Searching for Grass

I spent a lot of time and effort when I first moved here covering the cleared areas thickly with old hay, to provide nutrients and grass seed, so I could get pasture.

I went out the other day to see how the lower pasture was coming along this year, after I let it rest all winter.

It turns out there are all sorts of interesting plants in that hillside field.

There is even some grass interspersed between bits of pretty and interesting plants.

With lots of lovely green moss and rocks.

Lots of lovely green moss. It is such a joy living in a rainforest.

There is some grass. At the top of the hill. It's getting tall, I've let the sheep in a few times to trim it down some while Millie and they get better acquainted. But mostly - there are pretty and interesting plants.

Golden Glory

Sunsets! It must be spring. Usually - winter phase, at least - it's dark before I get home.

New leaves and evening sun equals gold, set off by lovely green.

And while Mt. St. Helens isn't visible beyond the base, the clouds are impressive, and picking up that orange evening glow. Even the evergreens in the valley look orange.

It actually could be fall, not spring. What a glorious place this is.

Flying Time

Time is an interesting concept I've never quite understood. It has never moved swift and straight for me the way it seems to for others, linking one event with the next and the one before. For me it swirls and ebbs and flows. Sometimes I ride it, flying high and fast and watching the world. Sometimes I run behind it, trying to catch up. Occasionally I get caught in an eddy, and time moves in inexplicable patterns. 

The more I learn about myself and my place in the world, about energy and essence and living inside my body, the less power time has, the more it fits into my existence.

Almost a month has gone by since I've written here, but I've been taking pictures and writing comments in my head. I'm going to backfill, add things in where they belong, in the line of time.

Storm Light

Spring, the time of new growth, rebirth, color and light - the time of warm sunny days and blustery dark storms.

I was entranced by the movement and textures, the way the special storm light lit up the new leaves.

The contrast of darkly bloated clouds behind the newly clothed trees.

The rainbow rising from velvet grass, welcomed by the white fluffy cloud. Rainbows, the joy of spring storms that combine bright sun, dark clouds, and rain.

Mt Rainier, near Auburn

Taken while driving the freeway. A beautiful day, a stunning mountain. I couldn't resist - shot through the windshield (I wasn't driving!).  The mountain dominates the landscape.

Dead Wood

Or not dead, but the base of new life.

Spring Chicks

I wasn't planning to raise more chickens this year, but my hens have different plans from me.

I love watching hens teach their chicks what foods to eat, showing them the best tidbits.

This tiny hen will take on all comers. Fortunately with Charlie the Great Pyrenees on duty, there aren't a lot of threats. I am amazed, though, that she's managed to keep these guys safe from the many ravens, as they spend much of their time in the chicken yard, which is closed off from (although surrounded by) dogs. 

Millie On Guard

Millie had joined me on my morning jaunt to find flowers, but got distracted by noises towards the road.

And of course she knew exactly where I was, and quickly checked that I was still OK.

And then checks out the rest of the area. All being well, she joined me again on the walk up the hill.

More Spring Flowers

Native plants are starting to grow and bloom. The early Indian Plum and Red Currant are pictured in previous posts. I took a stroll today to find some more bloomers.

This is salmon berry. The pink flowers are followed by fruit that starts yellow and turns to orange.

 

 
One of my very favorite spring natives, skunk cabbage grows in wet soil. In spring you can tell at a glance where seeps and bogs are, for they are filled with these large-leafed yellow flowered plants.

Aren't they pretty? And lined up along the seep. One of the seeps.

And yes, they are called skunk cabbage for a reason. Their aroma is somewhat reminiscent of their black and white namesake.

Spring Trees

Seemingly overnight trees are breaking out in leaf.

Aren't they a beautiful color?

And here's a young alder hiding at the edge of the woods.

Looking up to see who was serenading me, I caught a Towhee in full song.

Spring Fever

After weeks of cold, wet and wind that included two days of snow, warm and sunny weather arrived. Here in the NW everyone became an energizer bunny. The first warm here is always amazing, and this one more than most. Trees sprouted leaves as we watched, flowering cherries went from barely budded to full bloom in 2 days, and the people all looked like they've been mainlining sunshine. A spring in every walk, a smile on every face. Short sleeves and sandals and a lack of coats were notable. 

