Diary 8/31/15

Good-bye August. Good bye hot, dry summer. Looking forward to rain, snow, and a good hard winter. Sorry commuters, can't help it! My camera wants to make pretty pictures when it is on this one setting. Interesting, but not sure how or why or what I am supposed to do with them.

My camera is much smarter than I am.

Diary 8/27/15

The grey squirrels have been very busy hauling acorns off the tree beside the house. They are coming a fair distance either by ground or in a complicated path of barbeque, lawn tractor, arbor, madrone tree to fir tree and then fir to fir to fir. I noticed that they are eating the first couple acorns they pick, hungry from their long distance travel. I feel pretty sorry for them and the rough season we have had. I have even given them free reins at hauling apples off if they need to. I can share. Turkeys were at the edge of the yard this morning. Two moms, three bigger babies (poults?)and one much younger baby. Not sure if this is the mom turkey who had four babies and has lost one or a different mom. While the squirrels made alot of racket getting acorns, someone was watching from below.

Diary 8/25/15

Worked on making jam today. The plums are coming on fast and furious. So are the raspberries in the greenhouse. When the outside ones join in, I will be in trouble. Luckily, I have a few friends and family ho want to pick some, too. I made white peach jam yesterday and berry/peach/plum combo. Today, I made straight up strawberry jam for my grandson. He didn't want any plum mixed in his. Just strawberries. I also made a plum nectarine which I am anxious to try.

Diary 8/21/15

Making sauce and salsa. Finally getting some zucchini.

Between the gophers and the deer, I am lucky to say that this year. Grey squirrels are hauling off fruit from the orchard all day, something that has never happened before. I could wish for a hard winter and that is why they are storing up, but I think they are eating them on the spot. So little other food available, I guess.

Diary 8/19/15

Garden Dog insisted on lying down right by this weed even though it kept bothering him whenever he moved and it brushed against his ear.

Diary 8/16/15

Back from a quick northern sojourn for a good friend's son's wedding.

The weather and venue were perfect. The ceremony was simple, but nice. The get together with old friends was memorable. Enjoyed the agriculture along the way. Saw lots of hops growing up their strings.

Diary 8/13/15

Another trip to Crater Lake and the water color did not disappoint. It was as blue as ever. We watched the National Creek Fire plume build through the afternoon. Not much smoke at all because really no wind.

Diary 8/11/15

We have had a mother turkey and her chicks coming to the chicken pen to clean up excess scratch and get a drink of water. The rooster runs them off if he sees them. The picture is not very good, but that is what is going on in it. The turkeys are in the background and the chickens in the foreground. The rooster is on his way.

You can hear her chirp at them all over the farm. In addition we have a single mourning dove hanging around. They mate for life and there is only the one, so there might be a sad tale there. Now, this afternoon, I spotted two kittens hiding in the wood pile. They are very skiddish, but ate the food I gave them when I left. Poor things. I called the neighbors to see if they belonged to them, but no. Not sure what will happen about that. We have two cats already.

Diary 8/9/15

Despite the hot days, the dry summer, and the smoke from the fire over the hill, there are still some beautiful corners to the garden as it tries to survive it all. I was surprised to find this arm of a Clematis vine, blooming later than the rest. Such a nice treat.

Diary 7/4/15

I am getting closer to self-publishing the book I have written called "The Gardener's Daughter" about an orchid grower in London in 1806 and the daughter of his gardener(duh!). I am not sure how all this blogging here and at the book blog are going to go, but I will still report on things here as they occur, that is, in the garden. Bare with me~

Diary 8/1/15

As predicted, the ashfall has really started this afternoon. It was all clear skies this morning when the fire pushed towards the north. Now it is headed south and the fire is traveling southwest also. Here is a complete leaf ash I found this evening.

On a cheerier note, the ash is potash, so most plants kinda like it even if they don't need the smoky dust on their leaves. Raspberries are kicking into gear~yum!