What's happening in your neighborhood today...

Well .. so far 5" here on the outskirts of Thunder Bay .. still having HUGE wind which is making our Westie go a bit COO COO .. she can see the snow blowing and that in turns sets the stainless steel windchimes a clanking and she thinks someone is here .... have snow blown the driveway once and it may need a second go around 3pm.
Tallulah .. I'll take SNOW over ICE anytime .. I do believe that this may be the storm from the West that Fancy was talking about .. and .. it hitched up with one from the south just to be friendly :-(

Hopefully you got home OK Betty, and in less time than your trek this morning .. I watched a couple of clips with OPP 'Cam Wooley' on Global this morning .. he was showing the 401 and reminding everyone to take caution .. if that rain had have been snow .. well .. you'd be sunk !!!

My bud in Calgary is already concerned re the Bow River .. I have seen it in mid July or August (on trips west) and it's rushing quite well .. she says it is deafening when it starts to get filled with run off ..

Enjoy your workshop(s) Betty .. have seen those Lighthouses here and there .. very nice and they look GREAT wherever they're positioned
Ahhhhhhhhhhh topsoil .. we order it by the yard (?) fer sure not a ME thing to figger out :-) I just phone the guy and say '9 yards of SCREENED' topsoil please .. he brings it .. chats about stuff and leaves us with this gigantic pile of dirt .
We had three of those loads last year .. but .. it sure gets used up fast when you're building new gardens and trying to do 'repair work' on the low spots on the property .. I always want to get it before the blackflies figger out where we live .. once they appear on the scene I am pretty much T O A S T !!!!

I best go and try and calm down wee Lilly .. she thinks there's a boogie man fer sure trying to get into the house LoL

Hope everyone has a better than best weekend !!

~M~

btw - my nick is Tallulah, but my real name is Susan :-)

Hi Susan .. much easier to spell than 'Tallulah' .. one of Demi Morre & Bruce Willis' daughters is named Tallulah .. for Tallulah Bankhead a years and years ago actress .. kind of a cool name :-)

Winds up again .. made a trek out to the garage and we have some dandy deep drifts .. kinda stupid to blow'em or shovel'em though as they'll melt in the next day or two .. PLEASE :-)

I see you're also in Zone 3a so I doubt you have anything up and blooming .. I know some folks in the city who probably have some pretty droopy Tulips right now ..

Cheers

~M~

Morning everyone and it is an early morning..lol..been up since 4am..Sailor (9 year old Border Collie) doesn't do thunder and lightning very well so up I am trying to calm her down..the good side of it is I'll have everything I need put together for today's 'lighthouse' get-together..

Kitties wanted out and it seemed as though it was warmer temps..

Sorry Marilynne about the bad weather you are having..let's hope it was the last of it...think we got the tail end..just the heavy rain, wind and now the lightworks...

Do hope you have a great day...will be back early evening to check up on you all...lol..as always, I enjoy our visits..

The weather wasn't so bad today and actually got kinda warm towards the afternoon. They predict Saturday the temps will get up to 21C so I'm planning on a good full day of photos at the botanical gardens.

Another pic of Mabelline in the daffodil fields of Mount Vernon, Washington

This message was edited Apr 13, 2008 5:11 PM

Growin, is there absolutely no recourse ... surely something can be done.. 21C..wow..hopefully today will be spectacular weather as well..enjoy your trip through the gardens and snaps photo's for us will you...

Hope you are now feeling better.
Enjoy your day..

Jeez Growin .. as I mentioned .. perhaps the article in the paper might help .. or a call to a local Horticultural Society or a City Councillor ? Elected officials LOVE to get recognition .. and in Vancouver .. one who would be looking for some might be MORE than willing to take up your complaint .. afterall .. Vancouver (actually BC) is all about beauty and ecology ...

The dang wind is still proving to be one of natures forces to have to be dealt with here .. the sun is bright but boy oh boy .. the North wind can sure take yer breath away !!

