DELAY . . . .

It seems like it has been eons ago since a post has been written. AND the change here at this house seems monumental for the remaining inhabitant.

Shasta girl pictured above. Her crate and all of her food has been given away. Her ashes

now sit in the box atop this cabinet. My late husband's ashes are in the clay pot he crafted to the left. Specific instructions he has already given his daughters where these ashes as well as mine are to be mixed and scattered. He found a map of Mono Lake and showed them the exact location along the gravel road that runs along the west side of lake.

Shasta's paw print the euthanizing veterinarian took of her paw. 

It now resides atop to two wooden boxes on my kitchen table so communication is enhanced for me when meals are enjoyed here.

She is so missed! AND especially her absence has allowed the squirrels to wreak havoc with all the plantings in the backyard with all their digging in the pots, the raised beds and generally anywhere that has been watered. 

 

4 newly planted
Salvia officinalis 'Berggarten'

Four such plants are not necessary but they will fill in this space. The plants were purchased at Emerisa Gardens. And said plants are stunning to look at.

The small shed in the backyard backing up to the west fence has recently gotten new shingles. First the old leaky wooden shingles were removed after branches from the neighbors tree were trimmed. 

The shingles were matched as closely as possible to the shingles on the roof of the house.

To the dismay of this house and property's owner there is not much planting nor care needed in the yard. However, a different color of Minulus was procured at Emerita Gardens. Sticky Monkey Flower Mai Tai 'Orange' is pictured below:

Mimulus aurantiacus
(Sticky monkey flower)
previously planted in the front garden.

Aesculus californica
(California buckeye)

Cornus sericia occidentalish 

(‘Tomales Bay’ Western twig dogwood)

Lavatera assurgentiflora 

(Tree mallow from Chanel Islands)

Miracle

It has long been a mystery to me how, when planting a seed, a plant or bush or tree is the result. 

Corn and bean seeds 
planted in one raised bed

Stupice tomato
Seeds from Turtle Tree Seed

Additional tomatoes planted in the West most raised bed.are Snow White, California Sunshine and Black cherry tomatoes. In clay pots on the back patio three Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes are planted. These are cooked with the skins removed and preserved in quart jars placed in the freezer for use during the winter.

I love having sunflowers growing.  The tall stocks with a single head of one flower is pleasing to look at. Often looking out the front windows people taking pictures of themselves with the sunflowers behind them was often seen.

Hopi Black Dye Sunflower

Hopi Black Dye Sunflower was introduced to me while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Seeds were brought with when relocating back in California.

A tree I first saw growing out of huge crack in an empty swimming pool in Apple Valley, California so amazed me with it beauty. Narrow leaves set the backdrop for the gorgeous flowers.

As we rejoice in the glorious Spring into Summer weather may we all

 

Annual Event

 Each Spring Francisco Rojas arrives early to prune the very tall hedge along the back fence. It blocks the neighbors living in the apartments          from seeing into the yard.   

Rojas Garden Services

 He and his assistant arrive before Shasta and I leave for our morning walk. 

                                                                

They clean up everything . . . sweeping the patio and walkway to the back gate as well as removing every bit of the hedge they cut. Into the large trailer everything is dumped.

And just like that the hedge is pruned and all the bricks are returned to their place so that Shasta cannot dig up the dirt to lay in.

This is a rather short post. As I complete it I have, and may each of you join with me, a 

Mother's Day, May, 2025

As we remember our mothers on this Mother's Day in May, 2025 let us not forget all they taught us, supported us through and for many of us have left us in their deaths. Perhaps some of you know my mother gave birth to me on Mother's Day?

Of course, my birthday often occurs on another day in May, as it does this year. Since no family is nearby, friends will be celebrating with me. One will be bringing my all time favorite cake (Cardinal Sin: dense, rich and almost fudgy. A flourless, bittersweet, single layer chocolate cake, glazed with house made chocolate ganache and chocolate). The Patisserie Angelica in Sebastopol is where anyone living nearby may purchase one to enjoy, if they so wish. 

While living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a thorough search was made to find a comparable cake . . . nada. So back living near Patisserie Angelica their Cardinal Sin is frequently purchased for birthday celebrations.

Sistrinchium bellum
Californian blue eyed grass

Calylophus drummondianus 

(Sundrops)

More pictures of the plethora of flowers now in the garden . . . in both the front and the back.

