California poppies are blooming:
Each of the three groups of irises bloom at different times, and each group looks different, even though they all came from the same box of bulbs. The first set were those pale lavender/white/yellow ones I showed y’all earlier. Next came a nearly perfectly blue-colored set:
And now, finally, the first bloomers, our African Queen irises, with that heavenly rich, deep purple color.
Fire laws require we have a red outdoor fire bell attached to the indoor sprinkler system (don’t get me started). Needless to say, it’s a useless, unwanted appendage to the house. Birds, in the past, have unsuccessfully tried making nests in the bottom of the bell, only to have the twigs slip out the bottom. We’d go outside to find a small pile of branches on the ground under the bell. Finally, one smartie figured out they should be making the nest on top of the inner support housing where it’s flat. The bell provides shelter, and they now have a well-established nest up there. So the bell is being useful, at least!
Couldn’t find Gracie the other night. I knew she was in the house, but just couldn’t locate her. Finally, I accidentally bumped her toy box, and it was much heavier than it should have been. Sure enough, Gracie was hiding in there, underneath her paper.
Yesterday evening we had a thick marine layer blanketing southern California. It’s rare that it gets so high that it makes its way up to our elevation. Mountaintops look like islands. You can see the moisture rolling, swirling, and undulating in slow motion, filling up the valleys and sliding over crests. Just like watching ocean waves crash on rocks, only much slower.
Gracie went up some California oak trees yesterday. They’ve grown up from the roots of the original tree that burned in the Cedar Fire. There was a light mist, so I couldn’t take a video.
All the flowers are blooming right now. Spring is in full swing.
Irises
California Poppies (our State flower)
Cherry blossoms
We’re getting a mid-April spring break snowstorm. It’s been going since last night. This storm is going to be a monster for the mid-west, so watch out. Hard to believe a week ago was Easter, when I wore a tank top to visit our moms, and we didn’t even bring jackets for the first time this season. What a difference a week makes!
Living in the mountains, we have problems with rodents getting into the cars. They chew wires and hoses, and build nests out of insulation and upholstery, often in the partially inaccessible ventilation system. One of the methods we employ to prevent this is a natural rodent repellent called Fresh Cab. It works pretty well, but only for a short while. Recently, we went to the extreme of putting one inside the vent system. Now, granted, this was two or three months ago, but here was the result:
Yes, they chewed up the rodent repellent and made a nice nest out of it. Guess we’ll have to replace it more often.
This morning, Gracie was outside while a group of deer was grazing through. We couldn’t see Gracie, but could tell where she was by the direction all the deer were looking. At one point, she was surrounded by FIVE young deer, all peering curiously at her. (The one on the far left, you can only see its ears.) Wonder what she was thinking.
Got a few pics of a cotton-tailed bunny exploring around outside the window after a recent snowstorm:
Also got some shots of a deer enjoying a nice afternoon rest in the shade. I love how it looks like he’s eating the sunshiney flower behind him in the second one.
Late one afternoon, I was working at the computer when I kept hearing these snorting sounds. From the back window, I could see two deer, in full alarm mode, snorting and stamping their front hooves, especially the one on the left. They must have scented a predator, but couldn’t locate it. If you turn up your volume, you should be able to hear him snorting.
This adorable little chipmunk likes to come by and steal birdseed. I love their racing stripes. Sorry the pics are a bit blurry. They move SO fast!
The daffodils are blooming! All the bulbs are.
We also get some white ones – I call them paperwhites. Does anyone know their name?
This is an old postcard from 1903. I think it’s the strangest, most hilarious thing.
A big system moved through yesterday afternoon. Snowed heavily all through the entire night. Woke up to about six inches of snow! We are enjoying it thoroughly. Gracie, not as much.
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Cleopatra's Daughter
The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.
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