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lilyfinch

Summer 2020 part 2 : beauty all around us

Hello everyone!!! I see the other thread was getting super long , but full of such gorgeous pics!! Please keep em coming !

Summer is flying right by if you ask me . Let’s keep sharing our beautiful gardens and life stories here and encourage one another .




Comments (371)

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Deborah - when I went through menopause, I always had those big ice packs that are used for camping. It's amazing how much those help!


    Kristine and Sheila - I am so sad for all of you in reach of the fire's harm. And all of the older people who don't have the energy to start again. Horrible.

  • sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    So sorry to hear of all the horrible fires on the West Coast. I have family there.

    Please stay safe and leave if they tell you to.

    These huge multiple fires on the west coast are becoming just as regular as the huge hurricanes on the East Coast now. Climate change does suck.

    I really wish we could send you all some of our daily rain.

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    I wonder if I'll ever get to my afternoon chores. It's 98F, so I won't be outside until much later. It was bad enough yesterday at 97F--let h#ll on earth begin. I can tell you we have air conditioning, and it's running (itself to death-ha). I remember my days as a young married. We had no AC in our little house, and I sweat all night long with a big fan blowing on us and all windows open. I would lie in a lawn lounger in the evenings, reading, until it got pitch dark, and then reluctantly go inside to the house/furnace. But enough of past travails.... Lisa, thank you so much for confirming that I also grow Chinese forget me not. I went through all my seed packets from last and this year, and found nothing that could explain the campanula, but my Chinese forget me not seed came from Select Seeds. I like that seller a lot. I've heard of those water forget me nots, but since we're so dry, I didn't try them. I agree the Chinese type are more colorful. Jim, I spotted that little helper of yours. You certainly capture some wonderful photos of insects and birds. I simply can't do it. Dilly, you've got a smiling brunnera leaf. I think it's the cutest one. After the adorable and happy little boy, I like the useful kitty. She looks just like our old codger, Clancy, only your kitty is prettier. Same markings and colors almost exactly. I am so impressed with your roses, Cobra lily, and especially that hardy geranium, Havana Blues. I have too many Rozannes, and she is sprawly in my garden, though I love all her blooming. I love hibiscus Luna Red, which I also grow. You are a little ahead of us, so mine are not blooming quite yet. I hope the weather moderates before they pop open. Our dry heat just destroys hibiscus blooms. Your Julia Child looks great, and I hope she is a bloom machine for you. Ingrid, many thanks--especially because I so admire your skill as a photographer. I'm sorry about your heat, which is bad here, too. It's that suffering time of year for plants and humans alike. A little rain might be nice, but it's not going to happen here. Take care from all of us, your gardening friends. Diane
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  • Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
    3 years ago

    The air Quality is in the hazardous range. The smoke is horrendous !

    The upside is seeing the community come together . It always reminds us

    that when disaster strikes people are at their best .

    We have made ABC's nightly news two nights in a row.

    As a neighbor said this all makes you long for a nice quiet Covid day

    Thanks for the thoughts and prayers .

    Keeping praying for Washington. Oregon and California .

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
  • Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
    3 years ago

    Oh Kristine! So sorry about your friends. I have a few that live in Bonney Lake that were evacuated but they are starting to let them back so it sounds like that fire is getting somewhat under control. Our air is a weird yellow due to the Bobcat Fire. Sweet Chariot, Softee and Bunny Tails with a yellow smoke filter.

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Beautiful, Stephanie!!


    Kristine - it's even scarier when you shouldn't even breathe the air!

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    3 years ago

    Hello, I'm still hanging in here...lol...No new news to tell..

    Just snapped this photo of Cagney and Gracie snoozing...I was chuckling cause Gracie was growling in her sleep..lol

    I hope everybody is doing ok... Miss you all for sure and miss tending to my roses...



    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Jim - my dogs are always running in their sleep...Cagney would be pushed to the floor. I'm surprised that didn't happen, because if Gracie is growling...she's probably prowling (like the rhyme?) :) in her dreams...and then the legs usually start a' goin'.