 Displacus aurantiacus 

(Bush monkey flower)

Aesculus californica 

(California buckeye)

 

Calycantus occidentalis 

(Western spicebush) 

 

 

 

                                                Carpenteria californica  

                                                              (Bush anemone)

 

On Again; Off Again

Lamprocapnos spectabilis
(Bleeding heart)

On Again; Off Again seems to be the rain, sun and pleasant weather. One moment there is blue sky then billowy clouds appear and clear

blue sky appears once again.

Recently tomato seeds were scattered on 4" pots and set on mattress
in the mini greenhouse. And today when I checked the seeds have sprouted with varying height of tomato plants.

Tomato seeds:
Black Cherry Tomato
California Sunshine Cherry Tomato
Chadwich's Cherry Tomato
Snow White Cherry Tomato
 Silver Fir Tree Tomato(Peaceful Valley)

Silver Fir Tree Tomato (Siskiyou Seeds)

Stupice Tomato

                                                                                                                  

Once the plants are big enough they will be transplanted into one of the Todd planters. Eventually they will be set out in one of the cement sided beds in the backyard. Tomatoes just picked, sliced then set on a plate for a delicious addition to any lunch. The midday meal is usually the main here on Page Street for myself or anyone else visiting.

Since this post was started some time has intervened. Of course, more posts will follow. And now we can all enjoy a hearty

Adjusting

I am curious. Do you have a difficult time adjusting to the time change? Seems to me that both Shasta

and I both have some major adjusting to the time change. Cheering Hawaii which stays on "standard time all year" and Arizona with the exception of the Navajo Nation.

We are getting some much needed rain although it comes in "fits and starts". Everyone I speak with says "bring on the rain". All the plantings in the yard are cheering for the moisture.

The fruit trees are blossoming and hopefully there are pollinators.

Aristolochia California
(California Dutchman's Pipevine)

Both of the Pipevine plants have many flowers. I am hopeful that the flowers will be pollinated . . . eggs galore with caterpillars following AND then butterflies.

 

Ceanothus (California wild lilac 'Dark Star')

The sky is clearing of clouds and the sunshine is glorious!

Tropaeoium majus
(Nasturtium)

May we all have a gloriously hearty

Spring like

Clear blue sky here. It feels very Spring like rather than early January. The jade plant which is located on the west most side of the front of the house has flowers.

Jade plant
(Crassula ovata)

Even though the weather person, nor the weather app, does not predict freezing temperatures the jade plant is protected each and every night.

Salvia involucrata 
(Roseleaf sage)

Symphoricarpos albus 
(Common snowberry 
‘Tilden Park’)

The shed's roof is covered with a tarp, courtesy of a long time friend who brought the tarp. As you can see observe bricks were used to prevent the winds from removing the tarp. There have been some pretty fierce winds of late so rolls of wire were hung to prevent exposing the wooden shingles. Once Spring does actually arrive the wood shingles will be removed and replaced with shingles more the color of those on roof of the house.

Pink Pearl (Malus domestica) apple tree
purchased as bare root
from Trees of Antiquity.
   

The 'Pink Pearl' apple is a pink-fleshed apple cultivar developed in 1944 by Albert Etter, a northern California breeder. It is a seedling of 'Surprise', another pink-fleshed apple that is believed to be a descendant of Malus niedzwetskyana. 

Unfortunately, the planting instructions were not followed when the first Pink Pearl bare root was planted in September, 2021. Thus, the bare root did not root. When it was extracted from the gopher basket, nada a root in evidence. Since avoiding needing to purchase another bare root, this time the instructions were followed.

Fortunately, nearby is a huge pile of wood chips. All the empty containers in the shed were placed in the rear of the car. Being not as nibble as in younger years, care was taken to fill each and deposit in the car before filling another. The process was trouble free getting the chips to the backyard . . . wheelbarrows are such a fabulous invention!!!! 

When this post was initially started, Spring like weather was occurring. As this post is concluded, seasonal weather is present. Today it is sunny with clear blue skies but extremely windy.

So much to miss living in Northern California instead of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Shasta absolutely relished her time in the park just down the street from our house playing with Hobbs.

Shasta and Hobbs 
playing in the park 

Shasta's all time very
favorite playmate: Hobbs
whose owner sent 
this recent picture 

As a garden walk about and this post are completed, perhaps we can all enjoy a deep belly