The visit to Dragonfly, Second trip.

I'll probably meet them in the summer, if we ever get one. When the weather warms up and the sun is out, people in this neighborhood come out of hiding. It will be a good time to walk down there.
Now, I don't know about underpants, but this statue did wear a diaper for new years. No earrings for Sofer?? What's the matter, sofer, aren't you in touch with your 'feminine' side? All the cool guys around here wear earrings. They also carry man-purses. Some of them even wear kilts.

I believe Laurie is the most curious of us all about these gents! LOL!! You just want to analyze them, Laurie! Sofer, when you come down, we'll take us a little walk...

I am ready to meet the culturally immature. Earrings are for those who feel a need to stand out to be noticed. I for one would greatfully pass unnoticed in any setting without emotion. David is complete with out personal accessories and Mikey and I find it redundant. My femmine side is alive and creative, to open the eyes of the world to the creative right-brain and active left-brain of we androgynous ones.

You're androgynous?? Say it isn't so!!!

I am, I am - we just don't get this kind of 'freedom' of statue display here! I am rivetted, it is so bon vivant, so famous pop singerish (on a budget), soooooooooo um, interpretable! (Mind you our new neighbours with the ranch style house have just put up Southfork entrance gates - that's interesting) - oh, and they have put up a cluster of standing stone circle things, which I like, although on their land, not mine. What puzzles me is they have done all that BEFORE building a greenhouse - PRIORITIES, please!

What a disaster Laurie. How could anyone want to mimic the taste of Texas entries. Your neighbors are definatly new money from the US. LOL

Definately new money - we haven't, yet, spoken (although we haven't yet spoken to most of our neighbours) so I can't really comment on their nationality. (He really is nouveau though - he has one of those fake Defenders made by Mercedes, all silver and polished up. Chichi! Whoosh. And I thought my car was OTT)!

Laurie, Is your neighbor trying to recreat stone-henge with his rock circles? Shame on him, better to build a rockery.

Laurie just remember to extend "Love to your neighbor" and build him/her up to your standards. Most people are looking for a leader. You as queen mother need to assist in this growth.

Righteously said, Steve. So true. And she's just the girl to do it. Ah, Laurie, my Freudian friend, there's probably a book or two in your interpretation of these neighbors of mine. They are friends with the man who lives across the street from them, and we've spoken with him several times, so I'm thinking that if we time it just right maybe we can get an intro via him. Maybe I can take them some lilies when they bloom. I'll just bet they love lilies!

I love meeting strangers and learning and experiencing their values. When I get there we can meet and build a friendship with the "new life" on your street. No food and just a good dry chianti. Steve.

Good dry chianti. Check! I'll put DH on that.

For a really good Chianti, I'd sit and chat with you Sofer - let me think, did that come out right? It was meant as a compliment, rewrite it.

Argggghhhh, we have a bit of a dilemma - we had three terribly keen, very stylish young 'producers' from BBC stop by the other day (I have to say I was NOT at my most stylish - I honestly looked like, well, a hard working gardener at the end of a long sweaty day) eager little bunnies wanting to do a programme about the wild flower hedge rows along the lane, and weren't we "just passionate" about them. I have to say I was a bit reserved about all of this (partly out of fear that these 3 would just skyrocket off if they got too enthusiastic response). We chatted for a while (seems Sarah Raven, the BBC TV gardener lady) is behind all this - and the truth is, I don't really want any one to know what terrific hedge rows we have. We just get all these sightseers driving along, pitching KFC buckets out the windows on our incredibly narrow twisty lane - poooooohbah. I really don't want them to do this programme. Sofer, spit on them.

Irrrggghhhh, blahic. I wonder if I could interest them in a programme idea on international garden statuary, and tell them there are some mighty fine pieces in the PNW.

Oh shoot, Laurie - such a lovely compliment, but I sure understand you not wanting a bunch of people coming along!!! Are you supposed to let them know?

Again you are fighting the trappings of success shining on your pleasant garden. I would tell them your concerns and wishes to keep the location (If possible) an unknown. I suppose Buckingham Palace is hard to keep quiet. Congratulations Laurie on your most beautiful creations.
I would love to buy a Chianti and have a visit with you any day. Steve.

Congratulations Laurie even if you don't want the publicity, it must be a great compliment? We will have to crown you again.

She is now queen of the hedgerows! Don't blame you one bit for wanting to keep a bit of privacy. Once the word is out, people will be zipping up and down your lane and the peace will go away. Those stylish little BBCers probably live in London all the time and don't 'get it' that their show, while certainly a nice compliment, is not necessarily desirable on your end. I would for sure insist that the location be kept secret.