    I'm so glad that you have a safe place to stay while you look for a place. :)


  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Jim, I love that pic. Kitties make little noises when they dream, too. In fact Finn makes little chirps to himself all the time, but rarely makes a full meow--just those cute silent ones. I know you'll get your own place, but in these strange, trying times, it just takes a little longer. Everything seems to. I'm glad you're staying in touch with us, and wish you had some roses to focus on. No fire here, but lots of Oregon's smoke, which is not much to complain about. Diane

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Diane Brakefield
  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago


    Old, worn out cat chair being used appropriately.

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Diane Brakefield
  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Awwwww!!!! And your tiger cat is "Whatchyou lookin' at?" Or maybe "Pardon, me, dear lady, but would you kindly leave us to sleep in peace!" :)


  • Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
    3 years ago

    Yay , the water restrictions are lifted so everything got a good drink

    Sadly the zinnias and dahlias got destroyed in the wind. But the roses seem to like the smoke or perhaps the cooler weather but check this out.

    Peach Swirl kicking it up a notch

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
  • flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
    3 years ago

    Oh, good! Cute pet pics. They always make my day.

    Jim, did Lacey get kicked off the couch? How is Cagney doing? Did she ever warm up to the prescribed food?

    Diane, Finn and Clancy are always entertaining. Those two silly boys are a complementary pair of stripeys. I've always regretted not getting Daisy a playmate. It's too late now, she's too spoiled and used to being an only child.

    Kristine, I noticed the same thing when the smoky air made it's way over here. Peach Swirl became very orangey yellow. It was peachy pink. My other roses have deepened in color, too. The carbon in the air must affect the color genes in the roses. Straw would no doubt laugh at that. That's probably not how it works at all.

    Kristine, have you found PSwirl to be a prolific bloomer? It never even takes a breath, but keeps on pumping out those blooms. Marc Chagall is doing the same thing, and his color is intensified, too. One bloom almost looks like Double Delight..


    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
  • Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
    3 years ago

    Cute kitty’s! And wow that Peach Swirl!

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    How’s everyone doing ?!! So glad to see Jim and kristine glad your roses got some water . The smoke clouds have made it feel like fall here. I almost wonder if we will get another flush , I’m sure we will right ? lol my brain has not acclamated to California still. I feel like a frost should be coming even though it isn’t at all . Lol

    I’ve already warned my husband I will be up for palantines sale and to not bug me . Is everyone ready ?!

    On other news , I went to church today . It was fabulous. It felt so nice to feel normal again !! I cried like a baby . Lol

    is anyone interested in hosting the fall thread ? Please say “aye “if so . If no one does I will and I promise to do a better job at chatting but school and the baby and my little side job to pay for school has been keeping me busy .

    Did I mention Elijah is walking now? He’s on a roll . Nothing is safe ! Lol

  • Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
    3 years ago

    A walker! You are right nothing is safe lol

    Azalea has the toddler tantrums mastered lol

    Flowers , I love Peach Swirl . It has not been without blooms and neither has Marc Chigall . Both great bloomers .


  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Way back when, my daughter had one of those small walker things which she maneuvered around our apartment. The funny thing is a lot of babies start going backwards in the walker first and a mile a minute, too. Then they finally start going forward, which must be a little harder. Of course, there the big tears when someone gets stuck in a tight place. Those were the days. Are those walkers considered unsafe now? My granddaughters never used them. Clare used a coffee table--round and round she went, and Jemma refused to walk at all. Diane

  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    3 years ago

    Yes, Diane, they are considered unsafe now. My kids enjoyed them too back in the day.

  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    I think I spent my whole childhood doing unsafe things. Now, we just give kids a device to keep them quiet in their rooms. Grumble. In my day.....grumble grumble....and we liked it. Diane

  • Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
    3 years ago

    Me too.

  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Lol yes they come with a list of warnings . Mostly bc if you have steps , your kiddo will be in trouble if they go down the steps. As with anything these days common sense should do the trick 😂. We have a walker and I use it outside when I am gardening . Keeps him contained and not eating any thing in sight . He uses a push walker inside . But now he walks like a mini Frankenstein! All over the place. He also plays basketball. Loves it so much !! He has a toddler sized hoop at the lowest setting and all day he puts the ball in . It’s his only word too. Ba ! ba! For ball . Everything and everyone is ba. Lol I adore him and would have a third if they they were a carbon copy. Lol he’s so so easy going. Eats all day . I feed him so much it seems . We are in trouble when he’s older !!

