You Rock my World

Yes, YOU rock my world!  In return I give you Pink Quartz, the rock of love.  When I brought this 85 pound symbol of love home to my garden my husband couldn’t believe I’d actually PAID for a rock!  Yep, I did!!  It was in February, I needed a lift and thought it a perfect Valentine’s gift.

As winter settles in, a blanket of snow usually covers my garden for months.  Not so this year!  We’ve had waves of snowfall then warm snow-melting temperatures, which means my garden is mostly brown with brief bouts of white blanket.  Without the snow I can see all the rocks in my garden, those I’ve dug up and those I’ve collected.  Yes, I collect rocks right along with plants for my garden.

If you’ve read some of my beginning blog posts you know my garden was hard earned via digging a lot of rocks out of the ground before anything could be planted.  Those rocks came in handy for many landscaping projects.

One of my spring projects will be renovating this terraced bed.  Now that I have a little more experience I can rebuild it much better than my original effort.  All last season as plants emerged I scooped them out so I wouldn’t lose any when I begin renovations.

I’ve always loved and collected rocks.  As kids, my cousins and I would walk the back alleys of our little town, picking up ‘pretty rocks’ that were white and sparkly from the gravel that was used in alleys back then.  I still pick up white sparkly rocks wherever I find them.

A friend gave me obsidian…. a truckload of it.  His dad was a rock hound and he has tons.

I use it to line paths, but it doesn’t show up as vividly as beach rocks do.

Another friend gave me rocks he collected for a patio.  After I built my patio I had enough leftover to build a small bench.  There’s still more waiting on inspiration for another project.

Yet another friend gave me river rocks when the floods of ‘96 ravaged his part of Mosier Creek.  Rocks flew out of the rampaging creek, completely covering his property.  A few of his friends hauled out truckloads for our gardens.

I’ve received gifts of rocks and I’ve given gifts of rocks.  I love rock stores where you can buy shiny, smooth, colorful rocks.  I’ve given my grandson and nephew rock tumblers!

I have buckets of rocks waiting for homes.  Do you collect rocks?  Have a favorite?  Do share!

Thanks for stopping by, I truly appreciate your visits to my garden.  Especially this time of year when there’s not so much to see.  Until next time……

Avalanche

We had an avalanche of snowfall over the last 24 hours.  I went out this morning to catch a glimpse…trudging through knee high heavy snowman-building snow with camera in hand……..

The day before I noticed too many buds for January.  And little sprigs of green poking out of the ground.

Our daytime temperature had soared into the 40’s and some might have thought spring came early.  But I knew it was far to0 early to start thinking spring.

Alas, my beautiful blue chairs need some snowpeople to enjoy them.  Perhaps I’ll make that my plan for today.

‘Dawn’ is still showing color in her buds, that remain in spite of our last icy freeze.

My little glass garden fairy is usually pouty on a good day, but covered in snow…..

…she is downright annoyed!

Then I heard the crash of snow falling off tree limbs as the sun came out.  I was happy to have seen the action before dashing back inside lest it fall on me!

Thanks to the snow plow drivers for keeping our roads clear!

And thanks to you for stopping by!  Until next time…….

The Lesser Traveled Path

I took my dog for a hike down the mountain this morning searching for a good photo of the clouds rolling through the Columbia Gorge.  I was pulled into the Shutter Sisters 365 Project by a friend so I’ve been taking and posting one photo per day and needed today’s shot.

As we progressed along the path I noticed the smaller things closer to earth.   I love the delicate detail of this lichen on the dark ground, enhanced by the sun.

The bright green moss called for it’s portrait to be taken as it bathed in the sun’s warmth.

When we arrived at the footbridge I gasped at the beauty of the sunlight sparkling on water.

What we came to see was this river of clouds moving through the Columbia River Gorge.  I love how the mist rolls in, enveloping the forest and I wanted to capture that.

From our vantage point we could also see Mt. Hood off in the distance.

Using the telephoto on my ‘point & shoot’ I could really see the clouds crashing on the mountain.

We stayed until the clouds began to lift, my dog pawing delicacies on the ground, and me just looking around in awe of the majesty surrounding us, not wanting to leave just yet.

One more shot of The Gorge and we were heading home so I could get some studio work done.  It’s due in two weeks, so I really must get to it.

By now the sun was fully awake and I spotted these twin trees with a heavy load of lichen.

I’ve always liked the name of this one, ‘Old Man’s Beard’.

And again, the dainty detail of this lichen whose name I don’t know.

When we came to this giant old rose bush loaded with hips I had to stop again….

