Windy, Rain...50º

The wind woke me about 4am and I was sure that it must be snowing, much to my surprise it is fairly warm outside with a light rain...The perfect growing weather...Soooo many shades of green with flower blooms mixed in.

Yesterday morning I checked flower boxes downtown, killed a few weeds then went down the street to help with the "Mule Days" boxes in front of Joseph Foods...Back home to get ready for a walk and then on to Lostine and the play.

The Music Man was very enjoyable, 3 hours long, it sped by, singing and dancing, all done by local talent...People we know from the entire County...How fun is that to see your neighbors on stage playing a part so unlike their real life and doing a great job...Pat and I arrived at 1:30 thinking we were early...All of the main seating area was already full, but we found seats in the back that gave us a good view of the entire stage...It played to a full house yesterday, as it had for all 5 previous performances.

Plans for today are to finish my essay for Katey and take breaks outside scattering seeds and maybe spreading some chips to cover plantings that didn't make it through the winter...Talked to both kids this morning on FaceTime, Rusty in Noonan, Georgia and Bobi at home in Tigard, Oregon...  Hugs to All...  OWAV:)

Music Man & Blooming Orchid...33º--Sunny

Last performance of the "Music Man" held at Providence Academy in Lostine at 2pm today...It's a must see from what I hear so will fit my schedule around it.

Yard sales on the agenda yesterday, only made one small purchase, then went for a walk...Back home I wrote and rested, fixed dinner and wrote some more...My favorite past time is wandering around the yard, checking to see what is peeking through the ground or what new bloom has opened.

Rusty called from Atlanta as he waited for his luggage at the airport...Bobi checked in when they got back home from their beach get-a-way...Check her blog http://bobbi-writingonthewall.blogspot.com/ for the full story.

Since February 18th, I've kept a close eye on my orchid after it produced a new plant...I watered it and fertilized it on a regular basis and for over a month now I've watched a flower bud grow and finally yesterday it opened enough that I could get a photo...Enjoy the sunshine....  OWAV:)

  

Early Morning...30º

Awake at 3am, toss and turn until 4am then up to start the day...Coffee in hand I check for scrabble, girls are at the coast for a little retreat, no scrabble...Rusty headed for the Redmond airport and a plane to Georgia...I get serious about writing, due in a few days...I've taken Katey's prompt to try my hand at a lyrical style and using familiar material I write in mostly short, choppy, sentences repeating a phrase "sun shines" throughout... Only important events are mentioned leaving the audience to fill in the blanks...Now I find myself doing the same style, here in my blog.

Yesterday morning was cold, especially after so many nice warm days...But after all it is still April and we expect this kind of weather...My friend Donna came by to pick up "forget-me-not" starts and after a short visit with her I drove to Debbie's for a look at her mostly dead raspberry patch...Don't know what has happened to it, looks like it will have to be replanted...Could be the mulch she used, maybe contained pesticides???

Then off to the lake and a walk with Pat as we try to keep these "mature bodies" in some kind of shape, or maybe we walk more for the laughter and words that dominate the walk...Back home, I replant pansies on the deck while Herb mows Pam's lawn and feeds animals for John...Then Herb and I have dinner and settle in for the afternoon of reading.

Yard sales are on the agenda today...Hugs to All.... OWAV:)

Rain overnight, Sunny...34º

Forsythia on the fence

Sun in the east with fog shrouded mountains to the west...Might be a nice morning after a rainy day yesterday...I worked outside yesterday pm in a warm rain, planting gladiola bulbs, lilies and sweet peas, then pruned lilacs until the rain chased me inside...Later in the day Pat and I braved the cold wind and rain (to wet for our walk) and drove to Alder Slope Nursery...We checked out what is available and I bought more pansies as I managed to kill the ones I bought earlier...Not sure if it was the hot sun on the deck, too much fertilizer or what but they look pretty sick!..So will try again...Hugs to All...  OWAV:)

Puttering...48º--Cloudy

View through the apricot tree

Black clouds all around us last night, looked like rain when I went to bed and was sure we would be awakened by wind and a thunder clap late in the night...It didn't happen, still it threatens rain, the clouds hanging low over the mountains.

It was a pretty lazy day yesterday, leftovers for dinner, time on the deck reading...A 2 mile walk with Pat.

While I was out yesterday morning, digging a few dandelions, thistles or quack grass I snapped photo's of buds and blooms as the flower gardens "spring" to life...Below are two of my favorites.

Fern Peony about to burst into bloom

Daffodil Bunch

Partly Cloudy, Possible Rain...49º

I looked back through April 2011 temperatures, this morning, seems they averaged in the 30's (morning) most of the month with rain and snow being the norm...I described a raging blizzard on the 28th of April, a few daffodils blooming and covered with snow...Looks like our temperatures are going to cool for the rest of this month with rain showers in the forecast...We can always use the rain and the cooler temps will keep the daffodils in bloom for a longer time...We have had many wonderful, warm days this year and I enjoyed each of them...I have already spent 4 afternoons on the deck and April isn't over yet.

Pat and I got our walk in early and attended yesterdays meetings...I spent time in the flower gardens pulling the hundreds of volunteer maple trees that sprout from seed every spring...Will continue to clean beds and cut down old growth this morning, maybe spread mulch and add some fertilizer...The daffodils seem to double overnight and the grape hyacinth are adding their special color to the mix...Spring my favorite time of the year...Hugs to All....  OWAV:)

Routine...50º

Not much happening at 109 Barton Heights today, Herb and I are back to our normal routine, mundane tasks preparing for spring...Then I soak up sun on the deck and he more comfortable inside in his easy chair...We have leftovers for dinner.

Today Pat and I will try to fit in a walk early before write group...Then meet the rest of our group at Cloud Nine for another writing session and lunch...Mule Days meeting tonight...Hugs to All...  OWAV:)