'Cause that's how I roll. Or swing.

That's a big hairy woodpecker (don't take that outta context) hanging from the feeder. Think they want me to restock it?

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Remember yesterday?

What a difference 24 hours can make. These peonies were big yesterday, and yet the blooms are even bigger today!

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Up to no good

Yeah, if these two are teaming up, I'd be worried. No good can come of this!

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Tucker vs the Dragon

Er, dragonfly... Tucker vs the dragonfly. Really didn't turn out as exciting as it sounds. ;-)

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Iris 3

I don't recall planting a white iris with such an interesting trim on the petals. This one really demands a second look!

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Iris 2

This iris half lost the battle with the storns... one of two stalks snapped, but thankfully both are blooming!

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Iris 1

Here's the first of the irises that lost the battle with last week's storms. Practically snapped off, it's still connected enough to bloom.

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Arch enemy

Daisy uncovered her nemesis, or at least a family member, while digging around in the flower beds. I'm used to seeing cats jump backwards... they're easily startled. Can't normally say the same for dogs, but boy did she jump backwards outta the flower bed!

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Not one to be shown up...

Seems the warm weather has inspired a second peony to put on a show this afternoon! I'm really not a fan of the singles, preferring double or bomb varieties. I think I got this one when I was just learning about peonies (a very long three years ago). It's not like I'm going to rip it out... I suppose every yard has to have a red-headed stepchild, right?

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Poppin' Peonies

Here's the first peony to pop open this season, with the first bloom popping open this morning and the other two sometime this afternoon.

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Kissy kissy!

Daisy's kissing her new friend. The toad didn't kiss back.

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It's true...

Tucker has rubber hip bones!

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It's broke!

Ok, who broke Tucker? At least when you do something like this, don't leave your toys out in the main path where someone will trip over them!

(Actually, I opened the windows and I think he's enjoying the breeze... if you know what I mean...)

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Cuteness

Goslings and proud parents... nice view while waiting for the train to pass.

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I just got buzzed!

Was walking across the yard when it sounded like a small airplane or missile was zooming up behind me. Very small, but very fast and, well, does "quietly loud" make any sense?

I ducked, not that it was necessary... this little hummingbird shot past and landed on the wind meter... and just sat there while I got out my phone, slowly walking closer, and taking pictures to get the best lighting.

I guess I got too close, as it buzzed off.... but not in a straight line for safety. It kind of zig zagged around and landed just a little further away on a wild rose.

Now who's watching who?

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Big bird

Click the image for the full size copy, and then look at the fence post farthest away, by the tree with the yellow tag. That's a Pileated Woodpecker... bobbing around to get suet, which is swinging around in the wind. It was so preoccupied that it barely noticed me and Doogie on the deck. Usually the Pileated Woodpeckers freak out and fly off, making a loud ruckus as they go.

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I stand corrected

FIVE house finch eggs!

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Did I mention...

There's another round of house finch eggs and their parents in the tree on the front porch? After they built a new nest, they (or the original couple??) dropped four eggs in the original, better hidden nest.

Also... of the 9 duck eggs in the back, I found only 8 today, with a very dead, very stinky, very gross baby duck (I assume??) and no shells a few feet from the nest this afternoon... Hopefully the rest will make it OK.

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Safe and sound

The bird netting isn't up to protect the lettuce, rosemary and other short plants in this bed. It's actually there to protect my plum trees that I just planted this spring, which got nibbled on by deer last week. But don't you like knowing the CSA veggies are getting the benefit of the bird-netting fortress??

While we've been saying we're so worried about how poor things are growing this season, this round of lettuce that I started in the basement months ago are actually doing beautifully with the wet, chilly weather. In fact, I miiight have to start harvesting some earlier than the early-to-mid June "official" start date of this year's CSA!

I have another batch in a different bed started later, and planted out later. Smaller than these heads here, but also doing much better than the lettuce I direct seeded...

Ya just never know what you'll get with the garden each year!

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Look really close!

See over on the right side of the hummingbird feeder. That's a ruby throated hummingbird taking a break between sips!

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Sensational

Even on a gloomy day like today, lilac 'Sensation' performs as advertised!

