Chillin' With Dad

Puppy Love

Seeds and Bugs

I never got around to planting those seeds from the mystery tree. I meant to. I looked at the little zip lock baggie almost every day, intending to file the hard shells and plant the seeds near the fence out back. But I never quite got around to it. Then one day I noticed there was a bug inside the baggie with the seeds. Icky. How did he get in there? Well, at least he appeared to be dead. Weird!

Now, several weeks later, there are two bugs in the baggie. And they are alive. And they have bored perfectly round holes in the seeds. How strange is that? I think the whole bag is going in the trash now. Seeds I like - Bugs I don't!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Duchess

Bugs

A bug flew in front of me and landed at my feet on a leaf. I happened to have my camera, so snapped a shot of this yellow flying creature.

The details captured by a DSLR camera never cease to amaze me. My camera sees far more than my eyes ever will. Simply amazing. (click on picture to enlarge)

The Mystery Tree

Every year at Lake Roosevelt I tell my husband I want one of these trees. I don't know what they are but they are hardy. Summers temperatures average 100 degrees and the winters are harsh with many feet of snow. The trees are beautiful.



They have tiny leaves. I imagine they make a good mess in the fall.

This year we noticed the pods for the first time. Most of them were green.

However, we found a few that had dried and turned brown. So we picked them and stripped the seeds from them.

The problem now is - How to get the seeds to grow a tree! We have twenty seeds. They look similar to a watermelon seed but they are brown. Very smooth and the sizes vary.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! I have never grown a tree from a seed before and don't even know if it is possible :)

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Sunflowers

We planted a variety of sunflowers this year. Different colors and sizes. I love sunflowers. They are so happy - they just make you feel good.

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Madrone Tree

I was told this is a Madrone tree. They were plentiful in the area where we camped last week. I was intrigued by the bark and the colors. It looks like brown paint peeling off with a smooth green paint underneath. Evidently this happens every year. I hope you can see it ok when you enlarge it.

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Forest Findings

While working out back I noticed all kinds of different things growing on the dead tree limbs that we were stacking in piles. The more I looked, the more interesting it became to see how many variations I could find. I have no idea what any of them are - except the second photo is your basic moss, I think. You need to click on the pictures to really see the textures and colors. They are all softer than they look. the first one is very delicate. Can you identify any of them? It would be fun to know what they are!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Duchess

Something's Blooming

We took a walk around the yard and snapped some pictures to share.

This red day lily has never been a favorite,

but this year it looks better than in the past.

(click on pictures to enlarge)

This is the first bloom on the purple Clematis.

And pop, they exploded within 2 days.




This is the promise I love to see.
It tells me my favorite blooms are getting very close.




I really love these pink Calla Lily's.
Every year they multiply, which delights me to no end!

And this is that wild Sweet Pea - It is getting out of control.

I say "Go for it girl!"

And of course, no "garden" is complete without the Black and White "blossom"!

(She made me do it!)

What's all this fuss about flowers for?

When you have a Queen, your pictures should all be of her royal furness!




Thanks for stopping by!

The Duchess

R.I.P. Curly Stranger

I got up bright and early, grabbed my camera and headed out to the forest to find my newly discovered flower. I wanted to see if the bud had opened and what it might look like in the early stages. However, I could not find the darn thing. I was sure it was right there next to the path, so I called my husband over to help me. Suddenly the look on his face told me the whole story. Yesterday evening while doing some clearing he ran right over the Curly Stranger and killed it. He was mortified and I was truly dismayed. Now I can laugh, but it was not funny at the time. If it was a rare and valuable gem, as my friend Far Side of Fifty suggested, we will have to wait and see if it grows back next year. I am making him put a little fence around it!

The guilty party holding the Curly Strangers lifeless form.

R.I.P.

Curly Stranger in the Forest

While bemoaning the fact that there are no flowers in the forested part of our property, I happened upon this little beauty. I have no idea what it is, but it was so colorful and interesting I decided a portrait was in order! The color is actually more orange than yellow. I will be watching it to see how that last bud opens.

Wild Sweet Pea

This wild sweet pea is growing along our fence. Last year, just as it was about to bloom, my husband sprayed it with Round Up. This year it came back with a vengeance. I know I should probably pull it up before it takes over, but it's so pretty I can't bring myself to destroy it!

The Birth of a Peony