Passage Of an Old Freind - 1976 to 2013

Cook's Wisteria in full bloom

This morning as I dashed about the garden watering what needed watering I snapped a couple of photos to remind me of what I will probably miss this spring.  Life at Menagerie Manor has been a bit CRAZY!  Last week I took two days from work and intended on spending it in the gardens catching up on all the spring chores, but most of that time off went to running errands and picking up "Little Terrorists" numbers one and three at Daycare as MeMa and our son Ian were in Clatskanie seeing to the headstone for her fathers grave and it took longer than they had thought.  I brought Taeya and Lucy home with me so that put a complete stop to the garden chores as who in their right mind would want to garden when one could be making a complete fool of ones self making goo-goo faces and playing chase around the dining room table.  I don't know who was louder, the girls squealing with laughter as I chased after on hands and knees or the pack of dogs barking in complete doggie joy.

The Koi have been feeding since the middle of March, about a month earlier than normal.

The girls ended up spending the night as MeMa and Ian's return trip took a little longer, mostly due to the "short cut" that Ian took.  But they saw some lovely country on that stretch of gravel road in MeMa's little VW Beetle.  Oh, by the way Ian, it cleaned up just fine at the car wash.

One of the "Vegas Girls" has been living at the Manor as she and her husband sold their home and have gone their separate ways.  She called just as I came in the door with the Little Terrorists and said her divorce was finalized and she was celebrating by bringing home Hawaiian food from the local No Ho's restaurant......delicious!  After dinner and bath the girls went to bed, sorry Mom and Dad it was more like eight thirty or nineish before lights out.  But heck they sure slept sound and actually slept in later the next morning.  You should have seen the delighted faces when MeMa served them  breakfast of a cinnamon roll dripping with frosting.....naughty grandparents!

The Acanthus normally die to the ground, but with the mild winter last years leaves are still strong and healthy.

There has been a greatest of tragedies at Menagerie Manor recently..... our ancient water bed has passed on.  A few nights ago I woke up suddenly in complete terror at the thought that I...er....well had done the unthinkable.  My night clothes were saturated, I almost yelled out at the very thought and then I realized it was the mattress that had failed not.....well.... you can understand I'm sure.  Later that morning after inspecting the damage and some discussion as to its great age (1976) the bed was dismantled and hauled away.  MeMa and I slept the next night in the downstairs guest room, it was so uncomfortable that the neither of us slept.  Bed shopping was quickened and the decision was made on the "TempurPedic Cloud Lux"......I know......sounds like a car, right?  But did you know that beds have memory????  I just push a button and the head and foot moves to a comfortable position for watching the television. Nothing on that I care to watch, then push the next button and it moves to a comfortable position for reading.  My eyes start to close and I push another button and it moves to a comfortable position for sleeping.  Go to bed with aching tired muscles and push another button and a relaxing wave action massage runs from head to foot.  You know, I feel really foolish for tearing up as I pushed the old water bed out of the back of the truck at the recyclers.  I think I need a nap. 

Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora'