autumn joy
already nibbled by the deer and not even in full bloom 9 Sept 09

annual sunflower
seeded by the birds out in the "rough" 2009-09-09

heuchera "stormy seas"
New plants purchased on sale - for the new shade garden 2009-08-25

another annual sunflower
seeded by the birds growing in the unused lasagna bed 2009-09-09

lavender
blooming 9 Sept 09 just a little late

perennial heliopsis
These things are taller than I am. 2009-09-09

tiger lily
Very few blooms, it's going out in the back-40 next year.

perennial sunflowers
This is one prolific bloomer.

fall garden
Surviving mostly on occasional rain and the grass needs mowing.  Hasn't been tended lately.  9 Sept 09

fall garden
Island bed 2009-09-09

mauve "weed"
This mauve flowered plant grows and self-seeds well in the wild bird garden.  2009-06-23

fleabane
Actually more pink than photo shows.

critter


golden marguerite
I've thrown this plant out several years in a row and it keeps coming back. Weedy but it's winning.

birdbaths
in front garden SE view

front garden
SSE view

front garden
view to south

front garden
SW view

front yard
view from front deck

wild bed
the flowers in this bed near the birdfeeder are allowed to go to seed.  Compost bins in background.

glass garden totem
in oval center bed with mixed perennials, shrubs, and trees

lilac
lilacs will soon be protected with mesh so the deer can't nibble them. Fencing will be changed this year.

lady's mantle
almost ready to bloom - one of my fav perennials

iris
one of my old irises - very common but still pretty

purple bearded iris
Iris sicula (Sicilian iris)

pink and red yarrow
Many years we've pulled out the pink yarrow and left only the red but this year we are leaving the pink as well for more plants for the enlarged garden.  This stuff spreads wonderfully! 

delphinium
short, pale blue delph with pink centers

moss pinks
good groundcover

peony poppy
18July09

peony poppy
also feverfew, red yarrow, Jacob's Ladder, and Lamb's Ears.  All these plants self-seed.  18July09

tall purple delphiniums
Difficult for me to photograph the color well, it's the color on the left in my shadow that is most like the actual flowers.

pounding posts easily
This machine with a good operator did a fantastic job of pounding posts for our new garden.  2009-06-19

1 garden house
future location.  New fence posts for extended yard soon to be pounded.  14June09

2 garden house
foundation started.  Fence posts have been pounded and waiting for wire and rails.  10July09 E view

3 garden house
garden house NE view 12July09

4 garden house
garden house N view

5 garden house
corner support - concrete still to be poured

6 garden house
12' x 16' foundation 15July09

7 garden house
1st wall from a distance 18July09

8 garden house
rear wall framed 18July09

9 garden house
at a distance looking NE 2 more walls framed 20July09

10 garden house
2nd and 3rd wall framed 20July09

11 garden house
door and window in W end wall 21July09

12 garden house
front wall will have 5 windows 21July09

13 garden house
framing below windows done 22July09

14 Garden House
most ceiling joists up 24July09

15 Garden House
Ceiling joists on 16" centers.  Entrance to attic still to be framed. 24July09

16 garden house
plywood on back wall - no windows in this wall 27July09

17 garden house
ceiling 27July09

18 garden house
ceiling/loft floor 27July09

19 garden house
access to loft storage will be by ladder and the short side walls will be part of the trusses 27July09

20 garden house
west wall partially sheathed 29July09

21 garden house
east wall sheathed with plywood.  The plan is to put battens on the plywood to simulate board and batten then paint.  29July09

22 garden house
east wall from inside 29July09

23 garden house
plywood sheathing complete 30July09

24 garden house
roof started - view from east side 4Aug09

25 gravel floor
floor will be concrete - next spring

26 gravel floor
We want the gravel to pack down as much as possible before concrete is laid.

27 2 gable ends
beginning to look like a "house"

28 ridge pole and some rafters
finally, some progress.  Too many other things have assumed importance.  Hopefully this will be roofed before the snow flies.  However life again intervenes.  :-)

29 more rafters up
We're back to "work" and if the snow hold off this project will show more improvement this month.  

30 garden house front stained
First coat of green stain today.  This makes the building look very small but it's still 12'x16'.  I think I may have green hair!  Oh well, I'll be ready for Halloween!  2009-10-04

31 house back stained
This is more true to the real color.  2009-10-04

32 loft infrastructure
7 Oct 09

33 roof construction
7 Oct 09

34 north roof with strand board
12 Oct 09

35 south roof
12 Oct 09

36 windows west side
We bought used windows at yard sales so they are various sizes. 25 Oct 09

37 windows south side
These windows are tempered glass which we bought 5 for $20 without frames. 25 Oct 09

38 windows east side
25 Oct 09

amber totem
Using up glass 2009-08-18

globe top totem
using up glass for this one also 2009-08-18

elegant totem
Used Lexel for this one and it's taking a long time to dry - but the joints are all clear!  2009-08-01

amber birdbath
for the new garden 2009-08-01

Mother Goose totem
This will be part of the new fairy/fantasy garden which is still in the planning stages.

squirrel totem top
This fills full of water when it rains so the squirrels and chipmunks can drink at it.  2009-08-01

crystal squirrel totem
crystal squirrel totem.jpg 2009-08-01

crystal horse totem top
2009-08-18

crystal horse totem
2009-08-18

crystal horse totem
crystal horse totem posted.jpg 2009-06-22

red stick totem
Unfortunately this red piece is not really red glass but glass that has a coating which fades in the sun.  Oh well, I'll see what it looks like next year.

basket stick totem
I bot a box of these little tchotchkes at a yard sale and they decorate many totems.

swan top stick totem
another little decoration on top 2009-08-18

bird stick totem
a little bird and a basket on top

vase stick totem
Another stick totem with a vase decoration on top.

birdbath totem
matching etched glass bowl and platter

golden bird totem close-up
The yellow bird is an Avon perfume bottle.

golden bird totem
Gold bird is an Avon product bottle.

iridescent cherub totem close-up
Love this iridescent plate and it's perfect for the slightly iridescent cherub.

iridescent cherub totem
This iridescent plate was a real totem fancier's find.

elephant totem
A few of those ubiquitous green vases saved from the landfill at least temporarily.

blue and green totem
Not very good pics but it started to rain.  This may be my all time fav totem so I think I will keep it rather than offering it for sale.

unfinished totem close-up
I had saved this glass medallion for just such a purpose.  The hanger had broken off but it will look good when surrounded with mosaic pieces.

unfinished totem
This totem needs embellishing but I don't have any gold/yellow or turquoise glass gems.  I'll mosaic them on the plates.  This is the heaviest totem I've ever made.

old angel totem
and the nude woman totem in the background.  Old gate to be used somewhere in the new garden.

peanut butter jar totem
Kraft PB came in these in the 80's.  Finally a use for them.  I still have this one altho sold several similar ones.

SOLD
these are two of the many glass garden totems I've made and sold

SOLD
Two of the two dozen or so glass garden totems I made one winter for entertainment and sold.

SOLD
Totem jungle - these all sold at my yard sale.

glass flower 1


glass flower 2


glass flower 3


glass flower 4


glass flower 5


glass flower 6


glass flower 7


glass flower 8


glass flower 9


glass flower 10


glass flower 11


glass flower 12


glass flower 13


glass flower 14


glass flower 15


glass flower 16

hose guards
hose guards made with painted wrought iron pieces from an old gate, painted white, with glass insulators placed on top. Metal ones are from an old fireplace set.

rhubarb leaf stepping stone
made a bunch of these for the garden - planned to paint them but haven't gotten to it yet!

large birdhouse
Made by my husband to cover our well-head. Does not function as a real birdhouse.

plant marker plates
a cottagey way to mark plants which I made using a ceramic pen and old yard sale plates.

fairy garden in an old tin bathtub
Planted with 3 different tymes and some ground covers/edging plants.  Lots of yard sale junk to amuse the Grands and me!  This little project will never be finished but will look better when it grows a bit.

fairy house
The house is a tealight holder.

fairy umbrella
Glass pieces made into a fantasy fairy umbrella.  All yard sale finds.

fantasy fairy umbrella


fairy totem


fairy gazebo
Gazebo with bear.  Needs a floor.  I know I have some small stones stored away somewhere which will work.

white metal angel
was very rusty when I bot her at a YS.  DH spray painted it.  She will go in the Children's Garden.

metal owl tealight holder
yard sale find

ladder and other garden junk
ladder $2 at yard sale. Could use a coat of paint. Might get it.

faith hope love
That's what it's all about.

little ladder and stuff
vintage stepping stool was $2 or maybe less. Stepping stone was $1.

fragrance plaque


the green man
made of concrete - I painted it - I think it was $3 or $4 at a 2nd hand shop

hose guard
made with a wrought iron stake (from a FREE fence section) and a 10¢ insulator

hose guard


metal hose guard
made from one of the tools of a fireplace set.  Set cost $1 and yielded 5 hose guards and the holder which I will use for my garden tools.

potted plants
yard sale pot in a yard sale holder planted with a few perennials

YS stepping stone & hens and chicks
Stepping stone was $1 at a YS.  Hens & chicks potted in some hypertufa pots we made years ago.  They spend the winter planted in the garden so they can survive the cold.  I'll add some sedum ground covers to these pots.

