California winter #2

Aaaaaaaaww, poor Gertie. It's amazing how they feel that grief and handle it. Doubtless, they are little different than we are about our family members and good friends, given what I have seen in my pets over the years. And this is Olivia's second companion loss, during which she reacted similarly. So I just snuggle and love on her.

My neighbor's parking strip tree just fell down an hour or so ago. A police car is hanging around outside with it's colored lights flashing about, lighting up the street. It fell across the street, perpendicular to the curb. Broke off at the ground . . . broke off, not uprooted!!! Some of you may recall my photos of the area early last year as I initiated the work on my front yard. The tree was clearly dead at the time, although there were some few green leaves hanging about on it, apparently leading The City to hypothesize that it was alive. Poof! This event certainly clarifies it's condition, LOL.

Life sure hands out it's answers at times, despite the questions it leaves hanging out, doesn't it?

Hey, it's California. Our weather is curious at times. We had tornadoes here in Fresno yesterday. Our rainfall is 1.22% of normal to-date. It's 46degrees outside at the moment. Hopefully we have some relief this weekend so I can go zap the wasp nest and toss it out.

{{H}} to all. Keep dry & warm.

Linda

Still no honks from Gertie, and she keeps looking toward the house where she last saw him go. We're giving her extra attention now. She forgot for a while today and really enjoydc playing in the rain.
I think she and Spirit were the only ones having fun today.
Power flickered.
Best go for now.
Walk In Beauty!
SW

My daughter and her family drove down yesterday from the Shasta City area off Hwy 5, they live 10 min. away from the freeway in a small town called McCloud. They have been without power since Tues morning and it's not expected to be restored until Monday.

{GASP} 6 days??? Geez!

Holy cow, Sue, that's awful.

Sorry to hear about it, Calif_Sue. We still have power, but it was flickering a lot last night.
I hope to have something pretty to show you out in the yard later on today, if not there are a lot of photos I never did post that are nice too.
Calif_Sue, sure hope you get your kids warmed up, cleaned up and fed up. I mean feed them hot meals, not get tired of their company. People aren't used to having to live with out power anymore.
I know I would miss it. No power = no hot showers. Not good since we rely on electricity to pump our water up from wells. Glad the kids (and GK's) are safe at home with you.
WIB!
SW

Thanks Sherry for the possible ID on the falcon. Never thought to think of it as a falcon instead of a hawk. lol
I must be the only person around that is keeping the bird feeder full during this rain. Yesterday and this morning there has been a waiting line at the feeder of at least 20-25 birds. DH took this picture this morning as they were hanging out on my recently pruned Cl.rose.

Here is a lonely little Morning Dove who sat in this position for the longest time. Didn't even move when we got close to take the pic. He looks very young yet.

I haven't seen or doves for a long time. Part of their feeding area was on the top soil that went into the corrals to fill the big puddling area. SoCal, what is that pretty redheaded bird on your rose bush? I have had some of those at my feeder in the past.

I don't know the name of the bird you mentioned. I just call all my little brown birds either sparrows or wrens. lol
Donna

Now that I said that about the doves, a bunch of them are back in the yard and not looking worse from the weather. In fact, they appear to be a little chubbier. I have been creating an area in the corner of the yard where a couple native bushes are and I have added stick and cuttings so the ground birds have place to call home.

Those birds on the rose bush appear to be either House Finch or purple Finch. I can't tell the difference between the two.
Carol

Purple Finches have a white "eyebrow" House Finches don't. And the wing stripes are different. I have a book by a local bird watcher, has some interesting tidbits for this area.

Well, I was going to say they were house finches, SoCal, which are CA's equivalent of robins. Mine hang out in the trees around the yard. They don't get too close to the house because of the feral cats.
I have lots of Mourning doves here. You didn't see any on my walk today because they hang out in any dry place they can find. I bet there were a lot of birds under Grandmother Oaks canopy today and yesterday. Yours does look young. Do tell your DH he did a very good job.
When ES and I were at the grocery store stocking up, we saw a v shaped formation of birds overhead. Probably seagulls blown in by the wind. No camera because I was only going to the store!
I haven't filled my feeders, since the wind tore up the umbrella I was shielding the seed from the rain with. So I'll be cleaning out the feeders and refilling them tomorrow.
Didn't stop that hummer from taking shelter from the rain in the flooded gh. LOL!
QG, that is really sweet of you, to make shelter for the Mourning Doves, and why I get mad at DH's guys when they whack the dove weed.
Got to go for now!
WIB!
SW

ARGHHH----ANTS!!!
One of the side-effects to having the ground saturated is having those %()@ Argentine ants try to take over the house. I'm sorry, but my firmly-entrenched organic beliefs just go right out the window when I find trails coming up thru the concrete slab into my kitchen----I go straight for the Raid. Orange cleaner works, but not as well as Raid. With a can of it in one hand and the HEPA Dustbuster in the other (cha-ching...cha-ching...) at least I can clean them up and poison the hole du jour where they're entering MY space. Can't figure out where they're getting under the house, but it's probably a trail that starts half a mile away. Two days in a row of this now, and I've got a severe case of "the creeps"!!!!

