Try something difficult

 

Bearded iris are hard flowers to draw, like roses. This took a couple of hours and isn't bad, although you're probably thinking it could use some color. 

I like plain pencil drawing, because the tools are so simple and you can do it anywhere. My iris was copied from this how-to-draw-flowers book. 

Maybe that's not as creative as drawing from life, but I find copying engaging, because the concentration quiets down the busy right side of the brain. For a few minutes, at least. Anyway, the hardest part of any drawing is staring at the blank paper and getting started. 

We've passed the halfway mark of June, and not a drop of rain has fallen in Seattle so far this month. We might get a touch of wet over the weekend, which will be welcome. 

An old farmer saying: 

"A good rain in June sets all in tune." 

Make that two, please

 

We heard the super star violin virtuoso, Hillary Hahn, play the Beethoven Violin Concerto yesterday. It was an amazing performance, especially from our excellent 4th row seats. The packed Benaroya Hall audience went crazy, and then she played two encores! 

Including this haunting Bach Partita: 

 

Anyway, in decades of going to the Symphony, we've never heard more than one encore, and even those are getting few and far between. What a treat. 

The second half was Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5. His ballet music is good (at the ballet) but I'm not a huge fan of Mr. Prokofiev's big orchestral works. The loud crashing music sounds like the end of the world has arrived. Well, the Russians didn't have much to be happy about when he wrote it in 1944.

Other than the concert, it was just a weekend of cooking and eating at home. 

Homemade corned beef hash and Amanda's wonderful eggs on Saturday...

Strawberry crepes on Sunday...

A big vegetarian pizza on Saturday, then beef stew from the freezer when we finally got home from the Symphony. 

Downtown was jammed with cars and crowds of people, having fun in the blinding June light. The Solstice is just around the corner, and sunset after 9 pm in Seattle. 
 

Memory lane

 

Precious memories pulled from deep depths of the blog. That's Amanda and my horse Sizzle, right before Nova was born, almost sixteen years ago.

And months later, the delight on Baby Nova's face watching Sizzle munch a carrot. Sizzle was such a sensitive mare, spirited and fun to ride, but incredibly careful and gentle around children. She especially liked little girls and they loved her. She took a big piece of my heart with her.  

Downright chilly this morning. We turned the heat on! The dark clouds might burn off by late afternoon topping out at 65 degrees-- typical June gloom weather in Seattle. 

Happy Father's Day weekend. We are looking forward to the Symphony Sunday afternoon.  

 

Simplify

 

I should have taken a before picture of that messy window. Yesterday I threw out some struggling plants that no longer "sparked joy." Then I transplanted and drenched the cactus in those bright yellow pots. They had not been watered for months, and sucked it up like a sponge. Now the window is about as carefree as it gets with houseplants. 

And not my favorite job, crawling up in there to clean out all the dead flies and poor lost bees from the neighbor's hives across the street. 

We are chipping away at the summer projects. John primed the peeling and chipped front steps, which need to be touched up with paint every single year. The joy and charm of old houses. Always something to clean or fix. 

 “How does dirt find its way into old houses like it does? Sometimes I think it's the house itself, old and disintegrating by degrees, breathing out sighs of itself, sighs longing for a little bit of notice.”
 

Lisa Samson, A Thing of Beauty

 

National Corn on the Cob Day

 

Corn today? When our sweet corn came in season on the farm, there were times when it was all we had for dinner--just a big platter on the middle of the table with butter and salt. 

The housewife's trick was to get the pot boiling then head to the garden and pick the corn, so it stayed sweet as candy. In retrospect, that was lots of carbs and sugar, without any protein on the side. 

Well, nature's air conditioning came on last night when the marine clouds rolled in, just like someone flipped a switch. On this grey morning a big sigh of relief went up over Seattle.

 

The heat gave the old jasmine vine a boost, and I'm happy to see it struggling back to the land of the living. 

