A bit better

 Air Quality was a bit better yesterday...we still had moderate particulate pollution due to the Wild Fires in Canada.   I wish they would put the wet stuff on the red stuff. 

We limited our time outdoors.  Wednesday the air should be better...we hope. 

There is a patch of Pussytoes in our yard, also known as Antennaria neglecta.  It often forms a dense mat...it poisons its neighboring plants so it can expand its territory.  It is a plant Native to Minnesota.

Yesterday I took a look at the canned goods in the pantry and organized it so I know what I have.  I did a couple of loads of laundry.  No nap. 

Minnesota Weather: High 71 F or 22 C Low 47 F or 9 C eh!

We had a Doctors appointment in Detroit Lakes yesterday so we went to KFC and picked up chicken and biscuits for supper. 

Far Side

 

Goldenrod and Bookclub

 The Goldenrod is blooming.

It is a native plant in Minnesota. There are 15 different varieties that live in Minnesota.  

Yesterday was Bookclub, they met in a local park and had a book swap.  I did not feel up to attending so I eventually joined them by phone.   We read Where The Crawdads Sing.  I enjoyed the book and give it a 9 out of 10.   It did not end the way I thought it would.  The gals said the movie followed the book quite well. 

Far Side

 

What's new?

 We had a busy day; Andy, Jen, Noah and Sadie came to visit.  They helped move a few things from my parents home to their apartment...Mom has about one more load and the house will be cleared out.   Many hands make short work of a project. 

Sadie ran around in our yard curious about all the smells new to her.   She didn't like the bear doorstop in the bathroom...she came over to Noah and barked...a very scary bear...Chance didn't like it either but he got used to it. 

Far Guy and I had a nap got up and cooked some bacon and eggs for supper and then went for a Ranger Blue trail ride. 

I can report that the skeeters are out...horrid little buggers. 

The Large Flowered Bellwort is in bloom, it is a native to Minnesota plant.

The Ferns have begun to unfurl.

We saw a pair of Swans on Elbow Lake and several pair of Swans on Guyles Lake.  Saw a Porkypine sauntering across the road.   And a few deer...

This deer was trimming brush.

Far Side

Spring Bloomers

 Spring is here ...finally. 

The Marsh Marigolds/Cowslips are finally blooming.  They bloom for a long time! 

We went for a trail ride...saw some Spring Ephemerals...plants that bloom briefly sometimes only a day. 

Round Lobed Hepatica or Anemone americana it can be any color from Violet to Pink to White.  The hairy stalk and six petals help to identify it right now as the leaves are still hidden in the leaf litter. 

Pretty little flowers to begin Spring here in Minnesota!  

We enjoyed our trail ride and had lunch of crackers and cheese out on the trail.

Far Side

Lead Plant

 The Lead Plant is blooming.  It is a plant that is native to Minnesota.   

Grocery day was uneventful...missing a few things.  The  person that delivered to the car at wallyworld said that the store should order more when they know that the tourists will wipe out the shelves.  Town was very busy.   Gas is up to $3.09 a gallon. 

I took my Dad to Bingo, we didn't win.  We missed last week as Dad was real sick...he had cellulitis....he is much better now.  ( Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin)  He told me he was so sick he nearly died.  He did well at Bingo...he only missed a few numbers....I either point them out or daub them for him.  

Far Side 

Yellow

The Gray-Headed Coneflower is in full bloom...it lends a sunny color to the wildgardens.  Some people call it a Yellow Coneflower.  It is Ratibida pinnata.

Twenty years ago I planted just a few of these plants...they reseed themselves. 

They are quite tall plants...the other day I watched a Goldfinch try to land on a bloom.

I washed the dining room window...it is that time of year when the little spiders go crazy with their webs and can spin their sticky webs overnight.   I took a broom outside and swept the webs away from the front of the house.  I suppose the kitchen window will drive me nuts someday soon. 

It was a quiet day...same old same old.  Stay safe...

Far Side

Milkweed

We finally have some Milkweed in our Wild Gardens.