Yep, I just started noticing them in both bathrooms yesterday.

Oh Janet, here they come out of where the shower metal thingie goes into the wall. Creeps me right out. I think shoot, if there was a hole in the wall there would be thousands living in there. Is that possible?

Try Orange Blast, sold only at Lowes from what I can see. It is the best kitchen cleaner and kills ants on contact.

The only good thing about ants inside the walls is that I've been told they eat termites...something else we don't like in Calif. The ants show up when it's too wet, when it's too dry,when it's too hot or too cold....they must be just as spoiled as the rest of us in Calif......

Well, I commiserate with you about the ants. Making that baseboard fascia repair I found a trail that goes under the house. I hope they eat the termites. My ES is always experimenting with new concoctions to kill ants. It's not them I worry about, but the mice and rats that come in if they get too wet and cold. Horrible. That is how I learned that steel wool (but copper foil works best) used to plug in those openings around your pipes keeps some of them rodents out of my house. Really that one Mama Rat was as big as my cat. Let DH tell you that story. I don't want to.
Would rather show you all some photos I took around my yard.
This woodpecker nest was spotted in the elderberry by the cabin. I knew I'd heard one pecking away around here! : - )

I planted several types of poppies by the back step of the cabin. The sticks are there to keep me straight as to what is where. Hope to show it with all of them growing and blooming in a few short weeks. :- )

Drat! I thought DH had gotten rid of that wasp nest! Okay, mud daubers nest! Ick!

Part of my mixed up front flower bed. I'm trying to keep the dogs from digging it up. Have been using those sword plants. Bulbs were there but forgotten. I need to whack back that jade plant. Any one want some starts of the jade plant?

Oh I hate being ruthless, but I really need to trim this rose bush.

I mean it just so pretty right now!

Jr. and Peek a boo were fighting. Prolly 'cause she get to come in the house and he doesn't.

Something sprouted.

I hope this is a photo of the red Penta I found. Here ya go Sally!
WIB,
SW

Your "something sprouted" looks like daffs to me, SW---mine are coming up all over, too.

Somehow I managed to scramble the order of my photos, or I would have posted more from my yard. Sigh.
I'm hoping they are, ima. I've been so busy hosing off the concrete, around the pool, and walking to walk off some of the pain when I got done. It's going to be a project bringing my gh back to it's former beauty. There are also the normal outside chores and new plants for the different garden areas.
I did plant the Holly today too.
There is always too much to do in one day. A garden is always a work in project, though. : - )
Here's a photo of my Cape Honeysuckle that went and bloomed when I was busy with other things. LoL! : - )
I'm going to feel bad when I have to whack some of it off so it grows into a hedge. Sigh . . .
WIB,
SW

SW Beautiful photos. Yep they look like daffodils. I was considering getting some bulbs when I heard gophers and rabbits don't like them. I have a cape honeysuckle that looked miserable for the 2 years since I bought it. Then, just before Christmas it started to bloom and grow! Is that just one plant? WOW

Now Jules, you need to take your own advice and take it easy. I am weaning off the oxygen and enjoying the freedom of not dragging the tubing around. DD had a 17th birthday party for a friend this weekend, including 5 of the kids spending the night. But, no work for me as they set up in a garage bay (Brrrrrr) from 2pm till 11 AND the parents (separated) brought all the food and drink - even stuff for breakfast. All I had to do is bag the leftovers lots) when the sleepover kids hauled everything in. All that I read about teenagers eating so much does not seem to apply to these kids.

I let my Cape Honeysuckles grow...they'e about 12' tall...all the more flowers for the hummers. The back edge of our property has tall,old myoporums which have been hit with the thrips or whatever that's destroying the myoporums. Fortunately there are also Brazilian pepper trees in the mix there and I'm interplanting more tecomarias to take the place of the myoporums. The tecomarias grow really quickly and I can cut out the myoporums as the tecos fill in. Maybe throw some yuccas into the mix also.

That looks gorgeous wc! I've been ignoring my Cape Honeysuckle plants since the car accident. They haven't been getting watered regularly, and truthfully I'm glad they survived. Surprised that is.
I took a bunch of garden photos and they are all out of sequence now but I'll go out and take some more today of what is going on in the yard.
I don't want the Honeysuckle to grow too high on that side, because of the view of the farm. I can see letting them grow like crazy for privacy though, and if I had them against a busy road, for a sound barrier too. Yours look a lot happier than mine.
QG, I don't have much choice. I have to do something constructive. Walking is good for my fibro, and it doesn't hurt my tailbone. I stop a lot to take photos, and I have my secret weapon, Shouri! LOL!
My God Daughter has been helping me do the things that I can't, so I'm not working too hard. I haven't found a good rope yet, but my jeep is great at pulling stuff out of the creek, and vehicles too.
I am so glad you are able to spend less time on the O 2. I have found as long as my feet, head and the trunk of my body are warm, I'm okay. I like being out in the rain. You can see some interesting stuff. Floods, critters running for high ground, Rainbows! Followed by wildflowers!
I'm goofing off today. I have some things to do, but nothing too hard, especially with the ground so nice and soft. I do want to rescue the Day Lily's before DH kills them, for DP.
It's DP and Lisa, (and Fido & the other furry ones), that I am worried about.
DP, let us know if you need a helping Paw!
Hope to have more photos to post later.
WIB!
SW

