What's outside of your picture window today?

Although much of Oregon has drought conditions, the narrow strip on the west side of the Coast Range adjacent the ocean had several weeks of non-stop rain. Grass grew hip-high, with no way to mow while it was so wet. When the sun (what's that???) finally came back, the ground was saturated, so soft that mower wheels just dug in. I fought and cursed across the strip of grass out by the road, but wound up using a weed whacker to chop down the high grass on most of the acre I mow, in order to allow the sun to reach the ground and dry it a bit. I've now mowed everything once, some of it two to four times. It all looks like a park from out on the road, and people remark how lovely it looks. Hah...they don't spend hours behind a mower! My big flower bed out beside the road where there aren't trees to prevent flowers from doing well still has some tall grass in it 'cause I wasn't able to just pull grass during the weeks of rain due to the mud that came up on the roots. I've now spent several days yanking out tall grass so that some of the larger flowers can be seen, can get sun. It's now dry enough that I have to dip a bucket into the creek and carry it up to the flower bed in order to water. Here it is, mid-July and I'm still waiting to see the first dahlia blooms! They ordinarily are in full bloom starting in May!

This is the 30th year that I've collected spawning and temperature data on a wild little river on the north coast. It's the first time in all those years that high water prevented us from wading all nine survey areas as the water was simply too high to wade a mile or more upstream safely. Temp monitors went in late due to the danger of reaching some of the sites. I finally installed the one I place above a waterfall 3.5 miles upstream from the mouth of the river...a week ago. Even then, it really was too high to cross the mainstem safely, but, having driven two hours and walked 3.5 miles, I just gripped my stick with both hands and made it across. The same day, I repositioned the monitor at the mouth of the river: a month ago the water was too high to place it where it will be covered all summer. So, we "celebrated" our 30th year by failing to get lots of data, due to high water. Seems so strange when the rest of the state is so very dry. We hope those weeks of rain will prevent us from being evacuated due to fire later this summer.

Double treat today - I was walking into my computer room with the window and noticed a pileated woodpecker sitting on the retaining wall next to the window. Knowing I couldn't get into the room and take a picture I watched it fly away. Much to my surprise it landed on a tree not too far away and I got a two for one shot. I watched them feeding each other bugs which was kind of cool.

@johnbishop @sueinmn, @loribmt, and all...
I wrote a message 3 times a few days ago and lost each when adding pics.
So, here are some recent pics from inside and out. Also, a couple from Mayo Florida...the planters are lovely, but what the heck is planted? Yes, they are alive...
John, your are the best. Love those woodys. Thanks.
Be blessed.
Elizabeth

Gorgeous flowers, Elizabeth! You have a green thumb. I have a beautiful SILK orchid plant my boss gave me as one of my retirement gifts. I’ve managed to keep it somewhat dust free for 28 years. 😂. Live orchids, not so much. Thank you for sharing your garden.

@loribmt, @johnbishop, @sueinmn, and all...Thank you, my friend. You undoubtedly kill them with too much love and attention. Most folks have a tough time holding back on care for orchids. The really, I mean really, like a small drink, not soaking, about once a week. No more. Then, occasionally repot when they outgrow their home, trim the dead or unhappy roots and occasionally feed a bit of orchid fertilizer. That's it. Only after I took this to heart did I see some limited success and forever blooms. They do keep on blooming and putting out more on the stalks. I enjoy them so much. Pity, I learned this hard care lesson too late for my really unusual, expensive plants. I killed 4 lovely orchids I adored. Over loving...

Just a quick fill-in: Rob's back in hospital now. He's been deteriorating for several months and it got much worse the last few days, so I called and he went for help. Mayo doctors are overseeing his care and I plan to work with them to find a location for ongoing care for him to give him what he needs and I can no longer offer. I'm pretty beaten up right now. This will not be permanent, as we're still being reviewed for deep brain stimulation surgery to relieve a lot of the pain. We're praying for this help.

Hope all is well in your life. Be well and be blessed. Elizabeth

@johnbishop Look at that little fuzzy-head of the youngster! We had woodpeckers on the chimney vent a couple of days ago. The racket sure was loud as it echoed through the livingroom.

The deer have taken a liking to everything growing on my front porch. Catnip, marigolds, morning glory, and all. They figure the motion lights are for them to dine by. And they have stripped my rose bushes twice now. Pretty disheartening to come out in the morning and see simple stalks where leaves and roses were the day before!
Ginger

Because we live on wooded acreage with lots of deer and occasional elk--sometimes the entire herd of about 40--I only try to grow flowers that deer and elk don't dine upon. I have a big flower bed out by the road (our land is too shady for bright flowers) where dahlias, pinks (dianthus), and daisies bloom. Well, in normal years they bloom, but after our long weeks of cold rain this spring, instead of being really pretty by mid-May, the dahlias are just starting to bloom now. The plants that survived winter flooding from the nearby creek have come back even fuller and taller...all good. I did make a big mistake two years ago: because I have several huge hydrangeas five or six feet tall that the deer don't touch, I bought two young ones for the big flowerbed. They looked lovely, with several blooms each, when I planted them, but the following morning all I had were green stubs sticking out of the ground: those nursery-grown young plants were swell salad for the deer, from the hoof marks all around what was left. I put wire cages around them. This year, when the rain finally quit, I thought that they would have hardened from the salt air, so removed the cages, which were not large enough any more...and have stubs again, just lots more of them a bit taller. Every year I try at least one new kind of plant to see what will happen, if it will be deer resistant. I now have lavendar and a large butterfly bush that are doing well. Everyone who walks our road loves the flowers and comments on how lovely my sweep of mowed grass looks. Hah...they should spend several hours marching around behind my self-propelled mower! The good news is that it's not necessary to trim much around the edges of such a big yard, although I do trim around poles for bird feeders and the ferns I'm encouraging around all the edges. Once they get really large, they shade the grass out and only need to have their old foliage trimmed each spring.