Common Milkweed  or Asclepias syriaca a Native Plant

I spotted this Monarch caterpillar munching away. He is pretty large and will transition to a chrysalis soon. 

It was a terribly warm and humid day yesterday...the Heat Index was way up there. 

Christmas Card "stuff" was spread all over my desk and the dining table. I made little headway. Far Guy woodcarved and we went to the transfer station with our garbage ...and stopped by outside the Post Office to mail some cards. 

The milk can project has to be worked on outside when it isn't windy.  Maybe later this week.

Far Side

Lady's Slippers

The Minnesota State flower is in full bloom.  We went for a ride to see a spot where the ditch was full of the beauties.

They always bloom around Father's Day.

Such beauty alongside the road.  These plants are native to Minnesota.

Back at home we have three Yellow Lady's Slippers blooming along the driveway. 

There are three blooms so far this year.  We have marked the spot with pink flags and are trying to keep the brush and the Poison Ivy under control in their area.  Far Guy clipped back all the brush with his long handled clipper.

Far Side

Owls and Cowslips

My baby brother has no squirrels in his yard.  He has two Owls. 

This one is high in a Norway Pine.

This one is hanging out on a dead tree ( we call them dead heads as the top of the tree is gone.)

My baby brother says he thinks they are Barred Owls and he thinks the one on the dead head is a youngster.
Interesting to see.  They watch their little dog closely when they are outside!

The Cowslips are in full bloom down at the lake...also called Marsh Marigold it is Caltha palustris and it is in the Buttercup (Ranunculaceae Family)

Far Side

Blooms

I mowed the front yard.  I left the dandys on the side yards for the bees.

There is a good crop of dandys on the side yards.

Little Violets that took up residence against the house.

A Trillium about to open.

We had a busy day.  Visited two cemeteries and left flowers.  I am still working out in the greenhouse/woodshop...Far Guy has lots of stuff treasures. I have been delivering buckets of kindling to the neighbors fire pits and stacking like kinds of wood together on top of the benches. I am about 2/3 done out there.

The suitcase was repacked with some summery clothing should the call for new lungs come. 

Far Side

Blooms at the lake

The Jewelweed is in full bloom at the lake.  The bees are enjoying this late bloomer.  It is a native plant. The sister plant of this one is yellow.   This one is called Spotted Touch me Not or Impatiens capensis.

This patch found something in the woods to help it grow really tall!   I told Far Guy it was really impressive so we went down together to see it before it freezes.

It is called touch me not because if you touch the seedpods they explode.   The stems of this plant are filled with a juice that will sooth the itch of Poison Ivy or the sting from Nettles.  We have a bunch in the fridge all the time. 
Hummingbirds also like this plant.

Well what is a trip down to the lake without a photo of the lake.

The lake was quiet with only one boat in sight.
Far Side

whats blooming

The Wild Geraniums are prolific this year, the right amount of rain at the right time I guess.

Geranium maculatum or Wild Geranium

Prairie Smoke or Geum triflorum or Old Man's Whiskers

I was happy to see the Prairie Smoke in our wild gardens this year.
A deer went through and ate some of my Lupines and my Baptisia...dirty buggers anyway.

Yesterday I did laundry and cleaned the bathroom and unpacked the rest of our "stuff".  It rained here and it is cool.  Possibly it will be a cool wet summer....who knows!   My other baby brother and his bride mowed our lawn last Wednesday so the lawn is good for a few days.

Far Side

Milkweed and Misc

The air is heavy with the sweet fragrance of the Common Milkweed….or Asclepsias syriaca.

 

The blooms are full.  I did not see any larvae on them…sadly we have only seen a few Monarchs lately. Fibers from the old stems can be used for nest building by Orioles.

Minnesota has thirteen different kinds of milkweed.

Busy days after the 4th of July.  I went to Bingo with my Dad, he hollered Bingo once! In the N’s …he never Bingos in the N’s… he said it was a historic bingo.

