into everyone's life a little rain must fall

 We've had a few sunny days...

...but while it seems like most of the country is in a drought/heat wave, it's been chilly and rainy here for a couple of weeks.  REALLY chilly.  REALLY rainy.

Nice misty mornings on the days where it hasn't been too wet to walk.

neighborhood horses

Flooding everywhere!

Everything is very, very green.

American giant millipede

I finally bestirred myself and got my hot annual seeds potted up.

I think I managed 28 containers before I ran out of soil and energy.  It's been so cold that I've worried the seeds might rot, but we do have some green shoots and it looks like the worst of the rain is over now.  

We had a brief, glorious flare of peonies before the rain turned them to mush...

...and even Claudia got in on the warmer-day action and explored outside for about an hour before asking to go back into the barn!

Our indoor cats have taken advantage of the rare sunbeams, too.

Pepita has been going stir-crazy and is loving any sunny minute outside!

There are rabbits out and about every morning and I have to be careful with Pepita, and guard that she doesn't get worked up and try to chase.

And any place that you have rabbits, deer, foxes, coyotes, possums, raccoons, and my new favorite - a ton of skunks!! -

...you're going to have these guys.

This is a male lone star tick that I pulled off my stomach this week.  Normally I am *so* careful to check myself over daily, but the one day I had a migraine, skipped my shower and stayed in bed...he got me.  Todd had a black-legged tick bite recently and had to take antibiotics, since they carry Lyme Disease.  I pulled another tick from his leg yesterday.  It's rough - Pepita runs in the field every day and although we check her all over every single time she's been outside, it's just hard to see the ticks.  She's so dark, and the ticks range in size from poppy to sesame seed.  So small.  They sometimes hitch a ride inside and drop off.  We are incredibly diligent about checking the bed, the couch, and our bodies, but sometimes...we miss 'em.  It's one of the down sides of having a dog...although there are plenty of positives.  :)

Hopefully the worst of the yearly surge in ticks is behind us now!  Ready to head out and enjoy some sunshine.  Happy Monday!

sours on flowers

After a few frosty mornings...

...I think winter is finally over!  Everything is so green.

Peonies are starting to pop!

Because of a pretty rainy stretch...

...my ferns are going crazy.  

I love spring!!

Todd had a cyst removed last week.  He's been recovering with a little help from Pepita...

Celebratory "body cavity" cupcakes!  The middle is raspberry jam...I swear.

The cats have been their usual helpful selves...

"Gonna take out the trash any time soon??"

"Oh, you wanted to stretch your back?  Let me help."

"I'm done folding!"

"Why are you photographing NASA stuff when I'm soooo much more photogenic?"

"You missed it!  Ryan broke up with Marissa AGAIN."

I can't believe that June will be here in a few weeks.  I've barely been outside with my camera this spring.  It's been cooler and wetter, and life is just busier in general. 

One thing I haven't done, even though it's nearly mid-May, is plant out my annual garden.  In years past, I had seedlings ready to go into the ground by now.

This year, I bought the seeds and soil, cleared the garden debris, and...nothing.  In part there's a physical aspect.  I developed Morton's Neuroma in my right foot, which is a pinched tendon/nerve between two toes.  Some days it hurts to walk/be on my feet for too long.  I also have arthritis in my lower back that has been more painful this spring.  It's more easily aggravated and the thought of the lifting/bending required to do just get the boxes seeded has been daunting.  The main job, however,  is crawling around on the tick-infested ground, stabbing the spring weeds out of the hundreds of 4" pre-cut seedling holes.  You can get an idea of how many there are in this photo.  It's hot, dirty, grueling work and I dread it every year.  Because we've had a long, wet spring, the weeds are now 6-12" high, with deep roots.

A more inspired year

But this isn't a case of the mind is willing but the body is weak.  I'm just not interested in doing it this year.  As I have done my whole life, I throw myself wholeheartedly into a hobby and it consumes me for months or even a year or two.  Then I completely lose interest and focus on something else.  I always cycle back through my hobbies again but sometimes it takes a decade to reignite that passion.  And this year...I don't care about it.  I'm not interested in the propagation process.  I'm not interested in a colorful garden.  I'm not even interested in picking future bouquets.  I'm either 100% in or 100% out...and this year, my interest might even be in the negative.  ;)  Worse case scenario, we will string-trim the weeds down to surface level and just cover the whole lot up with landscape fabric.  Save the seeds and hope that the interest returns next year.  We'll see what happens!  

a little night magic

This is a tough time of year for blogging, because not only is it incredibly busy in general, but it's so beautiful outside that I've taken a ton of photos...this week alone, I've edited and saved 132.  It's hard to narrow it down and choose favorites!

Some things aren't pretty, but they're interesting, like this centipede in the process of molting.

Some things aren't exciting or rare, but I find myself admiring them every single day...like our red maple.  In different light, the leaves range from pale yellow to bright red and I love them so much!

And some things ARE fleeting and worthy of mention.  It's PEONY SEASON (said in Oprah's deep announcement voice)!!!  I have big drippy bouquets all over the house.  PEONIES!!

Peony time means poppy time.  I got these seeds from the famous Sissinghurst Garden in England.

The perennial garden has positively sprung to life this week and I can't help posting more pictures!  

Everything you see here will be in bloom by July...lemon balm, coneflowers, obedient plant...but until then, I'm just enjoying the different leaf textures.  

Todd has been working in the yard...

...and I've been working too, lots of weeding...

...and working on my annual cutting garden.  It's been so cold this spring (down in the 40s this week!) that my seedlings just haven't done well.  I'd hoped for a better yield, but I'm getting maybe 40% germination.  I'm going to keep putting out greenhouses and hoping for the best!  

Claudia had to go to the vet this week for a sore paw, but she's feeling better now and is back on duty.

Not fast enough, though.  When I was weeding in the tomato garden, I kept finding these big grass balls buried a few inches below the soil surface.

Vole nests.  Their little holes are everywhere!  I found other little secret nests, too, like this sac spider nest.  Just a bit of mud, suspended from wire, completely hidden until I weeded.

And from another nest...I think this is a song thrush egg.  I found it in the driveway.  Isn't it pretty?

A little night magic...someone's been visiting our front porch under the cover of darkness.

A big raccoon is leaving tracks in the pollen (thankfully pollen season is over, so I can clean up this mess at last!).  I see possums, raccoons, and skunks on the trail cam, right in front of our porch, almost every night!

Of course, I'm still checking the ones that are down by the pond.  Look at the tiny buds on this sweet little buck!  Pretty cute!

(Date is wrong...this is from a couple of weeks ago)

So many other things, but I'll have to save it for next time!

Have a great week!