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Flowers and Kristine - that's pretty interesting that the smoke would change the color of the blooms. Very pretty, too!


    Lilyfinch - I'll be up and at 'em early Monday too ... Palatine wahoo!!! But, then I'm going back to bed. LOL My husband knows the importance of not bugging me when this is going on too. LOL He's a talker...but he's going to leave me alone. :) I still haven't gone back to church. I'm so happy that it moved you so much. :) Your kids are adorable as always!! And Elijah...welcome to the world on your own two feet!! :) Yup, you're going to have to be extra vigilant. :) Sure, I'll take over the fall thread. No worries. I have time to do this...and you don't. :)





    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked rosecanadian
  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    That will be great, Carol. It's time for a Canadian to take the helm. I could have sworn that several years ago, one of our Australians did the thread hosting. Trish? At that time, we had a Dutch guy posting regularly, and Sam from the Adirondack area near Saratoga Springs, NY. It was a really varied group, but we didn't have houzz problems to contend with. Good luck with your Palatine order.


    Lily, I love the "mini Frankenstein" and ba. My granddaughter Clare was like an overwound clock racing around the coffee table with one hand slightly on the table for security. Then one day, she took off. Her younger sister began walking briefly, fell on her bottom, and refused to walk again for ages. Her mother did the same thing. Kids are so funny. Diane

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Diane Brakefield
  • DDinSB (Z10b Coastal CA)
    3 years ago

    Carol - you are so good about making people feel welcome -- you'll be a great host! Thanks for doing it! And re the ice packs -- a couple of times that night I went and got ice cubes out of freezer and just let them melt on me back in bed. The fan blowing on me made it feel cool long enough to kind of get back to sleep!


    I just popped in to report that I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. so I could be up and get some stretching/exercise in, and then at 5:55 a.m. I got on my computer so that I could buy my Augusta Luise from Palatine! I did it! I was a bit gobsmacked by the price, though. The prices seem so low and then you add shipping, handling, and HST taxes...and suddenly it's a very expensive rose. Just as much as Heirloom. Oh well. Now I have an AL coming in November on multiflora rootstock, and then in a year I'll have an own-root from Peter at Freedom Gardens (that I ordered LAST year). Augusta had better be worth all of this waiting and expense! I also ordered an Eden Climber for my friend (I have got someone else addicted to roses now, tee hee!).


    Loving the fur baby pics & hearing about baby frankenstein toddling. Kristine - hope things get back to "normal" again for you soon. The smoke here is ever-present but not as bad as the rest of the West. Lucky for us we have the marine layer pushing in which keeps the smoke from settling on top of us. Stay well, everyone!

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked DDinSB (Z10b Coastal CA)
  • titian1 10b Sydney
    3 years ago

    Diane, I did have my arm twisted (by you probably!), to host the thread years ago. Sad never to know what happened to Hans (played by Pierce Brosnan in our movie, I think). Our children (or someone) should have to let others know when we're no longer able to post. Us older ones should put it in our wills!

    Thanks for hosting all this while, Lilyfinch. With such a lot on your plate, too. Keep posting pics of your children - they're a shot in the arm. And lovely to hear all the stories about little ones. My son is moving home shortly with his girlfriend, so I'll have both my 'little ones' here.

    And thanks, Carol, for taking up the baton. I'm so glad you came back to the fold!

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked titian1 10b Sydney
  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Trish, I knew it was you, Glad to see your post, And I really liked Hans' interesting posts and lovely photos, but you remember those movie parts better than I do. Will your son and gf be living in one of your apartments? I think it's lovely you will have your "little ones" so close by, after at least one of them has roamed the world. I hope your life is more exciting than mine is right now--I'm having a hard time digesting the awful events taking place currently. Oh, how we should have paid more attention to climate change. It's late afternoon here and looks like 8 pm. Yes, I agree that our children should let the forum know when we have ascended to the great rose garden in the sky. I hope they have Augusta Luise up there. Post again soon. Diane

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked Diane Brakefield
  • DDinSB (Z10b Coastal CA)
    3 years ago

    carol - did you get all your roses ordered?


