The colors of February -

Our beautiful Mt. Baker

The mossy spots in the yard are getting greener and greener with all the rain we've been having.

Don't get  me wrong, I'd rather have rain than the snow that's been happening in the other parts of the country.

The Witch Hazel is covered in spiky yellow flowers.  The Shepherd has a red one in the greenhouse, but I forgot to get a picture of it.  

When I went to the grocery/deli for lunch last week they had little potted primroses at 4 for $5 - so I got one for each one of my lady co-workers - they have all been keeping them watered so they are really pretty and cheery looking

Work has been a little slow for The Shepherd lately, so he has been spending a lot of time sprucing up our yard.  Looks like a park, don't ya think?

The colors of October

"Wait", you say, " October ended a week ago!" Well, yes, that is true. Although I had spend all month taking pictures of "the colors of October" that I wanted to share with you, I was busy putting together my church newsletter and just didn't get a "Round Tuit" -

This is the the final month that Sue from Life Looms Large will be hosting this "challenge" that has lasted all year and she has given us until the middle of November to finish up - I think that everyone is just really busy right now.

I have met many nice people and have seen such beautiful pictures from all over the world, I really hate for it to end - I'll have to keep an eye out for another one like it -





Looking for "the colors" of a month has certainly given me a new look at my surroundings.

This tree is right outside our kitchen window. It has been so beautiful and colorful for the past month, and today, with the storms that we've had in the past few days, it is almost bare.









October is the month when the Western Washington University college students return to town - well actually they come back the end of Sept., but the impact of an extra 10 or 12,000 more people in town really comes to the forefront in October.

This year is was particularly distressing as a young man (18 - away from home for the first time) who had only been here a week went to a couple of parties the 2nd of October and then simply disappeared into the night.

The community and his friends from the Seattle area searched for him tirelessly for ten days - there simply didn't seem to be any trace of him anywhere - unfortunately after two weeks, a dock worker found his body floating in the bay - a heartbreaking end to the searches. The medical examiner found no trace of foul play - just a tragic accident.


It brought back many memories of my first quarter at school - I had been to 4-H camp, and had spent the summers with my sister, but had never been away from my parents or home other than that - I can remember being horribly homesick - was it so bad that I wished my life would end? I think a couple of times I might have felt that way, but I don't know if it was cowardice or courage - I made it through that first hard month - then began to meet friends, many of whom were as homesick as I - we made it through the second month, the quarter - onward into our lives -


Anyhow - back to real time October - We had rain and we had a couple of weeks of absolutely lovely days - in fact a friend of ours went to Palm Desert, CA and Tucson, AZ during that week - it was rainy and cold there - sunny and warm here - ha ha...

In fact this first week of November has been somewhat crazy weather wise in the Pacific NW - it was almost 70 degrees one day last week - set new records for the warmest day on record for November.

The Shepherd (aka The Gardener) thought that his work would slow down - ie., no lawn mowing, after September - well it is November and he figures he still has about two more weeks of mowing - crazy - but glad for the work...



Our church fundraiser auction is next weekend - I have been busy spinning yarn for the silent auction - I thought this was particularly pretty - it is a merino/alpaca blend that I bought from a friends stash - It is sport weight - some of the lightest weight yarn I've ever spun - tempting to keep....






Soon The Shepherd will be getting his bonsai ready to go to bed for the winter - but not before many of them put on a little show of their own.















A lone gallardia that escaped the frost that took down the pumpkins and the rest of the flowers.










It seemed to me like the fall colors have been especially vibrant this year - even The Shepherd mentioned it the other night. The reds were redder and the golds - well, more gold...







forming a carpet of gold from our river birch tree -
So, today is the end of Daylight Saving's Time - winter is upon us - The Shepherd has put Violet, Pearl and Luna in with Vern and the spring lambs are enjoying being the queens of the barn - in fact he just went out to feed, so I guess I'd better get busy with dinner, as it's getting to be that time of the day.





Several people have suggested taking a particular tree or scene and photographing it from the same perspective every month (or even every week!) - I have a couple of favorite trees that I might try that on - hmm - that gives me an idea -

Now, off to make a little apple tart to go with that ice cream we bought last night at DQ...

Have a great week.

The Colors of September!

Every month since last October, Sue from Life Looms Large has hosted a fun challenge - to find the"colors" of the month. I have not only enjoyed doing this project myself, but have loved reading and seeing all the pictures from around the world as other bloggers have joined in the fun.

Quite frankly, it has been so-o-o-o warm this month, that I was not sure if we were going to get any color but blue (sky) and green (grass) - but



last week, the sun went away and the rain appeared - and we had some real cloud bursts - mind you, not like they are having on the east coast right now, but for us it was a lot.












