Mother Nature Apologized

We had two miserable days of straight rain last Friday and Saturday.  It rained non stop for all that time.  Was it depressing, well yeah....a lot depressing.

But Mother Nature must have felt a little sorry for us, and decided she needed to appease us somewhat.  Or maybe a whole lot.  Finally, on Saturday, just before sunset, the rain stopped.  Or did it.  Well it couldn't quite get it sorted out.  We took the dogs for a walk around the block.  It started to rain again, but the low sun was shining through it.  And then it did stop.  I figured there must be a rainbow somewhere.   The last leg of our walk is a quarter mile heading straight at our house, walking due east.  As we rounded the corner to make that last leg, there was the most beautiful sight.  A huge rainbow arched above the road, seeming to be not far ahead.  One of the brightest rainbows I've ever seen.  Did I say beautiful? It truly was awe inspiring.  I was ahead with Jake and Luna.  Larry was dawdling along with Calli.  Of course I didn't have the camera with me, so I hustled home as fast as I could.  Unfortunately though, because the sun was almost set, the rainbow didn't last quite long enough.  I ran in and got the camera, and when I got back out there was just a little bit of the arch left off to the south.  Disappointing to not be able to preserve the magic, but then some things are just meant to be enjoyed in the moment.

But then I did see a big hawk fly over and land in a cottonwood tree, and hold it's wings out to dry out and warm up, as it caught the last rays of the dying sun.  I stood out there myself, enjoying the wonder of it all.

There were some pretty interesting cloud formations as well.

So after two days of rain, we had two days of beautiful Spring-like days, with sunshine and blue skies.  Luna and I renewed our love affair.. waiting....waiting...

..with the rototiller.

It's Luna's favourite power tool, and definitely high on my list as well.  I dragged it out of the barn, put some gas in, checked for oil, and it started on the second pull.

I tilled the plot at the top of the driveway.  I'd love to get some potatoes in there right away.  But then I'd planned to put dahlias there a bit later.  Maybe I can get the dahlia's going in pots, and plant them there as soon as the potatoes are done?

Doing the rototiller two step

Sending an evil look to the photographer after rounding the corner and realizing what was happening.

Two more plots got done in the main garden.  Got to beat those buttercups back now before they take over the whole garden.

April Fools Day

I think the weatherman played an April Fool's joke on us today.  All week it had been predicted that today would be a half decent day, with some sunshine.  It has rained all day, and is raining still now at nearly 11pm. Miserable:(

Anyway, I did want to just point out that today is April's 15th birthday.  That's a darn good age for a sheep.  She and her brother Fool were our first bottle lambs

Here's April March 15, 2005 with a set of twins.  That little cutie on the left went on to be the only sheep we've ever lost to coyotes, although she was up to about 60 lbs when that happened.  

Sorry if you found that kind of depressing:(

I'm also noticing how much farther along the grass was that year.  I'd say we're at least three weeks behind this year.

Here's me feeding April some grain tonight.  I had brought the wrong bucket so I wasn't able to put the handle over her head.  I just fed her in the barn where the other ewes were, so I had to stay and protect her from being bashed out of the bucket.

She's a doddering old lady now, and her days are definitely limited.

Unfortunately we didn't get any of these today, but these were taken on April 1, 2005.

I'm off to a farmers market on Saturday morning. 

Here's hoping for lots of loaded customers.

We Went to the Beach!

Yesterday we went to the beach.

Well not the ocean beach, but the river beach.  At this time of year when the water is low, before the Spring runoff has started, there is a big sand bar in the Fraser River.  Instead of driving 40 minutes to the ocean, we can drive 10 minutes to the river.  The sand is really soft there, and it's hard enough for us just walking in the stuff, so the dogs must have got one heck of a work out.

We did remember to go prepared, with rubber boots and balls and a chuck-it.

We went out to the edge of the river, which meant everything was muckier, but the dogs got some water action too.

It made for some really mucky dogs

We could rinse them off in the river, but then we had a lot of sand to cross to get back to the trail and the car. 

It was one of those spring days that was a mixed bag regarding the weather.  Quite a heavy shower of rain, started, so we decided to head back.

And then we saw this

Which developed into this

Multiple pots of gold, just a river's width away!

There weren't any volunteers to swim across though, too bad:(

You should have seen the pile of sand that was on and around Luna's mat this morning, after her tail and feathers finally dried out.   Oh, and on the stairs, and in the basement. 

She must have felt much lighter.

Spuds and other Stuff

There was no getting the potatoes planted this year by March 3, which is what I aim for every year.   A few days ago I planted this bunch of leftovers from last year, that were going a little wild.

And then the rest of the bed was planted with some Warbas.

Tomorrow I'm going to put plastic over these hoops to help heat the soil a bit faster and give the potatoes a jump start.

It was a bit of weird day, starting out sunny, and then clouding over, and then it couldn't make up it's mind. Hard to tell in this photo, but it was sunny and raining at the same time.

Which meant there should be a rainbow. 

There was, but it was the weirdest rainbow I've seen here.  Instead of arching high into the sky, it seemed low and flat and barely showed above the trees.

Remember how I said that neither rototiller was working.  Well I told David that I'd give him $20 if he could get this one working.  Larry has no more mechanical aptitude than me.  Obviously there is some in his family though, as one brother is mechanically inclined, and my dad was too.  David had to get it from somewhere.  

David got the rototiller working, and went and rototilled a plot of garden.  

I love this little rototiller, and I love David even more!

Yesterday Larry seriously wounded the rototiller.  One tine caught on a piece of metal that was jammed in the ground to hold a board in place,  flung it up and it hit the rototiller by the fuel tank and a metal part got broken.  

The rototiller is at the hospital.  Hopefully it wasn't a mortal wound, or an expensive wound.  We don't know how long the recovery is going to take. 

It's back to digging by hand.

The greenhouse could do with a clean out and a power wash.

Jake getting the golden glow of the setting sun.  

Our driveway isn't as steep as the zoom makes it appear.

A random crow in the top of the oak tree

Tonight's full moon just coming up.  Apparently it is 14% larger, or maybe that was closer? than usual.

First day of Spring on Sunday!