The Days Of Wyrd

While helping with (crashing) my parent's garage sale a few weekends ago, I managed to take a few pictures as I wandered around in the yard (pretended to help).

I think dahlias love the cool and misty coastal belt.  I live just a couple of miles inland and my dahlias were way behind theirs.  I think the heat has made them cranky.

We took our Labor Day vacation trek early this year.  We left early Thursday and drove around mid/eastern oregon until late Friday.  I didn't see any huge Dahlia bushes during our travels.

If you grow these babies, remember, they need LOTS of room.  You can grow them in pots even, but they have to be exceedingly huge pots, like the ones that are over 20 gallons.  I know this from my years of experience abusing plants.

Posted by Wyrd at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are at least 12 different kinds of lillies here at the Wyrd Ranch, and each blooms at a different time.  Pretty much one kind right after the other.  These particular ones are trumpet lillies.  We have 5 different kinds of just these.  The rest are Asiatics and Orientals.  Which are different.  Or so they tell me.  And Easter Lillies.  Which probably belong to the above families of lillies.  I really don't remember now.  All of these beauties get together and stink up my area quite wonderously.

I have a few tiger lillies and daylillies as well.  These don't make me as happy as the others.  So I shall be sending them away by the end of the summer.  The look.  Scraggly.

In other earth shaking news:  we had a 4.1 earthquake 300 miles WNW of Barview, Oregon today.

Posted by Wyrd at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's hot folks.  H-O-T.  My middle name is now, water-the-garden.  And the garden thanks me.  With tons of smelly, pretty flowers.  Carnations, Oswego Tea, snapdragons that smell like jolly ranchers, roses, lillies, lobelia, crimson mullien.  Everything is blooming, even the little hostas. And herbs galore.  Greens.  Mint for my juleps.  If I had juleps.  Is juleps a body part?  Wait.  Am I missing something?

 I worked on transplanting my lemon cucumbers yesterday.  They are my cucumber favorite.  My husband requested they be grown in our garden last year, because his paternal grandfather always grew them.  So I did, thinking they wouldn't amount to much.  NOT TRUE.  They were huge little globes of delightfully fresh, crisp watery cucumberness that grew wonderfully, even when I stuck them in too-little of pots.   One of the nice things about transplanting these cukes is that as you repot them you smell this wonderful fresh cucumber fragrance.  And it will make you happy.  Honest.

Posted by Wyrd at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Instead of going camping around in the State in search of beautiful scenery and fireworks (which in Coos County and along the coast are staggered so that onlookers may participate in several gatherings), we opted to stay close to home and celebrate. 

We ventured over to the parental home for a nice family gathering and huge fire-pit barbeque.  Where else could we enjoy a private party with a view of Charleston, the bay, the bar, and south slough.  Plus the family is rich with wonderful cooks who bring many fine ass-fattening dishes.  I myself was instructed to bring "something chocolate".  And so I did.  Chocolate cheesecake with an oreo crust.  I melted a bag of caramels with a half a cup of heavy cream, added a cup of chopped walnuts, and poured it over the crust.  On top of that went the cheesecake.  Frosted with a dark chocolate ganache.  Had I been blessed with more time and a higher pan I would have added more layers.  Which was unnecessary.  Totally.

Also, Mr Wyrd took a few days extra off to work on the new greenhouse he is building me.  So in between planting more beans and peas outside and watering, I was repotting my greenhouse babies for the trip to their new house.  

On the actual day of the 4th, there were not as many people around and about as is usual.  Also, local neighborhood firework activity was down by about 90%.  It could be because our drunken neighbor has left for Alaska for work for several months.  Or it could be the $600 something fine that has been layed upon those who have fireworks that shoot more than 3 feet off the ground, (like all of them).  Which the police insisted they were going to inforce. 

Whatever.

Posted by Wyrd at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's years like this that test the metal of local gardeners.  Long, cold, hailing, snowing, freezing winter.  Days of cool, soaking drizzle.  Jump from that to a few 100 degree days and back again.  That's our dismal weather story.  It's a wonder anything survives at all.

