Monkeys

So the problem with the monkeys and Shakespeare is that right now there really are thousands of monkeys writing and publishing. But only a few of them are brilliant works. And when Shakespeare finally gets around to writing, one of the monkeys jumps up and yells "copyright infringement!" And this has nothing to do with Ann Coulter trying to justify her way out of a plagiarism accusation. I hate the ignorant-- what was it? -- "harpie" and I've never even met her.

Balmy day

Rained .2 inches last night. The weather on the first dog walk of the day was amazing. 70 degrees outside, slight breeze, gentle filtering light through partly cloudy skies ...

And I learned you can wash down comforters without destroying them. But I was still upset he didn't read the label.

Wash day dilemma

So do I thank him for doing the laundry (and spending three hours at the laundromat) or do I get really frustrated because he washed the very large and expensive down comforter that says (in large letters) DRY CLEAN ONLY?

plants for adult butterflies

swallowtail
Originally uploaded by carabou.

annuals, biennials, perennials

• Achillea (Yarrow)
  
• Agapanthus (Lily-of-the-nile)
  
• Agastache (Giant Hyssop)
  
• Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
  
• Aquilegia (Columbine)
  
• Armeria (Thrift, Sea Pink)
  
• Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly weed)
  
• Aster
  
• Astilbe (False Spiraea)
  
• Borago officinalis (Borage)
  
• Bouvardia
  
• Catananche caerulea (Cupid's Dart)
  
• Centranthus ruber (red valerian)
  
• Ceratostigma plumbaginoldes (dwarf plumbago
  
• Chelone (turtlehead)
  
• Chrysanthemum maximum (shasta daisy)
  
• Coreopsis
  
• Cosmos
  
• cynoglossum amabile
  
• Delphinium
  
• Dianthus (pink)
  
• Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
  
• Echinops (globe thistle)
  
• Erigeron (fleabane)
  
• Eryngium amethystinum (sea holly)
  
• Erysimum cheiri (english wallflwoer)
  
• Eupatorium
  
• Gaillardia grandiflora (blanket flower)
  
• Heliotropium arborescens (common heleiotrope)
  
• Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket)
  
• Iberis (candytuft)
  
• Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea)
  
• Liatris
• Lobelia
  
• Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum)
  
• Monarda (bee balm)
  
• Nepeta
  
• Origanum vulgara (oregano)
  
• Penstemon (beard tongue)
  
• pentas lanceolata (star clusters)
  
• Phlox
  
• Primula vialii
  
• Prunelia vulgaris (self-heal)
  
• Ranunculus
  
• Rudbeckia hirta (gloriosa daisy)
  
• Salvia (sage)
  
• Scabiosa (pincushion flower)
  
• Sedum (tall) Stonecrop)
  
• Solidago (Goldenrod)
  
• Tagetes (Marigold)
  
• Tithonia rotundifolia (Mexican sunflower)
  
• Verbena bonariensis
  
• Zauschneria (California Fuchsia)
  

Shrubs

• Abelia
  
• Aralia spinosa (Hercules' club)
  
• Buddleia
  
• Calluna vulgaris (Scotch Heather)
  
• Caryopteris (Bluebeard)
  
• Ceanothus
  
• Clethra alnifolia (summersweet)
  
• Eriogonum (some) (Wild Buckwheat)
  
• Hebe
  
• Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
  
• Lantana
  
• Lavandula
  
• Lonicera (Honeysuckle)
  
• Mahonia
  
• Philadelphus (single flowered mock orange)
  
• Potentilla (Cinquefoil)
  
• Rhododendron
  
• Rhus trilobata (squawbush)
  
• Ribes
  
• Rosmarinus officinails
  
• Sambucus (elderberry)
  
• Spiraea
  
• Syringa (Lilac)
  
• Vaccinium
  
• Vitex agnus-castus (chaste tree)
  

Trees

• Acer (Maple)
  
• Aesculus (Horsechestnut)
  
• Apple
  
• Citrus
  
• Salix (Willow)
  
• Vitex (Chaste Tree)
  

Plants that attract butterfly larvae

second swallowtail
Originally uploaded by carabou.