It's days like this that remind me why I live here. The pure joy of warm and sunny days becomes an airborne contagious elixir.  Two days later the temperature was 10 degrees cooler and clouds again filled the sky. The streets were still filled with lightly clad people, although now they shivered. Then it rained.

The trees are still on hyperdrive, leaves popping out overnight, blossoms appearing out of nowhere. Spring has arrived, and even the reappearance of coats and hats can't hold it back.

Hidden Sentry

Any time I come up the lane, I hear Charlie's barks from afar. I've never figured out where he was, but he was always at the lower gate by the time I got to it, ready to greet me or race the car up the hill. Today I found his spot.

From here he has a view of everything Millie can't patrol, and his back is to the upper chickens - where I'm taking photos from. In easy reach if he hears anything.

And he hears something, and gives it a bark. Not a big enough threat to run down the hill, but whatever it is, it's been warned.

Sunbathers

When the Sun Shines

When the sun shines, this is the most beautiful country. The recent cold weather and snow have covered the mountains in white. A lovely day I have to share.

And of course Mt. St. Helens is glowing in all her broken glory. A constant reminder of how powerful volcanos can be.

I'm loving my new camera with the great zoom!

Spring Songs and Spring Flowers (outside)

This delightful little song sparrow has taken up residence right outside my back door. Little bird, big voice.

The Indian Plum is in full bloom - in the snow. This is the earliest blooming of the native plants on my property, and this one is again right outside my back door.

Spring Feathers

Peacocks make such beautiful spring displays. Mating season has begun, and the cocks are doing their best to attract a mate. 

The view less often photographed - but displayed with pride - is from the back. Doesn't he look wonderful?

The hens don't look impressed. One, off camera, is sauntering away.

Spring Flowers

Well, inside spring flowers. I'm so ready for flowers and gardening and warmth and sunshine, and at least I have potted plants to satisfy some of my desires.

I got this Bougainvillea from my mother when she moved to an apartment. This spring it is surpassing itself, brightening the room with its lovely pink flowers. Plants grown outside in warm climates flower much more heavily, but this isn't bad for an indoor plant in a northern clime.

My cactus reliably fill my world with color. They bloom and bloom and bloom.

 
These flowers are actually much redder than they appear here. It is my favorite cactus. Looks pretty as apricot instead of red too.

Raven Song

Sitting beside my dying friend

heart filled with sadness,

I watched a raven fly in

and land atop the nearest tree.

Wings partially outspread 

he sang.

He sang a chortle song

and sang some more.

Then, having honored a dying foe,

he flew away. 

Peahen Parade

Wind Song

The power went out this afternoon, so I decided it was a good time to walk down and feed my birds. As I stepped out of the house, and the sound of the wind surrounded me. It was a felt sense as much as a sound, filling the world. Then I heard a crack that out did even the wind song. I turned and watched one of my huge deciduous trees crash down the hill. 

Watching a tree fall is an amazing thing. The power of nature, the power of the wind. Fortunately no one was in or near it, although Charlie was headed that direction. He looked at me and we shared a moment of awe.

The power came back on in about half an hour (thankfully!) and when I went back outside it was sunny and calm. Now it's snowing. The weirdness of this winter. 

Beautiful Pre-Spring Morning

When I stepped out the back door to let the dogs out, the full moon was just setting through the trees, as dawn was breaking.

As the sky lightened, Mt. Rainier stood out against the pale sky.

Trying out my new zoom lens on Mt. St. Helens, against the soft apricot morning sky.

Here's St. Helens at "normal" size, with the surrounding foothills. These lovely mornings take my breath away.

Eagle Tales

There is a wonderful series of eagle photos circulating through email and the web. A photographer caught two Bald Eagles trying to catch a duck, ending up fighting each other, and one of them being stunned, dropping into the water. Great photos, telling an interesting story about life on the wing. The earliest posting I've seen of these photos on the web is at NewsCannel 10 Viewer, with author listed as Randy Elms. I hope that's correct - these are stunning photos with well written commentary, and the photographer/author deserves full credit.

