Peacock at the Gate

Peacocks in breeding season display to anything and everything. Peahens, chickens, dogs, cats, rocks, gates. Look at me. I'm the most beautiful thing you'll ever see.

They may just be right.

Cool Clouds

May Mountain Madness

I love where I live. Like most western Washingtonians, the moment the sun comes out I forget the long, wet winter, the dismal grey days stretching through spring. In the warmth of the sun we see the lush and lovely world we live in and know the answer to winter's question - why do I live here? 

It's still May, and we've had weather in the high 70s. Cloudless, sunny days. The sun is a drug we are all drunk on.

The feed store is only 4 miles from my farm, off the ridge down in the valley. It's a beautiful drive. From this one spot along the road you can see farmland, woods, and both resident mountains.

Looking northeast, Mount Rainier.

Turning slightly to look southeast, Mount St. Helens.

Millie's Day

First thing in the morning I checked out the sheep to make sure Millie wasn't harassing anyone. As you can see, everyone looks peaceful.

Millie is very pleased with her new job. She likes the paddock that gets her closer to farm action, and she likes having a job. 

Millie telling Charlie how happy she is, and what a great job she's doing. Charlie is feeling a bit out of sorts, I think he has mixed feelings about Millie's new role.

Millie!

Millie has been living in a large hillside pasture with a pond. By herself. She has been too eager to play with sheep, and to chase and kill chickens. I haven't had time to work with her, to teach her what is expected of an LGD living with stock. This spring I've had the sheep in with her several times when I've been around to correct over enthusiastic behaviors, but haven't trusted leaving them in with her.

Today, this afternoon, I let the sheep in with her. I brought along a big yummy, meaty bone. Millie happily grabbed the bone and trotted off to her dining room. The sheep et al burst into the field and started munching down. 

A bit later when I checked (Charlie was barking unhappily) the sheep were all up by the fence munching away, Millie was down at the pond. Just now the sheep are in a different area, Millie is exploring the paddock. She seems totally disinterested in chasing! Charlie isn't really happy with the affair, I think he's jealous. I'm so pleased with Millie, if this keeps up I'll leave the sheep in with her overnight and hopefully next week. 

I think giving her something to focus on when the stock first came in was key. She had something to do while they settled down, and when she finished eating she just went about her normal business of protecting the world against predators.

Now if I can get her to ignore chickens...

Mountains in Sunshine

St Helens and human-made dragonfly heading south.

Another side of Mt Rainier - and hawk heading east. 

She dominates the landscape wherever she appears.

Misty Moon

The Unpaid Help

Such a beautiful day on a holiday weekend. I decided to spend the early evening doing one of my favorite things, gardening. I went up the hill to dig up some cedars I'd spotted growing under the power lines. Left there they'd get cut down eventually, so better they get transplanted. 

There's a buffer of trees between my house clearing and the lower building and field. I lost several trees in windstorms this winter and last, and wanted to replace them with evergreens. Nothing like having a source close to home!

 

When I got back with the trees I found the planting area already occupied. Turns out downed trees are great places for bantams to hang out in. They watched me with great curiosity. I'm not sure whether they were afraid I'd eat their bugs or hoping I'd turn up more bugs.

Or perhaps they just find humans interesting with their odd behaviors of digging holes and filling them up again with other stuff, leaving all the good things - earthworms, bugs, bits of grass - laying around on the surface.

One of my Peacocks settled in to watch as well. It's so much fun watching someone work! With the help of my watchers I got 5 cedars and a bunch of native iris planted and watered. Beauty surrounds me.

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!