St. Anthony
A yard sale find for $2. He is the patron saint of education according to the Benedictine tradition.

my garden assistant
This cute little furball loves being on her leash in the yard while we are gardening.  She's since been groomed so is less furry.  She's definitely garden decor, not JUNK!  LOL

digging doggy
Digging while camping.  Good thing she doesn't mind baths!

digging doggy again
This time digging in her dog run.  Keeps her amused.  2009-07-20

composter $5
lid of composter

composter 42 inches tall
composter to use for winter

3 bin compost.jpg
Now it's easier to keep the compost neat and organized.

my homemade mulch
The base is fine wood shavings with additions to increase nutrients and color.

compost in progress
This pile is heating and will not be added to except for amendments to prolong heating if necessary.

pile of used coffee grounds (UCG)
We stockpiled 3 of these piles over the winter. The others have been used as fertilizer on the garden and lawn and in the compost.

earthworm
One of my beneficial garden helpers.

5 compost bins
compost bins in the background beyond the wild bird garden are now full and heating well

5 bin compost
as seen from front patio.  Eventually I will plant around the compost bins to camouflage them.

spring is here!
Lovely little spring flowers.

Leopard's Bane
Usually the first plant to bloom in my garden.

scarlet runners
grown only for the vines and flowers.

snap dragons
One of the few annuals I occasionally plant.  Limelight Artemesia behind - a real thug which I keep for it's color.  I do cut it back and keep it under control.

front garden
Very old pic - the center bed has been enlarged, trees and large rocks added.

pink peony poppy
I'll be seeding more of these beauties.

poppies and angel
Peony poppies grew really well that year in many colors.

Rue - one of my favorite plants
not completely winter hardy but has survived several winters with good snow cover.

volunteers
Lamb's Ears, Jacob's Ladder, and Feverfew seed too readily.

delphinium
short variety purchased at a plant sale

little butterflies
These little butterflies return every year and cover my shastas.  Shastas are another self-seeder.

campanula glomerata
or clustered bellflower has a very good deep purple color.  Aggressive grower but not too invasive.

dark red hollyhock 6 Sept 06
and perennial sunflowers.

sunflower nibbled by deer


November 2008
front yard just before fall mulching

forest fire smoke
One day about 3pm in the summer of 09 the sun was almost covered.  So were our window sills with fine black ash!  Ugh!  No danger, the fire was a long way away.  Catastrophic for many people this year.

sunset over the garden
Not always easy for me to get a good sunset but this one is pretty.

early fall lake view
The grass on the far hills has turned gold.

later fall lake view
Later in the season our deciduous trees have turned gold.  We have birch, aspen, and alder.

summer storm
beginning of August 2006 looking toward the lake

heading south to civilization
Living in the "back-of-beyond" we travel this road heading south for shopping trips.  Mountains in the distance.

black bear
This first pic I took thru the LR window - see how his tongue is hanging out. I wonder if they get better scent recognition that way?  2009-09-13

bear
second pic thru the window. Just walking around, he may not know we've seen him.  I like how glossy his coat is, he looks healthy to me.  There is little food in the area of our house to interest him so he probably won't be back too soon.  We'll still be careful and watch the dog.  2009-09-13

bear
I yelled at him and he scooted. He was about 30 feet from the end of the garage and I was outside on the patio by this time to get a better pic. These guys are not habituated to humans so whenever they come around I yell at them and they scoot.  I'm not an expert on bears but I *think* he's probably only 2 or 3 years old.  Not fully grown yet and not the largest one I've seen.  Might be the cub we saw two years ago.  2009-09-13

deer in back yard
It's always bothersome to see how many scars these young animals have. They do not have an easy life. We do not allow hunting on our land.

deer in front yard
When they come in my fenced front yard they get chased out.

deer in house yard
I took some pics before I chased them out!

deer in house yard 3
Not too afraid to graze

deer in house yard 4
What is this one saying? LOL

deer in house yard 5
Ready to jump over the fence.

curious little yearling
This one knows about the goodies in my garden.  He also knows if he jumps the fence I'll chase him out.

yearling
deer yearling June08

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Wish I could get better pics of these guys.

Evening Grosbeak
at the birdbath

little buck
I gradually walked closer as I snapped pics but could only get within 30 feet or so.  2009-07-15

walking away
He's been back many times to nibble on my plants.  2009-07-15

watchful little buck
He's intrigued with Buster the cat who accompanied me for this photo session.

buck & friends
These guys sometimes like to jump the fence to taste my yummy garden plants. No hunting allowed here so they're safe.

deer
taken thru my LR window in late winter

coyote & first snowfall Oct '07
Just to the right of the house eaves you can see him walking across my "back 40".

snow angel
On a mild winter day I had some fun.

nearing end of winter
1st of April 2009 and the snow is going!  2009-04-01

15 Sept 06
Very early, temporary, and unseasonable snow.  We seldom get snow this early - usually not until late October and often it does not stay until November.

winter 05/06
Typical winter scene here.