  • titian1 10b Sydney
    3 years ago

    Diane, I am horrified by the fires you are experiencing in the US. Those with power and big money are loathe to have their incomes threatened by admitting there's climate change, so who knows when it will be addressed. I first became aware of it 30 years ago, when a woman in the office opposite mine had a poster about it on her door. She was a climate professor. The prof I worked for forecast pandemics. If you've ever seen Fawlty Towers, he's a dead ringer for John Cleese, and used to enjoy imitating him!

    I'm hoping we don't have another summer with 4 months of smoke. It's depressing only dimly seeing the sun as a veiled orange ball, breathing smoke and having ash everywhere.

    Augusta Luise is bound to be there! I expect your whole garden will be!

    Yes, my son will be living in his 'castle'. And his girlfriend will have a bedroom upstairs in my place, as an escape hatch, as the 'castle' is very small. Also, so that she can have somewhere to make pretty, as he insists on keeping his washing in a plastic milk crate, and his surfboards piled against a wall.

    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked titian1 10b Sydney
  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Diane - Yup...we'll get a Canadian theme going. Maple sryup and french toast..YUM! Raisiny butter tarts...YUM!! Oh, wait, this is a rose forum. LOL


    Deborah - thanks! :) I'm usually checking the forum out a couple times/day...so hosting this will be no problem. It goes on its own momentum anyway. :) Icecubes...maybe just sleep in the bathtub with coolish water. LOL Gotta love a fan and icecubes though. :) Good job on getting an Augusta Luise!! I'm sure it will be fantastic for you!! I'm glad you're mostly free from the smoke...that's hot it is here too...once in awhile we get a whiff of smoke...but that's it.


    Titian - thanks! I'm so glad I'm back too! :) :) Yes, I really think we need to let our families know to let our families here know if something happens to us. I'll do that today with my family. That's great that you will have more family around you. Just make sure they're careful with COVID around you.


    Diane - LOL...yes, Augusta Luise will be there. Most definitely. :)


    Deborah - yes! I got 11 roses...I added a climber to the list...Golden Age. It may struggle growing in a pot...but I'm going to try it...and may even get another one. That way I could have one growing on each side of my fountain. With some kind of trellis/pillar in the pot. Not really sure how that will work. It's great to see that you got your AL!!



    Cold today....

    9C/48F.



  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Carol, I love your classy fountain. My garden is very short on that kind of thing. Fall has definitely hit your place--48F--eek. Here, it looks like fall with the gloomy, smoky skies, and all the torn off leaves on the ground from the wind more than a week ago. My lawn boy (son in law) needs to mow and get those leaves sucked up by the mower before we have a real leaf drop. Then the serious mess begins. The only good thing is partially bare trees let in more sun for my most sun deprived roses. How wonderful that you've got 11 roses coming from Palatine. I really want a few new ones, but I will be satisfied to see yours and others' new roses next year. It will be an eye opener for me.


    Trish, you are such a generous mother in law of girlfriend (now that's a title), but think of all the lively conversations you will have. Surfboards....now that brings back memories of my daughter's dad and his giant, old fashioned surfboard we had to drag around for years until the man finally switched to hang gliders. That's a story for another day. I love John Cleese. Wasn't he in Monty Python? I do hope you don't have another summer of smoke, too. I just read about thousands of Australians that can't return to their country because of closed borders....and they are out of money. What a mess.


    Report in regularly, everyone, and stay safe. Diane



  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Carol , thank you so much for taking over. I read just about all the threads everyday but the time to respond thoughtfully just isn’t there. Which is such a shame bc often I do have something to add but any time on my phone is viewed as mama surely can play and is not busy at all . Lol so I read in bursts of stolen moments .

    Even Instagram I haven’t posted as much. I think I follow too many curated accounts and feel unworthy of sharing my humble garden and that’s really a reflection of what social media can do to your self esteem .

