Looks like the April showers brought May flowers. How’s the weather where you are? Are flowers in bloom? Stop by to tell us what’s growing in your world.
Via Reddit.
Weekend Open Thread
40 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”
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Looks like the April showers brought May flowers. How’s the weather where you are? Are flowers in bloom? Stop by to tell us what’s growing in your world.
Via Reddit.
Comments are closed.
After a few days of rain, NH is clearing up with some sun/clouds for the next few days. Anything is better than snow! 🙂
I peeked out my winda and the only thing in bloom is…weeds! 🙂
We’re in the middle of the worst drought in years down here in Central FL–grass and everything is getting pretty brown and fire is a big concern. However, that little darling is so adorable I want to rush and buy seeds for a whole crop of my own!
I’m just south of you, I think, in the Tampa area, and except for one good rain earlier in the week, we’re really dry and hot, too. We had several nasty fires recently; one closed the freeway nearby as it burned right up to the edge. The smoke in the air was nasty. And there was one fire just north of us that was difficult to contain. You really appreciate the brave souls who are willing to become firefighters at times like that!
Absolutely–they are real heroes!
Did you know that a good percentage of firefighters are VOLUNTEER?
I talked to a volunteer firefighter who told me his annual pay was $1. His day job was a water delivery driver.
Water. Water. Good on him.
Yard sales! Probably wont find anything, but you just never know 🙂
It’s been very rainy here in NY, my little silkie chicken has been having a couple of very bad hair days, however, the sun is out today, mild with a light breeze, i’m sure she’ll get her “puff” back under control 🙂
We have had nice warm sunshine of late (with a surprise windstorm one day midweek) and loads of stuff are blooming! The most recent things to open are the iris: I have Pacific, bearded and Siberian types. The bearded iris is an heirloom variety from my grandparents yard that is delightfully fragrant, unlike the modern hybridized ones. The later blooming azaleas have opened up now too, I have a double-form pink one that is looking really good this year. My early Exbury is just about done, but the later blooming one is just past peak and will probably hang on for a couple more weeks. New this year (I planted them last fall) is amethyst meadow squill; I need more of them for sure!
For trees, the catalpas were beautiful this year, but they’re just about done now. Along the roadsides, all of the Pacific ninebark are reaching their peak; I have a small domestic one in my yard that will probably open up shortly, it has pink flowers and burgundy foliage – the bees adore it! Near my mom’s house there is a red chestnut that looks amazing; I never knew that chestnut trees bloomed like that. I have now made it a mission to find one for her yard. The golden chain trees are just getting started too, some of the warmer spots are full out now.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, just what I could think of off the top of my head; spring got a late start around here, but it’s doing its best to catch up!
Well everything usually stays in bloom year round in SoCal but after all the rain this winter I heard the wildflower bloom in the desert was just spectacular. Unfortunately, I never made it out there (sad face). Closer to home, the star jasmine and natal plum bushes are still putting on a good show. The jaconda trees are just now dropping their purple blooms and making it look like purple snow.
And in other news, THE MOVE IS DONE!!!!! Plus finally have internet after almost a week unconnected. I had been moving small stuff down for about 2-3 weeks and last Saturday, the movers moved all the furniture and boxes. Now the fun part – unpacking and figuring out where everything goes. I took a lot of stress off of me by deciding NOT to unpack the majority of the boxes such as decorative items and books. It’s all stuff that I’m really not using and I just took this apartment as a temporary place while hubbie is on extended travel. I figure next summer, after the lease is up, we can determine if we still want to rent here, rent somewhere else, or just buy a place. It all depends on how the housing market is doing, prices are still going up so I’m just waiting for the bottom to fall out again like 10 years ago.
Not much planned for the long weekend (Memorial Day in the US, a day to remember our fallen military for those in other countries) – getting my hair cut today, a few errands and I think a lot of just plain relaxing. Plus maybe looking in the boxes I’m putting in storage to make sure there isn’t anything there I do need.
Happy weekend everyone!
Congratulations AJ on the move! Moving is my least favorite activity (I think I’ve moved 13 times) but I love finding “a place for everything and everything in its place”. Enjoy your new digs!
We’ve got a surplus in the rain department as of Thursday night – things are VERY effulgent around her. Sadly, an awkward warming and subsequent freeze ruined the bloom on my buttercup winter hazel – bummed me out, I can tell ya! But even thought hydrangeas were hit, I’m getting the beginning buds of some flowers so I will have, hopefully blue, hydrangea (gotta get the sulfur in the surrounding soil) Peonies were lovely, clematis is gorgeous, astilbe is set to bloom. Iris are half through – I have a lot of trouble with borers but the older varieties seem to be doing OK. The oak leaf hydrangea are budding – oh! and my first year for successful foxglove! I’m tickled. Climbing roses are glorious. Even tho’ the garden is messy, it’s very lush and pretty.