…for a little more practice using the macro on the rose hips…..

…and the rose gall that had been frozen and thawed.  Alas I must get some work done today so we packed up and said goodbye to the open skies.

One last shot of the narrow path leading home, then I ducked in as the clouds descended again.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time…..

“Winter’s Beauty” entry for GGW’s Picture This

Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’, encapsulated in ice  ~ her little buds reaching out for spring.  I decided to participate in Gardening Gone Wild”s Picture This Photo Contest since I’ve been snapping photos on a daily basis for my 365 Project.  The judge for this months contest is Alan Detrick, who specializes with his wife Linda in garden and landscape design photography.  As usual, there are many incredible photos from those entered!  Go check them out, you’ll be gad you did!!

Winter Wonderland?

Or skating rink?!

I went out this morning to see if the ice has melted yet with my camera in hand.

I managed to stay upright and caught a couple magical moments in my garden!

The ice encapsulated foliage and berries were beautiful.

My smaller conifers were overladen with ice and I worry about their survival.

Ice laden grass …

…and shrubs…

Always looking for color, I found some in the branches of this conifer!

And in my Yucca.

Not to mention my Salix integra ‘Hakura Nishiki’.

And a frozen lavender glass star.

I loved how the pine needles frozen in place looked so windswept.

And how the tamarix branches looked like frozen fingers reaching out.

For some reason this clump of grass drew me in.

The frozen Joe Pye weed seems an apt place to say thanks for stopping by.  Until next time……..

Is It Spring Yet?

Waiting for the clouds to lift I remembered it’s winter and they’ll be here awhile.

So, camera in hand I went out to see if there was anything interesting in my garden to photograph.

You know I was looking for color!  I managed to find some in these blown glass balls lying on the ground.

A spot of yellow from my glass garden fairy hanging in a magnolia.

Not much color in this birdhouse shot, but I wondered when the next bird family might move in.

Then a couple stumps over I was drawn to this spring green moss that caught my eye.

When I looked up at the sky it was still gray.

3~365: Blue Chairs

So I went back to one of my favorite spots to capture my favorite turquoise chairs in a new way.  The photo above is my shot for today on my new blog, 365 Photos…one day at a time.  Since this blog is for my garden and my work blog is for…well, work (!), I chose to start a fresh new blog for taking a photo a day.  It’s the Shutter Sisters 365 Project, which I was pulled into by my friend Chris.  I’ll have camera in hand, shooting something daily and am looking forward to the colors I might find instead of focusing on the usual winter doldrums.

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time………

Blue Moon Rising on New Year’s Eve!

I took these shots tonight because we have a storm rolling in & I didn’t know if I would have a chance to capture it on New Year’s Eve, tomorrow night.

The Blue Moon is the second full moon occuring in a month and there are many myths and legends surrounding it.  I found this National Geographic article interesting regarding some of the science and folklore.

As always, thanks for stopping by.  Until next time wishing you a happy, healthy, and heavenly 2010!

Merry Christmas to all my Garden Friends!

From my garden to yours, wishing you love, light, and laughter!!

Some of my favorite ornaments to share:  I love red.  I love hearts.

I love pink fluffy flowers.  I love angels.

I love glass.  I love music.

I love to dance.  I love all the ballerinas in my family.

I love blue.  I love nutcrackers too.

I love my Santa.  He’s the light in my life.

I love butterflies.  I love funky style.

I love unique & individuality.  I love to shop for plants.

I love love.  There should be more of it in this world we all share.

Treasure loves everything and everyone.

Thanks for stopping by….until next time……….

Light…..

…at the end of the tunnel…. Thinking of the song, ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay’… Spending time decompressing and watching sunsets… Resting and Relaxing!

This time of year my garden is way on the back burner.  I just finished my busiest season, producing enough work for not only the galleries and shops that carry my glass, but also enough work to take to the holiday art and craft shows, my studio sale AND my on-line store at 1000 Markets.  Whew!  Now for a few days of Resting and Relaxing!  And catching up here with you!!

No doubt you’ll be happy to hear that Treasure and I are well on the road to recovery after our misadventure last month. I’m so appreciative of all your comments, good thoughts and prayers.  It really helped me get through that difficult time.

Hope your holidays are filled with light, love, and laughter!  If your preparations are frantic, I hope you can take a little time to join me for a moment and enjoy the sunsets.

Thanks for stopping by….until next time……

When bad things happen to good dogs….