    I should wait til evening sun to get a better shot but here is clematis Jenny and souer Emmanuel who smells so so incredible!!! It’s weird , up very close it’s too heavy of a fragrance but pruning around it is just right . Also note this is not the usual coloring

    Mmmmmmmmm

    lucia and her unicorn who matches her dress :)

    Nahema , one of my favorite roses

  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Violets pride


    Lavender crush Smells like a fresh lemon

    Desdemona is finally growing

    Flowers this is for you !! My Marc chagrall is also being weird lol

  • titian1 10b Sydney
    3 years ago

    Lilyfinch, I love Lucia's dress. All those pretty pastels, and how clever of her to draw a Unicorn to match. If you do move, you'll be glad of all those roses in pots. Your roses are looking great. I saw Nahema growing up a house in Tasmania, and thought the colour and scent were perfection.

  • pippacovalent
    3 years ago

    Lilyfinch your Violet's Pride is beautiful...mine is the one rose I have that hasn't seemed to have grown at all. It might end up being dug up and put in a pot.

  • flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Oh, my goodness!, Lilyfinch, that is so funny that both our Marc's are doing this. If we could know the parentage, that might explain it. In any case, I think it is a marvelous rose and wish I had bought more than one. I thought he and Peach Swirl were too much alike, but they're not at all. Isn't Souer E fantastic!! I credit Diane with introducing that one to me. It's another one I wish I had more than one of.

    Lucia reminds me of my daughter at that age. She could entertain herself for hours with the simplest things. Lucia must have inherited some artistic genes.

    You, of all people, shouldn't worry about measuring up to the IG posts. Some of those people are professionals and we are just humble home gardeners. Well, I'm speaking for myself. Your roses are every bit as beautiful as any I see on IG. It's such a good way to keep a record.

    Trish, I love when you post and we get updates about your kids and roses and other parts of your garden and life. You have not mentioned Rosy (Rosie) for a long time. How's his leg? Both kids home, plus another one, will be a change for you, but a happy one. You surely breathed in more than your share of soot and bad air last year. I'm sure Australia is still recovering. I think the US will take as long after these fires are over. I can never remember just how your seasons go. Are you just entering spring? I hope your teas thrive this year free of any of that disease you have been fighting for so long.

  • titian1 10b Sydney
    3 years ago

    Hi flowers, thanks for reminding me: I thought there was something I had to do this morning, but couldn't think what it was. I've got a Vet appointment for Rosie in a couple of hours. She's not been weight-bearing on that leg sometimes over the last couple of days. She's still fast asleep beside me, under the doona. She's a great sleeper!

    Yes, I'm looking forward to my son and his girlfriend being here. She's lovely, and Diane, it won't be a great inconvenience to me for her to have a bedroom upstairs. I only go up there to shower, and read on the balcony. I moved into a bedroom that's next to the kitchen last year, when Rosie had the operation on her leg.

    I doubt that Australia will ever recover from the fires of last summer. The Bush and animals, that is. Such an enormous area was burnt. Koalas are near extinction, and yet the Government is still allowing their remaining habitats to be cleared for coal mines etc. Yes, your fires are just terrible. I think most of ours were started by dry lightning strikes, but a major one was started by a backburn getting out of control. That happens far too often. There was a backburn a couple of weeks ago, and it must have gotten out of control, as I could smell smoke strongly all night and the next day.

    Yes, Spring has Sprung here. Kim Rupert has diagnosed my roses as having Downy Mildew. They're none to happy, but some are still doing OK. Diane, I may use Phyton again.

    The weather has been lovely. My daughter has ideas of getting me fit, I think. We went kayaking on Saturday - floating about really! Then on Sunday, we did a bushwalk. I staggered along for 8.5 km. The next day, she asked whether I was stiff. I wasn't, so she's decided I can do 10km!

  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thank you flowers !! She sure is artistic. She drew a T. rex at church the other day and the man next to us waited the whole service to tell her how wonderful it was . I’m very proud of her !! Andcthsnk you for the compliments. It means a lot to me !! But it’s so easy to see others and feel like mine is just a mess .

    Trish, so funny you say that bc I hardly have any blooms on my potted roses. The heat really really got them ! I’m going to spend money over winter buying little pavers to put under so they aren’t directly on the concrete , but I will be so so happy when we move ( I like to speak this into existence! Lol ) and can drag em along. If I have to drive a u haul myself I will. Sorry gotta go without finishing my thoughts ! Lol

  • flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
    3 years ago

    Trish, I'll have to think how far 10km is, but I know it's not a walk around the block. Every time we go to Canada, I get a refresher course in the differences in mi and km, but promptly forget. Your daughter is quite an outdoors and fitness girl. Why won't they just leave us alone to age in our own way. My daughter-in-law is a fitness trainer and my son is a triathlete, but thankfully, they never try to convert us. Strangely enough, I think we eat healthier than they do.

