Friday, June 05, 2020

Five Things Close to Home


Hooray for strawberry season! Now that Iris has gone home, I'm letting other people (like Tim) eat the strawberries. To be fair, there were just a few ripe when she was here. I picked a cereal bowl full of them the other evening, and there are more today. 

However, I'm feeling very Mr. McGregor-ish these days because the BUNNIES are eating the ripe berries. They take bites from the very juiciest red ones and leave the evidence in plain site. Such cheek! Last night I was busy with my netting and covered the berry plants. It will take a bit more effort to pick them, but at least we will enjoy the berries we've grown!


I had a physio appointment this morning and since the office is directly across from the Bog, I took along my camera and went for a walk after the treatment. The Bog was empty of people for the first 30 minutes. There have been cougars sighted lately, and so I picked up a sturdy stick and walked with vigor, letting my stick trail in the pathway or swish the grasses. Making noise tends to scare off animals. 

Daisies bloom in clumps among the tall grass. In some places the grasses wave about my head, and arch over the pathway, creating flowing, wispy tunnels. 


I caught a glimpse of two deer in a clearing just off the path. They stood silent, still, watching me very carefully. My first view of them was through the waving grasses and the photos taken there show clear grass and blurry deer. Just a few steps forward and I was able to get a clear shot of the deer, still so quiet and motionless. 


While walking up the street to our home, I admired my new rosebush - a David Austin Boscobel - pink with just a hint of peach. She's a small bush now, but valiantly producing fragrant roses. There is another new rose beside Boscobel, also a David Austin - Falstaff. He's not quite as ready to bloom, although there are buds forming. 


Into the house to admire the peonies on the dining room table. The light streams in from the corner windows in the evening, when this photo was taken. What's not visible in the photo are the piles of papers and school materials. Just a few more weeks and all that will be cleared away. 

Now it's time to get to work marking assignments and preparing the same for next week. From my window I see puffy clouds and patches of blue. If I am diligent about my work there will be time to spend an hour or so in the garden this afternoon. 

Happy weekend!



28 comments:

  1. I love strawberry time, though we don't grow them now. We had a large bed in France, but also had a tiny mouse who used to run into the fruit cage, grab a berry and scuttle out!

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  2. Oh my dear friend. Cougars are not to be played with , even with a stick! I read a fascinating book THE BEAST IN THE GARDEN. True . You must get your hands on a copy! Or stay in your car!

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  3. Yummy strawberries! I love roses so they are special, WHo am I kidding? i like all flowers, even the wold ones. Great uplifting post.

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  4. Your commentary about the rabbits, strawberries, and netting reminds me that I have some bird netting at the ready to put around my roses and blueberries. I'm tired of sharing with the deer. Speaking of deer, that is a great pic.

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  6. That's a nice buck with his antlers in velvet. Lovely photos. That's nice that Tim can have some berries now. :)

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  7. Such a good shot of the deer Lorrie. On another note have you watched the movie "Guernsey" The book "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" was a good read.

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    1. Yes, I have watched the movie. So good. One of my favourite novels, too. I've re-read it several times.

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  8. The first strawberries usher in Summer for me. My DH had picked some yesterday and we've eaten so many already. Too bad you have naughty bunnies though. The netting should keep them out.

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  9. Nice shot of the deer. It's gotten too hot here for comfortably walking outside. The peonies on the table are really pretty. Such a lovely pink. Take care.

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  10. Please Lorrie, just enjoy your delicious strawberries, and avoid the cougars in the long grass.

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  12. Good to see that your encounter was with this handsome deer rather than a cougar. Yikes! Your peonies are gorgeous.

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  13. Dear Lorrie,
    Your walk in tall grasses reminds me of my walks with tall sage brush on either side. Along with a stick I sing or whistle to let them know that I am coming but really not a good idea.

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  14. Our strawberry season is over and I miss them already but I did get some good peaches from Georgia this week so I won't complain. What a big beautiful deer! Happy weekend! Don't work too hard!

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  15. Lovely to eat homegrown strawberries. We too have a fight to stop birds eating all our soft fruit. Very brave to walk alone in the bog, not surprised you swished a stick. Beautiful deer photo. Enjoy your peonies, they’re lovely. B x

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  16. Anonymous3:48 PM

    The deer are lovely. We have a problem with squirrels. They dig up all the flower bulbs and chew them. Those flowers are gorgeous you photographed.
    Marilyn

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  17. Your peonies are beautiful, Lorrie!

    My dining room has also been converted into my office space. You must be counting down to summer vacation!

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  18. Those naughty bunnies for eating your berries. The bunnies have been in our garden, but so far just eating grass and leaves. Beautiful new rose and love the peonies. What fun to see the beautiful deer too.

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  19. The peonies are stunning, a real delight. A joy to see the deer to, rather that than the cougar. Strawberry season is a wonderful time of year and the first one always tastes the best.

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  20. Beautiful photos, your walk sounds cougar scary and magical at the same time.

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  21. I wish we would see ur momma deer and her baby. I haven't seen her in a few days, and the last time she looked like she was full of milk. Our peonies are in bloom too! All the way in wisconsin....same blossom time

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  22. I have a wonderful image of you in my head - walking around with a sturdy stick and beating cougars into submission. All that teacher training coming in handy :-) In my head you are wearing an Indiana Jones hat, just so you know.
    Amalia
    xo

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  23. Ah, David Austin roses! Always gorgeous! Lovely strawberries too!

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  24. So many wonders "close to home," and you have eyes to see them! That is a gift. At your mention of Miss Iris, I had to dart back and read of her visit (not much blog reading happened while we were visiting the new grandbaby!), and oh, the delight! I want to squeeze those sweet little chubby baby arms! I love the dress you made her. Happy 1st birthday to Iris!

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  25. We have been visited by one cougar but thankfully he hasn't been seen for a while. The deer still come and have eaten all the top leaves of my sunflowers, as the rabbits gobbled up the lower ones! So hard to keep the garden going. We've not filled the bird feeders for several days due to a huge squirrel family stealing a $10 bag of seed in a couple of days - they really are a nuisance now!

    The Boscobel rose is so beautiful - what amazing roses David Austin had brought to the world of gardening over the years.

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  26. Peonies, roses and strawberries...the delights of the season! Enjoying them over here too.

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  27. Oh my! The peonies on your dining room table look fabulous (so do the strawberries in your first picture)

    Have a good week.

    All the best Jan

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