LOL Betty .. here I am living in a city called THUNDER Bay .. and we rarely get a really good thunder and lightening storm anymore .. I think the whole 'Global warming thing' has something to do with that .. I know Lake Superior did NOT freeze up this year .. AGAIN ..
The one or 2 thunder storms we got last summer really gave our Westie a scare as she was a puppy .. but .. she knew what a train sounded like .. so we would just tell her it was a train when it thundered !!!
Hoping your workshop went well :-)

Off to the dump .. ahhhhhh .. it must be Saturday !!!!


~M~

Dump run accomplished AND I was able to pot some Hosta I bought at a local Greenhouse .. the Hydrangea in the pic was also a find :-) $5.00 !!!!! Sure hope it keeps well til I can plant it outside .. as it is .. our kitchen table just lost 2 spots LoL guess that's what TV tables are for !!!

This time of year the house starts to get a bit overtaken by spur of the moment gardening purchases.

Was also able to pot the Hoya I had rooted ... I am on the Hoya forum with regards to its MOMMA .. she HAS to be repotted .. hasn't been for at LEAST 10 years .. it's going to be quite the procedure as I feel I can't really wait for fairer weather to do it outside ..

Anywho .. 2 pics

~M~

Last pic .....



~M~

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This message was edited Apr 13, 2008 5:12 PM

Hey Growin .. am hoping the little exerpt from below is going to come about and resolve some of the issues which have most certainly caused some concerns ..
Course .. 'talk is cheap' .. anything promised at the meeting should be in writing ..

Good luck with this ...

~M~


*************************************************************************************************************************************


COPE parks commissioner Spencer Herbert said holding a meeting on the dispersal of the garden plots is a good move.

"We got a little ahead of ourselves, but now we're going to do this right," he said. "Now we're going to right what could have been a wrong."

Herbert said people living in apartments and condos need access to garden plots where they can get their hands dirty and reconnect with nature.

"I've been hearing from people for two years asking me when those gardens would be available," said Herbert. "And I've been telling them, don't worry there'll be a community process when they're ready. So I was a bit surprised to hear the plots were already being given out."

The community gardens at Nelson Park is the only item on the agenda for the April 17 meeting, to be held at the parks board's main office on Beach Avenue from 7 to 9 p.m.

WHOA ... what AWESOME sunflowers !!!!

I have promised myself over and over again (for several years) that I am going to BUY an actual packet or 3 of proper Sunflower seeds .. and not rely on the 'Bird Doo DOO' variety LoL ... we feed'em all winter .. and sure as the sun comes up in the mornin ... they re seed at NO cost for us in a variety of places .. some make it .. some don't .. but NONE look like the ones in your picture ....

Mayhaps .. THIS will be my year to carry out my plan ...


~M~

Evening, light mist coming down, I've been up since 4am so am very tired..did enjoy my day..didn't really want to do a lighthouse, so with a few changes lol it's a lighthouse but one I can live with..

Few things remain unfinished so tomorrow morning I'll be doing it..large piece for a 1day make and take project..I've the railing around the top and rope to install, I've the window trim on the inner windows, and I'll do some faux greenery and flowers coming out the brown window boxes and a railing for the bottom must still be glued in..

So, it's off to have a bath, something to eat and it will be night/night for me...
Here it is so far..probably will look ok outside near the pond..

Hey MarilynS - my nickname is from Tallulah Bankhead as well. When I took acting classes @ 17 yo, I was told my personality was strong, like Tallulah B's lol
And it's supposed to be 22 here tomorrow! yikers!

btw - here's a tip for anyone that likes container trees - (I'll try to boil this long story down) I discovered that the curly willow branches they put in flower arrangements will take root & grow, so I called a florist, and they gave me a branch "No Charge" cuz it was only 1 branch. I stuck it in water, and the leaves are growing already.
Caution - it takes over, so plant it in a container, and it Will over-winter. Y'know the big pots you buy trees & shrubs in? That's the one I used, and didn't do anything special to keep it for the next year. I didn't even cut the branches back. I had one in Winnipeg, and it came back in the Spring. The leaves are long and thin, like a willow, and pale green. Very pretty. It's very quick growing, too. The one I got on Wed already has buds and root buds growing.

So, call your nearest florist and see if you can get a fresh, free branch!

Susan

Betty .. the Lighthouse looks wonderful .. and once you get the finishing touches on .. well .. it'll be absolutely STUNNING near your pond .. GREAT job !!!!

