Tulip Fields 2011

Tulip Fields Fill the Soul

I didn't get a full picture of the windmill, but these tulips were so beautiful, I had to get this close-up.


Beverly Anderson with the Roozengarde sign. That family came over from Holland and started the tulip business, selling the bulbs worldwide.
This is spectacular tulip, in that it has a three pronged bloom.
Cindy Miller and I.
Tresa, Julie and Cindy
A beautiful tulip field from the highway.


These are the white Emperor tulips. Their distinctive characteristic is a huge body.

These are parrot tulips which have a feather like texture on the outer leaves. Another traditional year at the tulip fields has come and gone!

Easter Baskets and New Bedroom Suite

We have had this king size bed for awhile, but I had never taken a picture, so here it here it is. I love the intricate carvings. It blows your mind.
Corner molding.
Owen and Ady last Sunday. We had our Easter Egg hunt last Sunday. Owen was proud of being the one who found the most Easter eggs.


Pansy's that have overwintered are in bloom now!

My herb, Thyme got so large that I had to sub-divide it into two large pots. It makes a beautiful ornamental!

Re-Planting the Poppies

One of my "Hens and Chicks" plants
I have two containers of Thyme that I divided out of my raised bed, so I dry a lot of it and use it in soups. As you notice, it's also very decorativePansies that have over-wintered in a one of my tubs.
The two pots of Poppies seem a little bedraggled from all the fuss, but they are as hardy as a weed. That's exactly why I keep them in pots, so they don't overgrow everything. In a pot they are very contained.

Four Elders came on P-Day to transplant my poppy plant. It was in a half barrel where the wood was beginning to rot away. The plan was to transplant into two different black plastic tubs. They did a wonderful job. After they had done that I asked them to empty my black tubs with soil into the landscape where the soil had become very scant.

In May, a store in town is having its' annual fill all your containers with dirt for free, if you buy plants for them. So, thus, out with the old and in with the new. Now I have some big containers in my garage waiting to be filled next month.

Elder Peterson's Transfer

Elder Peterson is from St. George, Utah, but left on his mission from Florida where he spent most of his growing up years. His parents have three Thai restaurants in the St. George area. His Mom is from Thailand and his Dad is Causasian. He has helped in the restauants they own and loves to concoct his own soups with lots of different ingredients. His parents are pretty well off and will send him to Thailand when he gets home. He wants to live like a poor person to see what it would be like.
Elder Peterson and Elder Wright were present the night the piglets were born. Peterson actually delivered one of them. He said, "it was the highlight of my mission!" He and another companion whacked away at the weeds in my back yard. Wright and Peterson helped steady my water barrels by inching wood underneath so they would be level. My metal pole for raspberries was knocked down by the fence in a wind storm. I mentioned that I needed a post hole digger; they found one and had the pole securely put back in the ground!

Elder Wright is staying another transfer. Elder Wright is a vegetarian. He is not vegan. He just doesn't eat meat.
Frank asked Elder Peterson to make a dragon for Niguel, Ethan and Terrin. They loved them and still have them.
This is the big dragon Elder Peterson promised Frank when he left. It was the biggest and brightly painted one that he had ever done. This is a close up of the guitar he is playing.
Lately Elder Peterson had started creating flowers with oragami because not everybody likes dragons.
He fashioned a beautiful oragami flower bouquet for me as a good bye gift. I was impressed.

Elder Peterson's Transfer

Elder Peterson is from St. George, Utah, but left on his mission from Florida where he spent most of his growing up years. His parents have three Thai restaurants in the St. George area. His Mom is from Thailand and his Dad is Causasian. He has helped in the restauants they own and loves to concoct his own soups with lots of different ingredients. His parents are pretty well off and will send him to Thailand when he gets home. He wants to live like a poor person to see what it would be like.
Elder Wright is staying another transfer. Elder Wright is a vegetarian. He is not vegan. He just doesn't eat meat.
Frank asked Elder Peterson to make a dragon for Niguel, Ethan and Terrin. They loved them and still have them.
This is the big dragon Elder Peterson promised Frank when he left. It was the biggest and brightly painted one that he had ever done.
Lately Elder Peterson had started creating flowers with oragami because not everybody likes dragons.

Elder Peterson did very beautiful oragami. He specialty was dragons. Terrin and Ethan each received one and were very impressed. . and a bouquet of oragami flowers for me.
Elder Peterson is being transferred and

Comings and Goings

In between the rainstorms I ran outside before the tulips went away to snap a photo. I have clustered these three tubs together to make a more impressive display.
Fred Meyer has an annual bring your pots to fill with free dirt, buy some fuschias and other plant starts and they will plant them there at the store. This is the fuschia hanging planter that I hope will give some great color by July.
These geranims were planted in these buckets. I might replant them in pots, but I didn't have the pots with me to fill.
Friday was such a beautiful, sunny day that Eric's family and Chelle and Benjamin decided, along with the whole rest of Seattle, to get out of our houses and enjoy the weather. The masses of people at the zoo reminded me of scurrying ants after a rain. People were everywhere. Strollers were everywhere. By the end of the day, and after all that walking, I had very sore muscles. Bed was a welcome friend that night!

I took this with my I-pod camera of Owen clowning around.
Benjamin getting in his car seat. He wants to see the animals at the Zoo. He has books that he loves to read about the animals. He really enjoyed the penguins, the bears and the red panda (looks like a raccon with panda eyes).
Did someone say the sun is shining!!!!!

Rain, Rain, Rain and More Rain?

Last Thursday I had a sister put in rain barrels for me. I had complained that our Stanwood Water Bill had gone up because of a change in rates. I talked of not having a garden this year. She came over drilled the holes in the 55 gallon barrels and hooked up the green thing which attaches to the downspout to divert into the barrels.
They are on tires and wood to balance them out.
IN FOUR DAYS IT RAINED 125 GALLONS OF WATER.

WE CAME BACK FROM OUR TRIP TO TRI-CITIES AND THEY WERE OVERFLOWING. I ATTACHED A HOSE TO THE TOP OVERFLOW SPIGOT AND DIVERTED THE WATER TO THE STREET.

THE MISSIONARIES HELPED ME DISCONNECT THE HOSES WITH A PLIER AND INSERT THE WOOD. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A PICTURE OF THE ONE 55 GALLON DRUM LEANING TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS SO HEAVY IT CAUSED THE TIRE TO ALMOST COLLAPSE.

WHERE OH WHERE IS SPRING? HAS SHE GOTTEN LOST ON HER WAY HERE?