From some book that needs to be credited, but all I have are printouts and they didn't put the information on the header/footer.

annuals, biennials, perennials

• Alcea rosea
  
• Antirrhinum majus
  
• Artichoke
  
• asclepias
  
• aster
  
• cleome hasslerana
  
• dicentra
  
• digitalis purpurea
  
• eriogonum
  
• foeniculum vulgare
  
• geum
  
• helianthus
  
• heliotropium arborescens
  
• linaria purpurea
  
• lupinus
  
• penstmon
  
• sidalcea
  
• tropaeolum majus
  
• veronica
  

Ground covers, vines

• passiflora
  
• strawberry
  
• wisteria
  
• Cassia
  
• Ceanothus
  
• Hibiscus
  
• lavatera
  
• Malva
  
• Plumbago suriculate
  
• ribes
  
• rose
  
• spiraea
  
• viburnum
  

trees

• aesculus
  
• betula
  
• celtis
  
• citrus
  
• cornus
  
• crataegus
  
• malus
  
• pinus
  
• platanus
  
• populus
  
• prunus
  
• Pseudotsuga menziesli
  
• quercus
  
• salix
  

You are about to blow food or drink out of your nose

And we've already got our tickets

• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• Van Morrison
• Willie Nelson
• Massive Attack
• String Cheese Incident
• Ben Harper
• The Flaming Lips
• it goes on!

The Renewable Energy Roundup folk learned their lesson last year and scheduled this year's festivities for the next weekend.

(and yesterday I killed 23 flies)

Eighteen Flies!

Okay. The fly and flea killing is getting obsessive. I know. And I'm coming to terms with the need to get rid of things and the problem of having things that no-one wants (not clutter), so I have to absolutely throw them away. Even the perpetual listing on half.com doesn't work.

It's hard to throw away books. Maybe I should just burn them instead.

Open Tables

Yesterday I killed 23 flies and N&D ate dinner at the Headliners Club (and wore a jacket. He really does clean up well). He said the food was adequate, but the view was fantastic. In explaining the food, he said that I was an amazing cook (when I did actually cook), so he had high expectations (isn't he sweet?). He had some sort of stuffed chicken dish on risotto, giant stringy asparagus and an overly dry strawberry shortcake.

We then started talking about Wink and how the food is exceptional (for the most part -- I haven't yet had an adequate meal, but we don't eat there often), but the atmosphere is crowded and loud. Granted, we usually get a little tipsy and are part of the reason it's so loud, but there's too many tables for the space.

Food? Yum. Since Clee and I (and TAH and Topher) are such amazing cooks, and we get together frequently anyway, I'm initiating a grub club and I'm spending the day working on a logo (on top of applying for jobs and patching and painting the drywall in the bathroom). This Thursday I want to try some tapas recipes so the theme is going to be "Little Victuals". I like the rhyming factor.

Mothers Day

Love your mother!

Actually, Kill FLIES! So far, 18. There will be more.

UPDATE: Nine more flies and I discovered why the bedroom smells bad. Nuncle pissed on my yoga mat. So far, in the last three days, that's: The Technology Review magazine (not even opened as it had come in the mail that day); the cardboard cat scratches (all three at the same time because I was vacuuming); just outside the litterbox; the watering fountain; and now my yoga mat. I would think this was a sign of sickness, except I know it's all him being a little pisser. Literally.

Why, why did I spend so much saving this cat's life? Sometimes I think liver failure was nature's way of sparing me this pain and I should have paid attention to nature rather than paid to save his life. Now I'm paying with stinky house and Nature's Miracle. It's good, but the cat has got to stop!

UPDATE: THIRTY ONE MORE FLIES!!!!!! And windows in the bedroom that I can actually see through.

UPDATE: THREE more flies (that makes 61 flies. All because of the rotting loquat, fermenting chinaberry, and the dog poop. I hate flies. Clarification -- flies are okay. I hate BZZZZZZ ZZZZZ ZZHBAHZZZZZZ). Also, spread out the mulch, including around the pear tree (again) and moved the small Senecio mandraliscae to the front. The full sun and no water it was getting with the other succulents was leaving it rather sad looking. So less sun and more water and hopefully it will improve.

Instant bog!

Instant bog!
Originally uploaded by carabou.

