A-mouse Bouche

The more rain we have, the more frogs we see.  Last week, I saw one wedged between the glass panels on our front door!

I could juuuuust see his eye through a tiny slit. 

I was worried that he wouldn't be able to get out, so I raised the glass.  He still struggled to free himself and left a little bit of froggy debris behind, but was able to successfully hop off.

Claudia, too, proved that she was back to her old self by thoughtfully providing a mouse for our supper.

The rain and cooler temperatures have been amazing...

...but even these optimum temperatures haven't ignited my passion for gardening this year.  I don't feel passion for all of my hobbies all of the time...some I lose complete interest in for years, but I always come back to them eventually.  I've been so consumed with gardening in the past, but this year I feel nothing.  Perfunctorily, I planted seeds in containers and moved them to the empty holes in the row garden, but it seems that I infected them with my apathy.  Germination has been incredibly poor and I've struggled to get even "the givens" (sunflowers, basil, marigolds) to germinate.  Things that have germinated haven't grown much.  Is it the cooler weather?  The substandard soil I was forced to use when my reliable source was out of stock?  My attitude??  Whatever it was, I was nearly ready to give up and accept a weed patch.

Then, a miracle.  The garden...self-seeded.  Two full rows and probably another full row, in sections...all filled with annuals that had grown from last year's fallen seed.

I recognize celosia, and maybe...balsam camellia?  Ageratum?

Whatever it is, I don't care.  Truthfully, I don't even know what's in the rows that I planted myself this year.  I used old plant markers on the labels, and they promptly faded.  I've just been dutifully shoving green things into available spots.  I don't think I'm going to have a big, wild garden this year, even with all spots filled.  It's going to get down into the 40s tonight...in June!  Things just aren't growing well...but I don't care.  There's green, and the green isn't weeds.  Puny flowers make great bud vase bouquets.  And as soon as I get this pesky garden done (within 2 weeks?  I've had to repeatedly plant in order to get a few seedlings), I can forget it and move on to something that I really care about!  Hooray!  

Meanwhile, the perennial garden has filled in beautifully.  I keep thinking of the BEFORE picture:  

Now it's wild!

Wild blackberries/raspberries are ripening...

Every little thing is creeping or flying:

tiger moth

katydid nymph

great spangled fritillary 

Our apple tree is absolutely bursting.  A bumper crop!

Inside, a little baking...

the sandwich loaf I bake every week

cake for a friend

...and a little laziness.

Ahhh...summer!

Have a great week!  

cake and ice...temps

 Birthday week!!

Six-inch four-layer German chocolate cake with chocolate frosting

Todd has been getting over a really terrible cold and had zero energy, but we managed a short walk and a museum trip.  The cake I made had the most delicious pecan/coconut filling that I've ever tasted, and I'm not a fan of pecans.  

As an afterthought, I also made a lemon cream pie with graham-almond crust.  I like lemon and have had a lot of lemon desserts, but this, too, was the best in its class, in my opinion.  We groaned in delight for DAYS!  

A lot of delight outside, too.  Green, green, green!

barn in front of our house

dogwoods are blooming!

shade garden by front driveway

Woodland flowers!

trout lily

jack-in-the-pulpit

The apple blossoms withstood the rain...

...but not the wind.

Lilacs have come and gone, too.

So much growing, though.

both columbines

shasta daisies

part of the side rose garden

Claudia is loving life in warmer temperatures.

She's yet to bring us any pests this year, although I saw her this week with a suspicious feather hanging out of her mouth...

The deer are starting to appear in the daytime, and I hear turkeys gobbling in the early mornings now.

our back field

I'm slowly, slowing working on getting my winter sow garden seedlings planted.  I have a low tolerance for cold, and although Todd loves these 55-degree days, I'm shivering in three layers.  It's windy!!  Somehow it feels even colder than wintertime...for once I'm ready for summer.

Warmer temps coming soon.  Have a great week!

Two weeks ago, Claudia waiting for me in the rose garden.

guess who's coming to dinner

 We aren't having as many days like this as the season progresses!

turkey vulture pair

It's overcast and chilly.  There are a few seed heads still hanging on in the garden...

milkweed

...a few bits of color still to be seen...

...still a few really late insect eggs, now devoid of hatchlings, decorating the screens...

leaf-footed bug eggs

...but after the leaves fall and before the snow starts, it's a pretty drab landscape, and we're staying cozy indoors.  Thankfully, there's plenty to do during this busy season, and speaking of thanks...

...we had our usual turkey feast this year with so much food that Todd has had Thanksgiving twice a day for 4 days now and still has another day or two to go!  

Claudia was concerned that we wouldn't have enough food, so she wanted to contribute...

She was so busy bragging about her big score, though, that she didn't notice that this mouse was playing possum.  While she was preening, it popped up and streaked off the porch.  Oh, well!  Claudia should be very familiar with possums and their ways...one visited her 'house' one night this week for a friendly visit, but she chased him off.

Drama!  

Other than Thanksgiving, recent bakes include some delicious pumpkin muffins...

...and a confetti layer cake with a lot of sprinkles.

I've had some time to deal with a few cat dramas, like cat-proofing their favorite cuisine, my house plants (with some bitter apple spray).  They had to inspect it...

...and then ignore it.  Maybe I'll be able to have house plants after all!  I've also tried working on the kittens vs. Calliope dynamic...

...but she remains defiant and grouchy.  They'll work it out, I guess!

Lots of sleepy kittens during these dark days.

Well, inside.  Outside, Claudia is still busy, busy, busy!

We, too, will be pretty busy over the next few weeks.  We've got Christmas prep to do with cards and decorating, birthday stuff, holiday orders increasing for our business, and then holiday travel...the New Year...a week of rest, and then a big multi-day toy show in mid-January to prep for.  I struggle mightily with the hustle-bustle of Halloween through New Years and I am always exhausted by January 1st, but at least it's a good month to be quiet and cozy by the fire to recharge.  

Bosewichte 2018

Cats get it.  ;)  

Have a great week!