"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

Hello Friends!

Friends, Romans, countrymen...y'all. Foodies, gardeners, artists and collectors - let's gather together to share and possibly learn a thing or two in the mix.

Donna Baker

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

City Doings


I've been at the city house.  Planting and pulling weeds.  Many flowers blooming.  


The goslings are growing.  Seven remain and their parents are diligent.  They even chased Emmy, the weenie, but Sister, brave weenie, chased them back into the water.  Many different water fowl are trying to find nesting places in our backyard, but weenies keeping after them.  I fear several might start laying when we leave.  Anyway...


There are many large clumps of iris; both bearded and these single ones.  I have never seen these or planted this kind before.  The greenery is much more plentiful and they are covered in blooms.  Peonies, roses, freesia, iris and geraniums - too many to name, are bursting forth.  It is gorgeous.


After losing her eggs to varmints, the little mallard had a clutch of 12 babies hatch.  She is rearing them alone and not as diligent as the geese with her offspring.  Seven remain.  


Besides gardening and tending to my booth, Nonna has been tending to her grand babies.  Penny Lane is drawing on the patio with chalk and very proud of  it.


Bella and Ollie stayed the night and are washing all the dirt off in Nonna's bath.  Bubbles everywhere.  They loved it.


But, here comes trouble.  Dangerous series of weather events setting up this evening for a large tornado outbreak and baseball sized hail.  My flowers will be decimated.  My truck and husband's car can't both fit in the garage (don't ask), so as his car is smaller and newer,  it will go in the garage.  

Schools have closed in the event of a large tornado supercell. They don't want everyone out driving which is dangerous when the traffic backs up (aka sitting ducks).  All conditions are ripe for a bad day.  I have seen some storm chaser trucks with radar, etc. out driving or parked, waiting to go.  I just hope it happens before dark if it is coming.  Keeping fingers crossed for everyone and every thing in its path.  I have never known anyone whose house has been hit by a tornado, but have known those with damage to their roof from hail.


29 comments:

angryparsnip said...

Wow what a post today.
You have such a pretty yard with wildlife. Do your gud dugs every jump in the water ?
I hope you, your family and your homes will be safe tonight.

cheers, parsnip and thehamish

helen tilston said...

Sending prayers for your safety and telling the tornado to relax and go away.

Helen xx

donna baker said...

Thank you Parsnip. Usually, if it sprinkles, they won't get a toe wet. If someone is fishing, they lose their minds and chase the bobbers and run into the ponds and carry the fish out. Go figure. Hope they don't dive into our little city lake. It is about a 12 inch drop and I don't want to have to go in after them.

donna baker said...

From your lips to God's ears, dear Helen. Thank you.

Joanne Noragon said...

I read of the potential of the storm and thought of you. May all of Oklahoma be safe.

Frances said...

Donna, I loved reading about all of springtime beauty, iris blooms, goslings, bubble baths and...well, you know, because you told us. And then, that photo of the threatening dark, dark curtain across the sky really made me change my thoughts.

Now...I wish you and yours a safe evening and overnight. Nature's power, eh. xo

donna baker said...

Thank you Joanne. Hope it lessens or jet streams moves or something. We've been out in the garage moving everything around and got both cars in, so that is a relief.

donna baker said...

Yes Frances. Just hope I get to see the garden in all its glory as I haven't experienced spring in the new city house yet. Baseball to softball sized hail is so destructive. No tornado is good, but a supercell spawning a force 5 will keep me awake tonight till late. Thank you dear Frances.

ellen abbott said...

love your waterfront property. something I have always wanted, I'd even settle for a live creek, but will never have. hope the weather proved to be less than predicted.

RachelD said...

Just saw this---HOW ARE YOU!!??? Is everyone well?

That's a scary-looking storm right there, wherever it was. I hope your home and garden are whole and intact---you kept talking about the beautiful garden and how much you wanted that house---I hope it's standing tall, every bloom and birdie.

Give a shout and say how everything is, please!

r

donna baker said...

Thankfully, it was. They are getting pretty good at forecasting these events, but when they don't come to fruition, people get lazy and don't listen the next time.

donna baker said...