And yet it does.  Sure, the heat killed about 3/4 of my tomato plants.  And all 50 of my first lemon cucumbers.  But I replanted and transplanted and pinched off burned leaves, and rearranged plants for maximum protection.  It won't be the best garden year, but it will still be one.  That's where the true skill comes in.  When things aren't so easy.  If our forefathers/mothers had quit when times were hard, they would have starved to death.   And who knows, the way prices are going, if we don't improve our gardening talents we might too.

Posted by Wyrd at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

And that's why you are being subjected to one more kitty picture.  Kitty ala carte (without cone).  She is frisky and severely underfoot.  And thusly she has been stepped on twice so far today.  I think wearing the cone for a week distorted her depth perception.  Or else just made her way too brave. 

She is used to sticking to me like glue, crippled by the big blue cone made for kitties with longer legs.  She couldn't always eat without help, or walk, or clean herself.  It made her very insecure and dependent, much like a two year old.  Now she's back to her bratty teenager self.  Pretty much.

In other news, it's still cool and drizzly.  According to the always wrong weather forecasts, it should be that way until NEXT Friday.  Which actually makes me happy.  It's perfect transplanting weather for the garden.  So don't sit on your couch and mope about the weather the whole holiday.  Get out and do some planting. 

Posted by Wyrd at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The past two days were over 100 degrees here.  Today was a cool and breezy 90.  Every plant on the property began showing signs of burn.  My greenhouses and the porch and the garden are all intertwined with sheets and screens.  Thank god I moved so many things out of harms way.  Harms way = almost everywhere. 

Some years we pray for a couple of days of warm, and often we get them.  Maybe an Indian summer in the fall.  But never, ever, and I'm including the Great Coastal Heatwave of I think it was '82, has it ever been this hot on the coast.  At least not in my getting-quite-extensive lifetime.   Do you realize it was only two weeks ago that we had snow, hail and freezing temperatures?  HUH????

Kitty update:  Ripped out a bunch of stitches.  Stitches replaced, drain removed, and now the poor thing is in the dreaded CONE.  Why of course I will take a picture.

Posted by Wyrd at 07:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After the sun started to go down, it cooled to 90 degrees on the porch.  I have been watering constantly today.  Not only is this heat dangerous for plants, but it also poses a massive threat to us used-to-cool-weather coastal beings.  Thank goodness I have trees and plants, it turns my zone into a balmy jungle region instead of a desert wasteland. 

I kept the house closed up today, (mostly because kitty got herself in another scrap and had an abscess, requiring her to have a drain put in, meaning no outside), and the ceiling fan on.  Everytime I thought I was going to die from the heat, I just went outside, where it was 20 degrees hotter.  I cannot imagine that tomorrow will be even hotter.  Is this possible? 

It's a perfect evening for that walk on Sunset Beach. 

Posted by Wyrd at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Because it's my last of two real workdays.  I'm exceedingly lucky however, even my work is fun.  And it's not the only REAL work I do.  Just the part of work which I actually have to leave home for. 

Anyway.

Mother's day recap:  I got a truckload of gorgeous compost.  I also sent a truckload of compost to my mommy.  Derek's present to us both was to unload said compost.  Considering the tropical weather we are having, the dirt came just in time.  Soon you will be seeing pictures of my gardening antics.  And that's not a lie, like it was the last time, when I said I would give you my bread recipe later in the week and I did not.  But don't worry.  You will get that too.  Promise.

And just to show you I mean business, here's a pretty picture for you.

I have no idea who any of these people are. 

Posted by Wyrd at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's been a cold and windy blowhole on the coast.  Big, cold destructive blasts of North Pole wind make it impossible to be outside and be happy.  Last night we actually had ice on our car windshields.  Bleah.

The basil I put out too early just shriveled up and croaked.  But did that teach me?  Heck no.  I'm still putting things out.  It's my sink or swim program.  It's also the only way I can empty out my crammed full greenhouses.  So I can start some more things.  Stop looking at me that way.

