Oz does sunset walkabout

Gorgeous day!  Finally pulled out the camera just as the sun was getting low, and since the chow dish hadn't yet been filled, Ozzie accompanied me.  Here he is catching a few rays while I try to get arty with the macro autofocus.

The spring garden is working its usual magic, enhanced this year by some serious attention from Mum in March, and Andrew's Polish edging and trimming. As you can see above, though, I've got a serious horsetail problem I need to get working on.

Meanwhile, acer, scilla, and candytuft!

Blue stuff and yellow stuff! (Yellow stuff is "basket of gold" but I am blanking on the blue stuff.)

Oz sees me heading back across the garden toward the deck, and gets up to follow me.

He is disappointed, though, as I head under the (big) apple tree for some blossom shots.

Ok. Now...chow?

Oh OK.

It's May!

And the cats do play!

Snow!

Everything cool (as it were) seems to happen on a Wednesday. Woke up to that heavy quiet that says there's a good blanket out there, and that unmistakable glow through the bedroom window.  Snow, snow, and more snow! And cold, too, so it was lovely powder.

Of course, not everyone at our house was pleased by this.

"Harumph"

Oz kinda wanted to come in, but I think he also really needed to pee.  Just after this, he took off through the snow drift, like Snoopy in the tall grass, to get to clearer ground under the oak tree.

I headed out to try out my turquoise shovel and admire the scenery. Here's the back deck, looking toward Ted and Mary Anne's place. 

 Here's the view up through the cherry tree branches in the front yard.

And looking back at the house from the driveway as I was shoveling.

Or not. Such a pretty shovel!

And when I finished up and went back inside, here's who I found. I guess that was enough leaping through snowbanks for one, um, year?

What Oz saw

I am rushing around the kitchen, Wednesday morning, getting ready to leave, when I notice Ozzie sitting on the table on the deck, looking all pretty against the little pot of primroses. Aw, just gotta get a photo, so I grab the camera and snap.

Then I realize the reason he is sitting so still, and wasn't distracted by me in the window, is that he is Looking At Something.

Seriously, watching closely!

 

And here's what It was:

 

No, that is not Harriet. Raccoon traversing back yard!  Huge! Deserving of kitty respect and close attention!

But wait - Oz is still watching:

Second raccoon!  Equally huge!

"WTF?"

Frosty croci

We had some lovely heavy frost.  That, along with the rich brown compost that Andrew brought to dump all over the razed garden, made these very first crocus blooms really pop into view as I was taking out the recycling last Wednesday.

Aren't they sweet?  And the cotoneaster was all frosted too.  And the cats, who did not accompany me to the curb, you'll notice. No cats in these pics, no sir, they're inside on the part of the kitchen floor that has a heat mat under it on a timer until 7:30am.

Happy New Year!

So far, it's looking pretty similar to last year.

Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula'

Helpful blog reader (aka Mum) went off and looked up the tree I referred to as "the weeping, umm, oh help, what is it?  Something pacifica."

I knew it had an ocean in it somewhere.

In her email, Mum also included the rest of the entry from the reference book: "Dirr describes it as "a weeping form with bluish foliage; the branches cascade like water over rocks; must be staked to develop a strong leader; truly a beautiful clone; have seen many in gardens and each is slightly different due to training, pruning, and staking in the early years.""

Is it just me, or is this not an urgent request to get out there and stake the damn thing?

OK, I am projecting a little bit, since we did have this conversation last March. "You know, you need to help it along if you want it to go taller. It needs to be trained - just pick a little branch and stake it upright."  And, later in the week, "I just found this little piece of wire.  I'm putting it in the tool shed with the other garden stuff, because it would be the perfect weight for training a leader branch on the cedar. You know, if and when you feel like doing that."

Sheesh.  Alright already!   Here we go.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

And:

And finally:

 Ten-shun!