5/10/13

Nothing Could Be Finer

Friday got off to a fabulous start.  Sue and I met at the South Store Cafe where she treated me to breakfast for my birthday.  She also gave me these cute little items she picked up on a recent trip to Bend.  This cat bottle stopper with a bird on its head.  Purrfectly appropriate around here.


I think she's trying to redeem herself after the cabbit slippers she gave me for Christmas.  Also, this cute "Happy Camper" pin.  Now this needs to go into the trailer so that I can wear it when we travel.


After breakfast, we went on this walk, which I have designated as the "Lower McCormick Hill Road Loop".


Obviously, that satellite image was taken at a different time of the year, because today, the red clover was in full bloom all over the countryside.


Red clover and wheat.



If you look at that farthest ridge in the background of the next image, then you can see where I live in relationship to this place.  I live at the top of that ridge.


When we got around to the back side of the loop, we started seeing more poppies.


Mixed in were quite a few bearded iris growing wild


and wild lupine.


It seems to me that nothing could be finer than to be a bee in a field of red clover.


Here's the landscape looking the opposite direction.  On a clearer day, one might be able to see the mountains from here.


When I got back home, I didn't even go inside before filling the bird feeders, checking the greenhouse, and watering my annuals.  This rhodie is in full bloom now.  It's one of my favorites.


It's flowers look almost like orchids.


Also, my favorite dark purple rhodie is just now starting to bloom.


The tomatoes have finally perked up enough that I repotted all of these last week.


These next ones were repotted about the time I moved things into the greenhouse, and they are almost big enough to be repotted into their largest pots of the season.


The only things left to repot are the basil, which is probably ready, the dill, which I expect will be ready very soon, and this one little tomato plant that has been slower than all the rest.  No idea what ails it, but it's finally starting to look better.


Despite the problems I've had, all of my original tomato seeds have survived, and they are beginning to thrive.

Also the butter lettuce is almost big enough that I can start picking leaves off of it.  In fact, I probably should start a second round soon.


I finally gave up on the pelletized seed I was using for the red leaf lettuce.  It never germinated.  I planted more using conventional seeds, but still, only this one seed has germinated.  And again, I have no idea why it has been so slow this year.


Mr. Smitty was absolutely thrilled to have someone come outside with him.  He goes out in the morning and doesn't come back inside until evening.  And then, he is one tired pup, er, cat.  He has his dinner, and then he is down for the count.  Today was an excellent day for a dust bath, followed by attacking invisible things in the dirt.


You need cat's eyes to see them.

So once I had all of those things finished, I came in, drank some water, took some Aleve, and then iced my aching knee.  Oy.  It's my favorite part of growing older.  Not.

Now I'm going to go start sewing the Love Me, Love My Cat quilt together.  It probably won't be finished today, but I should be able to get a good start on it.

I hope you're having a fine Friday too.

28 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Oh, I love all the flower photos - just gorgeous - I would love to walk that path (well, be dragged back about half way). An, the dirt bath is a favorite around here too - scratching all that loose winter hair loose.

Sarah_L_N said...

Oh what glorious flowers! I live in a very urban area and have done for years, so I love seeing all your beautiful photos of nature! I do my best in our garden, although it is shingle, not even grass! My flower seeds are just starting to come up, I'm looking forward to seeing them.

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

What wonderful photos! Smitty just cracks me up.

Lia*s Handmades said...

It's so very beautiful where you live! :)

Vicki W said...

What a beautiful walk!

WoolenSails said...

What a beautiful place for a walk and gorgeous flowers and garden, I need to start planning mine.

Debbie

gpc said...

That bottle stopper is so stinking cute I can hardly stand it! What a lovely walk, I would be distracted the whole way, which is not a bad thing. :)

Jocelyn said...

Barb, your pictures are so beautiful!! Love the burst of color.

Sheila said...

Natures color are just so beautiful this time of the year, especially the fields of red clover. Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend.

Quilting Babcia said...

Your little greenhouse garden is looking really great! My lettuce also hasn't done much, and the two rows of spinach I seeded outside have produced 2 seedlings, one of which probably won't make it. Great day for a walk in the country!

Diane Wild said...

Oh, the clover field and wild flowers are breathtaking say nothing about your rhodies. What a nice walk.

Cath said...

Oh Barbara, I am so in love with where you live. All those flowers just make my heart sing.
Cath @ Bits 'n Bobs

Kate said...

Beautiful flowers. You live in such a pretty place.

Dogwood Lane Rambles said...

Those fields of clover are amazing! Such a glorious spring walk, lucky yoy.

Maria said...

You are truly blessed to live in such beautiful surroundings.

Brown Family said...

The clover and poppies are beautiful. THe wheat here is doing very well, too! We did not have many wild flowers this year.

quiltzyx said...

Sue has good taste - in friends & gifties!
It never occurred to me that poppies grew so far north. I thought they needed more heat or dryness or something. It's funny that they so often have purple flowers growing with them too - always gorgeous!
Love all the flower & plant & scenery pics today. Aaaaaaahhhhh.....

Donna said...

I would love that scenery on my walk. Gorgeous.

Dana Gaffney said...

Whole fields of flowers, beautiful!

Meg said...

Really enjoyed all your pictures! It looks so beautiful there! From what I have seen by your pictures, it looks like the perfect place to live. I have always sort of wanted to live somewhere that looks like that. Did you grow up near there? I believe you told me when a while ago - maybe when I sent you the secret pal gift through quiltingboard.com??

We are in the suburbs which is just fine. I for sure am not a city girl but always pined for the country. At least we have our cabin in Wisc to go to.

All the flowing plants looked so lovely. We don't have any of those here I don't think except for an occasional rhodendrum (sic I know) in landscaping. We had it at our prior house.

Belated happy birthday to you. For some reason it just seems like I have been so busy lately - I even started 2/3 comments and then got busy.....

I am still amazed by what you get done! Love the embroidery/quilting from yesterday's post - yes, I had another comment started then!

Have a great weekend! Things are just starting to bud here. Supposed to be a rainy, windy day and not too warm. High about 57. Oh well, it has been nice for the past 1 1/2 weeks so I won't complain.

Meg

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

The landscape is breathtaking! You need to take your favorite snapshot and applique a landscape- your landscape makes it even more special. I honestly was taken back by how beautiful it was. It would be difficult to walk away.

Angie in SoCal said...

Hi, Barbara - I started reading your blog for the NewFO and the beautiful things you sew. And I'm so glad I did because your photos of nature and the beauty around you so take my breath away. What a special walk with so much to see. Thanks so much for sharing. Love, love the flowers, especially the rhodies

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Barb. What gorgeous scenery you have on your walk. All those wild flowers are amazing.

c said...

Barb, I thourogly enjoyed every picture today. Happy Belated Birthday too. Billie (akaBIGMICK) is a friend of mine and lives about 15 miles from me too. and yes have a great Meowmy Day Sunday-I am sure that Smitty will give you something to smile about!

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

You live in such a beautiful area! I am very envious!!

Vickie said...

You are one blessed lady, it is absolutely beautiful where you live, WOW !

Lynne said...

That looks like quite a lengthy walk but the views certainly make it easy on the eye. Does red clover grow wild or is planted on purpose -- I've not seen it before?

Michele said...

I just love all those flower pictures too. Makes me ache to see that around here. Hopefully soon.