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The sleeping beast

She is WIIIPED out!

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Would it be rude...

... if I called you tart?

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Sniff sniff!

Here's the lilac that smells so amazing right now. I have other lilacs starting to bloom or bud, but the others open now don't smell nearly as amazing as this one does.

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To the deer who attacked my plum trees last night...

Game on, bitch. Let's see what you think of my 6' tall "wildlife netting". It might not exactly be a fortress, but it should distract you!

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How to inflate your dog

All I know is her cheeks puffed out. A lot! But she didn't float, nor did she fly backwards.

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Let's go to the beach!

The beach plums look beautiful right now... I only hope they produce fruit this year. Even if they do, I don't know that there would be enough for much jelly making...

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Appreciation for Ellie

Thanks to SNL this past weekend (the one starring Tina Fey), I was exposed to Ellie Goulding, a young british singer with some amazing music. She looks like a sweet, delicate blonde girl who really has an impressive set of pipes! And her music covers a range from covering Elton John's "Your Song" for the royal wedding (I've ALWAYS loved this song, and her rendition is great), to stuff you'd expect to hear in the dance clubs. Here's a brief collection of some of her videos:













I hope you enjoy her music as much as I do!

Related articles

• 'Saturday Night Live' w/ Tina Fey & Ellie Goulding Scores Preliminary 2.8 Adults 18-49 Rating (tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com)
• Rising Star: British Chanteuse & Royal Wedding Reception Performer Ellie Goulding (omg.yahoo.com)
• Ellie Goulding Talks Royal Wedding (perezhilton.com)
• Ellie Goulding: Music Fit for a King (or at least a prince) (chicagonow.com)

Mmmm!

Aw yeah, gimme my galley boy and extra well done fries!

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It looks so nice out

Unfortunately, rain is coming. Surprised?

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This is great

Poor tormented doggie!

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Rumbles

Kept hearing a deep but quiet rumbling, but didn't think we were supposed to have more rain til tomorrow. Turns out that distant rumbling is the next big storm that looks to hit here shortly. Oh yay.

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I'd like a dozen please

Two more duck eggs in the last few days!

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No fair

They won't even let me play in their reindeer games.

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Smarter than the dogs

Tucker knows to stay in the shade.

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Freshly mown lawn?

Yes! We love green paws!

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It's a dog!

You still don't see a floppy eared puppy?

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Apple Pie!

I may have gotten my pie making mojo back, finally, after a number of years of failures! And it looks like the world's most beautiful pie! (OK that's just me being cocky) If this tastes as good as it looks, I owe it all to the girl at The World Needs More Pie! It's all her recipe AND, and I think this is the clincher, a carefree spirit, minimal measuring, don't stress about the whole process so much attitude.... which is how I like to cook most of the time.

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Unfortunate

Someone had a good meal. I feel bad for the robins that went to all that work.

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Whoa!

Just after I discovered the robins eggs were all gone (four two days ago, three yesterday, none today), Doogie found a Mallards nest in an old coil of the wire mesh I use to make tomato cages. Right at the back of the yard, just up from the pond. The eggs are surprisingly big! I put another coil of mesh against it after he chased the momma mallard off. Hopefully she'll come back and I can keep the dogs out. Can't do anything about the mink we've been seeing....

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Fruity!

The white flowers in the foreground, plus the ones to the left (in the distance) are Asian pears, and the pink ones in the back right are peaches. I've never grown peaches before, and it looks like I'll be getting them the first year after planting the tree!

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Uh oh

We're back down to three eggs. I wonder if hawks would steal an egg? I don't know of any ground critters here that would do that?

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Why stop at four?

The robin has been a busy bird.

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Lazy days

I think even the dogs are tired of gray skies and rain.

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Foam party?

Brett's playing Portal 2,but it sure looks like he's setting up a foam party!

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Strike a pose

Honestly, we had nothing to do with this. Brett's folks were over, and I think the dogs were trying to show off. First Doogie hopped up there (not all that uncommon), and Daisy must've thought he was showing off more than she was, so she hopped up as well.

Silly dogs.

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