    Kim Rupert is a godsend to this forum. He has been so helpful to so many, besides being a gentleman and humble and often funny. If it's Downey Mildew, there is something you can do, right? What a relief to be able to put a name to it.

    Keep us informed about Rosie. That sweet pooch has been through so much and seems to just take all her hardships in stride, as animals do.

    I'm sad to hear about the Koalas. I will never forget the pictures from Australia's fires, especially the wildlife. Fires of that caliber make it almost impossible to ever get back to normal.

  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Flowers, a kilometer is about .6 of a mile. Ten kilometers would be a little over 6 miles. Krikey, I doubt if I can do a mile, and I wouldn't try, even if my daughter dragged me along. Daughter and son in law are heading to Baker City, Oregon, to hike and climb this weekend. In smoke. My daughter is 52 and son in law is 53. Not spring chickens. They are on the looney keto diet (sorry to all those on this diet; it's looney, and has been around forever). I am on the ice cream diet, also looney, but more fun, unless you like cardboard tortillas.


    Trish, that makes me sick about the koalas, one of my favorite animals since I was a little kid. I've drawn them, painted them, sculpted them, and embroidered them in various colors and wild designs. I just love everything about them. Diane

  • flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Being dragged would be the only way I could make it 6 miles, I'm ashamed to say. I used to do 5 miles every day, rain or shine. I've ruined my knees, so no more of that. Your 'krikey' didn't go unnoticed. Is that Australian or English? No matter, Trish is both. No, wait.... she's Scottish. I wish I was something interesting like that.

    I hope your kids have the best time hiking. Everyone has cabin fever and just want to get outside. Some of mine are camping at the beach this week.

  • titian1 10b Sydney
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    flowers, you do make me laugh. I don't think Scottish is interesting. Anyway, my children tell me I am English, but I'm an Australian citizen, and have lived here for 53 of my almost 72 years. I'm impressed by your previous daily 5 miles. I took to my bed after, and had a nap.

    I don't know if the English say crikey, but it was made popular as I'm sure you know by Steve Irwin, though you don't hear many people saying it these days, or any of the Aussie slang come to that.

    Diane, you prodded my conscience. There are signs on the Bilgola Bends (which is a twisty bit of main road just at the bottom of my street), telling people to ring our local MP about the importance of preserving what little koala habitat there is left. After reading your post I rang. Mostly the signs are pretty boring, wishing someone Happy Birthday and the like, though a few years back there were a couple of related ones. The first one said 'Welcome Home, Mum', then, round a bend, the next one said 'What's for dinner?'! The most ironic one is one at the start of the Bends, which says 'Warning. Dangerous signs'. It appears to be an RTA (ie traffic authority) sign. Maybe it is!

    The vet found nothing wrong with Rosie, so I left poorer but happier. She thinks it's probably arthritis as a result of the op she had, and she gets a series of injections every 6 months for that.

  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Flowers, I misspelled it--it's crikey, and it's Australian. Trish is tricultural. I'm sure you have a multi country heritage, as most all of us do. I'm also English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish (Northern). Lordy, you did 5 miles. You know, my friend Nancy, the big outdoorswoman blew both her knees years ago, and has had surgery on both. Her first knee went in the middle of nowhere, and her fellow backpackers had to carry her out and back to civilization. Her shoulders are shot, and so is her grip. Still, she manages to crosscountry ski. She is another 74 year old. I'll be 75 in less than two months. I say that's long enough, and I refuse to move off my rocking chair. I will let you take care of my roses. I'll pass your good wishes on to my kids, and I hope yours have fun at the beach. Diane

  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Trish, thank you for making that call in support of the koalas. They are a world treasure. Those signs you write about remind me of the old Burma Shave signs that this shaving cream company put up along the old highways during the first half of the last century. They were basically an advert, but started with a humorous jingle and ended with the last sign declaring "Burma Shave". So cornball, but everybody loved them, including me as a little kid , when they were encountered on long, boring road trips. The road authorities around here put up silly signs like "narrow shoulders", "bump" (which I guess has a purpose). We are admonished to "share the road" with bicyclists. It's like having a nagging road mother. "Trish, don't blow out your knees on long hikes", says the nagging old rose lady. Diane

  • Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
    3 years ago

    Good Saturday morning.

