Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
I first saw them resting under the tree, but it wasn’t long till they were heading for the beach, for a swim in the choppy waters, until it was time for lunch. Just by watching them, I was refreshed and renewed. Sharing with #SquaresRenew.… Continue Reading “Swimming with the Goslings”
Like most of you we heard there would be a spectacular display of Aurora Borealis over the weekend; the Northern Lights would reach much further south than is typical. The Pacific Northwest was included, and clear skies were in the forecast. I also read… Continue Reading “About those Northern Lights”
Not exactly on purpose, in black and white, that is. We had good weather the first half of our recent vacation in the Redwoods, but on our drive back home up the Oregon Coast? – Not so much. It happens. Still, it IS the… Continue Reading “Traveling the Oregon Coast in Black and White”
You might think I’m selling something but I’m not; I’m participating in Becky’s #SquaresRenew challenge. I see renewal everywhere in my garden this time of year, especially when the herbs begin to grow and blossom anew, attracting bees who come for the nectar and… Continue Reading “Bee Squares”
To celebrate Earth Day, we traveled to one of our favorite places last week to enjoy the tallest trees on earth, the Coast Redwoods of Northern California. Thanks to the efforts of the Save the Redwoods League, formed in 1918, there were many ancient… Continue Reading “Celebrating the Coast Redwoods for Belated Earth Day”
Some years ago, my husband noticed one of our trees out front was dying, perhaps already dead. He brought out an arborist to take it down, who instead, convinced us to leave it standing as a snag. He topped it and removed most of… Continue Reading “Northern Flickers Making Home in the Snag”
Who can keep them all straight? I’ll start with the largest hunk of quartz I’ve ever seen, an 8,000-pound slab from Arkansas, newly obtained by the Smithsonian. “Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. As a mineral name, quartz… Continue Reading “Quartz, Minerals, Rocks, and Other Gems”
I have many other things I could be sharing on this dull Monday morning, but instead, I bring to you this flying jewel, a handsome Anna’s Hummingbird, seen through my office window. A welcome distraction. ~ Susanne
The mason bees have emerged from their little house, which hangs under the eaves of my big house. Mason bees are solitary pollinators that nest in tunnels that they seal with mud or clay. They lay female eggs in the back of the tunnel… Continue Reading “Lots of Activity at the Mason Bee House”
Last month we had tantalizing glimpses of spring and I puttered in the yard, snipping and trimming and straightening up the garden, even planting a new rose, Ketchup and Mustard – I refuse to give up on roses. The birds were out and about… Continue Reading “Spring Green”