Had a great visit with Soferdig! I think the Chianti was dry. I'm not sure. It seemed rather wet to me, but I'm very 'american' when it comes to wines. I know nothing except what I like, and I don't know what that is. Oh, how very gauche of me. Ah well.

He gave 'stamped and approved' to the cottage down the lane. Wish we could have met the guys who live there while Sofer was at hand. He is a good conversationalist. He could have talked to them in the most civilized way while I stood there gaping with my mouth open.

He and DH hit if off, both being history buffs and sailing buffs as well. So it was an evening very well spent. Even my son sat and listened, which was very nice. Plus he said our Fran was in really good condition for a dog her age, and accepted her continual licking with good humor. What a guy! We hope for a repeat performance next time he is in the area.

Sounds like a lovely lovely evening - but what else was to be expected when you put Pixie and Sofer in the scene - lots of lovely chat and info exchanged. But I doooo soooo wish someone would meet those guys down the way. Perhaps they will pop in when they come to visit the hedgerows and the Southfork gate at our neighbours. Surely it will be on their European itinerary.

I wish I could say 'no thanks' to the TV producers - but it is not MY garden they are interested in but the Lanes hedgerows! As much as my terrier deems the lane HIS (stamp approved - girl dogs only so he says), I am afraid I can't exactly tell them 'out' if they are on the public side of the fence. So alas, I suppose I should never have abdicated, but the job was just to big for anyone to hold for long (goodness knows why Elizabeth doesn't hand over to Charlie, she must be a glutton for punishment - surely she has earned her time with her hobbies by now!) My secret hope is that they have got their timing so wrong and will never be able to get everything up and ready before the season ends (like tomorrow)! They were terribly young - and holding the idea over until next spring is a longer thought then they could hold - you need a touch of maturity to do that.

The world is feeling crowded - I reccommend gardening at 4 a.m. - it is very very quiet and unpopulated at that time.

Quiet, unpopulated, and dark. At least here. I have to wait until 5 am to get out there. Hopefully, Laurie, the ADD perils of youth will divert their attention to something else more immediately gratifying and they'll leave your lane alone. And you may have abdicated in your mind, but the I still deem you Queen.

I'm going to send them that message......Outta says....................

The quiet is such haven, I got home on Weds (dear dear husband was in Prague, bless him - love him to bits, and honestly he is a quiet little soul) but the quiet of a house to yourself is breathtakingly peaceful. Its true, I just love his return and I hate when he leaves - but the space inbetween is mine.

Are you sure it isn't light enough to go outside until 5? I thought we were on the same latitude.

Laurie ~ I so agree with you on the "quiet time." DH used to take 1-2 week vacations to go visit his daughter and/or brother and I wasn't able to accompany him because I work. He hasn't taken one of those little vacations in a few years and I really miss those days! And...I imagine it may be light enough to garden at 4:30, I just don't open my eyes until 5 (and it's pretty dark under my eyelids!).

What's wrong with gardening in the dark? Isn't that what headlamps are for? It was so pleasant outside this evening, not too cold, and I had no time in the garden today, and won't have the entire week, so out I went. I killed several slugs and a vine weevil. Not much of a total, but I also noticed a few plants that may get shaded out if I don't move them (Ah, the consequences of overplanting...) and also my Begonia grandis is emerging from the soil. A Primula vialli that I was worried had not survived is coming up, and a blue poppy has self seeded. Lovely! Very peaceful and serene at night in the garden.

Laurie, you simply must fly to Washington and lead me down to their home! I can introduce you as my European friend and the conversation will be off and running! Understand, these are not necessarily gardeners or I would have already had something to talk about with them. They just have an interesting landscape. I believe Soferdig could have waxed poetic if he had not been busy picking his jaw up off the ground.

Thursday will be 80 degrees! And to think, I am in a conference in a nasty hotel conference room for three entire days this week! Blah! Who needs it?

What kind of head lamps do you have? I get home at 10pm and its very dark out here in the woods, I have a large vapor light, that lights one area but not where I want to go. I tried a large flashlight, that don't work. my yard is not the best terrain to go wandering in the dark with little light.
I need to park my car on the lawn and turn on the headlights on.But then some dummy will come down the road and call the cops to say somebody just went off the road. LOL

Pix, they confiscate your hand tools at the gate, and won't let you weed on airplanes - (actually they are missing a bet, if they got Katie to turbo weed I bet they would save on petrol!).

But when the Purple Bus is ready...............

Hi There, Tills my husband got the greatest baseball hat with one of those tiny led lights in the bill. I used it yesterday to look down into Butters ear. Nothing in there but she doen't thing so. Absolutly great find right next to pixys hand warmser.