Posted by Wyrd at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Speed gardening is what happens when you get 2 nice days in a whole month instead of the 10-20 that are typical of the month of April on the Oregon coast.  After weeks of cold and windy and snowy and hailing weather we were blessed with a few warm and wonderful days.

Mr. Wyrd and I weeded and composted and moved around the many plant beings that inhabit our yard.  I transplanted Heinz tomatoes and night blooming jasmine and dwarf snapdragons and Siam basil and marigolds, about 300 plants in all.  My greenhouse, once stuffed full, is now an echoey mess of dirt and containers. 

Which means, of course, I have to start more stuff.

Posted by Wyrd at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A perfect, warm summer's day.  In the middle of winter weather.  Only it isn't summer, and it isn't winter.  I blame it on the ever continuing earthquakes.  We made the news!  Hundreds of earthquakes off the Oregon coast, indicative of volcanic activity.  Only there is no volcano.  Or so they say.  But there probably is molten lava movement.  On the off shore fault.  Whee?

Posted by Wyrd at 06:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's still freezing here at night.  The days have been sunny all week, but a ice cold wind starts up every afternoon.  There is about a three hour period where it is actually comfortable to be outside.  I clean the garden and weed during those precious three hours.  And I stare at the plants.  The rest of the time I bounce between the cuddly, warm house and the cuddly warm greenhouse.  And I stare at the plants.  This one is my newest hoya.  Thank you mommy!

Posted by Wyrd at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rain, wind and hail.  And lots of it.  Outside it's still winter.  Outside it is FROZEN this morning.  Inside, spring is definitely happening in.  The living room is gutted, walls washed, panelling re-oiled.  Spring cleaning is happening here folks. 

In between rain/hailstorms I dash to the greenhouse and start a few more of this seed or that seed.  So far there are different kinds of geraniums and coleus planted.  My purple orbit geraniums are popping out after only two days!  Mixed lettuce, curly and flat parsley, night blooming jasmine (thank you Pril), mixed dwarf snapdragons, heinz tomatoes, early jalapeno peppers, great burdock, pink pokadot plant, henna, wild indigo and, probably some stuff I forgot already, all waiting to become, something other than seeds, nestled in their soggy little dirt beds, lounging in the backyard greenhouse, not to be confused with my beside-the-house greenhouse, which is filled with other exotic houseplant starts.  And that is just the beginning.

Posted by Wyrd at 05:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

That's right folks.  No Home Depot after all.  Concerned with falling profits, Home Depot decided to go over their contract with a barbie comb until they found themselves a legal out to their contract with us Wild West Folk.

Sad.  But not as sad as when we lost Lowes.  We like them better.

In other news, we had two earthquakes off the coast of Oregon.  A 5.9 and a 4.2.  WheeHaw.

On the home front, I finished a massive pile of paperwork this week.  M-A-S-S-I-V-E.  Paperwork is now replaced by gutting the living room, and gardening.  I potted up copius amounts of exotic geranium seeds.  I was reminded of how much I hated the word copius so I had to use it.  Today there will be sowings of varieties of Coleus.  Along with peppers and tomatoes. 

Greek Grrl aka NayborGirl and I tried to pretend to be social animals and ventured out into the city yesterday.  We looked for garage sales.  I think there were three.  All closed.  Because it was rainy and cold.  So we perused by the Goodwill.  I think I can truthfully say that I will never go there again.  Their prices were horrible.  When I go to a thrift store, I expect items to be at least half price.  Not only were they not half price, but they were often TWICE full price.  As was demonstrated by their many from-the-dollar-store items marked up to 1.99.  Next we went to hospice, which I have always cursed in the name of too expensive, but they are nothing like Goodwill, so I shall stop whining about them.  For now.  (I was rather grossed out by their coughing and hacking sick cashier though...).  Really, the best commercial non-profit thrift store is still the Salvation Army.  Bar. None. 

Posted by Wyrd at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)