Some like it hot

 

The tomato pots are going wild on the baking hot south side of the house.

And roses adore strong sun, as long as their feet stay damp. But they are whipping through their first bloom way too fast. More typical June weather in Seattle is morning clouds with afternoon clearing, which shall return tomorrow, to everyone's relief. 

I've enjoyed the mini hot spell though, sitting on the side of the house, moving the sprinkler around and getting some vitamin D on my eggshell white arms and legs.  Yes, yes, the sun should be avoided like the plague, but we rarely have that kind of bone-warming heat. It feels so good.

 

I'm happy with how this big project turned out. That evergreen was growing in a low bonsai-type pot for years and became completely root bound. I managed to wrench it out and transplant into this beautiful Vietnamese pot. 

It needs light pruning to reveal the interesting old growth structure, but I'll give it time to recover from the harsh treatment first. 

Warm here

 

And many would say, too hot. Seattle could reach 85 for a few hours this afternoon, so a heat advisory is in effect. 

Ask anyone from the Sun Belt, the Deep South or the East Coast, and they’ll tell you we are weather wimps in the Northwest. 

Anyway, heat never lasts very long here, because the big ocean just over yonder keeps our climate temperate year round. 

 

We drove to PowellsWood Garden in Federal Way, a nice place for a quiet walk in the fecund Jurassic Park garden. 

Getting there not so peaceful in the mad rush of speeding cars on a Saturday afternoon.  

I know you're thinking, "old lady slow driver" holding busy people up, but even consistently going 5-10 miles over the speed limit makes you an irritant on the roads these days. 

Sigh. I’ve driven in the same way for 60 years now, just getting from point A to point B without an accident or a single ticket (knock wood.) When did people become so impatient and aggressive?

What to cook in this warm weather. In the NYT cooking section, I found a cold soba noodle salad with spicy peanut dressing. That sounded simple and easy. Ha ha. The dressing alone had about 8 ingredients, including a half cup of peanut butter and quarter cup of soy sauce. Too heavy for delicate buckwheat noodles! 

Like many of those NYT recipes, a little too much of everything. No photo this time, it turned into a big sticky mess. Back to simple grilled meat and salad. 

 

National Gardening Exercise Day

 

 

We're headed into to a nice stretch of weather, hitting the mid-80's this weekend. 

"June gloom" is more typical here, and there's an old saying that summer doesn't start in Seattle until the 5th of July. But not this year. The times (and the climate) they are a'changin.

Yes, today is Gardening Exercise Day. The Apple watch lets me log credit from dozens of different categories I'll never do, everything from archery to ping pong, but the folks in Cupertino apparently don't consider gardening as exercise. Ha. Ask my back. 

Anyway, the heavy spring work is done so I'm in puttering mode until fall: weeding, watering, deadheading. There hasn't been any rain to spoil the first bloom on the roses. 

 

Lovely in the early morning light...

Have a good weekend.  

Plume Poppy

 

Everyone asks about this great brute of a plant when they see the garden. We acquired it during the pandemic at a public garden, one of the few safe outings. 

Back then it was an innocent looking thing with pretty leaves in a gallon container, sold at the outdoor mini nursery for a few dollars.

 It is called Macleaya, or Plume Poppy, native to Japan. 

From Wiki:

"The individual flowers are insignificant, but the combined effect of multiple stems four to six feet high (make that 10-12 feet here) can give a striking architectural effect. (No kidding.) The plants are unsuitable for small gardens (duh) because of their invasive tendencies, but can be very effective as features in large gardens. They spread both by underground suckers and by seeding, so can be difficult to get rid of in some situations."

Irresponsible planting, the story of my life.  

All is well and the doctor said my eyes are "stable," which is the best possible medical news at this age. I'm bleary-eyed though from the drops and strain of the flashing tests. I was in and out fairly quickly (time is money) and eye medicine has become high tech, low touch. I suppose an improvement, but those old fashioned chatty exams were more reassuring. 