Even though this oak leaf doesn't have any real "fall" colors - I did like the pattern of the rain drops and the veins of the leaf







The Shepherd has been so busy with other people's gardens that we are a little lacking in the fall flowers this year - but, hey, what the heck - the bills are getting paid - and this pretty chrysanthemum decorates our back porch.












Of course my trusty sidekick had to come along and snoopervise all the pictures that I was taking.









Out in the vegie garden, the corn is gone, the pumpkins are going wild and the asparagus weed looked so pretty covered with raindrops.
















Finally the colors are starting to creep into the yard - the katsura tree is starting to turn it's leaves make the yard smell slightly sweet.











The Japanese maples on the porch are a blaze with reds and oranges
















The rose hips are like sparkling jewels hidden in the blue foliage










The Bishop's Children dahlias that were planted from seed have finally decided to put on a show.









It's also time to start evaluating fleeces - this is Wicket's fleece - it is going to be wicked fun to spin - hope I get a chance at it...









I think this is either Ruby or Robin --- (unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the head that went with the fleece...) but this is going to be a lovely fleece and it is staying closely to original color - gonna be pretty!







And one little lone flower left over from summer - I hope you enjoyed my Colors of September - I almost didn't make it this month again - working on my church newsletter til all hours of the night...but it's done and I only have my spinner guild one left to do.

And guess what? I'm signed up to take another class from Judith McKenzie - but it's not until November - so you'll just have to wait to find out about it...

The Colors of August!

Wow! August is almost past tense!

I have put together some of my favorite August scenes from our garden.

The Rose of Sharon bush/tree right outside our back door is heavy with bumble bees this time of the year - luckily they are more interested in the blossoms than they are in me.







One thing about August is that you can always tell where our drainfield is...








The corn du Jour is Mirai - a Japanese hybrid - it is better than dessert! (and it doesn't even need any butter - and coming from the "butter girl" that is saying a LOT!)








Dahlias are my very favorite flower (unless you count Zinnias, and Asters, and - oh well, maybe all flowers are my favorites...)

Dahlias come in so many different colors and styles - These are "Bishop's Children" that The Shepherd grows from seed.











I barely caught these pretty little daisies before The Shepherd (aka the "yard guy") mowed the pasture....












Pink Lupine, also grown from seed - there are purple ones and red and white ones so far - and half of the plants haven't bloomed yet! .










These California poppies have become one of our favorites this summer - there are as many colors as there are plants and he planted a bunch of them. Hopefully, next year they will come up from seed (and still be such pretty colors.











The garden has been so stressed from the heat, but these petunias on the front porch don't seem to have minded it too much.













These cone flowers just look so happy in the bright sunlight -










while this fern looks cool and collected in the dappled sunlight by our front door - this summer has been just a little slice of paradise...

Now for more visions of August from all around the world go visit Sue at Life Looms Large. Thanks again, Sue for letting us all find the beauty that is around us to share it with all of you.

The colors of July

It's that time again! Sue at Life Looms Large has put out the call for us to contribute the Colors of July from our part of the world.

It is such a fun exercise because people from literally all over the world join in.






There is nothing that says "July" to me like a Margarete Daisy.

One of the bloggers who generally takes part in "The Color of..." is from Australia -

As we sit here and swelter in our 80's and 90 degree weather, it is winter time down under. How soon we forget!






The purple pole beans on the back side of the house are blooming to beat the band.













Soon we'll have big bowls of yummy beans for dinner!













Can you guess what this plant is?











This is my lovely view of Mt. Baker on my way to work in the mornings. It's over 60 miles away, but looks like it's just "right there".

We have just had quintessential summer days the past two weeks. Bright blue & sunny skies and not too very hot in the afternoons.











The barn swallows are peeeeeppppping at their mamma & daddy for their dinner.










A walk through the garden yields all sorts of beauty.










Our nasturtiums self seed every year -










The blossoms and the leaves are variegated - and they seem to be more resistant to the black aphid that often hangs out on this type of plant.












These little yellow tiger lilies peek out from under the Japanese white birches.










I took a few stems of this beautiful, fragrant "Orienpet" lily to work last week. It made the whole office smell lovely. I think this one is called Caravan.










And their are tassels on the ears of corn - you know what that means - Yum for the colors of August!


















The Shepherd has corn, sunflowers, three different types of beans, beets, parsnips (ugh), asparagus, broccoli, purple cauliflower. rhubarb and...








and, pumpkins, of course.

Now, go check out Sue's blog for more colors of July!