@gingerw and all...Ginger, I don't deal with wild deer invasions, but I have friends who do. I saw something just a couple of days ago online on the Garden Supplies site to deter deer. It's a packet you hang on a tree, possibly surrounding your garden area. It's supposed to deter deer. I also heard that human urine is a deterrent. Not sure if it works, but told it does. I know there must be something other than hunting deer and having deer cook-outs for the neighbors. They're wonderful wildlife, but for gracious sakes, don't destroy my roses. This isn't an unusual issue, so there must be something...Hope something works. Be blessed. Elizabeth

Elizabeth - the solution is to live with the critters and try to plant what they don't want! We have tried every deterrent known, and so have my friends. My friend put up an 8' fence, went away for a few days, and came home to find a doe inside the enclosure and her 2 fawns patiently waiting for her outside it. The same year, the deer climbed about 20 steps to their upper deck to sample the petunias.
I live in the city, but near a natural area. There are fences all along the property, but the deer find their way over or around to eat the hosta, tulips, and all else that suits them. They even used to pick our apples in the fall, until we removed the trees! Last week a squirrel scampered out of the garden with a jalapeno pepper in his mouth - imagine his surprise when he bit into it!
Speaking of wildlife, my chores this week include trying to trap the mouse (or mice) inside my car. We don't know how, but one got in this winter - thought he was gone, but found a nibbled protein bar in the back seat.
Watching the much needed rain fall outside my window!
Sue

@sueinmn, @loribmt, @johnbishop, @gingerw, and all...oops, Sue. In my experience with mice and rats, where there's one there may soon be lots more. Our entire building in my condo community is having mice/rat problems. I've written about my huge mound on my patio in the garden area, from something, probably an armadillo or such. I understand rats don't burrow tunnels but will take over tunnels for themselves. I've had 2 tiny babies inside!!!! Just inside my sliding glass doors, possilby from outside??? They didn't have open eyes yet, were so precious, but I scooped them up with the broom and pan and tossed them outside. One I put into the tunnel in my patio as it was pouring. I still have guilty feelings about them, as I'm sure I killed those babies, which is ok, but I'd rather not and hate to think I killed an animal.

I've done everything possible other than taking down my feeders. Not doing that. So, there are several entryways from outside under the roof in a couple of places, the association is working on closing them which will help. But, we still have them in the attic and walls.

Now, my wonderful kitty, Samantha, broke the neck of a mouse in a spare bedroom. At least she left it there in sight for me to dispose of and didn't bring me the gift, as a dear beagle mix I loved. She killed a rat outside and brought it to me so proudly, laying at my feet and sitting wagging her tail so pleased. I freaked. First personal encounter!

But, covered my scream, got the broom and pan, and thanked the doggie for the present as I tossed it in the garbage. Nightmares always follow these occurrences.

I have my son's precious little white furball, Buddy, a Havanese. She's staying with me now as he can't care for her and is having seizures that frighten her. She's been quite traumatized, so I've been helping her heal and giving her lots of love. Love having a dog again, but can't do the walking she needs.

Rob's home now. Was on a ventilator for several days after stopping breathing in Rescue after EMS pushed Ketamine and he has a Dilaudid pump. They diverted to the nearest hospital, not one I like at all, to ED to get him breathing again. They put him on a ventilator and it's been a horrid experience for him and for me.

He begins seizure testing at Mayo next week and consults with a seizure neurologist. Finally! Then, neuro palliative care and some help, maybe. I'm so tired of the medical community's mistreatment of this man. Dystonia has about 60,000 patients in the US. So, it's quite rare, doctors have no idea how to diagnose and certainly don't know how to treat. It's been a terrible struggle for 18 years to get help...finally, Mayo is doing research and helping him. However, until we get information out and funding in, it's a lost cause. No cure as no one knows the cause. I'm hoping to help the Dystonia Association/Foundation with this after he is settled if it happens and I'm still breathing!

He's being evaluated for Deep Brain Surgery. It's a dangerous, difficult, surgery, awake...and a long recovery with no guarantee it'll help. But, it may well stop the seizures caused by Klonopin withdrawal and help reduce pain levels. If so, that's a huge win for us.

My poor birds and plants have suffered during his hospitalization. I've spent the last 2 days cleaning, filling feeders, bird baths, etc.

I am exhausted from the inside out but will recoup and get stronger. I'm beginning work now on an estate sale, emptying finally my storage unit, and including a lot from my son's home in the sale. Big job, but I will get this done and finally simplify this life! I hired a cleaning service to deep clean his place and begin regular weekly cleaning for both of us. I lost my housekeeper last year and really need this service.

Be well, my MN friend. And all. Be blessed. Elizabeth