A feline farewell

Posted on December 12, 2009 | Leave a comment

Cedar, my intrepid little tabby cat who hauled himself back from the verge of death several times, when vets thought he “was a goner,” earned himself the title of “Energizer-kitty,” somehow managing to keep on going-and-going-and-going, with occasional “system failures” or “resets,” amidst his complicated health issues of the last 4-5 years.

On December 3rd he gave me the definite sign that he could no longer sustain his Energizer image and it was time to move to the Rainbow Bridge of light before he suffered any further.  The unique combination of being mellow, but very strong-willed, carried him through 16-and-a half years of life, and I’m sure he was granted more than 9 lives!  Cedar had a knack for keeping his angels and guardians very busy!

He served as official escort for several neighbors as they walked to our street’s common mailbox center, and was the official greeter-cat on the block for many years.  He always knew when I’d be coming home from work, whether by bicycle, car, or foot, and would wait by the front fence.

Sometimes seeming more dog-like than cat, Cedar followed me around the yard like a little trooper, as I worked through the different yard projects, until his final year.  Because the front community garden was installed when he really slowed down, he wasn’t a regular visitor, but preferred to stay just behind the front fence, bedding down on his favorite sunrose, keeping his ears tuned to all activities.  His spirit is still strongly felt in the garden.

Cedar in his prime

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Posted in Fall, Furred and feathered friends, Uncategorized

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An arctic wave to end the season

Posted on December 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

The full moon on December 2nd heralded a phase of turbulence that has only eased itself with a slow return to more seasonal, wet weather.

The day was busy enough as it was, coming home from work to prepare a meal for friend Jack, just out of knee surgery.  Old Cedar-cat had been having a very difficult week since Thanksgiving, and there was always a good amount of ritual cleanup to do.  Meanwhile, we were warned of an imminent plunge of night temps, having already had a couple of frosty nights.  The lettuce and chard needed to come out, but I needed more time.  Neighbor Patty to the rescue, as if she read my mind!  With her help we plucked the lettuce and chard well after dark, leaving the leeks and kale to weather whatever might come.

The arctic wave extended well beyond its original few days, leaving us cold and dry (thank goodness, no ice) with night temperatures into the single digits.  It became too cold for frost, quite a rarity in these parts.  It will be interesting come spring to see what doesn’t make it through.  Though I kept them fairly sheltered, I hope the new pineapple guava seedlings in their containers make it!

But, all those positive ions that build up with continued high pressure get trapped down in the dense cold layer, and start making many people agitated, impatient, crabby, and extremely tired.  Where was our seasonal rain?

Relief was on the way as of December 11th, with a noticeable pressure shift and cloud cover moving in. The tricky part in western Oregon is maneuvering through the “transition zone” since freezing rain is frequently a visitor.  There was a quagmire of accidents once the ice formed during that night into the next day, but it passed quickly.  My skin in finally relaxing and feeling less dehydrated!

Juniper-kitty thought it would be fun to jump out the door per her normal routine, but didn’t bargain for the immediate skating she had to try out.  At first perplexed, she then thought it a bit fun, making tiny runs on the concrete to see if she slid.  However, that quickly became old as she became more intent on walking through the yard, where she had more traction on the soil.

Wouldn’t you know?  My camera decided to go on the fritz while trying to take some pictures.

A good time to list the bit of November’s bounty, and call it the final tally for 2009:

  • Lettuce:    6.5 (pounds)
  • Kale:         1
  • Chard:      3.5
  • Leeks:      0.75

Month’s Total: 11.25

Total season bounty:  579 pounds (rounded)  Well done!

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Posted in Fall, Harvest tally, Oh..oh...., Uncategorized, Weather related

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Thanksgiving and suet time!

Posted on November 26, 2009 | Leave a comment

Chilly, rainy weather demands more food for the birds now.  During the week we had a break in the weather, perfect for getting out feeders and restocking suet.  Today a visiting flicker rewards me!  He always looks awkward, being quite large relative to the suet cage, but he prefers it to the specially designed one purchased a couple of seasons ago (forget that one).  A woodpecker came by earlier last week, more interested in picking bugs out of some dead arborvitae trunks.  A little Anna’s hummingbird is braving the rain as well, searching out different feeders in the neighborhood that have more cover.

At the moment, the lettuce crop in the community garden is worth “gold” given the steep jump in market lettuce prices.  It’s slow growing with the current temperatures, but supplies small salads, if not overly-picked.

Frost nips at the yard when there is a clear night, and the nasturtiums aren’t sure when they should officially curl up to call it quits.  I was hard-pressed to find enough intact blossoms to adorn a salad headed to a potluck.

