Friday, May 15, 2009

Under house arrest

The criminal...
...in lock down.

Is it Easter time again?

No, ok, I'll just practice up for next year...

My fifth variety blooming. Awful picture because it's so windy today. I believe it might be the same as one of my Grandmom's varieties.

The Vinca varigated.

Trying to get a picture in the wind again.

The latest occupants of our home, Mr. and Mrs. Barn Swallow. They are hoping to raise a nice little family out of the way this summer.

A cool dragonfly. (And it's what Angela?)

One of my most beautiful irises so far in tatters, due to the wind. I wonder if it's Alpine Glow.

Another iris.

The yummy grape iris.


It feels like so little time has passed, when a whole week has passed. At least a work week. The biggest news is our little Scamp has finally done it and is under house arrest. He is on a line under a tree with his food and water during the day and on a line connected to his house during the night. What was his crime? For the last time he has dug up my flowers, so help me. I spent about 3 hours planting daffodil bulbs and redoing my jonquils Monday, just to have him dig up a 3rd of the jonquil/daffodil bed. Not happy. This happened bright and early yesterday morning. Scamp has tried to convince me he's learned his lesson and won't touch the house or bulbs again, but I see where he was trying to eat some wiring by his dog house. I don't buy it. So the only time he is free, is when we are outside with him. Which is quite a bit since it's mostly nice weather now.

The week has passed pretty smoothly. Monday our new window finally came in. It was installed Wednesday morning. Wednesday evening Matthew and I went to the Grandparents and helped them weed the flower beds. Yesterday we went and dug some more flowers from the abandoned house. I realized yesterday morning I have a variety of the lovely I. Pallida, which smells like the most wonderful grape koolaid ever. After dinner last night I planted some of the plants I got. I think they are Vinca Varigated, or periwinkle with cream and green leaves. I'm hoping I've found a plant that will dig the not ideal ground around my porch. Today Matthew and I tried to play outside, but the wind is awful. It's supposed to storm, and now that the clouds have built to a threatening level, I believe it.

Matthew has been learning more words and imitating words when he hears them. He still enjoys spending as much time as possible running around outside. I am trying to keep him out of the alfalfa and brome fields, due to the return of the snakes. Sometimes having a fenced in yard would be nice! Although I roamed all around the countryside as a kid and never got bit by a snake. He hasn't been sleeping the best lately. Which in turns means I don't sleep so well. I sure hope it's a phase. His favorite place to sleep these days: my bed. And it just doesn't seem big enough anymore.

6 comments:

Mom said...

Maybe it would help Scamp if he had a huge rawhide bone to chew on. Any eggs Matthew finds now will be really stale! Your iris (and other plants) are lovely. I agree that one of them looks like the one from your grandmother's garden.

Anonymous said...

I agree with your mom- I think Scamp needs some rawhide bones- you could also try pet safe plants in his pin.

I think the dragonfly is an Ashnid, however, I need a clear picture of the wings so I can see the difference beteen the frontal and subcostal veins. I know this only makes sense to me but... there it is.
AMT

Beth said...

Anonymous, have you tried clicking on the photo and enlarging it on your computer screen? My computer allows me to do that and it really helped me see the dragonfly better. But maybe you've already done that. I noticed that it was climbing up a dandelion stem. Did it want the seeds or was that just a convenient stem to climb? Good to 'talk' to you AMT. I miss you.

Anonymous said...

Nah, get that pup a big sterilized beef bone. Rawhide will gum him up, is too expensive, and is too much like shoe leather. A butcher bone will draw flies and be growl-over material. The sterilized bone will give him hours of chew time, doesn't draw flies, and isn't growl stuff.
PS If he doesn't like it send me the bill c/o American Express in Amsterdam.

The author said...

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am working on implimenting some of them and seeing how it goes.

Anonymous said...

Beth- thank-you for the suggestion; I'm sticking with my initial identification- it's an Ashnid dragonfly. To anwer your question- it is just perched on the stem- it may be resting or looking for food (they eat other insects). I miss seeing you too but you know you can get my e-mail & phone number from your daughter so you can contact me!!
AMT