Susan .. what a nifty tip .. I never knew that about those 'sticklettes' .. we often get funeral bouquets delivered to my hospital unit .. I'll have to watch for one of those Willow twigs :-)

Between going to the dump. potting plants and running about with Lilly it has been a super day here .. a tad chilly .. BUT .. NO GLOVES !!! :-) I have high hopes for tomorrow .. I am off to marinate a roast .. have a shower and hit the pit !!

Later

~M~

TODAY I am going to 'Crappy Tire' to buy a LOCK for my bedroom door .. Smokey has had me up since 5am !!

Had Lilly out (in the dark) for her wee constitutional .. noticed one of the bird feeders is down .. now .. I could let my mind wander and become VERY overactive (the usual) and immediately think "BEAR" .. but .. the aroma of the lingering scent of SKUNK caught not only my olfactory senses .. but Lillys as well .. SO .. I would imagine the skunk crested the wee snow hill under the feeder .. reached up .. and PIGGED OUT!!
Not too cold out there this morning .. makes me think we'll have a 'springier day' .. as long as the wind stays away :-)

Have a good one

~M~

Oh Marilynne, Canadian Tire is always on my weekly 'drop in' store...spend time early Friday mornings going through my e-mail Canadian Tire Flyer - just like a wish list at Christmas time and pick out what I'll be purchasing..lol..

Woke up about 4:30 again but talked myself into falling back asleep..just got up and the sun is shinning/cold though but it will be a glorious day to start working outside...

Hope it's the same in your neighborhood...enjoy the day!

Canadian Tire is one of my must do stops every week in the early spring. Why? Because they always have in-store unpublished sales on last year's pots and containers that they're trying to clear out to make room for this year's new stock.

Rain most of the day yesterday, a spritz of snow overnight - just enough to leave a trace at the edges of gardens, gloriously sunny but very cool today. It looks very inviting but the short tour I took of my gardens left me with a very red nose :-)

I thought I was being so smart buying my pots for the Hostas at the dollar store :-( When I went to fill'em I noticed there were no drainage holes .. I was going to use my Dremmel tool .. but .. I didn't I took out my trusty rolling pin .. and a nail .. and BAM !!! UMmmmmmmmmmmmm ... Dollar store pots are not built to be HAMMERED !!! I cracked the bottom of the first one (but not beyond use) .. and the other 5 pots were Dremmeld.
No doubt Crappy Tire would have had a nicer (more substantial) 'clearout pot' ..never did make it there for the lock (which is now going to be a door jamb) .. . there's always tomorrow .. as today is way to nice to be anywhere but OUTSIDE ...


~M~

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a bit of cloud. I was able to take over 500 images at VanDusen Botanical Garden & UBC Botanical Garden - almost 8+ hrs of photography. Some amazing Magnolias in bloom at UBC. It was a nice day to clear my head and enjoy the gardens.

Anemone blanda 'White Splendor' @ VanDusen Botanical Garden

This message was edited Apr 13, 2008 5:13 PM

So what exactly *IS* the right way to assign the plots if not on a first come first serve basis? The only other truly equitable method would be by lottery - e.g. pulling numbers (not names, numbers assigned to names) out of a hat.

Magnolia 'Leonard Messel'

This message was edited Apr 13, 2008 5:13 PM

Spring finally hit St. John's.....my first crocus opened today. This is C. chrysanthus 'Saturnus'

and 'Gypsy Girl'

first C. tommassinianus...one that self-seeded into the lawn

and first colour in the Erica

yet most of the garden is still under 3 feet of snow!

Nice blooms. I especially like that Erica!

Todd_Boland, beautiful photo's...Erica's my favorite as well...
It's been quite a day, you very well could call me the 'swamp' lady..when I first went outside this morning their was the lighting skim of ice on the pond so I thought I'd do some raking...hello, leaves are frozen to the ground..now you'd have to know me, if I want something done, I'll do it regardless..so the regardless will be that most likely tomorrow I'll not be able to move...