On another note, my little rabbit Clementine is doing much better, eating on her own, very active. Sadly, she may always have a resultant neurological tic even after the inner ear business is cleared up. But I’m so happy to see her running around and eating and nuzzling with Fergus. And I don’t have to force food down her gullet anymore! No matter how much you realize how important it is to do it, you can’t get past the feeling that you’re torturing the poor little thing.
AJ – so glad to hear the move is complete – I hope you can relax a bit now.
Hooray for Clementine!
We had a few days of grey skies here in Montreal Canada and it rained all day yesterday but today is sunny and warm. The grass is knee hight around the house since my husband didn’t have time to cut it before he went in to the hospital and is still recuperating from his operation last week.
It’s bugging him no end because he says the neighbours will think we’re slobs. I couldn’t care less what the neighbours think but tomorrow after everything has has time to dry I’ll be mowing the lawn, I’m not looking forward to it because of my bad back but if I don’t I know he’ll try to do it.
Well that’s tomorrow, for today the plan is to enjoy the sunshine and to go to the farmers market to get fixing for a spaghetti sauce for tonight’s diner.
And Murray, I’m very happy Clementine is feeling better!
Thanks, GiGi – and I hope maybe you can ignore the grass a bit longer? Tho’ it does get harder to deal with – you may have to do it in stages, two different levels. Good luck with all that – and the neighbors know you’re not slobs – you’ve cut the grass before didn’t you? IF they’re so judgmental, ask them for some help!?
Several days of overcast and rain in Southern Ontario and it’s a bit early here for many of the blooms. My redbud trees were nice last week! I have common (purple) lilacs in bloom but my ivory silk lilacs (a tree form) are not yet out. Planted some geraniums and other annuals so that my place looks OK because I’m expecting 6 overnight house guests today (more people than I’ve ever slept at my house at once). Frantic cleaning and fatigue. I like the entertaining and food prep but dislike the cleaning. As nice as it will be to see everyone tonight, I will be glad tomorrow to have this even behind me. The prep has been hanging over my head. Oh, and figures that the day there are guests, some dang skunk tore up my lawn looking for beetle grubs. Just when I wanted everything to look especially nice in the garden ….. SIGH
Well, at least the skunk didn’t spray and render your garden off limits. (egad, I AM a Pollyanna!) Good luck with all that, Birdcage. I know the feeling all too well – the prep is so all-consuming, especially when people are staying overnight.
Great news about AJ’s move and Clementine’s recovery!
I took Friday off and decided to fill my 4-day break with small but necessary DIY tasks. Finally got around to tiling the last bit of the kitchen yesterday–tile is up, today I add grout, and by Monday can handle some paint touch-ups. It’s a cool, rainy weekend here in northern Colorado, so I may not spend much time in the garage ripping lumber for my back stairs (but I should–it will be a big project).
No garden for me: the previous owner never put one in and I haven’t had the money or time to start a new one. Criminy, I can’t even get grass to grow in my front lawn! I love hearing about everybody else’s gardens. When I can manage it, I’ll add butterfly bushes to the front–they’re tough, drought-resistant, and very attractive to bees as well as butterflies.
To all who have served our country: thank you.
Deb, could you put something like this in your yard?
https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.jade-50-3-ft-x-8-ft-artificial-grass-for-outdoor-landscape.1000808316.html
If I didn’t have such a big yard, and had $$, yes. My lawn guy seeded the front, but it didn’t take, despite masses of rain here.
The fall is when grass should be planted – that could be the issue. Or you could try some sort of ground cover – look around at someone’s garden/yard, see what’s growing successfully and ask them for root cuttings. All you need is(are?) a few, test them out, see how they do and proceed from there.
And don’t put in astro turf! (Please)
And thanks for your good wishes about Clemmie.
Fraser Valley is bursting with spring. Everything is blooming madly. My baby apple tree is even thinking about putting out a new leaf!
I am desperate for a proper garden, and not just my stupid balcony.
Awakened by a dove this morning; very nice for the first few minutes, but after…
Out of concern: I’ve noticed that the number of comments posted here in the last week or two has decreased. How is everyone doing?
AJ: ‘Grats on the move!