The sun in June is blinding! I was exhausted and crawled in bed with my book at 8:30, still broad daylight outside. I felt like a child being punished for something. Then it started getting light this morning about 3:45. Not a great time of year for sleeping.  

“Outside, the sun was crackling.”
― Juan Rulfo, from "Pedro Paramo" 

 

No fuss

 

I walk past this patch of thriving poppies along the side of a street near our house in Twisp. They come back every year like weeds, and no one fusses with them. 

I had an easy drive yesterday, leaving early on a weekday, the way to go in summer. I was only gone 5 days but my garden sure needs a tidy up. 

 

Speaking of needy plants, the iris are looking ratty. Some of these fancier varieties are actually re-blooming. The means if you fuss over them all summer with enough water and  fertilizer, they just might send up another flower stalk in the fall. Is it worth it? Like the second bloom on roses, it can never match the first.

That's about all the news. Karen is in Seattle visiting her mom, and might have time to drop by this morning. That is always fun, because everything here is so different from our wild patch in Twisp. 

This afternoon, I have one of those icky eye exams where they flash lights into the back of your brain. I pulled a pan of enchiladas out of the freezer for an easy dinner.

 

Another pleasant Valley Sunday

 

 

After the hustle and bustle of the Saturday market, Sunday is always a quiet day in Twisp.  We took an early walk up at the property, then I sat on the porch for a while watching Amanda and Tom do yard work. The girls were inside working on their end-of-school projects. 

In the fall, Nova goes to 11th grade and Maya is 7th. That means she moves from the portable into the big high school building. She is "NOT looking forward to that!" Seems like yesterday when Nova was saying the same thing.

Then I took a bike ride around town, and even caught a glimpse of Nova doing life guard training at the pool. 

Karen came over for a chat and glass of wine in the afternoon. She is headed to Seattle tomorrow to visit her mother, so I won't see her again this visit. 

Amanda and Tom had dinner plans last night so I found some frozen ham and beans in the freezer. I must have made it in the crock pot last winter with holiday ham. Too salty but a good end to a lazy day.

Back to Seattle tomorrow. 

 

Quiet times

 

The river is running high, but nothing like we've seen in previous years. The climate is perfect here before it gets hot, although early summer always comes with an undercurrent of worry, as to what the fire season brings. 

The snow pack in the North Cascades was below normal this past winter. It hit the high 80's yesterday when a wind storm blew through, the combination that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. 

There's been an occasional fishing boat drifting by, but otherwise all quiet on the western front. Not even any dog walkers so far in front of the house. (Well, one in particular probably won't be back after I "scared" her dog.) Maybe people finally noticed the trail rules sign propped on the chair. 

There's a few young deer hanging around peering in the window, but no fawns appearing yet. And the turkeys must be brooding their eggs, because I haven't seen a single one. The parade of poults will start soon. 

Needless to say, friends and family are super busy. This is like vacation for me, but routine life for them. The short summer season is packed, trying to juggle recreation, activities and work. 

School gets out and the Twisp swimming pool opens in two weeks, wonderful news. Nova was hired as a lifeguard, and spent all yesterday training. Those girls are so grown up. I saw Maya roaming around town with her friends yesterday-- market day is always hopping. It's great the kids have that small town freedom. 

A touch of Seattle in Twisp. Those peonies popped open instantly in the warm house. 

 

Hey, Friday

 

Perfect weather for a drive and I'm headed to Twisp for the weekend. See you on the other side.

Hold the mayo

 

An unusual recipe from the NYT for lemonmint potato salad-- about as different from the mayo version as you can yet. It calls for the juice of one lemon and half cup of olive oil, which would have been swimming in dressing. 

The NYT food editors tend to have a heavy hand with ingredients. I cut the recipe in half.

 

 

To go with, thick grilled pork chops. No leftovers.

