Pink Snow

Remember the beautiful flowers on the crab apple tree that I posted about a few days ago? This is all that's left.

It Ain't the Woods, But

Yesterday was a weird day, weatherwise, here. The forecast said scattered showers and thunderstorms. And, all day, we would have periods of sun, followed by periods when it got so dark that you were just sure that it was going to pour any minute. Because of that, I decided to not even try to go back into the woods. It would be just my luck that, even if I made it past the poison ivy, I would be all the way back to the bay when it would start to thunderstorm. As it was, it never rained a drop.

So, I decided to do something a little different. I decided to see how many wildflowers I could find in my yard, and in the woodsy brush surrounding it. I found quite a few, and even a mystery flower.

Who doesn't know these, the common Dandelion? Such a maligned little flower. If you really stop and look at them, they are quite beautiful.



Most of the flowers that I found yesterday are called "common." As if there is anything common about any flower.

Common Mustard -- I have to admit that I yanked this plant up, after I photographed it. They are very beautiful, but they can spread like wildfire.



Common Mullein -- this plant (or one just like it) has been growing just into the woods by my house for a few years now. I love to watch it grow, with its' huge flower stalk, but I will admit that, by fall, it looks pretty ratty. Hmmm, I see wild raspberry and a little maple tree in that shot, also.



Common Chickweed. I never stopped and took a good look at these tiny flowers before. They are very beautiful. They're just so tiny that they don't show up very well when the picture is reduced to this size. You might be able to see them better if you use this link. http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1470/5975278/21946947/386623444.jpg



Common Blue Violet -- If anyone ever read "Anne of Green Gables" when they were young, you may remember that one of her favorite places was "Violet Vale." When I was a kid, I was thrilled to find a place, not far back into the woods, that was just covered with these violets. I, of course, named it "Violet Vale," even if it was on top of a little hill. Bad kid that I was, I dug a few up and Mom planted them in her garden. They are now all over, in the gardens, and in the yard. I suppose those people who like pure lawn, would be upset, but, I love them there.



There's nothing common about this one -- Sweet White Violet -- I love these things, and from a couple of plants my Mom got from an Aunt years ago, they have also spread all over my yard and gardens.



Woodruff -- This I got from a friend a couple of years ago, but, I did find a large patch of it back in the woods a couple of weeks ago.



I'm just calling this Buttercup for now, but, I don't think that's the right name. I'm sure it's some kind of Buttercup, but all the identifications I could find show them as single flowers, not doubles like this. I have an S.O.S. out to a friend who really knows her wildflowers, and I'll update when I hear from her.

Edited to add that "Lilacs and Roses" http://lilacsandroses.blogspot.com/ identified this plant for me as a double celandine poppy. And, all this time, I thought it was a buttercup.




Thyme Leaved Speedwell -- This is my big "find" of the day. I could NOT get a clear picture of it, but, as you can see by my big thumb in the corner, it is a very tiny plant. The flower is beautiful, almost like a miniature Sweet White Violet.



Here's the mystery flower for the day. I'm a novice using Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, and I just could not find it there. The darn thing is so tiny that I can't even quite tell if it has four or five petals. I'll try again, and see if I can update.



This plant grows with abandon under my big evergreen. I usually pull it out, but I'm a little late this year because I have been working on gardens. Just as I went to yank it yesterday, I noticed it had flower buds. So, I'll just leave it until it flowers, and see if I can identify it. "Lilacs and Roses" also identified this plant as sheep sorrel. Thank you so much for those identifications!



This bush is everywhere along the edge of my yard. I'm constantly cutting it back. It has a pretty pink flower, which is just beginning to bud now. It's another I'm anxious to see it in flower this year, to see if I can identify it.



So, not bad for just wandering around the yard, eh? But, not quite as much fun as going back here and poking around. This was taken from the drop off behind my yard.

Out of My Rear Window 5/2/10

It's a cloudy day, with a chance of showers or thunderstorms. But, the lilacs are blooming.

Back at the Track

Oh boy, am I tired. The first day back at the track went well, but it was hot, hot, hot. Around 85 by the time we left, with little shade. But, it was good to see old friends, and we did get listings for five lovely horses. Here's number one on the 2010 Trainer's Listings. His name is It's a Grand Slam and he had just had a bath. It must have felt good to have all that water splashing all over him.