Murray C.: Glad to hear the bun bun is getting better.
Birdcage: Good luck with guests!
Time for a update on Ani the rabbit and her relationship with “Half-Tail,” a neighborhood cat. They’re becoming friends. During her romp on the front lawn today, Ani and Half-Tail sniffed each other a few times. Half-Tail likes to play-stalk Ani but isn’t interested in actually chasing her.
If possible, could we please see pictures of this new friendship?
Yeah, I need to take a camera with me during outside time. I’ll see what I can get.
The Seattle area is forecast to have its first entirely sunny (all 3 days!) memorial day weekend since 1995! Here’s hoping that turns out. Things here are pretty lush after the rainy spring, including, apparently, the…..cottonwood.
Happy weekend everyone, and a special remembrance to the military personnel past and present; also to their families who have given so much as well.
It’s sunny here, and we’ve got flowers in the landscaping, but none are this cute.
A friend of a friend is up visiting so my friend is having a little game night tonight so I’ll be going over there. Haven’t seen my friends in a little bit, and haven’t seen his friend since she moved last year, so that should be fun. Other than that I need to do dishes and whatnot. I don’t have any plans yet for Memorial Day. My company does employee appreciate days for a week every summer, where we get an extra 10% on top of our employee discount in the stores. That started yesterday, so I’m trying to decide if there’s anything I want, especially since I also have gift cards to spend. Of course there’s tons of stuff I want to read, I just don’t know how much of it I need to own. I will probably at least get some Godiva hot chocolate mix.
Lying on bed near Millie who had vomiting this morning. Panicked but calmed down after reading guidelines online. She has kept down small amounts of water so I’m letting her rest. She’s not worse.
Put in an order for emergency supply of powdered pumpkin, syringe, pedialyte etc. for peace of mind if needed in future.
Now to figure out what happened: outdoors ingestion of bird poop, new treats, new food mix, or any bits of people food. Eliminating all but regular food.
Today is cool and overcast. Lovely. I have my window open and overhead fan on. I enjoy an overcast day whenever I can in the warm weather.
Murray so glad bunny is better.
Thank you, Faye – and I hope Millie feels better soon. It’s so hard when an animal is sick! I always worry about my cat since she drinks out of the birdbath all the time (bird soup!) but she’s never had a problem with it. She does throw up once in a while but what cat doesn’t? Good idea to have supplies on hand, I do that for the buns, I get Critical Care which is a mash-up of timothy hay and pellets and all sorts of things to promote proper intake of vitamins when herbivores are sick. Did you try giving Millie some straight canned pumpkin? That’s what I give Purdita when she shows signs of a hairball or vomits. she LOVES it.
Great news about Ani and Half-Tail! Don’t be surprised if Ani tries humping Half-Tail – my first rabbit, also a female, humped my neighbor’s cat (a female!) whenever she could. It’s a dominance thing.
Update: Millie kept down water. Then bits of plain beef. So far. She’s alert. Curled up again under her (used to be mine) blanket. I’m resting my elbow on her now.
I have a bladder infection and back ache. Took antibiotic and Tylenol. I’ve gone through my life not having a kidney stone. Hoping it is regular back ache and not connected to bladder infection.
My motto: as long as we are not all sick at the same time, we’re good. Then I remind myself that Long Island (let alone the Metro NY area) probably has the highest density of every kind of doctor (and veterinarians) on the Earth. If you trip, for that matter, you fall on a psychiatrist. So many conversations in NYC/LI start with “My therapist says…”
Will update. ???
Hi Faye – my dogs vomit all the time. What kind of vomit was it? Food vomit or yellow, foamy bile vomit?
When my Chihuahuas eat too fast, they vomit about 2-3 minutes after and then re-eat if I don’t catch it.
Sometimes they eat something that blocks them up (like when my mom gives them rice, which they can’t chew properly bc they don’t have molars like us. Yes, she has stopped doing this, but it took a while to get it through her head)
Sometimes it’s just yellow, foamy bile-looking stuff. That I don’t know about, but I usually give them something easy to digest for the meal after (like mashed potatoes).
live kitten cam with mom cat
Cute sunflower kitty! I doubt my cats would allow me to put a costume on them. It’s raining again here. I wouldn’t mind the rain so much if it was at least warm, but this 3 days of 50 degree rain alternating with 85 degrees sunshine is crazy. Packed away sweaters, had to dig them back out.