I invited a friend over for coffee today, thinking we could sit out on the deck. Ha. Pouring rain this morning, so the living room it is. 

One day wonder

 

“Happiness,” Cadfael thinks as he floats on the River Severn, “consists in small things, not in great. It is the small things we remember, when time and mortality close in.” 

Year after year, our "Brother Cadfael" rose is a star. John picked it from the lovely David Austin rose catalog about 20 years ago. It was named after the crime-solving monk in Ellis Peter's historical mysteries. 

The books are set in medieval England. Brother Cadfael is a healer who solves grisly murders on the side. It was an excellent TV series from 1994-1998 starring Derek Jacobi.

Brother Cadfael ponders a mystery in his herbarium. We remember watching other purely escapist TV series from that wonderful decade on PBS, like "Inspector Morse." Long before streaming and binge watching, you had to wait for each new weekly episode.

Oh, what a beautiful morning. At 5 am, the sun was already up in a clear blue sky. Rain returns tomorrow, but a glorious day ahead.

 

Show off Henry

 

That flashy peony variety is named "Henry Bockstoce."  

Pack your patience growing peonies, because the bare root takes about 5 years to finally mature and bloom. That is, if you lucked upon the right place to plant it.

Peonies are finicky and slow to get started, but unlike the needy iris, they bloom for decades in the same spot. In fact, the one thing they hate is being transplanted.

Well. They are saying tomorrow will be the warmest day here in the last 8 months. The mid-80's brings out the heat complainers in Seattle. This May has been that perfect mix of sunshine and rain for the garden. 

For what it's worth, the Old Farmer's Almanac says cool and dry for the Pacific Northwest this summer.

Memorial Day

This poster was meant to inspire reluctant Americans to join the fight in WWI. And "civilization" still calls out for help.

Here's a quote for the day, written by Frank Herber in "Dune," no less.

"Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing, without a ruler who knows the art of ruling."

 

Little house, big footprint

 

John mowed and it sure looks nice after all the rain. More weeds and moss than grass in there, but at least it's green, for now.

We have a larger lot than most people in West Seattle, and it's kind of luxurious having a dab of open (some would say wasted) outdoor space. Needless to say, the lot is worth more than the little old house.

The developers would love to get their hands on this because there's room to build a giant box or a row of tall condos. That, I suppose, is inevitable, but for now we have our home with the birds and bees. Enjoy what you have while you can.

I went to ukulele group at the C&P Coffeehouse yesterday. The group has just recently been invited to use their spacious back patio again, a big improvement over everyone crowding into the front yard facing California Ave. 

The coffee house is surrounded by apartment buildings, and someone "up above" had complained about the noise from our Thursday afternoon jams. 

Apparently, this joyless person has since moved away, so we got the all clear from management to use their back patio again. We were delighted. It's just about impossible to embarrass ukulele players.  

Have a safe holiday weekend. Remember our heroes who have given their lives to protect our freedom. 

In yer' Easter bonnet

 

This confection is aptly named "Easter Candy."

Of the five iris we planted in 2021, only "Beverly Sills" is still MIA. 

And here's the thing about iris. In a year or so, this bed needs to be dug, divided and replanted and the wait begins again. Gardeners are passionate about iris, one way of the other. Are they worth the trouble and all the space they hog for just 2 weeks of glory?

 

If you've ever seen Taos, New Mexico during iris season, the answer is yes. Iris are extremely hardy and thrive in bright, dry weather. There is something about that vibrant color in the high desert air. My sister has gorgeous iris in her patio garden in Las Vegas. 

Iris is the only flower I've been tempted to plant in Twisp, but nah, I have enough work over there. Besides, the deer would probably eat them. 

May is flying by, as the more pleasant months of the year seem to do. 

"If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run-
There's still time to change the road you're on."

From, Stairway to Heaven

Led Zeppelen

(Arguably, the best rock song ever written)