Buff Brahma On The Rocks

One of these rocks is
not like the others.


When I first looked at the rock pile I didn't see the hen. She just looked like one of the rocks until she moved.

Then she moved up

to one of the

water basins

for a drink of rain water.

She didn't stay up there very long.

I guess I disturbed her

when I was walking around

taking photos.

The myrtle (vinca minor) is so pretty and green this year because of the wet winter. Some years it suffers when it is a hot dry year with not much rain in the winter. It is a hardy plant and manages to hang on with little care from me as long as it has some shade. It might die back a bit in full sun in the summer if it gets too dry and hot, but then it will recover with the first rains of the year.

The chickens don't eat the myrtle leaves or flowers.

In fact, Nothing seems to bother the myrtle. 

Kristine told me she has some Western Tanagers living in the trees near her slider upstairs. I love this site, All About Birds, there is a great photo of the Western Tanager and lots of information. They are beautiful birds. I have only seen one once and Kristine said they move too fast for her to get a photo. They are supposed to be slow moving? I guess our Tanagers didn't get the word. Kristine and I had a lot of fun today looking up birds on this site and listening to the sounds they make. I can understand how people get hooked on bird watching.

Peek at the Past

(May 23, 2009)

Morgan is so funny!

[7 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Blue Sky Last Week

Instead of rain here is a photo of the sky and the tops of the trees on the morning of the 19th. At least the day started out sunny.

As the trees leaf out more and more of the sky is covered which works out very well in the summer when the temperature moves into triple digits. 

When it's hot the shade is very welcome. But when the weather is bad it can get pretty gloomy under the trees. A branch fell on the back deck yesterday and gave me a fright. We could use another storm to come through and knock the rest of the dead branches down. 

I took these two photos

of the myrtle on the 19th 

when I went down

to unlock the gate

for Kristine.

My brother lined

the driveway with the

trees and rocks.

I planted myrtle along the right side of the driveway and I'm starting to plant it along the left side, but first I still need to make some planting areas along that side.

I love the different kinds of moss that grow on the rocks and trees. All the rain is making for lots of moss and happy myrtle.

I would love to have the myrtle take off and cover all the areas under the trees. It would look so lovely and green all year because the leaves disappear into the myrtle. Amazing plant.

Peek at the Past

(May 22, 2009)

All kinds of compost information here .

[8 eggs today]

~:>

Smiles

Myrtle in December

The myrtle is very happy and green. Every year I worry if the myrtle will survive the summer drought, but every year the myrtle hangs on and as soon as the first rain comes it revives and stands up tall. Amazing stuff. And look. No leaves. Everything else gets covered in leaves, but not the myrtle. I don't quite know what it does to avoid being smothered. It either grows around the leaves or through them or both? I have transplanted the myrtle along the driveway and in numerous other spots on the property, but this is the place it grow the best. This is the spot that gets just the right combination of sun and shade for it to flourish. The chickens don't seem to mess with the myrtle. I guess it doesn't taste good?

Kristine got hamburgers and fries for her and Tom for dinner. I had eggs and the leftover pancakes. We had used up all the real maple syrup (boy, I love that stuff) so I used honey. I like breakfast for dinner! I need to put buttermilk on the list and make some more pancakes to have available in the fridge for snacks (or dinner.)

There is something wrong with the Recent Comments on the Sidebar. All that shows up when I look is a white box. I reported it to Google. They asked. Blogger said they had added some code that may have messed with the gadget. Don't know. Well, we'll see what happens.

The movie watching and decorating isn't happening tonight. Tom and Kristine are watching Christmas shows on TV. Now I think they are watching Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer. Ho, Ho, Ho. We will do the movie thing and decorating on the weekend? I'm going to watch a TV show on my computer (Ugly Betty) and later listen to a lecture on iTunes. Sometimes I get a better picture going through Hulu than using the ABC player.

Click here to get to the page to vote for Suzanne.

[2 eggs today]

Smiles

~:>

On The Road

This is the view out of the car window on the way to town. I had to go to town today to get my hair cut. Only took about 20 minutes, so it was a very quick trip. The drive is pretty much the same all the way, trees, trees and more trees, except for a few places where there are open areas where you can see the mountain tops.