    We had some visitors this morning



  • Stephanie, 9b inland SoCal
    3 years ago

    OMG they are soooo cute! For some reason I didn’t realize the PNW had wild turkey’s.

  • Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
    3 years ago

    We see them pretty frequently. Those babies are pretty cute


  • Diane Brakefield
    3 years ago

    Kristine, I loved the photo of the wild turkeys. There are a lot of them in Southern Idaho, but none out here. I think I have my hands full with quail. I should take some photos, but the quail are like greased lightening when they sense danger (and quite smart, despite their goofy qualities). This photography would be a good job for my granddaughter.


    Everyone, I hope your Saturday is going well. It's hair cutting day for me, and I must bite the bullet and just do it before I get any scarier. Diane

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Diane - thanks!! :) That fountain is new this year, and I've really enjoyed it. :) I can't wait to have yellow ramblers on both sides of it! :) Although, I don't really like the comination of yellow and the brown of the wall. Oh well. :)


    Lilyfinch - no problem!! :) :) Fall is on September 22...so I'll start a new thread then. Your Lucia is adorable!! She's growing up so fast! I love her rainbow unicorn!! And I love how proud she is of her artwork. :) What a sweetie! Your roses look great!! I didn't know that Lavender Crush smells like lemons!! I really want a strongly scented lemon fragrance. Mmmmm.

    You are a mother of 2 small children. :) You have years ahead of you to make a garden perfect (if that's possible...LOL)...right now it would be great if you could try not to judge yourself. You can't do everything. You are a fantastic mother and have gorgeous roses. Try to enjoy the moments peacefully and happily. I speak from experience...be kind to yourself. :)


    Titian - that is heartbreaking about the fires, people and animals. And the darling koalas. Hard to imagine the devastation. :( And I hope your Rosie will be okay. But that's good news about you walking so far!! Be careful, LOL, or she may have you starting some marathons!


    Flowers - I googled, and 10 km is a bit over 6 miles. Oh....already answered. :) Your kids are so athletic! Wow! How did you ruin your knees? I'm worried about that, because my area of Calgary is the foothills...there's no way to walk aaround my house without going down, up, up, up, down, down, up, up, up, up, up...etc. I try to walk 5 km every other day (if the air quality is good...which it's not today...we're in moderate air quality conditions today). I don't want to ruin my knees.


    Diane - climbing in the smoke? That's like smoking while they're climbing. I like the ice cream diet better...make mine a chocolate with caramel sauce...wait a minute...extra caramel sauce. Wow...you're artistic!!...sculpting, embroidering...hey...aren't you the famous quilter? I forget. ... too many blows to the head. :)


    Titian - so good that you called about the koalas!!! I'm so proud of you! :) :) They're such defenseless, slow animals that are so habitat specific. That's great news about Rosie! How old is she?


    My daughter just did an Ancestry.com and she's 53% Swedish. I'm 50% Swedish and 50% Slovakian. They even show that my daughter is from Northern Swedish ancestry. She's been doing family trees and has one date that goes back to 1480. She's done extensive work on all sides of the family, and it totally aligns with the results she got. It's funny that both my husband's and my relatives come from Northern Sweden and here we are years later and reunited the Swedish genes. LOL My husband is Swedish, Norwegian, with a bit of German and NW Europe in there. I think it's so cool!


    Kristine - wild turkeys!!! How cool is that!! They're so much more functional and "real" than the delicious ones we've made. :)


    Diane - I would love to see pictures of your quail! We've had quail a few times around my perennial garden. They've never stayed long enough to do any damage because we have dogs. :)


    Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca thanked rosecanadian
  • flowersaremusic z5 Eastern WA
    3 years ago

    Trish, thanks for the report that Rosie is likely just favoring that leg. Who could blame her! It was probably painful for a long time both before and after surgery. Habits are easily formed. One of my toddler granddaughters coughed for about a year after having a cold. The dr. said it had become a habit and she would stop eventually. She did.