It is good today. The sun is out and the flowers still standing. I'm so happy. The hail didn't happen and the super tornado didn't either. Small ones formed and the sirens went off, as I sat in bed reading. No hope for me. I taught the kids well though. They were in their closets and bathrooms with the grands. Don't tell them I was in bed reading. High winds and trees down and power out in some parts of the city, but we were spared. Two little limbs down. I'm so relieved. Only problem is next time people won't take it as seriously. Hopefully not. Thanks for asking all.

RachelD said...

So good to hear---when YOU get perturbed by something, it must be serious---you just seem such a calm, take-charge, handle-anything gal.

I'm enjoying my sweet post-box, on my kitchen wall. It got featured on THREE blogs this week---no comments came from any of the mentions, but wasn't that NICE?? The comments that were made were all lovely memories for most folks, and I love evoking a nice thought from the past.

So glad you're whole and perkin'!!

r

Frances said...

Dear Donna. I am so glad that your area was spared the full force of the storm.

Promise not to tell anyone that you were reading. xo

La Table De Nana said...

So glad you were spared..Penny lane has grown so much..don't kids just love to be outside in just socks at that age?:) I have so mamny visions of all 4 doing that! Now they wear out sneakers n one month..look at your bathing beauties too:) And the clematis..
Did you let PL plant the new little cedar:)

Val said...

Those pics of the grandkids! What a hoot.

'Glad you're safe. ♥

donna baker said...

I am just so glad you got it Rachel. Like I said, I think you and I were the only one's that appreciated it.

donna baker said...

Whew Frances. They played it up so much, I was worried. Not enough to take cover though. They are getting very good at predicting these things today.

donna baker said...

Me too Monique. Penny will not wear shoes. Think we will have to tape them to her feet. The Alberta Spruce was the last thing I planted. Couldn't find the right spot. In our hot summers, they need some shade. Going back to the country house tomorrow and will miss the family. My son and daughter-in-law and Penny will be moving the first of June. I will miss them so.

donna baker said...

Thank you Val. What they can't think up!

Doc said...

I lived in Nebraska for four years that just happened to be the worst four years for tornadoes. Fortunately we had a storm cellar in the backyard

Amanda Summer said...

Stay safe dear Donna in this angsty spring weather. Such adorable grandbabies you have — and Sister is one brave dog to chase geese - they can be nasty!

donna baker said...

Yes, Doc, some years pass with very little tornado activity and some years they come again and again. Used to be TX, OK, KS and NE, but they now frequent the southeast too. Part of the rite of spring.

donna baker said...

Yes, Amanda, Sister is brave because she's never gotten 'goosed'. I tangled with a big white male of ours once. Pumpkinhead got hold of my finger in a vise like grip and was flapping me. I couldn't get his beak open for anything. It was very painful and I didn't pet him anymore in spring.

jerilanders said...

Donna, I am assuming by the date of this post that the storm missed you, thank God. Jolly good fun to have all those waterfowl babies about the place! It is true that ducks are not nearly as good at mothering as geese. They are often negligent,( that's how I ending up raising those 5 ducklings several months back). Sister is SO assertive, she doesn't know what she's in for! Our great Pyrs don't even mess with the geese. Your garden is coming to life, it will be interesting for you to see what else just, pops up.

donna baker said...

It did Jeri, though winds were clocked at 87 mph. No hail or damage. The mallard mom isn't taking them in the water yet which I am surprised and glad. There are too many drakes. You know what I mean. If I wouldn't get arrested, a few would be gone. Poor ladies are being ganged up on. Oh nature.

Deborah Nolan said...

Dear Donna- your yard in the city sounds beautiful. Is the first photo a clematis? It is gorgeous. As for the geese aren't they amazing with their young. That Penny Lane looks adorable. Bella and Ollie must have been so clean from all those bubbles. Praying you and all your loved ones stay safe. Hugs!

Deborah Nolan said...

Dear Donna- your yard in the city sounds beautiful. Is the first photo a clematis? It is gorgeous. As for the geese aren't they amazing with their young. That Penny Lane looks adorable. Bella and Ollie must have been so clean from all those bubbles. Praying you and all your loved ones stay safe. Hugs!

donna baker said...

Oh Deb, it is partly why I bought this house. Yes, it is a clematis. She has different kinds planted all around the house though most I don't know the names. We all missed the damage and though the winds were ferocious, nothing blew away.