, and the tree is buried under a beautiful Winter's blanket of soft, fluffy snow...

Today, nearly the end of March, and as the pink buds sparkle in the early Spring sunlight, another year in the life of this little Plum tree comes full circle.

Pretty cool, actually...



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Though I have avoided taking photos of--or taking part in--the whole backyard fiasco, I've had a few inquiries about what it looks like, so this morning I sucked it up, and took these shots.  I'm not going to comment at this juncture however...

Even in the midst of muddy chaos...there is a bright spot...

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The weather today is awful...lots of rain and winds and basically just dreary.  I'm very glad it's Saturday afternoon because I'm going to go find a good movie on the telly, have a cup of coffee with a cookie or two, and with any luck at all...I'll end up just like this before too long.  Care to join me..??

Via CoolPix

Tempus Fugit

Friday already.  The week has gone by really fast for some reason.  Actually, not only the week, but the month has just been speeding along--no doubt the quicker to arrive at April, and the beginning of my trials (yes, pun intended).  At this time next week I will be sitting in the damned courthouse beginning my month-long civic duty.  And, no, I will not stop ragging about this until the bloody month is over and my life/time/liberty have been restored.

Yeah, yeah...okay, moving on.

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Notice the banner on the right there...??  Yep, that one, the one that's marking the countdown until Earth Hour, tomorrow, March 26th. 

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make a statement about climate change.  The next year the movement had 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating.  Famous landmarks like the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge and Rome’s Coliseum, stood in darkness for one Earth Hour.  In 2009, over 4,000 cities in 88 countries/territories officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative ever held, though surpassed in 2010 when a record 128 countries and territories joined the global display.  People from all walks of life, around the world, turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

So, do your part tomorrow:  Turn off the lights at your local time of 8:30pm for one hour.  Wherever you are, just switch 'em off, light a candle, relax for an hour.  It's a good thing...

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I've got some funny and/or cute videos this morning.  Just some tidbits to lighten the day, bring a smile or two, and kick off the weekend.  So, fill up that coffee cup, settle back and take a wee break...




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Cutest puppy video in the world.  First he doesn't want to wake up, then he gets cranky towards the end because he's been awakened, then left on his own.  Seriously...how adorable is this...??

Via petalot

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I love this cat.  His name is Maru.  There have been several videos of him doing this "slide into the box" thing, though this is my favorite.  The way he splays himself out as he's diving into the cardboard is just too funny.  Even jamming into the table leg doesn't slow him down...

Another via petalot

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Here are 18 very cool health remedies that you can do for yourself, using your own body.  Like how to get rid of that tickle in the back of your throat, or stop the brain freeze from ice cream, or unplug your sinuses.  Really good tips, and won't cost you a thing--my kind of health care.

 

 

Sunshine is good for us because we all--even our animals--need that Vitamin D.  Ozzy does this same thing.  There's a spot on the carpet at the front window that always gets the late morning sun, and that's right where he likes to stretch out.  Too bad it's been a bit dreary for that lately.

 

 

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And now, to finish off our coffee break, let's take a moment to reengage our brains before going back to work.  Ready..??  Okay, inhale a deep, cleansing breath...hold...and exhale...very good.  Twice more...and it's time to get back to work.  

 

You can wait until later this afternoon for this:

 

Via urlesque

Have a great weekend everyone...and don't forget about Earth Hour tomorrow..!!