    Kristine, that's a great pic of your visitors. I love the turkeys. They meandered through my garden for years until we put up the deer fence. I never saw a single nibbled leaf. Most people around here don't like them, to put it mildly, so I just wanted to give them my vote for cuteness and for excellent parenting. When they cross the road, the daddy goes first and stands in the street like a crossing guard, then the string of babies follow with mama bringing up the rear. This time of year, I have to stop to let a turkey family cross every time I go out. I'll admit they are a little 'messy' on the lawn, but that doesn't bother me. They're good flyers. I've seen them roosting in the highest branches in wild apple and cherry trees along the road.

    Carol, I also LOVE your fountain. The sound of water in the garden is the finishing touch. I have a lot of birdbaths, but would love to hear water dribbling or splashing. When I was doing all that walking, we lived in the hills in CA, then moved to WA near the Centennial Trail that runs from downtown Spokane to somewhere in Idaho. It was flatter, but not entirely. By then, my knees were shot, so I walked more slowly. I had also done a lot of deep knee bends. If I tried that now, it would become my permanent position. A doc told me when I was only in my 40's that I had a bad set of joints, so your knees will most likely not be damaged by walking. I think it's so interesting to know about one's ancestors and heritage. One little bit of knowledge would lead to wanting to know more. That was such a nice thing your daughter did for the family.


  • titian1 10b Sydney
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Kristine, how interesting that your turkeys look after their young. Here the father tends to the 'nest', adjusting the temperature, but once the chicks hatch they're on their own. When my daughter and I saw our first very young baby chick, we couldn't work out what we'd seen. A fluffy tennis ball shot across a garden bed.

    flowers, poor Rosie had been taken up a long, steep set of stairs two days in a row, before she showed any sign of discomfort. By coincidence, my daughter had taken her the same route as me, the day before. I hadn't been up those stairs for years. So she won't be doing any more stairs now. That's funny about your granddaughter. I had a bout of 'flu badly a few years ago, and coughed and coughed for weeks. Couldn't even talk on the phone. A doctor told me later I'd developed a coughing reflex.

    That's such a nuisance about your knees. I'm now taking glucosamine and fish oil for mine, on the advice of my housepainter friend. They have improved. For years I used a cross-trainer, and that worked a treat, but my Achilles are so tight now, that I can't use it.

    Carol, I am getting the feeling that wall will not stay brown for long. Curious that, as you say, your husband and you, reunited those Northern Swedish genes.

  • rosecanadian
    3 years ago

    Flowers - that's adorable about the turkey parents crossing the road with their young'uns. :) I'm going to share that with my daughter. :) Thanks about the fountain!!! I've been wanting one for years, but I've never found one that I loved until I saw this one! My husband got it to the back all by himself. He rolled it. Then he built a contraption from pallets, etc. to roll the basin up onto the pedestal. I was so worried that he'd hurt himself!!! It really is wonderful to have a fountain!! I'm not sure about my knees...they're usually sore in the winter. But, we'll see, I guess. :) Yes, so cool to learn about our ancestry! My daughter is so thrilled!!


    Titian - that's strange that your area's turkeys parent differently than Flowers' area's turkeys! Coughing reflex. Did it eventually go away? Yes, I take fish oil too...and I give it to my older dog. He loves eating them. Well, my husband said that he wants to get someone to repaint the house because of all of the hail marks...so....why not get a different color!!!! Peacock blue!!! LOL I think the neighborhood would have a fit. I wonder if there's a paint color restriction in our neighborhood...there are no colorful houses. Well...there may be one, one of these days. LOL Yes, isn't that weird...of all the people we could have met we ended up together and we're both from Northern Sweden in our heritage.


    Stayed inside today because of the smoke...but tomorrow the air quality is supposed to be good. So I'll be outside cutting back the perennial garden...although I leave a big section for the birds. I was really surprised last year when I was too tired to cut everything back...and then in early spring there were tons of hungry birds flying around and around and hopping around. So I think I'll leave the perennials up every year for the hungry birds.