This And That

Physical Therapy is going well and slowly, this old gardener is getting back into the garden where he belongs.  I have missed out seeing a few things bloom but found a bloom or two to show off. 

Bearded Iris and behind it is a dwarf kiwi vine "Issai"

The great tomato give-away went well and all the neighbors are looking forward to a healthy and happy tomato crop.  My greenhouse is once again a summer home to nothing but orchids.

MeMa's favorite floribunda rose "Europeana"

Cinco de Mayo was a blast.  MeMa and I were invited to the "Librarians" house for a big bash. We felt quite honored to be on the guest list with a few of the other neighbors, as this party in the past was attended by lesbian couples only.  I think as the many years have past they finally realize that they have become such an accepted and valuable part of neighborhood life and that we have all grown to love them both and the life they have created together.

I have three large nursery trays of giant Zinnias that I started from seed before being housebound. They really need to be planted but I am not supposed to bend forward for any length of time. The other day while shopping with MeMa I was able to get these ornamental potato vines and tray of coleus to follow me home.

Two weeks ago MeMa and her fellow Vegas Girls took pity on this old gardener and we all drove east over Mt. Hood to one of our favorite casino's.  The unusually warm weather was enjoyable as was the company.   the food was tolerable and the winnings were paltry but a fun time was had.  We do our part to support reservation life.

The Friday before Mother's Day I decided to stay home from work and pretend I was retired.  I liked it, I think MeMa is worried I liked it too much........did I mention that I liked it?  Enough said about that for now.  I talked CCL's son Randy (I don't think he likes cats) into moving this stoneware pot from the driveway to the back garden.  I had a vision.....and a big blank spot that is now filled.  If you click on the photo you will notice the bronze figure doing a face plant on its concrete base with re-bar poking up at threatening angles.  It is a "self sculpture" our son Ian created after a period of his life when bad decisions were fairly common and parents were likely to be woken from a sound sleep to come rescue an injured son and take him to the hospital in the middle the night.  We all survived and are doing wonderful.
I always worried that one of the Little Terrorists would impale themselves on this symbol of his past life, so it never had a permanent home until my "vision".  The pot stands about four feet, the danger of impaled Terrorist over and I have a great home for that beautiful canna lily that followed me home.  Thanks Randy and good luck with those cats.

In the Center Garden I decided we needed some height, so I found this four foot Italian Cypress to fit the bill. I can hardly weight till it is twenty feet tall

My usual large bed of garlic has been reduced to two small rows this year. the smaller greens in front of the garlic are Cippolini onions.

The Pot barrier is flourishing

Dwarf Buddleia new on the market and non-invasive

Mother's Day went very nicely, had a great time with both our son's and their families.  The weather was perfect, my Bar-BQ tri tip steaks were doing great until Lucy took a nasty tumble off the swing. Steaks overcooked in all the distraction.  Lucy received a goose egg lump on the back of her head and then the swing came back as swings do, giving her a nice bruise on her forehead.  The swing was removed, tears replaced with continued laughter, food eaten as though Poppi was the best chef ever.

Since we have only one Koi left I decided to block off the passageway to the second pond so that my waterlilies can get a good start and fill their containers so that the fish can't grub them out by the roots.  Once sufficiently established I can remove the barrier and allow the fish to swim the entire pond

The waterlilies making good progress. They are planted in two fifty gallon tubs.

Rhododendron's Vulcan and Fatuosum Flora Pleno on the west path to nowhere.

Golden Chain

I stopped by my parents house the other day, the house we all grew up in and went our separate ways.  I was the first to leave, my father was the last to leave.  As I stood in the empty living room and looked at the blank walls I cried tears of sadness and joy for the lives lived well that started here.  Good foundations are hard to come by, thanks Mom and Dad.

Fresh From The Greenhouse

For the last six years I have supplied the neighborhood with tomatoes, usually three or four varieties. They take up so much room in the greenhouse that I took advantage of our very early warm weather and have set them out for the taking.  There has already been quite a response and many have left for home gardens.

I sent out an e-mail yesterday alerting all that the supply was smaller this year so get them while it lasts and to please return the pots so we have plenty for next year.

I managed four varieties again this year.  Sun Sugar which is a yellow cherry that is so sweet and delicious, a so-so yellow pear, an heirloom Roma and my favorite Rutgers which has a very small seed cavity making them great for dicing so one does not get that sloppy seedy mess.