The kittens will be a week old tomorrow. Sophie still checks on them when she sees Grace is downstairs, or if she hears them make noise. One of them is loud, if I can figure out which of them it is, I will call it drama queen, since it over reacts to things like mom getting out of the box. I have yet to check to see if they are boys or girls, mostly I haven’t touched them except to move them so I can change their bedding. It won’t be long before I won’t be able to resist, but Grace seems to dislike it when anyone gets too close, so I am trying to respect her desire to keep anyone from touching them. The only one she doesn’t mind is Sophie, and she will reach up to lick Sophie while she is staring at them. I have a fresh picture from today, I will attempt to post. I have trouble adjusting the size without making them tiny.
OOooooo, kittens! Warm and snuggly. Love that the cat likes Sophie!
Oooooo fresh Kitties. So cute. I love the first time they venture out. Lovely photo Patty. Thank you.
It’s sunny and in the 60s today, but yesterday morning when I left for work it was snowing. Ahh, spring in the mountains. It didn’t stick, but it sure fell for a couple of hours or so! It’s supposed to be sunny all weekend, which is nice. I don’t get three-day weekends but I hope those of you who do enjoy them.
AJ: Congrats on moving being OVER for now!
Murray: I’m so glad Clemmie is doing better!
Faye: Here’s hoping Millie feels better soon!
Patty: The kittens are, of course, adorable!
Birdcage: I envy you your lilacs — they’re my favorite flower, but they won’t grow here, it’s far too warm. So please take a long sniff of their heavenly fragrance for me!
My husband, whenever we lived in the D.C. area, usually spent part of Memorial Day at the Wall, the Vietnam Memorial. He has a cousin and 36 friends’ names on the Wall. ? I didn’t go with him; being a man, he didn’t want to cry in front of me, and he went down there for a good cry. ? He’s a Vietnam vet, if you haven’t already figured it out. He worked at Walter Reed hospital for the peak 10 years of Iraq and Afghanistan, and it was incredibly healing for him, being able to give back to the young vets and see vets in general finally be thanked for their service — including him. So I’m glad he’s finally at peace with his Vietnam experiences.
We have no plans for the holiday. And I had very little work this past week so worked on a baby blanket for our niece, only to finally decide today, halfway through it, that I just did *not* like the way the pattern was turning out, so ripped it out and am starting again with a different pattern. She’d better not have her baby early — I don’t knit with Deb’s lightning speed! ?
I think you hit the nail on the head, Tara – they don’t WANT to talk to each other! I really resent people behaving that way, assuming they can impose what they want on the rest of mankind.
Glad the patio went well and I hope the bee situation works itself out tot he good.
Hello All and Happy Weekend!
Glad to hear all the good news, Clementine feeling better, AJ congrats on the move, and Ani and her bob-tail friend. Sending healing thoughts to Millie and Faye. Sorry you are both feeling under the weather. Gigi – I agree with Murray C – don’t worry about the lawn. Isn’t there some young kid in the neighborhood you could pay a few bucks to mow?
We have a funny overcast day. I wanted to get a lot done outside but unfortunately some neighbor has decided we are all interested in their awful sound track for the afternoon. I’m trying to remind myself this doesn’t happen and to just ignore it. But it is really loud and awful. I can’t hear myself think and I’m a good 50 yards away. How can they even talk to each other? I don’t understand. grumble grumble…ignoring ignoring ignoring….
The patio is finished – yay! And thanks for all of the great advice from everyone. Now I need to decide how to connect it to the rest of the walkway network.
I checked the bees today and I have something funny going on in the one hive. I couldn’t find the queen again and there are four capped queen cells. So maybe the bees didn’t/don’t like their current queen and have decided to make new ones. We shall see. That hive is also much more agitated than the other one. The second one is doing much better. There are more bees and eggs and they seem generally calmer. I will have to keep an eye out on the first hive and watch what happens with the queen cells. I also need to do more research to make sure they aren’t trying to swarm and leave.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone. xotara
Rough long weekend, filled with sore throat and earache, grading (10 hours!), culture (two plays, one bizarre and the other just meh) and tears (precipitated by a run-in between my car and the corner of BFs house). The next couple of weeks are going to be even worse (lots of tests, lots of grading, culminating in oral graduation exams — I have 18 on one day followed by the graduation ceremony that same evening).
However, I did get some new plants: a gold lantana, a fuchsia, and a peachy yellow rhododendron. The internet tells me that they are “slug and snail resistant” and will hopefully tolerate some afternoon shade. I love my garden, and at this point would almost be willing to start learning the gardening trade (my dream job would be gardener/caretaker at a cemetery!)