My Favorite Kind of Weather: Hot and Smoky

85* at Dawn...Smoky skies and oppressive heat were the theme of the week.
Bear Butte...Obscured by the haze. Below, my new hobby: Killing Yellow Jackets... Pretty Cool Snake...He was just hanging around the Butterfly Bush. Below, Blooms of Statice, Yucca and Rose.
Climbing Rose on a Clear Day...Below, Simba ala Photoshop. Find edges, then fade find edges/multiply. It makes it appear like a water color or acrylic painting. The Gladiola blossom at the end of this post received similar treatment
Close up of the Sunflower...Hairy! Below, Echinacea.
Glads...and Day Lilies...
This week saw record heat in our neck of the woods. I worked the bees and had a very interesting time of it. My strong hive is absolutely jammed with honey in the upper brood box but they have barely started working the top super. They are backing off on the syrup (finally! little lickers..) and I am set to receive some spare deep frames in a couple days to open up the brood box with. We can harvest a couple frames of honey in the process. The deep hive bodies are a bit of a problem for me. Full, they weigh in excess of 80 lbs! I nearly had a hernia trying to lift the top one off! There is a flow on. Clover, I think. Weak hive has brood and eggs. It appears to be building up again. Both hives have mega pollen stores as well. Yea! I water and mulch.

Step Into Spring

The Male Mosquitoes consume only sugary liquids like nectar, so they are an aide in pollination. Unlike their blood thirsty mates, they actually have one beneficial influence on humans! Are you interested in Mosquito trivia and facts? Go HERE
Plum Possibilities..I love the bursting with potential feeling to this image.

Greengage Plum...The earliest of the plums that I have to begin blooming. Greengage are cool because they resemble a Japanese plum in flavor and texture, but they are actually European so there is little pruning required beyond the basics; which are to cut out all the dead and broken limbs; remove crossing limbs, and open up the center by removing most inward facing twigs and branches. One could also head back the top some - cutting no more than 50% of new growth - to control size and match the tree height to the limits of your ladder!
Vinca...Invasive and Viney. Planted in the shade at the edge of buildings, and controlled from taking over by being placed opposite a pathway, they do make a cooling ground cover for near your structures. Do not allow it to escape, unless you are going for the viney and invasive look. They are good for shady areas away from the main garden.
Pear Blossom..Actually this is the precursor to the multi blossomed pear flower. I love how hairy they are, like they are wearing little jackets.
Pansies...Up close and personal. Erotic.
The First of the Nectarine Blossoms...They are early and tender; I am hoping for a mellow spring.
Forsythia...A brightly colored and cheery spreading bush for the homestead. This dependable and carefree perennial is one of the first things to bloom in the spring.
Would you Believe This Beauty Above is a Dandelion? Curly.
Daffodil Show - Gotta love 'em, they seem to shout SPRING!

Bay Laurel Blossom...Succulent and weird looking. Below, three very clear illustrations why ridge top living is the best! Three very different sunrises and although the view is the same, it never is. Do you know what I mean?Snoopy...Mr. Kind Eyes. Below, Bear Butte...looking ominous in the breaking day.
The cloud activity has been pretty constant the last couple of days. Prior to that, the weather overall has been warm, calm and dry. The rain is moving in for real tonight, and we need it. As you can see, the garden is starting to show its colors. We are busy with a multitude of springtime chores. Moved about a ton of wood off my new grape site and I pruned the bulk of the early blooming fruit trees, except for the almond, which frankly is too tall for my ladder! Now what? We started a load of spring greens, and the weather has been absolutely cooperative. If you don't have your peas in yet, please! soak them tonight, to plant out tomorrow in the rain. Peas do very well in a dry spring like we have been having. The long stretch of sunny days allowed the soil to really warm up.

Oh Yea, Big Thanks to Eric, for the cool links on his blog - SoHumParlance, our local virtual water cooler for all things current. Must be a slow news week...heh heh

March Marches In

Sunset on the EVE OF THE IDITAROD...You will find lots of great info HERE on my mushingblog. It is going to be a great race this year. There is a good amount of snow, and temps are on the cool side. On the home front, the sunsets have been stunning, as you can witness from the photos I have to share today. I must apologize in advance for the quirky quality of some of them. I am experimenting with new, low end, telephoto, and wide angle lenses. I've yet to completely crack the code on communicating with my camera over these new accessories. It's been too long since I contemplated f-stop and shutter speed...steep learning curve. Any tips would be appreciated. (yea, here's one; buy a better lens!)
Lassik Peak Looking Stunning...This shot actually worked. We've yet to see this range with such clarity, I love the sunshine splashing through the clouds...Below, The Orchard is Beginning to POP! Plums...
And Pear...Time to get that pruning done!
Dogs Looking Pensive and Inquisitive...There are plenty of dog focused entries on my MUSHINGBLOG. I have also been following the Iditarod Invitational over there. It is an incredible human-powered race over the Iditarod Trail, with souped up mountain bikes, skis, or on foot!! At home, we've had some great runs since the weather has cleared, and my health is on the upswing. Snoopy especially, has really proven himself and his willingness to learn. It has been difficult to deal with his social aggression issues, but in the last couple encounters with strange dogs he has actually displayed no aggression, and with just a bit of encouragement, (and maybe a shot from the spray bottle which I always have at the ready) he is happy to continue on. I think he is proud of his progress and accomplishments too. He is a strong dog and my only true musher. Pepper is cool, but she is along for the fun of it mostly. She has learned a new trick; in addition to her repertoire of other antics like bowing to me, whispering, rolling over and a super play dead, she now runs to the tissues and grabs one out of the box, bringing it to us on the cue "achoo" or "tissue"....Of course, when she gets anxious to serve, it is a bit annoying when she randomly grabs tissues and brings them to whoever will notice! No! You must wait until we say! Silly dog!
Pretty cool visuals around here lately. The shifting clouds are providing an amazing show. I am focused on finishing the pruning chores, constructing the bee gear, (bees are set to arrive April 10!) and am extremely motivated to plant the 25 grapes that await their new home...alas, the fencing for which is not even purchased, or up yet, and there is a pile of trees in the way; so body don't fail me now!