I love living in among the trees. I know people are drawn to areas with panoramic views, but I like forest living. I used to live in a house on the side of a mountain that gave the illusion of being in a tree house because the view out of the windows was of the middle of redwood trees. So, you felt you were living up in the trees. 

Kristine took this photo of a sage plant that is very happy in my weed garden. She planted this sage! It was left over from her gardening class. Maybe that is the key? I should have her do the planting. Or maybe I should turn this into a herb garden since herbs seem to be the only thing that can grow there except native plants. The sage looks like lavender. I like the fuzzy leaves and purple flowers. I wonder if it will seed itself? That would be such a deal. Lots and lots of sage... a sage garden!

This little thread basket and pin cushion is very useful, and I needed another one for my ironing board. I am always looking for it because it never seems to be where I need it. I collect all the thread and fabric scraps and use them to stuff pillows and whatever. I ran across this little basket when putting stuff together for the garage sale and decided to put it to use as a scrap and thread basket. It is cute and it doesn't take up much room on the ironing board. Pretty neat!

Here is a shot of the myrtle I planted along the driveway. It is finally starting to spread out and it's looking pretty good. I am so glad the deer and the chickens don't like to eat it up. I would like for the myrtle to take off and cover the ground under the trees. It seems to push out the poison oak, but it spreads slowly. I especially like how the myrtle manages to stay on top of all the leaves!

I guess I will have to plant more starts this fall after the rains begin. Which means I need to save all the cuttings I make when I start cleaning up my non flower garden. I've got myrtle taking over in places in there, so I will be cutting it back and starting the cuttings in potting soil so they will be ready to plant. That's how I got the starts for the driveway.

I enjoy listening to some of the TED Talks and ran across this talk the other day and the little girl just cracked me up. The message is a good one and should be better known. 

[10 eggs today]

Smiles

~:>

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday and a very happy Mother's Day!

Smiles

~:>

My Space

This morning                [6 eggs]

when I went out to

collect some eggs for breakfast I found these two hens trying to lay their eggs in the same nest.

I don't know if it is a dominance issue or if they are convinced that the other hen has found the choicest nest. They were each trying to sit in the same place very quietly and not fighting at all. Maybe it was a shoving match?

       

On the way back to the house I was amazed to see how fast the trees are beginning to leaf out. The leaves look yellow from the ground. Today is warm in the 70's and shade will be very welcome come the hot days. 

And...

Here is a view

of the myrtle in the front

of the property that

has spread almost

to the path.

I transplanted the myrtle

to the other side.

And here is a shot

of the myrtle I cut back

to the roots or at

least to the rocks as

close to the ground as

I could get. The myrtle

comes back looking better

than ever. 

Smiles

Myrtle and Hypericum

[8 eggs]

The myrtle is blooming!

I transplanted cuttings from the

swath of myrtle that is growing

in the front of the property

to areas along the driveway.

Click on the photo to get a better look at the flowers. You can click here to get some more information about myrtle or periwinkle. I'm not sure of the name of this variety of myrtle. It seems to do best in areas that get the most shade.

It has taken a few years but the myrtle has finally taken hold and is spreading out over the adjacent areas all on its own without my help. I do water it when it gets very hot and dry.

I plan to take some more cuttings this year and start the myrtle in some new areas probably along the other side of the driveway and around the fruit trees.

For some reason the chickens are not interested in eating the myrtle. I remember a gardener at a nursery telling me once that deer don't care to eat plants with purple flowers. Although it has been my experience that deer will eat pretty much anything if they are hungry enough.

I have tried several times to start some beds of hypericum but each time the plants have died during the hot, dry summer triple degree spells. Admittedly I think it was my fault for not keeping the plants watered well enough, but I also wonder if the chickens and deer have been partly responsible for it disappearing. I plan to start the next group of plants in my garden where it will be protected by fencing.

I didn't plant the hypericum in my garden because it is just about impossible to get get of once it does become well rooted. The roots are invasive and are like coat hanger wire. In fact once the plants are established they do best if they are cut back to the roots every now and then. I cut the myrtle by the rocks back this year and it is already back and looks great.

Hypericum, here, is a drought resistant ground cover and will do very well here if I can only get it started. I do have a few hypericum plants growing but not in large areas. I keep hoping the plants will take off and spread out like they did on our property in the Santa Cruz mountains. The plants have lovely yellow flowers and shiny green leaves.

Smiles