Walked out back today and saw 2 of my oleanders lying on their sides. D*^)* gophers. If they are poisonous for horses, goats and dogs (none of ours have tried them), why can't they kill the gophers who eat them. These are not the first ones eaten. I put some stakes in and shoved some dirt around them and stomped it down. Any chance the roots can regrow? Maybe some Vitamin B?

WC - what a great wall of Cape Honeysuckle. How many plants are there?

Did anyone notice how great the San Jacinto mtns and foothills look enrobed in snow? Then this evening we were driving east and there was just enough sun peeping through the clouds to turn the mountain range pink. Awesome. Wish I'd had a camera. Can't transfer photos from my cell to computer, besides I was driving and the best view was from center of the road.

It always blows me away that here, on a clear sunny winters day, you can be on the beach and look east and see snow covered peaks.

QG: Are you sure it's a gopher problem with the Oleanders and not just water logged soil that made them fall over ?

Lynda, those Cape Honeysuckles have been there for years and they 'spread'. Don't remember how many were planted there originally, probably just two. I'm sure there are those who would cuss them for the 'spreading' bit, but they suit my purposes just fine and the hummers love them.

Dang it QG, I didn't have my camera, but Mt. Baldy and Cucamonga peak were glorious at about five p.m., weren't they! A Reddish goldy color from my car looking directly at them. Glorious!
QG, the Cape Honeysuckle can be propogated by rooting them in dirt, one of the ways they spread. I had one of my branches rooted (I already promised it to my friend Casey), but if I find another one has rooted, are you interested? This will be one of those years you can practically stick the cuttings in the ground and they will grow!
I'm sorry to hear about your oleanders. I don't know if they will come back and quite frankly am surprised the gophers killed them. Or was it the water draining down their holes by the plant?
Good to know you were able to get outside today for awhile and into the garden, even if it was frustrating.
I didn't get every thing I wanted to do, done today, but I did get some of it done. Less for tomorrow.
WIB,
SW

JD & SW - well, their were gopher holes leading to the root hole and I'm guess oleanders have a root 'ball' as opposed to a root 'saucer'.

SW - Don't know my mts and peaks very well, was facing Mt San Jacinto and probably San Bernardino Mountians. Yes! I described it as pinkish-goldish. Beautiful.

Our first winter here was the wet 2004/05 and neighbor brought all these poplar "sticks" from his old place and plunked them into the mud where it ponds and voila' we have bunches of poplar trees. Maybe I will cut some of the Cape Honeysuckle to stick into dirt in a pot. While I was in the hospital the gophers got to the last area they had not invaded. Where they dug there holes there are no plants (no mounds either -so something else?), but it is riddled with holes. Also there is a very large hole - about 8 inches across - dug from an angle so maybe rabbits? Looks like they were going under our foundation to live under the house.

I planted my poplars from cuttings taken from my Grandmother's place near Sacramento. They (DH and his friends) laughed at me when I planted those sticks. They have invasive roots, and will find water. I constantly am battling with the poplars that send up shoots in places they don't belong. Like on DH's lawn and my gardens. They do give great shade in the summer and until my volunteer oak gets bigger they stay, although I sure would like to trim them down about 10 or 15 feet.
If you decide you want to try rooting some of the Cape Honeysuckle LMK before I trim them back!
I'd have to see the critter hole, QG, but I am sure as the sun shines they contributed to your oleanders going flat. The oleanders may still recover from the damage, so don't give up on the oleanders just yet.
Do put traps under the house and see what turns up. Could be lots of different things, mostly rodents that act like that. Yes, gophers are too rodents. As are squirrels, but the squirrels around here aren't that bold. I am thinking rats. Or maybe a very smart bunny. Don't forget we have tree rats, and pack rats out here along with a bunch of different kinds of mice. : - (
I just posted a photo I took yesterday of Mt. Baldy and Cucamonga Ridge. I'm glad you saw it too.
It was beautiful, because the sky wasn't pink, red, goldy, just the snow on the mountains that were positively glowing in color.
Got to try to get some sleep!
WIB!
SW

{head-in-hands} I can't even find my camera . . . . How sad is that?

Linda

We've lost another apple tree to the **&^%$# gophers. I'm thinking of hiring someone to clear them (and the squirrels) out once to see if we can get a handle on the darn problem.