Monday, May 25, 2009

Non-Blogging

Hello!

I decided to chronicle the advance of spring, taking roughly one picture a week from March 15th to May 8th. This view of the Mississippi River is taken from the Marshall Avenue/Lake Street bridge.

graphic myspace at Gickr.com
Make your own animation

Finding summer employment has been a challenge! Although I had a lead, I applied for many other positions; medical records, nannying. One cashier job that paid $8 hourly had over 100 applicants. I was one of the fifteen chosen for an interview (without knowing the pay!) Anyway, the lead paid off and I'll be starting job training later this week. I'm quite thankful! More on that later.

To pass the time and alleviate the stress I've been budget gardening. My definition of this is to use supplies we already have and to move existing perennials into different locations. Also I love fixing up my yard!
DSCN5025.JPG
My shade garden, with a border made of glazed bricks I found buried and stacked around the yard! The bricks are crooked because it appears we don't have a true poured cement sidewalk; rather it consists of cement pavers which are not set in a straight line.

The herb garden:
DSCN5024.JPG

The window boxes.
DSCN5012.JPG
The tall scraggly plants are vincas which were rescued from the front yard last fall and wintered indoors. We'll see if they survive and flower after I trim them down.

The front garden.
DSCN5014.JPG I'm excited that the white anemones and lily of the valley came up of their own accord!

Obviously I purchased some annuals to fill the flower boxes and garden bed. I love the perennial creeping phlox and divided a big box. Hopefully they'll flourish!

My neighbor's school had a flower sale and I purchased this lovely fuchsia for only $17!
DSCN5017.JPG

I have a new rain awareness now because I have to water everything! May has been dry as a mofo; we're two inches behind here in Minnesota. R and I are thinking about getting soaker hoses.

The dryness has had a serious effect on that most important spring crop, morels!
DSCN5022.JPG
I found a few dessicated specimens at our old apartment. (Shhhh!) No one seemed to catch me walking hunched-over around the property....

Even my expert 'shroomer Dad has had trouble finding morels in Wisconsin, although he did spare a meal for us when we visited last weekend.

As R and I drove to the Motherland we spotted:
turkey_vulture_2.jpg
A turkey vulture in a tree!

wild-turkeys.jpg
Wild turkeys!

DSCN3454.JPG
A porcupine (deceased.)

Sandhill Crane.jpg
A sandhill crane!

Hope you're all having a fantastic May!
Wendell!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Happy May!

Greetings, all!

The last two weeks have been very busy! School ended for me, including three student recitals in two weeks. This Thursday, our new niece, Baby M, was born! And Friday, my Mom and Sister AG came to visit, along with AG's dog, Ninja!

A photo documentary:

Our first tulip!
DSCN4699.JPG

Our lil' niece, Baby M!
DSCN4740.JPG

My lovely Mom and sister, plus Stella and Ninja, who were BFFs all weekend!
DSCN4724.JPG

AG, Mom and I went shopping at their favorite local high end consignment shop, where I found awesome jeans in a size 10! For $42! This never happens.

We also conquered the wilderness:
DSCN4729.JPG

Finally, today R and I witnessed our first Powderhorn Mayday Parade!
DSCN4824.JPG

DSCN4804.JPG