Started out with breaking the skim of ice and inserting the pump so that I could drain the pond..lots of sludge and leaves..so got down to the inner area which is about 4 1/2 ft. deep only to find out some of the 'fishies' I bought last year and thought had died had grown to quite a size..so that changed my plan of action, got the water down and got pails to rid of the last bit of water..found 2 of the fishies, think I might have saved their lives..yuk, it's either that or they'll be ill from the sludge..so, finally I'm filling the pond, raking while waiting and it just doesn't seem to be filling as quicky as I thought it should...hello,hello silly girl, forgot the coil that I used to rid the water so as quick as I'm putting it in, it's getting emptied...so, I get back on track and it's almost full...

Son and family came for supper and had to leave for the children to do homework..know it's early but thank goodness, think my head was nodding at the kitchen table...lol

I couldn't believe how many flowers had grown under that 4' of snow, they are green as can be..so I raked and raked and I did about 35 wheel barrel trips to the back ravine trench and there are about 10 more loads waiting to be done, but this 60 years old chick will just have to wait..

I will say this, after shoppping and house cleaning Friday aft. after work, getting up at 4am and working on that light house all day..working like a real trooper all day today, it truly is a blessing that I'll be at work tomorrow just sitting, relaxing and enjoying my day...

Hope your day was a productive and/or restful day...
As long as you enjoyed..be gabbing tomorrow
Did enjoy your posts and when I can read them without falling asleep (i.e. tomorrow) I'll be responding to all of them..
night/night

Todd - your garden could be mine. Patches showing here and there and tomorrow I expect to have a few crocuses blooming if the forecast holds for mild and sunny, but the front lawn is still mostly under several feet of snow and the back yard, even more so.

Today was better than predicted. I could have told people that long ago as I had 6 hours of orchestra rehearsal. That usually happens on the best Sundays of the year.

Ann

Good morning everyone from a WARMING Thunder Bay .. the Sleeping Giant is gonna start smiling with the sunrise anyday now !!!!
Walking out to feed the deer this morning I saw nary a bloom anywhere .. just lotsa of wildlife .. mostly birds .. the Blue Jays squwak until I give them peanuts and the Grey Jays hover in the Everggreen branches waiting for me to go away so they can chow down on suet .. and of course there's the deer .. my gosh .. one of the BIG Does looks as though she might be having triplets .. I so love to see them but I also feel bad watching them manoeuvre over the icy snows ..

WHOA .. I would imagine anyone onsite from the Prairies is breaking out the suntan lotion !!! Holy Cow .. 25C to 28C in Moose Jaw/Regina yesterday .. and a forecasted 20C in Wpg today .. we'll be at 9C .. but tomorrow is promising 15C !! WOOOO HOOOO ...

Todd .. gosh .. those pics are just awesome and amazing ..

As for your day yesterday Betty .. what can I say .. I was out doing SOME raking .. but sat on my butt for close to an hour trying to figure out how to do a label .. silly moi thought ya just popped in the sheet of labels .. chose single label and typed in whatcha wanted .. WRONG !!! After ruining 2 .. I about gave up .. but sat me down and did succeed .. albeit the address is a bit offset shall we say :-)
However .. yardtime was well spent .. Lilly is so going to MISS the snow ... the patches that are still here are her personak play zones .. she so enjoys a good roll around ..

Ann .. after 6 hours of orchestra rehersal I woulda been done for ..however .. I am sure anyone reeping the benefits of the auditory result will be extra happy :-) .. but I hear ya on the snow in Ottawa .. have a friend living there who is an avid biker ( non motorized) and she;s wondering if she'll EVER get her bike out.

Hope everyone enjoys their day .. whatever the weather :-)


~M~

You will be getting warm in a couple of days. We are bathed in 18C yesterday and the day before. So spring is here and will be there in a short time. Beautiful sunny morning and expect rain this afternoon.

And warmer it is Soferdig .. we are sitting at 57F at the moment !!! I was able to get out and prune my 4 Rosa Rugosas .. and I REALLY pruned'em .. figured if I was gonna get 'prickled' .. I may as well make it worth it ..
Sad to say .. a Lilac tree had to be cut down :-( .. only good side to its demise is the fact that once I (or someone) digs out the roots, I can plant either another Lilac or something else.

The crows are driving the cat and dog nutso .. and because of the wet groung and ever present spring MUD ... we have come in for a bit ....