Far Guy and I are working on the Christmas Ornaments, we have 70 ready to paint and 10 are being painted…so 80/100 are carved.  Last year I was done with the entire project by the end of August…time will tell if I make it this year.  The projected heat wave may give me a chance to paint indoors.

Chance is in a funk …again…he gets depressed after Jen visits…Miney and Little Elvis are missed.  Chance got to play “Lassie “ one day…I was keeping one eye on all three dogs as I worked in my garage.  Suddenly Chance appeared and just stared at me….interrupting my work….something was wrong. Little Elvis was with Chance but Miney was no where to be found…I hollered and hollered (she is quite deaf) …I went to the house to see if Far Guy had let her in the house…he hadn’t but said “She is right out the window.”  What a relief.  Not sure where she went but luckily she came back.

Lake

I went down on my baby brother’s dock and sat for a bit on Wednesday evening.  Watched the Loons.   I am not sure how many pairs are on the lake this year, last year there were 3 or 4 pairs.  Last year the nasty Bald Eagles took the babies that were born on the North end of the lake…it was heart wrenching to listen to…Loons wailing and crows cawing…

I sat and enjoyed the breeze off the lake.  Only one pontoon was making the rounds.

The Marsh Marigolds are in bloom.  They are Caltha paulustris but another name for them is Cowslips; because they grow on hummocks and cows can slip on them.

Last night my Dad and I went to Bingo…we were losers..so we will try again next week.

Badly needed rain is forecast for the next few days.

 

Wild Lupines

In some areas of Minnesota Lupine grow wild in the ditches.  We have an area about 40 miles North of us that has a patch of Wild Lupines growing in the ditch.

Lupinus perennis

We caught them at almost peak bloom.  Lupines are native to Minnesota but are usually found over by Lake Superior and the Southern part of the state.

One bunch had escaped into a clear cut area… the bits of yellow color are Hawkweed. There were some Lupines off to the left that were mainly white. (Seedling variation no doubt.)

It wamed up a bit and got to 70 F…perfect weather!

Hello Summer

Summer is finally officially here.  My husband says he wants a “do over” for June because the days are going so fast.

On one of our evening drives we found a wonderful patch of Blug Flag Iris blooming.

Iris versicolor a Native to Minnesota plant.  I took this one near another patch on the banks of the Shell River, the water makes a beautiful backdrop.

Such a pretty flower!

I think I would like a do over too, there are way too many Wild Flowers to photograph in June!

Purple Joins Yellow

First of all the skeeters are horrid, all the rain we had and the water standing in the fields have bred skeeters big as birds…well not quite but when you step outside they are in your eyes, ears, nose and if you open it your mouth.

Canada Goldenrod or Solidago canadensis a native plant is the yellow and Spotted Knapweed  or Centaurea stobe spp. micranthus a Noxious Weed is the purple. The County/Townships almost had this noxious weed under control a few years ago and now it has resurfaced.

The Liatris is blooming in the wild gardens, this particular one is Liatris spicata or Gayfeather and I planted it long ago.  It blooms from the top down.

We have more purple but the skeeters were eating me alive.  I hope we get gale force winds tomorrow so some of the skeeters impale themselves on trees.

I know it is wrong to pray for a frost…but I am tempted.

Walk along the driveway

Come along for a walk!  It is June and there many new things to see along the driveway!

Smooth Solomon’s Seal or Polygonatum biflorum a Native Plant

The wild raspberries are looking good, we should have a good crop if we can stand to fight the skeeters.

This is Lonicera sempervirens a yellow variety, I sold this plant at the greenhouse and planted one out around the grain bin…mine died but it seems the birds have carried it all over the woods.

The yellow Lady’s Slipper was showing off.  Her real name is Cypripedium parviflorum.  She is perhaps my favorite flower…but you all probably know that.

We have seven Yellow Lady’s Slippers along the back driveway this year…so far…there may be a few more in a day or two.

 

This is a new addition to the driveway.  Josh and Missy put up a flat stone with a small flower bed.  The grass he seeded around it is coming up nicely.  Josh is my nephew and he lives next door.