Sunshine!

Wow, if one doesn't look to the west, and see the snow on top of the Flatirons and on Green and Bear Mountains, you wouldn't know hat we had 5 inches of snow yesterday.  It's all melted - except in higher and very shady places.  But it was 28 degrees (F) this morning, so I'll put off removing the garden covers until about noon today.  Took the photo below a a friend's house about 10 yesterday morning.  The fox was moving along at quite a clip...

  We had quite a gathering yesterday evening at The Gondolier restaurant.  Beside the fact that it was Mother's Day, Kathy and Jim met and fell in love on 10 May 1979, at a dinner party.  Everyone in the extended family was there - minus Sarah's man, Michael, who was on a business trip, and whose flight was cancelled.  As usual, we had a huge table reserved, as Grandma Anne had come down Sugarloaf Mountain in a blizzard to be with us, along with both grandchildren, the two kids, one spouse (Erin), and Erin's Mom and Aunt - and me.  What was amazing was that I could get most of the sauces without onions - so we had a large selection of appetizers - garlic knots, garlic bread with mozzarella, crab cakes and calamari; and  was able to get homemade spaghetti (gordo) with a grilled chicken breast and lots of rich, thick tomato sauce.  Then, since it was Mother's Day, all the women were given a free canoli for dessert - I took a small sample of the extremely sweet filling, and had Jim and Mike split mine.  We were also given flowers as we left the restaurant, and Sarah had gotten all of the other ladies a beautiful peony blossom.   It was a good night.

 

Contemplating Navel... - er- Nature

In between running around from house to house to house yesterday, I spent three hours sitting in a large yard, and contemplating (while observing) nature.  My parents usually called the time I spent doing that my "contemplating my navel" time.  It's very relaxing, and I'm always astounded by things that I see and hear.  I was out for an  hour this morning, in bright sunshine, and I felt as if I were caught up in a time-lapse photography experiment.  I was sitting in the grass, next to a dandelion plant; and, over the course of one hour, I watched a bud open from tightly closed sepals to an open half-cup that was clasping bright yellow petals that slowly stretched themselves up and out into the sun.  When I returned several hours later, there was a perfectly formed flower soaking up the sun's rays. I did not see every bit of unfurling and opening that happened with this single blossom - I kept looking elsewhere, and then looking back at the bud.  My only unhappiness in that idyllic atmosphere was the lack of bees.  Normally, at this time of year, the dandelions and a few other early blooming flowers are the only food available for bees and wasps, and normally the yard would be swarming with bees at this time - I saw only one large bumblebee, and no honey bees.  There used to be multiple hives in the neighborhood, and the sound of humming, busy bees was almost narcotic.  Most hives are completely empty this spring.
   This afternoon, while checking out the progress of the dandelion bloom, I had several butterflies land on top of my head, and was amazed at the loud rustle of wings that I heard from them.  I also cataloged bird songs in my mind, and realized that I could hear over 20 different calls coming from the yard and those on the three sides.  Raising my eyes, I could see all kinds of small birds flitting among the trees and bushes.  I watched a pair of warblers gather small withies from the willow tree; it seemed almost as if they were comparing the length and circumference of the small green twigs, dropping some, while keeping others.  Flickers, nut hatches, woodpeckers, robins and magpies were around in abundance.  I looked beside me and saw a tiny spider bumble off a piece of grass and into the path of an ant.  The ant attacked the spider, and I last saw the ant carrying the spider away - I presume back to the nest.
   I then had to laugh while standing at the corner of Redwood Avenue and 19th Street.  I was, as usual, waiting for the 204 bus.  Hector, a friend who is from Peru, is the usual driver, and I also normally see my friend Adolfo, on his way to the Pearl Street Mall.  They let me practice my Spanish, and I tell Adolfo the American words for certain things.  Yesterday, I reached the bus stop about ten minutes later than I normally do.  As I came to a halt beside the bus stop sign, a large crow flew over my head, from across the street, and landed on the roof of the house behind me.  My husband told me many times that he would come back and visit me (or haunt me) as a crow or raven.  I turned to the crow, and said, "Good morning, my love. You look extremely handsome and sleek today."  A bicyclist was approaching me, and he slowed down and stopped as I spoke.  The crow bobbed its head, and cawed at me.  Then he flew up, and circled around me three times, each time getting closer and closer.  The bicyclist looked as if his eyes were going to pop out of his head.  I could hear the wind whistling in the crow's feathers, as it arced around and over me.  I kept my face turned toward it, kept laughing, and said, "I love you, too, sweetheart!"    The bus stopped, the crow settled onto the road verge less than a yard from me, the man on the bike said, "I thought it was going to swoop down and try to carry you away!" And Hector and Adolfo were looking out the open door with their mouths hanging open.  I  looked at the crow, and said, "Sorry, honey, but I have to go home now," and I got on the bus.  The man with the bike started to ride away.  The bus began to move, and the crow flew up, dove at the front window, and then flew away.  Hector and Adolfo  are now convinced that I am a witch and have special powers over animals.  I just laughed.

