This year, the peonies are in bloom almost a full month early.
Archive for the ‘Outdoor life’ Category
19 Mar
Spring: sprung.
This weekend, we mulched, mowed and planted both pansies and primrose. In March. I take full responsibility for the ice storm that is sure to follow.
27 Feb
Planetgazing
Over the past few nights, the moon, Jupiter and Venus have aligned in the same “binocular field.” It’s a rather amazing site, visible as soon as darkness falls. Last night, Bryan set up the telescope, and we found we could see all four of Jupiter’s main moons. The view of our moon was pretty spectacular, [...]
7 Jan
Life Lister
Over Christmas break, our local paper reported unusual Snowy Owls sighting in the area as they move south in search of food. Our friend Dawn emailed last week to say she’d twice seen a Snowy Owl below the dam south of town. We headed that direction this morning on what we thought would be a [...]
16 Nov
Overheard
Olivia: “Mom, guess what, Mom?” Me: “What, Liv?” Olivia: “Brayden called me a baby today.” Me: “Oh no! What did you say?” Olivia: “I said, ‘NO THANK YOU.’”
15 Jun
Sightings
I golfed nine holes with my friend Tami tonight. We played an executive course in the center of town, and while the game was good, the most interesting part proved to be the wildlife. We slowed the rate of play considerably by spending a good five minutes watching a Barred Owl, then we did a [...]
1 Jun
At the lake
This time of year, I want to spend as much time by the water as possible. Bryan suggested a picnic at Clinton Lake the weekend before last, and we were met with gorgeous weather and an even better view.
16 May
In bloom
The peony behind our house is in full bloom, and it could not be more gorgeous. Whenever I see peonies, I’m reminded of those that grew behind Great Grandma Stolz’s house in Elmwood.
10 May
Monarch watch
We took the girls to the Monarch Watch event at the university this weekend. As Olivia got up close and personal with with a caterpillar, she quietly informed the staffer that “caterpillars turn into butterflies.” The helpful response came back, “WELL ACTUALLY, they turn into chrysalis FIRST.” . . . Um, thanks. She’s three. The [...]
4 May
Garden girls
It’s the year of the tomato . . . despite having room for maybe three tomato plants at most, I went a bit overboard at the country market. Now, we have five heirloom varieties, including Nebraska Wedding, Green Zebra, Yellow Pear, Black Cherry and Brandywine. Bryan reminded me that I’m pretty terrible when it comes [...]