While hunting down a reliable source for the eagle aerial combat photos I came across a home video posted on KomoNews.com by gmelhaff showing two eagles harassing and eventually catching  another hapless duck. It does make you realize the life of a duck isn't such a safe one! 

It's amazing to think that not all that long ago Bald Eagles where endangered, and now within a month there are two wonderful series of photos taken by folks in residential areas of eagles living their lives in the lower 48.

The Dog and The Goose

Mornings can be interesting.

I had tossed out some chicken drumsticks for Charlie (his favorite food - the dog who guards chickens, go figure), when the geese came over and tried to steal a piece right out of Charlie's mouth. Now, this is wrong on so many levels I just stood and stared. I thought my geese were basically vegetarians and here they were stealing meat, and geese - big birds, but very small for dogs - trying to take food out of a Pyr's mouth. One was grabbing for the food, the other pulling Charlie's hair right at that tender spot in front of the hind leg.

Charlie had enough of that. He dropped the chicken leg, turned and grabbed the goose causing him pain. That big goose half disappeared inside Charlie's mouth. The sounds were deafening: Charlie was roaring, the geese were making loud goose noises. I stood dumbly, just watching. Charlie turned back, grabbed his food, crunched loudly and swallowed. The goose shook himself, put his beak up in the air and complained noisily. Chickens stared, waiting, I'm sure, for someone to drop food.

No wonder Charlie runs through the geese whenever he gets a chance. Obviously it hasn't made them afraid of him. 

The goose? He wasn't even wet. 

Long Suffering Dogs

This is Jesse's crate. He likes to sleep in it. I often find him in it during the day, or when I come home from work. He likes his crate.

So do the chickens. I've shown them sheltering from snow and rain inside, but I didn't realize until yesterday that they are also using Jesse's crate as a nest. Chickens are not great respecters of personal space.

I have to say, it's handy. The crate isn't too far from my front door. I could walk out in the morning and collect breakfast. 

Not sure what Jesse thinks of it. However, the eggs are still there. Both he and Charlie love eggs, so I'm grateful they haven't done my collecting for me.

Who's Messing with MY Sheep?

Life is all about choices. Our choices, in many ways, define us. Charlie recently made a choice that defines working LGDs.

It's axiomatic that, given an open gate, a Pyr will go through it.

My hay supplier has a buyer for rams, and knowing I had a few extras, came by to help me catch them so he could sell them for me. Guardian dogs aren't very useful when you are trying to catch sheep, and given that I had to open my double gates for my neighbor's rig, I shut Charlie into my lower building. We had caught and sequestered 3 of the 4 rams and were about to catch the 4th when a large white dog made his presence known. Charlie had opened the double garage door - which is right next to those double gates - and slipped into the much further away paddock to see what the heck we were doing to HIS sheep. The young man doing the catching and heavy lifting looked down and said, "that's a DOG? I thought it was a sheep!" Heck no, my sheep are much smaller than my dog.

We managed to get the last ram into the truck before Charlie figured out what we were up to, and I got us out and him locked into the paddock so we could get the truck out and the gates closed.

Charlie got special treats for dinner. What a good boy. Well, I'm not so thrilled he knows how to open my big garage door, but I'm glad he made for the sheep rather than darting through the gates to patrol the perimeter of the property, as he is wont to do. I guess he only does that when there isn't something more pressing at hand - like people messing with his sheep.

Art News

Today I learned of two wonderful art-related events from two great friends.

Veryl in Hawaii finished a stunningly drop-dead beautiful quilt. No words can describe this, it is gorgeous. Don't take my word for it - see for yourself: Fiber in Paradise, Starry Skies. While you're there scroll down to take a look at other wonderful fiber arts she's created, the masks Glenn made, and the beautiful plants they live with.

Kerin in Oregon just got a book deal! She's another great artist, specializing in found object art - transforming found items into amazing works of art. The book deal is announced here Remnants of Olde, Book 'em Danno, but take a look around the web site at the creatively beautify art. Some of it's for sale at the Remnants Etsy Shop. I love the flying raven. Heck, I love it all.