Tag: Shackleton

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01/16/2024 sneaky

The plant window is backlit brightly. You can see houseplants fully visible on the top shelf and the shapes of decorations and pots on the second shelf. On the bottom cat level, Shackleton’s face is in profile as he faces east to the morning sun.
I think Shackleton thinks he is hidden as usual in the plant window. He seemed very surprised when I growled his name sternly as he tried to climb to the forbidden next shelf!! I left a thermometer in there and on the cold nights it was in the 40s F. I guess the sun is very tempting and the fleece blanket keeps the metal floor from being cold and wet as frost melts from the glass.
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09/16/2023 inspection of dust

An overhead view of a leashed gray and white cat avoiding a very happy German shepherd laying down nearby.
The formerly pristine gray and white cat laying on his side in dust on concrete near the edge of the lawn. He is covered in brown dust bits everywhere. His face is happy.
A close up view of the now very dusty gray and white cat as he presses his face and paws onto the dirty concrete. Heaven.
The dust covered gray and white cat pushes himself up to leave because of the extremely annoying presence of the smiling and proud German Shepherd Dog nearby in the lawn who is watching over him. Gross, a dog.
Shackleton, the slightly less dust covered now gray and white cat, attempts to enjoy eating grass but has to turn away because of the enthusiastic nose of the German shepherd dog that keeps going to snuffle him.
Briar was delighted, honored, and thrilled to be allowed to escort Shackleton on a leashed walkabout. Shackleton was less thrilled about Briar, but finally got some good dust rolls in and sampled various lush grasses. He also hissed at Briar every time she got too enthusiastic about her adoration.
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09/09/2023 dinner and a show

Paula made this Thai dish, rad nah. It has garden garlic in it. The chef made the broth from scratch, from chicken and turkey bones. He also provided Paula with the hearty noodles. It was delicious!
Earlier in the day, Shacks watched the herb garden for skinks and grasshoppers.
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05/26/2023 Friday assortment

Briar enjoys laying in the prairie among the primroses and englemann daisies.
Some of the grass in the new prairie (we’re calling it Leon’s prairie since it’s by Leon’s blackberry bushes) has turned out to be the native wild rye we seeded! Yay!
Yellow Coreopsis looking bright with the tiny purple Verbena halei and the starry pink widow’s cross sedum!
Shackleton had some thoughts.
Briar says “walkies please??” (We did go walkies.)
The showy evening primroses are looking lovely with their pale pink between the purple winecups in the back and the magenta Salvia greggii in the front. We didn’t even plant them on purpose, they were just in the soil Paula brought from the backyard berm.
Coreopsis provides a nice yellow contrast at the end of the Salvia greggii row.
More seedling winecups are coming up in the newer soil where we put seeds.
Gram says it’s hard to use a dichotomous key for plant identification when the only numbers you know are “hello?” And “Doggie”.
Shackleton somehow turned the pages and now says “I leave the identification as a trivial exercise for the reader.”
We planted one Winecup in a tall skinny planter. It has bloomed now.
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05/04/2023 big long soaking rain

We got 2.75” in less than 24 hours!
Missouri Fluttermill primrose baby survived pouring rain even under the rain barrel!
Left seedling is Winecup and upper right seedling is Astragalus crassicarpus!
Two possible yuccas in the green section.
Not a milkweed
Not a milkweed?
Maybe a milkweed
Known milkweed (probably viridiflora)
The skinny adult leaves of known milkweed. New book The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants by Diboll and Cox mentions many milkweeds first adult leaves are skinny even if the eventual adult leaves are broad. Either that or I got the species wrong.
One of two Blackfoot daisy survived earwigs and is now growing flower buds and a few new leaves!
Perennial coreopsis begins!
Briar was pretty miffed it rained HARD most of the day. So before our walk she curled up in disgust right on my big Liatris mucronata from home. Thanks.

The Mexican Sage from Judy is up!
A sedge?
Partridge pea
Oldplainsman
Mystery
Caliche planter babies
The tomatoes have gotten a bit sunburnt from past rain with sunlight after, so this time I flicked water off and put them in a less intensely sunny spot. Trying to get them hardened off for planting.
Like Briar, Shacks was disappointed by rain and not being out. Paula brought him some favorite juicy grass and he loved it.
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05/02/2023 leash walk and blooming

Hidden dog among englemann daisies and showy evening primroses.
Englemann daisy close up.
Briar was very pleased to escort Shackleton around the yard.
The Solomon’s seals by the dining room window are doing well, as are their colleagues around the yard.
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04/23/2023 planting before rain

We planted native Carolina Larkspur that we grew in a pot over the winter. Two in front, two in back!
Paula spotted a crab spider on the Camassia scilloides.
Shackleton is very disappointed that Briar the dog went outside with him for his leash walk. He smells an old bird nest. Briar is thrilled. She loves Shacks!!!!!
The willowleaf sunflower from Mom is inexplicably wilted. Too much water too fast?? Hopefully it recovers.
This is one of two sunchokes, an edible native sunflower, that were kindly given to me last fall! They have velvety soft leaves.