Is anyone else worried about the hot tempertures and the fresh new leaves on many plants? Heidi

Any recommendations for how to protect our new babies Heidi?

I am worried mostly about the little maples. And I have gotten 3 huge truck loads of plants this week and all have been into a greenhouse. I am going to try to put most of my very tender things in the shade and somethings I might throw a piece of remay fabric over. I am mostly concerned about the little trees. This is my idea. I'm interested if any one has any other ideas. Usually it is a gradual warming and the leaves can harden off before the big heat. I don't think this is good. heidi

OK Pac NW. Please fill me in on the worry about "heat". We have been in the cool wet for quite a while. It snowed on my way home Sunday. Do I get to sail in the warm in a few days.
Pixy any men who are that creative and so articulate in their expression of their home would love to meet a neighbor and you would find them full of interest and delight. Their style is classical, but they have personalized it to meet their unique style. You have to remember that they spent a lot of time in the center of classical overdone on the Riviera and I am sure they wanted some of that, but their Austrian Tyrol details are awesome. The heavy iron accents next to the carved wood details would be great to get close to. I wonder what the story is told along the roof-line in those carvings?
Any way Laurie WHY would anyone get up at pre 4am. You guys are the ones "who get the worm" but I prefer to think like the worm, sleep in. I eat lots of carrots and work in the dark at night using the light of the silvery moon.

Well the maples I would definitely put in the shade. I'm coming Sat. so I'll see how they are doing. The others are what, Heidi? Coleus? Begonias? Do tell! Any cool vines? Plesae say yes!

Water, water, and more water, unfortunately. Sofer, I know you are right about the guys down the road. I'll keep you updated. (Mike says cool on the Canoe sails). Now about this alleged heat. First, I'll believe it when I see it. (Sofer, Thursday is supposed to be in the low 80's after all this rain and cold.) Second, again, water. Lots of water. And shade cloth for anything that might get sunburned. I can't think of anything else to do except hope for the best. I'm not going to argue with having some warm days as my bones are starting to feel like ice and I'm thinking the desert is looking mightly nice these days. Unfortunately, I'll be in a class all day on Thursday, so I'm going to water deeply the night before, move all seedlings into deep shade, and hope for the best.

The headlamp I use is a halogen, but frankly when I do very much outside at night, I like to use my halogen worklights on a stand. That's really the ticket! Just like the road crews.

One of the mechanical engineers I work with just bought these very cool safety glasses with mini halogens on either side of the frame. i think they were a bit pricey, but i will definately check this out. Hey - I could turbo-weed until midnight!!!

Heidi - I have a great image of you looking down Butter's ear with the funny hat on. She was just putting you on to see if you'd do it. LOL

I can't think of anything better than using existing shade or using remay. I have some areas that stay shady as I have a forest to the west of me, so that's where I'll put anything young and vulnerable. 80 is too hot for me - I prefer 72, 73 . . .

So we will find Kathy in a cool corner of her yard with a shade cloth draped over her head, Melissa prancing about her yard in the scorching sun, waving her arms about with joy to the sun gods, Katye's arms moving with lightining speed in the light of her new "halogen safety goggles" and Sofer dancing about his woodland in the light of the silvery moon. Boy if someone stumbled upon this thread and was not familiar with the PNW and it's people they would be in for a real treat! I plan to put the shade cloth on the greenhouse and water, water, water (the plants and me!)

My forecast is for 92' on Friday, 86' on Thursday.....and it's about 59 right now....and lightly drizzling....I'm wondering what I can use as shade cloth or if I need to go buy some, and counting the weeks (3? 4?) when I was trying to decide what to use to keep new growth from freezing in the snow.....what a bizarre year!


(Hm, somehow I can see Sofer howling as well..... )

Owwwwwwwwwwwoooooooooo! Yip yip yip. The coyotes love to call back when I do. We often talk about how different the alpha males are from the alpha females. They say women are from the forest fire and men are from the bottom of the lake. LOL
I guess I need to look at the weather. So Sun and summer coming on Thursday. Somehow I doubt it. If it does then Yahoooooooo I get to sail in the warm breezes of flathead lake. Do you guys know how many times the weather man has talked about sun on the weekend 5 days in advance and get everyone talking, and it happened? Maybe 70's but I doubt the big heat wave.

In a way that makes since.
Women have always been H### on wheels.
And men are known to be a little sluggish. LOL

We already had one day this year in the 80s +

I was thinking that all life originates from the waters and is finally consumed with the fire of a credit card. LOL

Its the same, women have credit card, but the men can't catch them fast enough. LOL

Tilly you are BAD!

I know

You are also funny and right. Hi! I had my dental implant today and on pain meds so I will be out of here soon. Doing fine tho