The Gardener Housebound

Outside the temperature was hitting high 70's;  birds singing their little beaks off;  greenhouse brimming with trays of seedlings needing transplanting into individual pots; weeds needing to be pulled;  deadheading and all the general tidying up that this old gardener loves to do.  But alas, the only activity I was able to muster was roll slightly every few minutes so the pain seemed to lessen for just a few more minutes in my new position.  My very own Florence Nightingale  (MeMa) would float into the room and make sure I had every comfort within reach.
I'm not much good going to a doctor's appointment on my own and I have come to realize that as the Doctor comes into the exam room and asks, "How I am doing?"  The first thing out of my mouth is, "Oh, I'm doing great. Thanks." Or, after my exam when the Doctor is giving me instructions to follow, I nod my head in affirmation and then promptly forget everything he just told me.  Sparing you some details; after an incident while at work it was decided that it was imperative that MeMa should accompany me to my appointment at the hospital.  Kidney stones are nasty little buggers but the procedure involved in discovering them is excruciating.  The doctor was quite pleased when he asked MeMa if she wanted to remain while he performed the procedure and she said very emphatically, "Yes." I squinted through the pain and watched the total concentration on MeMa's face, her eyes glued the screen while standing next to the doctor as he guided the camera through me explaining every detail, "Stone one, stone two, stone three and......ok..... we are done here."  MeMa asked.  What was that?"  "A tumor in the bladder."
I am pleased to say that in the following surgery they were able to remove all of the low grade cancer and not so pleased to say that I will have to undergo the same horrific procedure every year the rest of my life.

The pathways are just teaming with new growth on all sides

Useless gnomes. They haven't lifted a pudgy finger to help.  Look at them just standing there with their hands behind their backs.

That was last week and this week although slightly cooler temperature the rest of the scene is much the same with a very frustrated gardener housebound with a diagnosed bulging disk that leaves him with a very painful left leg that is numb from the knee down.  I am a very impatient patient especially housebound when I have so many big garden plans.

The kind folks from the nursery behind our property gave us five, eight foot arborvitae to help screen off the view.
They were also kind enough to not only deliver them but planted them all as well.

New to the garden this year is this beautiful little Coral Bark Maple

Spring in Portland and Las Vegas

Spring has sprung

 Fall just fell

Robins chirp

Frogs burp

It is officially spring in Portland although with our very unusual mild winter things have bloomed here a little early. The daffodils are about finished but the tulips are bursting with color.

It is Spring Break for the schools here and the lovely MeMa has taken advantage of it and gone off to Vegas with her two partners in adventure Andrea and Debbie. Taking a break from casino life she managed to send a few photo's

Evidently Tulips in Vegas are bursting a little better.....yes, well moving along......

The view out our sun room is starting to look quite colorful, Rhododendron Christmas Cheer is the first to bloom.

Finally after six years my fan palm has decided that palms like Oregon and has put on 

some new growth.

The Vegas Girls are staying on the 14th floor of the Hilton Grand Vacation Club, look at all those palm trees.

Their first adventure was riding the High Roller, each pod holds 40 people and it takes a half hour to make one revolution.......

.......so needless to say one gets quite a view......look at all those palm trees will you! Perhaps palm trees do prefer Vegas.

The Mt. Fuji Cherry is in splendid form this year each flower cluster the size of an egg.

Everything is in bloom in Vegas

Athena the lone surviving Koi swimming toward me looking for some food

 Pond at the Bellagio....don't see any koi in that pond!

It is getting warm enough for the last of the orchids to go out in the greenhouse along with the little pink flamingo.

......Ok that is one very impressive flamingo dear, but it stays in Vegas.

Blazer Basketball Fan

Portland Trail Blazer Nicolas Batum standing hip to shoulder with his biggest fan.

I believe in most American households the sports fan of the family are usually male, but in our household it is the lovely MeMa.  She never misses  a game and if she can't watch it on the television then she will listen on the radio.  Our youngest son Ian is an ardent fan as well and the two will text back and forth when excitement is at a peak.  Vivian my Volvo, sports a very large decal of the Blazer Team logo that Ian created while employed at a local sign shop.  I have actually been stopped and asked by folks who had been driving behind me, where they could get a matching decal.
Nicolas Batum has been with the Blazers NBA Basketball Team since 2008.  Born in Lisieux France, he has had an impressive career starting in Le Mans in 2006 before the Portland Trail Blazers acquired him.
You can imagine MeMa's surprise when the French Teacher at Franklin High School mentioned that the  Batum assembly would be held in the school library.  MeMa rushed out and purchased a new Blazer sports shirt just for the occasion.  After Batum was finished speaking the attending students where allowed to ask questions, but only in French.