…Life stops for the good dog’s owner.  I’m an artist and this is my busy season. The galleries and shops that sell my work need me to produce new work for their customers who want to purchase beautiful gifts.  My annual studio sale is coming up which adds to the chaos and mayhem in the studio this time of year.  But this is about my dog…I’ve pondered whether or not to publish this post and decided yes to share my story with you, my gardening friends, because this can happen to anyone…

My busy season.  Usually I’m in the studio up to 12 hours a day this time of year but make time to take my inquisitive dog, Treasure, a Belgian Tervuren out for a walk. We walk anywhere from a quick mile to three miles. Sometimes we hike down the mountain, but last Sunday we took a medium, 2 mile walk. Or at least that was my plan.

Just under one mile away from home a pit bull mix came sauntering out of a field. Always leery of loose dogs approaching us, I backed up but didn’t want to appear nervous or afraid and let them sniff noses. Everything seemed fine but before I could blink, the pit mix grabbed Treasure! In shock and horror, with both Treasure and I screaming, I tried pulling my dog away while kicking and pushing the aggressive dog off.  It would not stop or let go.  Trying to keep my brain calm and THINK what to do I recalled reading somewhere to release my leash if an attack like this ever happened, so I did.

Screaming at the top of my lungs I realized no one could hear me and although there is usually debris laying about on the road there was nothing to pick up to use as a weapon. All I could do was continue kicking at the dog until I saw a large tree limb as we moved up the road during the attack. Managing to break off a small branch it was no better a weapon than my feet or fists. Then suddenly the attack stopped but the dog stood there and I feared he would start up again, so I continued screaming at him to get away and shook the stick as menacingly as I could muster.

Finally a car came around the corner, my neighbor Chris as it turned out.  She began yelling at the dog and honking her horn until it finally disappeared back into the field. I quickly checked Treasure’s injuries, grabbed my treat bag & leash from the road & anxious to get home gratefully accepted a ride from Chris.

Treasure’s injuries were too significant to treat at home, so I finally found an available veterinarian on a Sunday afternoon and rushed my dog down the mountain and up to Mt Hood.  Dr. Kathy was wonderful while treating Treasure, reassuring, methodical and thorough. Bandaged and medicated we arrived back home and spent a very long night as Treasure wouldn’t or couldn’t sit or lay down for long without yelping in pain, so stood almost the entire night.  She has a large gash on her side, multiple punctures and severe bruising.  We spent the next day and night trying to keep her quiet and resting, giving pain medication to keep her comfortable.  Monday night I realized the bandage was possibly pulling her hair, keeping her from lying down, so we went to see our regular vet to remove the bandage and check progress that the injuries were healing.

Treasure is now Sleeping Beauty with the bandage that had covered her large gash removed.  Dr. Kerry advised the best treatment plan was hydrotherapy!  A brief shower twice a day to gently wash away any bacteria & keep debris out.  This along with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and pain medications is speeding her recovery process.

The police report and letter sent to the dog’s owner will say ‘potentially dangerous dog’ and list the address. It will remain in that status until/unless it bites a person. Then it’ll be listed as a ‘dangerous dog’ & the owner will have to contain it in such a way that it cannot dig out; carry a huge insurance policy and keep it muzzled. If it bites other dogs it will still just be listed as ‘potentially dangerous’.  I hope and pray it never bites another but fear it will.

Needless to say, my life and work has stopped for a moment while I tend to Treasure and her needs.  Besides the physical mending she is glued to my side, moving with me when I leave for any other room in the house.  Occasionally a routine noise causes her to shake uncontrollably.  As she recovers from the physical injuries I’ll look for ways to reassure and help her over the emotional trauma as well.

Questions:   Is danger lurking everywhere & I simply never noticed?  Are my safe rural walks and hikes tainted forevermore?  Will Treasure greet friendly dogs as enthusiastically as before?  And how will I know that it’s a friendly dog?  To post or not post since this is not about my garden?

Lesson: Carry mace and cell phone always on our walks!  I suggest you do too.

Final notes:  As of this Saturday morning posting, Treasure is ready to play again.  We are still trying to keep her quiet as the gash in her side isn’t healed yet (it looks a lot better), but she is raring to go.  I’m teaching her new tricks and playing thinking games and hide and seek games with her instead of run, chase, and fetch games.  I slowly walk her up to the mailbox and we roam the back fenced yard.  Yesterday we walked as far as the neighbor’s driveway but it was not planned and I felt a bit nervous about not having mace in my hand.

I’m thankful it wasn’t worse…..and thankful you stopped by to read about Treasure instead of my garden this time.  Please take care on your journeys out…be aware of potentially dangerous dogs…  Until next time……