Today sucks. Just in general. I never really viewed myself as depicting the "victim" -- but I'm really get tired of being yelled at. I'm not a scapegoat for others frustrations. Quit killin' the messenger. Really. Obtuse? Yes. But I really can't say much more other than I feel like crap and I don't know how much longer I can handle this. At all.

Birthday!

Birthday!
Originally uploaded by carabou.

Trudy's for a birthday cake in a glass. I had a frustrating day, especially since all I really wanted to do was go to Pedernales and sit with my feet in the water, eat some chocolate cake and think about life. *sigh*

Carolee and Christopher are ver' cool though. Two amazing books (one fun, one supercool), christmas lights, mints, a fabulous butterfly dish (not a butter dish, but the butterfly named "Figure 1"), night blooming jasmine and a rather cool pot. They're so cool. *sigh*

THIS WILL NOT BE A FEEL SORRY FOR ME POST!

Eventful Easter

Weeding 15 April
Originally uploaded by carabou.

N&D's been amazing these past few days. He's watered all the plants that needed watering, built a Chuy fence, helped me build a new door to the crawlspace under the house so we can get rid of the pile of bricks and rather large plant keeping the dogs out, and he created an extension to our side fence to keep people from jumping over it.

The Story with Caveat: I have no concrete evidence; this is based on impressions of the event and it could have actually been something completely innocent.

Thursday night at about 1:30am N&D and I were jolted out of bed by the dogs barking furiously, a loud thunk and a
weird metal sound, and then the 70# dog squealing horribly (she squeals
anyway when she's nervous -- she's a diva -- but this was more of a
pain squeal). After five minutes of "time out" to calm her down, she
didn't jump up to greet me, was breathing irregularly and licking her
side as if it hurt. No obvious broken ribs, but she was acting as if
they were bruised.

In the morning, over on the only side of the house without a motion
sensor light, where I cleared out the hedge so we can fix the metal on
the chain link fence that is bent and loose, I saw the mulch
underneath the tree on the non-dog side completely mushed up in about
a four foot-long swatch. Just large enough for a person jumping a
fence rather quickly to land.

N&D's been leaving the dogs access to the backyard at night as he's been feeling as if someone's been scoping the house. The last time he felt this way, we found out someone had actually been using our yard to dump stolen wallets.

We didn't actually see anyone ... The dogs bark at cats ... and dogs
... and squirrels ... and people walking by ...

... but we're pretty sure someone tried to break in to our house

Happy Easter/Mid-Pesach/Seasonal Holiday of your Denomination!

smack down cat

poppy
Originally uploaded by carabou.

So yesterday I joined my first Flickr group. I uploaded this image this morning.

On my walk this morning, a little black cat was trying to get the smack-down with Maggs and Hope. It followed us for almost a full block, tail puffy, intent in its eyes. I couldn't stop laughing as I was almost pulled off balance. Plus two of my neighbors brightened my day a little more as a minute after that, they told me that they loved the side garden (this one -- the domino garden, where more pictures are posted on flickr than here, the blog that is dedicated to it. Agh!)

Anyway. What a funny way to start the day.

Happy News / Sad News

This weekend was beautiful. Literally. Gorgeous Saturday, and N&D and I spent the morning and early afternoon at the mosaic-jam. Two mosaic-people, two mosaic-flowers, and only one more mosaic-person to go. Yay! And then Aaron and I worked on the brochure, and I cooked really nasty carrot cake that was way to healthy (ew).

Sunday, up early. Aaron washed clothes while I spent the entire morning looking for my keys. Nowhere in the house. I don't know where they are. Watered the plants in the island. Sad to be missing such another beautiful day that I could spend with puppies in the park but the brochure is mostly done (there are some image issues, and it really needs to be printed ... but whatever). And then found out that Lily was PTS. Sweet, sweet, majestic loving girl. 108 in human-equivalent of dog years. She was tired, I bet. Sweet, gentle, grey furred girl.

My heart aches for Sonja. It really does. I hope her spirit flies with Lily tonight in her dreams and she feels that soft warm body next to hers when she's curled up in bed.

Sometimes I love our neighborhood

poppy mosaic #3 Originally uploaded by carabou.