Here's another horse getting a bath. The guy bathing him said that he was getting just as wet as the horse, but that he didn't mind a bit.



There are other denizens of the track besides horses. Here is one of the newest. Meet Gracie, who is a 9 week old Nubian cross doe. She's so young that she's still being bottle fed.



There are a couple of types of exercise machines (walkers) on the backside. This is the more usual one. The horses are attached to the arms of the machine and go round and round. One of their favorite games is "Let's stop the machine." If they just stop and stand, the machine isn't strong enough to keep moving. If horses could snicker, I think they would, when they are playing this game.



A couple of the bigger trainers have built a fancier type of walker. These are covered. Instead of the horses being attached to arms of the machine, they are put in one of five small enclosures. They aren't attached to them in any way. The whole machine moves around in a circle and the horse has to move with the enclosure. There is no playing "Let's stop the machine" with these babies, and unlike the others, where the horses can only walk, they can be sped up so that the horses must trot.



An old apple tree on the backside. The horses enjoy the apples in the fall.



Last year, there was a lot of construction going on, and the backside was a mess. That is all done now. The place looks a lot better, all spruced up and ready to go.

Tomorrow, It Begins Again

Tomorrow is Kentucky Derby Day, when millions of eyes will be focused on Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The premier three year olds in the country will compete.

But, in New York State, many Thoroughbreds, who cannot compete at the upper levels will also be running. And, trainers and owners will be deciding that, for some of them, the time has come to find them a second career.

Tomorrow is the first day of the new season for the volunteers of the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program's Trainer's Listings. We will be on the backside of the track, talking to trainers and owners, taking pictures and descriptions of these horses. Last year, we helped to place over 92 horses. This year, we want to make it more. It's a hard job. The backside is huge, and we go into the year knowing that there will be some who slip through the cracks.

But, over all, it is so rewarding and I'm very excited to be going back. Most of the people on the backside really want to find their horses good homes. They're very grateful for this outlet, that gives their horses nationwide publicity. Horses have gone to Florida, Georgia, Colorado and many other states. And people everywhere that have one, sing the praises of these Finger Lakes Thoroughbreds.

How could they not, with creatures like these?

I Give Up!

I have been trying all day to post a video of Leon and Rachael, with absolutely no luck. Google is just not cooperating. So here, in consolation are some pictures I took today.

The crabapple tree is in full bloom. I'm fond of this tree in the Spring, when it flowers, and in the fall when the deer come for the crabapples that fall to the ground. Any other time of the year, it's kind of a miserable looking thing, that starts to lose it's leaves as early as late August.



I received the first batch of the too many flowers that I ordered this year. This is the new garden, with some plantings done. This garden will also hold the six new Day Lilies that I ordered, and that were supposed to deliver today, but haven't yet. The garden won't look like much for a couple of years, though I do intend to fill in with some annuals temporarily.



Closeup of part of it. This iris was there. It was so healthy looking there at the end of the downspout that I just left it. Depending on whether or not it flowers this year, I may move it in the fall. There's also some mums that I moved from another garden where they were being overwhelmed. The tiny plant in front is a butterfly blue Scabiosa and the taller plant in back is a winterglory bergenia. I have no experience at all with either of these flowers, so we'll see how they grow.



It's so easy to download and post videos from my digital camera. Seems to be a lot harder to do it from my little Flip video camera that I bought a bit ago. That's kind of backwards, if you ask me.

Hosta's Tale

The hostas in my shade garden are FINALLY up, sort of. I'm still waiting, and hoping on one, and another only shot up two stalks, but, it's a start. Every year those hostas do this to me. I sweat and stew about whether or not I have lost them over the winter. This year, it looks like I did.

The new hostas that were given to me by a friend are doing great.



The hostas along the south wall look wonderful



But, the poor hostas that have been in the shade garden for a few years now just don't flourish.

Looks like asparagus, doesn't it?



And, this poor thing is back to what it was when I bought it, and, it was my first. Sorry for the blurry picture.



I usually have a pretty green thumb, and, hostas are supposed to be easy. But, I must be doing something wrong. Sigh.