A very dreary day, today the rain came in earlier than predicted, and it has been a constant stream, stronger than a typical drizzle; just the right temperature and moisture combination to make it officially “yucky” enough not to work outside.  Unless one has a giant umbrella.  Hey, I shouldn’t have put the patio umbrella away….

It is a fine day to be inside with the kitties, and I give thanks for that opportunity to “hunker down” for a quiet Thanksgiving, to catch up on correspondence, give the old, ailing cat more attention, and get some rest!

Hope you are having an enjoyable Thanksgiving in whatever way you choose!

Blurred by rainy netting! Wishing a happy, restful Thanksgiving to all!

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Posted in Community garden, Fall, Furred and feathered friends, Uncategorized, Weather related

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Show-offs

Posted on November 4, 2009 | 1 comment

While fall enters its zenith and fall colors are ubiquitous, whether static, or as falling gems of gold and burgundy, a killing frost has yet to manifest, allowing cleome, sages, zinnia, and nasturtiums to show off for a longer spell.

SalviaCleomeAnemone-Fall

Fall flowers still dancing: cleome, pineapple sage, lavender, Japanese anemone

The nasturtium flowers at the front of the community bed are in full throttle, and their mild spiciness is being enjoyed in salads (akin to very mild arugula).

Nasturtiums-Fall

Nasturtiums deciding to show off

The first leeks have been picked, with a verdict of “very tasty” even if not mature, and harvested tomatoes keep ripening enough to keep our salads colorful, while still giving some away.

Garden cleanup and winter preparation continue at a leisurely pace, along with playing “musical plants” to make way for new arrivals.  After a fatiguing day at work last week I relished the task of transplanting my ‘Puget Gold’ apricot from a pot to its permanent ground residence inside the house yard.  That felt more productive than the entire workday!

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Posted in Community garden, Fall, House yard happenings, Uncategorized

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Halloween Bounty

Posted on November 1, 2009 | Leave a comment
Halloween 2009

Happy Halloween!

A beautiful All Saints’ Day is dimming as I post our October bounty:

  • Summer squash:        13.5 (pounds)
  • Swiss chard:                 0.5
  • Lettuce:                         1
  • Beans:                           0.75
  • Peppers:                       2
  • Tomatoes:                  38.75
  • Eggplant:                     0.5
  • Beets:                           2 (tops & roots)
  • Winter squash:         46.5
  • Apples:                         1.5

Total for month:                109

Total season bounty:        568 pounds

Thank you plants, pollinators, and devas!

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Bye-bye basil…..hello lettuce

Posted on October 19, 2009 | 2 comments

While goldfinches feast upon sunflowers and nuthatches nip away at the suet, we have picked our way through all the squash, tomatoes and peppers, laying most to rest and ripen in garages and windows.

Final samplings of squash, tomatoes, and peppers. Clockwise from yellow summer squash resting on top of darker buttercup squash: "yellow" pepper, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, patty-pan squash, with ripening tomatoes nestled among squash.

Final samplings of squash, tomatoes, and peppers. Clockwise from yellow summer squash resting on top of darker buttercup squash: "yellow" pepper, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, patty-pan squash, with ripening tomatoes nestled among squash.

My lone cricket still eeks out his chirps most evenings, letting me know that all the frost warnings are not quite for real…..just yet.  The predicted heavy rainstorms never materialized in our area, only a couple of short-lived squalls one day.  But, it’s so much easier to do cleanup when it’s a lovely, dry autumn afternoon.

The kale, lettuce, chard, and leeks are very happy with the current phase of mild part sun, part cloudy days, alternating with rain, and the nasturtiums that refused to grow all summer have never looked so lush…….

Mid-October transitions in the garden. Where's Juniper?

Mid-October transitions in the garden. Where's Juniper?

But, it’s not over yet!  It’s not THE final harvest……we’re just getting growing on the fall crops….check back in!

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Classy evening wear

Posted on October 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Just because we harvested all the basil the evening before a cold rain was supposed to dowse us, the storm skirted north, depositing its brief, but heavy showers while I was slipping the last plants.  I wasn’t going to take the chance of seeing our beautiful plants become black-spotted before harvest!

Instead, dry, but cooler weather has prevailed, allowing the summer squash to keep pushing out more small “gourmet size” fruits, while several yellow bell peppers have actually yielded a couple of large, still-green specimens.  (Perhaps they felt it necessary to prove themselves after finding themselves mentioned in a “comedy of errors” mode.)  Tomatoes are in absolute limbo with the lower sun angle and night temperatures hovering in the low to high 30’s.  They have earned the right to wear evening jackets!

Evening wear for classy tomatoes

Classy evening jackets for the tomatoes

Happy to report that the lettuce seedlings that had nearly been chomped to death before evacuation of the kale and chard, have pulled through and are starting to put on a little girth.  And, some rainbow chard seeded in July, largely sheltered by green beans and squash has grown up nicely, almost ready for picking.

