Further progress

I don't understand this blog. It doesn't let me write where I choose. 
Nevertheless ....
Progress continues on the gazebo between rain showers. There is fresh snow on the mountains but that is better than Calgary's snow.
I met today with Harry Miller who is doing a lot of the work on ArtWalk this year. It always helps to sit down and spread everything out on the table and see where we are. We have some work these next 2 weeks but we'll get it done and off the Brandy at Imagine Ink where she will apply her magic to the brochure.
June 5 my sister and I will host a tea celebrating our mother's life (she passed away last Oct 10) and we are holding it in the pavilion and the gardens behind Morris Flowers Greenhouse. I haven't a clue how many will come but if we keep it simple it will be easy enough and "expandable" for more or less.
May will be a very busy month.

Going off madly in all directions

We have a friend who had a lovely old fashioned gazebo in her too small front yard so James numbered it, dismantled it, brought it home, and piled it in our yard.
Now James gets to put his puzzle back together.
These pictures are from the first day here.
We are putting the gazebo just to the NE of the house where it won't block views from the house. It is a 12 foot octagon so, once screened, it should give us lots of room to enjoy the days without wasps and evenings without mosquitoes.

The day of reckoning

Well, I don't know if this new system is any kind of improvement. 
The day finally came when we had pulled as much old plastic and tarps and water bed liners and old blankets used to cushion things out of the pond as we could.

James took 160 kgs to the dump and that did not include the hay tarp we thought we could repurpose, then came the "tractoring." I don't think James heard any audible sobs as thyme and lovely rocks and you name it went into the hole.
It filled up faster than we'd hoped.






There is a feeling of "lightness" in not having to worry about dogs or small boys in the pond. We will soon have seating and the plants will be restored.
Bandy was not worried at all about the bashing and grundging but I finally tricked him into the house as he was just too very trusting.

It is a long sad story

Once upon a time I had a lovely garden pond and flowers bloomed and little birds took showers in the water dripping down the rocks but then those naughty little deer walked into it and their little pointy hooves made little holes in the liner and it never was the same again.
So now, for numbers of years we have had this unsightly black hole which we have to explain "used to be a pond" but we never seem to come up with the sizable sum it would cost to line it with proper EPDM liner that the deer could not puncture. And we do love our deer.We put water out for the momma who brings her babies to drink and we are thankful to give them a safe place not out in the fields with the harvesting.
We finally decided we are never going to line that ugly hole so today James poked holes in the bottom of the liner so the last of the water could drain away and we rolled the rocks off the edges of the liner and tomorrow James will come with the tractor and yard the liner out and we'll take all the assorted foam we had as cushioning to the dump and fill in the hole.

 This is what remains and once it is gone we will fill in the hole and make a level seating area in the yard so the legs on people's lawn chairs are less likely to buckle and send them rolling down the hill. I am looking forward to having flower beds I can get at from both sides
And another sad story:

The "stemmy" plant in the middle is my Japanese Knot Weed in it's dead late winter phase. It dies to the ground every year and through most of the winter hangs on to it's beautiful dried burnt sienna coloured leaves. Every summer it grows to be a wonderful 6 foot bush with large green leaves and little white flowers.
Now, sadly, "they" are listing it as a noxious weed so it goes too, sniff. I'll have such a nice open space to create in!
And so goes the battle ......

Birdhouses are us ........ 2, which of course will precede #1.

                                                                 Birdhouse #4

                                                             Birdhouse #5

                                                                      Birdhouse #6

Birdhouses are us ........

Birdhouse # 1.

These are all sized for bluebirds and swallows
One of our neighbours saw 5 bluebirds on the fence line the other day.

On our property they seem to like to nest further back, by the fields, as they like the open spaces.

Here, near the house (and on the house) we have more luck attracting swallows which are great little bug catchers and lovely to watch swooping and diving.

I think I may have heard a bluebird the other morning. They have a sweet mournful voice.

                                                                   Birdhouse # 2.

                                                                 Birdhouse #3

The birdies in the tree tops

Spring should surely soon be upon us. We have many signs of its coming: tiny wee white Babies' Breath, and teeny blue flowers that bloom in the early spring. The Wild Parsnips are still blooming but with them there is now a similarly shaped blossom with bright yellow blooms and little strappy shaped green leaves.
Yesterday as I was walking I found a wild Morel growing in a bowl of rock which could explain its early appearance.
Today was cold and by late afternoon there appeared to be snow showers scurrying down the mountains. James lit a nice warm fire in the wood stove and I made chili for supper.
This is a painting of an oriole by James McDowell. It is 24" X 32", acrylic on hardboard, and priced at $350.00 plus S&H.

The bushes are now alive with more and more spring birds. We have a number of these lovely little Rufus Sided Towhees about this spring. Hopefully they will keep their wits about themselves and watch out for the cats.
This painting by James McDowell is also 24" X 32", acrylic on hardboard, and priced at $350.00 plus S&H.  .