Enjoy These Spring Views

Beware the Holidays' Toxic Plants!

During Yuletide - or Christmas and New Year's - most people decorate their homes with ribbons and bows, ornaments and plants, and the Christmas tree.  We love to see bright colors; particularly reds and greens. As good parents, grandparents, and pet owners, however, we need to do some double-checking of our decorating.

These warnings apply to small children, cats, dogs, ferrets, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits.  
Also remember that the smaller the imbiber, or eater, the faster these toxins work into, and through, their biological systems.
 1. We all know that small ornaments can and will be either eaten, sucked on, or licked.  Glass ornaments and ornaments with small pieces need to be hung out of a small child's reach.  Metallic tinsel can be deadly if a pet eats it.  If you have small children or pets that will either bump into your tree and knock items off, or if you have a tree-climbing cat (like me), you know that breakable and small ornaments are not allowed.
 2.  The Christmas tree itself - if you have a live tree, then the tree, in and of itself, is mildly toxic. Evergreens, pines, and firs produce produce an oil that irritates the mouth and stomach, and can cause drooling and vomiting.  If you have a tree with extremely stiff needles, the main concern is with them perforating the stomach wall or intestinal lining.  The infections caused by the perforations are usually deadly.
 3.  Poinsettias have been getting a bad reputation since 1919.  Yes, the sap in the leaves and stalks is mildly toxic and can cause skin irritation - but an adult person would need to eat an entire, large, bushy poinsettia plant in its entirety to die from it.  Because it is so pretty, a lot of children want to taste it - I remember believing that it must taste like peppermint, as a child.  Unless you have a specific allergy to poinsettias, ingesting them will make you sick (and maybe wish you were dead), but they won't kill you.  But just think how it would make a child or pet feel...
 4.  Mistletoe:  all parts of this plant are severely toxic to any animal, two or four-legged.
 5.  Holly:  all parts of this plant are severely toxic to any animal, two or four-legged.
 6.  Yew:  all parts of this plant are severely toxic to any animal, two or four-legged.
 7. Lilies, amaryllis, narcissus, cyclamen and daffodils:  the bulbs and leaves are severely toxic to children, cats, dogs, and other household pets.  All parts, including the flowers, of the cyclamen are poisonous to children and pets.  All of these beautiful bulbs are seen in "forced" growing for the holiday season.  They are pretty, but deadly.
 8.  The Jerusalem cherry is extremely appealing - it has bright green leaves, and a red fruit that looks (and tastes) like a cherry tomato.  It is a member of the nightshade family.  It is severely toxic.
 9. In flower arrangements from the store, the Jequirity bean (aka the Indian prayer bean and/or the Rosary pea) is big during the holiday season.  In appearance, it is a dried bean of scarlet hue, with black tips.  It's very pretty - which can lead to problems with children.  The bean is also severely toxic.

The Holidays should be a time of joyfulness and cheer - please make sure that your home is a safe place for all small children and for all household pets.    Enjoy!