Lo and behold, I came upon another “double-take” today while scouting about the patty-pan/saucer squash; that makes four pairs of fused veggies this season!

Double-take on patty-pan squash

Double-take on patty-pan squash

We’ve been warned about a rapid arctic front moving in just ahead of autumn rains setting in, and the weather guy’s last-minute prediction of 28° had two of us running out before dusk to clip off all the tomatoes.  It felt too warm to believe it could fall that low, but we weren’t going to get up at 4:00 am. to find out.  As it turned out, it only went down to the crisp 30’s again, but we’re further along in preparation for the temperature dive now postponed for a couple of days.

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Posted in Community garden, Fall, Pests of any size & species, Uncategorized, Weather related

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September Bounty

Posted on October 1, 2009 | Leave a comment

The September pickings are in, just as weather decides it will actually be fall-like!

  • Summer squash:        40 (pounds)
  • Cucumbers                  20.5
  • Swiss chard:                18
  • Kale:                              25
  • Beans:                             4.5
  • Peppers:                         0.50
  • Tomatoes:                    51.5
  • Eggplant:                        1
  • Scallions:                        2.75
  • Beets:                              1.5 (tops & roots)
  • Basil:                               6.5
  • Potatoes:                        2
  • Winter squash:             23

Grand Total:         197 (rounded off)
(Slid on past the August total!)

Total season bounty:  459 pounds

Thank you plants, pollinators, and devas!

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Emergency evacuation: pests out of control!

Posted on September 28, 2009 | 1 comment

In a fast move to save the lettuce seedlings being savagely eaten in an outbreak of both aphids and Cabbage White Looper caterpillars migrating from the neighboring chard and kale, an emergency evacuation took place.  Thanking the plants for their extremely productive service, all kale and chard was removed, salvaging what little was decently usable as food, but discarding most directly into the waste debris containers.  This is what we get for “slacking off” in observation given our really busy schedules last week, while there was a burgeoning plague.  I had noticed a few tell-tale signs of building aphid populations on the kale, as well as white flies, but nothing had seemed in imminent danger. Then the Swiss chard seemed to become inundated with aphids almost overnight.  Evidently, behind that were lurking newly hatched Cabbage loopers, always unseen until they wreak havoc, stripping plants to their ribs in only 1 or 2 nights.  Even with eradicating the plant host-sources, and spraying Thuricide* on the lettuce, we could still lose the whole row, but hopefully not.  We’ll know in a day or two.

It was also good incentive to tidy up other areas in the garden looking a bit more distressed, removing the cucumbers and ‘delicata’ squash plants, and trimming back the sprawling cherry tomatoes.

"Looking good" yet hunry pests lurk in the chard and kale. So, now you see us.....

"Looking good" yet hunry pests lurk in the chard and kale. So, now you see us.....

Free of aphids and ...........

.........Now you don't! And the lettuce seedlings are much happier.

*Thuricide is a liquid comprised of millions of spores of the bacterium Bacillis thuringiensis, which reproduce inside the gut of specific types of caterpillars, becoming fatally toxic in a very short time.  This is a naturally occurring bacterium that evolved into its specific function.

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Equinox equilibrium

Posted on September 22, 2009 | 2 comments

We are entering one of my favorite times of the year, even if it means many plants are no longer in their prime.  It is the seasonal shift and natural waning of energy.  It is the fulcrum and midpoint between the longest and shortest days of the year; the day of the year when every place on earth experiences the same amount of day and night.  Indeed, we’ve noticed the darker mornings and shorter evenings over the last two to three weeks.  One can feel the garden’s slowing pulse, as many plants continue to ripen their fruits, almost as if in suspended animation.  Of course, there are other plants who rejoice at growing in cooler weather again, but it is not the logarithmic pace of spring and early summer.

Yet it is quite the paradox when the local temperature is trying to challenge a record high, more typical of summer, while the silver maples have branches of vivid red leaves!  Still, if one is attuned to energetics, 92° in late September is much more mellow heat than 92° in late July.  A very loud cricket has been keeping me company as I write, quite content that it is a warm evening.

My concerns that the supposed spaghetti squash might be imposters were assuaged after cutting one open and baking it.  The classic string texture was apparent upon scraping, and it was delicious, tossed with a bit of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, cherry tomatoes, and grated parmesan.  As a nice alternative to pasta, it is also tasty when mixed with pesto, though it takes a back seat to the pungent basil and garlic flavors.

Spaghetti squash galore!

Spaghetti squash galore!

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Posted in Community garden, Fall, Uncategorized, Weather related

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