Sonja neighbor is so cool. I've been chatting with her more -- getting to know the neighbors, as it were. She was just about to loan me a book by Hafiz (The Gift) when I realized I have a pretty poor return-book ability right now. I'm just a fuzz-head. So I told her I'd head down to half or bookpeople and just buy one for myself. Maybe I'll just put it on my amazon wish list. Ooooh. Amazon has a new plog thing and it linked me to yougrowgirl.com. How cool is that?

Stasis

shy poppy?
Originally uploaded by carabou.

I'm in a point of stagnation with the garden. The spring growth spurt has stopped, and all of the summer stuff is slowly creeping open. Do I pull the weeds? Do I wait and see what they are? I already know the henbit and the bedstraw, and today I figured out I have a Carolina anemone prairie wildflower (why did I buy big ones?).

The mess from the hackberry fiasco is still sitting, waiting for me to figure out what I want to do with it. I definitely want a plank bench

And I'm making concrete balls so I can get enough feel for the medium to make something a little larger and nicer.

I'm also freaking out a little because I'm just now getting my tax stuff in order to file. AGGGGGH! Okay. A lot.

Mosaic flower planted

Flower
Originally uploaded by carabou.

Finally. A day of not feel sorry for me. We finally got a mosaic in the ground on the Grayson side of the traffic calming islands. They look nice. I thought we would get the Half-penny island all finished before concentrating on the Grayson one, mainly because the half-penny island will have more watering and attention paid to it, but I was wrong. Pascal still needs to weather proof them, and who knows how long it will take for someone to either try to steal them or just run over them in spite and/or malice. People are odd. But for now, they look nice. And I took a picture of them, along with the plants that are doing okay for the time being.

Monarch Butterflies

Playing around with flickr.

www.flickr.com

This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called butterfly garden. Make your own badge here.

Another feel sorry for me post

Again, please feel sorry for me. The garden really is looking much nicer, with very happy poppies, but the dogs tried to kill one of their own last week, and I'm two thousand dollars poorer because of it.

That's a lot of sudden debt. But I've gotten a little joy from the happy flowers in our sideyard, and the rain. Even with all of the mud, the rain is quite nice.

So now we have a permanently inside dog (christened "Cat") and three muddy monsters that insist on laying on top of my tomato plants. But life ... yeah.

I need someone to feel sorry for me today

Sorry for the graphic disgusting thing that follows (don't read it if you're eating, or plan to ever eat again). I just need a little sympathy thrown my way.

Every thirty minutes or so I've been going into the dog porch and cleaning up gobs of diarrhea. I can't let any of the dogs out into the yard because tree guys are here (gate wide open=dogs on walkabout), and although they're tolerant of dogs, falling tree branches aren't the safest environment for sniffy, nosey, barky beasts.

So. Four contained dogs. One with diarrhea. Who keeps licking his nasty sticky butt. And then throwing up.

I feel soooo sorry for him. Vet is closed today, and I wouldn't take him anyway without waiting for at least 24 hours to see if it goes away on its own. But still.

He's spread diarrhea over EVERYTHING! The couch cover, the ottoman cover, the floor (and the floor again - and again - and again (repeat several more times) - the floor hasn't been cleaned this much since we moved in).

I gave him a bath. He spread diarrhea all over our bathtub (ew!)

In short, IT STINKS!

And I can't clean thoroughly or disinfect anything until tree guys go away (b/c there's no place to put the dogs other than the dog room. The cats are freaking out enough as it is without having to share their space with dogs that smell like diarrhea)

So. I'm sick dog mom today. At least the trees are getting trimmed.

I'm almost glad I decided to stay home today, but it sucks because it's -- shitty. He's in the kennel right now. It means an even nastier bath later, but at least I can remove the cover from the couch so two Black dogs have a place to chill. Brown dog hasn't left her kennel all morning.

Poor Red dog. And yet, I doubt he'll learn to avoid whatever he ate to cause this.

FEEL SORRY FOR ME!!!!!

*sigh*

At least I have black pansy sorbet (unless N&D ate the last of it last night). Once I shower (again), I'm having me a pansy margarita.

Mmm. margaritas are such a wonderful panacea.

Some Recipes for Herb/Flower Sorbets which would explain the beautiful picture up top.