I'm Back

I actually got back yesterday. Without boring you all, the visit was very sad for me and it's taking me a while to get in the mood to blog again. I do have pictures, and will try to get something up after working at the track tomorrow.

Edited to add that I don't want you all to worry, I'm physically and even mentally fine. Just worn out from a very emotional trip.

Off to Virginia

I'm going to visit my Aunt for a few days. I'll have no access to computers during this time, but, hopefully, a story or two to tell when I get back.

Out of My Rear Window 5/9/10

It's a cold and miserable day. The temperature right now (11 AM) is 36 degrees. This morning, when I got up, there were snowflakes in the air. Oh well, I can catch up on my inside work.

Welcome Silvia-Maria

I see that I have a new follower today, so, welcome to you Silvia-Maria. I wish I spoke German so that I could read your blog http://waldviertler-filzstueberl.blogspot.com/, but I looked at all your pictures and they are lovely. Looks like you're from Austria? What are those lovely braided ropes around the evergreens? Looks like you have really beautiful sheep, and, am I reading that your horse is a Quarterhorse? LOL, the best horse I ever owned was a Hannoverian, imported from Germany, though not by me. Funny how horses cross the ocean in both directions like that. Here's a picture of her.



You know, my Grandfather came from Germany, but he would never teach any of his kids German. I wish that he had, so that I could have learned it from my Mom. Oh well, too late now. I'll certainly keep an eye on your blog, look at the pictures, and, maybe once in a while I'll ask dumb questions.

No Theme, Just Stuff

I did one of my favorite things yesterday. I wandered around the yard really looking at things. Here's what I found.

The lamium Florentine is in full bloom. Which reminded me that I have to go salvage some. My next door neighbor pulled out a lot of garden last fall and threw it over the hill. His wife died a couple of years ago, the gardens were her's and he just didn't have time to care for them. He threw the stuff over the hill in the back, and the lamium is loving where it landed. I need to pull it all out, as I guess it could be considered an invasive species in "my" woods.



I managed to identify the "mystery shrub" that was just budding a week ago. It's wild honeysuckle. I seem to have two varieties. The more common is the white.




But, there is one stand that is the most beautiful shade of pink.




I stood for a while and looked at my "what am I going to do with this" spot. It will not grow grass and the young man who mows for me can't get in there with his mower to knock down the weeks and the lilac shoots. Maybe I need to make a shade garden. Those old lilac trees, by the way, were planted by my Grandmother, in the 1920's, when they first moved into the house.



I admired the plants I potted yesterday. I've got the smaller pots that go on my back steps to do today.



Isn't this pretty? It's just some strange kind of bunch grass that is growing in my front yard, under the linden tree. The seed stalks and heads are so delicate and feathery. It's in another spot where regular grass won't grow. That linden tree is dense, and not a ray of sun gets through.



I love my shade garden. It was the first garden I planted, after I had some old, woody evergreen shrubs pulled out, and I realized that, with the plants I have added this year, it's done, except for the lady's slipper that is on its way to me right now. I just need to let it mature, and maintain it.





Last, I took a good look at the sheep sorrel, that Marnie so kindly identified for me. I wondered why the heck I was wasting time and energy pulling it out. It's pretty and far better to look at than the pine needles under the tree. It appears to like it there, and it can easily enough be contained by mowing. So, I have a new ground cover, and all I have to do is let it spread.



Last weekend my neighbor was out with the weed killer. His new girlfriend was so pleased and asked me if I wanted him to do my yard, too. I said "no," quite emphatically. I love my weedy yard. Not only are the plants in it endlessly interesting, but, every place I dig, I find earthworms, doing their job. And, there are birds on my lawn, eating the insects that munch on the various plants. I wouldn't find that if I put poison all over the place. I wouldn't trade my rag tag yard for the world.

Guess What This Is, and Why I Posted It?

I'll be back later in the day to tell the story behind the picture.

Ta Da! It's been guessed. Someone is, indeed, foaling soon. Some of you may remember that I had a part, last November, in pulling a former Finger Lakes horse, Ducky's Ho Oh, from the kill pen at New Holland, and getting her to a friend of mine who lives in Virginia. Earlier this year, we discovered that she was pregnant.

Here's a picture of what she looked like when we got her in November. The white stuff all over her is Gold Bond Medicated Powder. She had a horrible case of rain rot.



Here's a picture of her that I got from my friend last week. Ducky is the one on the left.



Quite a difference, huh? Look at that nice round belly. We do know who the baby daddy is. He's a Thoroughbred, but Ducky's former owner won't cooperate, so the baby, already named Goose, won't be able to be registered. No matter, as this kid was never intended to hit the track anyways.

So, last night, I get this picture of Ducky's udder, along with the news that Ducky has begun expressing clear liquid. The vet has been out (the vet has been very closely involved with this baby since we have no idea when Ducky was bred, and she suffered stress and trauma going through New Holland) and says that the baby should be here within the month. Of course, mares being mares, you never know.

I'm so excited! We all have our fingers crossed for Ducky and Goose, that everything comes out all right, in spite of the hard times that Ducky went through.

Oh, and Tammy, Ducky is very much the lady, and my friend actually got under her belly to get this shot for me.

A Day in the Life

I had a good day, yesterday. Good friends, good shopping, good flowers, who could ask for anything more?

I started the day going to the post office. They had a beautiful bush in bloom there, that I haven't the slightest idea what it is.



Their lilacs were in full bloom, also. They smelled wonderful!



From there, it was off to where I used to work, to deliver some excess flowers to a friend. Here's a picture of two of my good work friends, Jaime and Kathy. You know, one of the good things about working for a large company is that you get to meet people of all ages. These two girls are much younger than I am. I probably would have never gotten to be friends with them if I hadn't had the opportunity to work with them, because, at their young age, they tend to do have different interests than I do. I'm very glad I got the opportunity to know them.



The flowers I brought to Kathy are "yellow flowers." I was told by the person that gave them to me that they are Evening Primrose. They're not, but I have yet been able to figure out what they are.



Jaime had some coneflowers for me. I know just where they are going to go.



From there, after a quick detour home to sit out a thunderstorm, it was off to Bauman's Farm Market to buy my annuals. I spent a fun hour or so wandering around their 10 greenhouses. This is what I ended up with. I could have bought twice as much.




I was very thirsty after I did all of that browsing so, before I went home, I stopped at Tim Horton's to get something cold to drink. Tim Horton's is a Canadian outfit that has, in the last few years, started to move into the US. They have doughnuts, and the most wonderful coffee, hot and cold.



I splurged and got a large butter caramel "Iced Capp." Iced Cappacino, mmmmm. OK, OK, so I had half of it drunk before I got it the mile home, so the picture doesn't really do it justice.



Yup, a good day. Hope you had one, too.