Hope everyone is fit and well :-)

~M~

Maryilynne, sorry about the lilac trees..I have several mature trees that need to be cut and replanted with same..but I've not the courage to do so as when they in leaf, I have a 'secret garden' area within to sit..so if I cut them it will be no longer..am thinking perhaps to move the flowers over, plant a few outer lilac trees and when they grow large enough for the secret garden then I can cut the inner ones..I'm sure it's a 5 to 10 year process right?

HAhahahha .. 5yrs .. 10 yrs .. but .. maybe less as Lilacs tend to grow quite quickly .. and they proliferate just as quickly :-)

Your secret garden sounds lovely .. I have lots of room for one .. but am not a fan of BUGS !! Can you imagine that .. a gardener who dislikes bugs .. most especially SPIDERS !!! I am not one to wear a hat .. so am constantly brushing my hair with my hands to see if there's anything in it . A solarium would suit me just fine LoL have to keep buying Lottery tickets !!

Dontcha know the wind has started up again .. there goes the temps ...


~M~

Morning everyone :-)

Well .. the wind died down overnight and today has dawned a bright and sunny (and already MILD) day .. BBQ time tonight fer sure !! We're just dealing with the mud .. have made several 'trenches' in hopes of avoiding the reappearance of 'Lake Stephenson' .. but .. there it sits in the low spot off the patio .. our property melts from east to west .. so the 'high side' .. being the east .. drains west .. and .. because there's a dip just beyond the patio .. well .. the water tends to pool there .. we actually have a pond for a few days .. threw some topsoil in last year .. but it obviously wasn't enough.

Hope everyone enjoys the day :-)

~M~

Windy and cold last night...dropped to -1. Today is still windy and cold with 4 C as the high, so little melting today. The mainland heatwave is suppose to hit here on Thursday with 13 C....then 12 C and 11 C on Friday and Saturday...might finally see some end to the snow.

It's noon and the sun is shinning but I wouldn't want to go out without a jacket..still cool temps but they promise 13 tomorrow so let's hope..

Walked around the garden this morning and everything was covered in white frost..sure hope it didn't kill all those green plants I uncovered Sunday..that's me, too anxious..oh well, guess there are more where those come from..

Marilynne, it's so funny, I've a screened in gazebo, sitting area in the secret garden, front deck, back deck, 3 sets of patio furniture set outback and muskoka chairs I painted displayed and I NEVER find time to just sit..everyone laughs at me..but I promise myself this year I will...lol...bugs don't bother me it's the snakes on finds working in the garden from time to time, I simly scream and they move on...nice arrangement we have..

Todd, sounds as though nice weather is heading your way...how wonderful..

FLY IN THE OINTMENT !!! The wind returned .. from the south east .. having some gusty gusts now and again .. so .. between wind and muck I am pretty much staying INSIDE .. however .. the BBQ is still a go!!

AKKKKKKkkkkk Snakes!!! We've lived here outside Thunder Bay for over 20 years .. I haven't ever seen one .. my son has and wanted to bring it in .. I was at work and his Dad convinced him that THAT would not be a good idea !!!
Maybe that's why I married him off early LoL ... now he has his son scouting around trying to find them !!!!

Hope your uncovered plants made it Betty .. and Todd .. the best is yet to come :-)

~M~

We have at Beasoleil Island Park Reserve the rattlesnake sanctuary..mega fines/prison possible if you kill one..imagine..we used to camp there all the time..they do bite, have heard of a few episodes the past few years..not a place I frequent as I get older..can't run as fast as I used to..

When I lived on the farm for 10 years the Muncipality blasted rock to create the new road so we had top soil brough in, thrown on the rocks and year after year I'd scatter perrenial seeds - was about 100ft. long..absolutely stunning, many times those travelling the area would stop to look at it's beauty..what I did not know was that snakes love easy access in soil to find homes...so everyone in awhile I'd be working, weeking and a snake would slither by, sometimes over my hand..so, gave that up in a hurry...

Couldn't resist going into Home Depot garden house today at lunch..think I might go back and get a couple of french lilac trees and a couple of miniatures..they also had heather shrubs..I should break the bank and go get some of each..stop me please.....