52. Local Paper's Public Safety Report Excerpts for 6/5/07

June 5, 2007

A man on Antlers Lane reported finding a male golden retriever Monday. The animal enforcement
officer responded and impounded the dog.


Diner folks
***
A woman in the 1200 block of X Avenue requested officer contact regarding a stolen bike.

Teen boys at colleague's daughter's hs graduation party
***
A pair of glasses found at Settler's Park Monday were placed in Lost and Found.

Teen girl at airport 3 hrs north in suburban Pasco, WA
***

51. We interrupt this program--

...for a Sunday hike up Mt. Frankie.

The weather hits 95 in the valley, so we decide it's a good weekend to hike upwards. We borrow our friends' map and head to the closest, highest mountain. We find little surprises such as patches of snow and plants we've never seen before. When I spot a snow patch from a distance, my first impression is that it's a man made piece of discarded junk. When we get out to hike, Que throws a snowball at me. Stunned, I wipe my brow of sweat, shake my head, and keep hiking...




These white wild flowers are thick in the shaded areas.


I don't know.


This rock is about 5' wide. No doubt El Big's answer to Andy Goldsworthy.


Our friends tell us to look for the shocking pink wild slipper orchids. We find two.


Beautiful cup funghi. Photo by Que


We soon realize there's a good reason why they call it Mossy Fountains. Photo by Que

Photo by Que


Wild asparagras?? Photo by Que


We have no idea what it is, but it's healthy and thriving in this particular elevation.






"Oregon Bounty" Our friends tell us to keep our eyes open for morels. Photo by Que


Yes, morels! Despite the blazing heat, we find a couple stray ones hidden along the shady trees. Photo by Que


By the time we descend, the skies turn grey and threatening to the little storybook clouds. This doesn't stop Que from stopping at the Dove Drive-In for a rootbeer float to go.



We return home exhausted and keyed up from our hike. Que and I sit on the front stoop in the garden and enjoy the light humidity and rain sprinkles, while sharing the season's first watermelon with some neighborhood kids.

51. Next week: Berm, baby, berm

50. More Spring plant pics...

Today's Forecast
El Big Valley:
Mon: Sunny
High: 77°Low: 46°



Native Columbones!


A visit to the local quarry.


That's enough!


The first path is in!


We widen the driveway by pulling out some more turf. We replace it with pavers and "stepable" wooly thyme. We lay in the wood retaining wall, which acts both as a step and wall for new gravel pathway.



Baby cold hardy bamboo from Bamboo Gardens in Portland.




The plants are growing about 2" a day.


Que built the planter with treated wood and then lined it with gravel and a very thick plastic sheet barrier. This will keep them contained.


Deep shade garden--rows of Coral bells. This particular cultivar has unusual black and white leaves and yes, red coral blooms.


Japanese maples do well here. They seem to the El Big liberal flag. We brought this one in from the big city.


This plant is not deer resistant, but somehow it's survived anyway. I put this in last year when I was pretty clueless about the severity of the deer grazing. Most of the plants in this garden were chosen not only for their cold hardiness and low water needs, but for their deer grazing resistance too.


Deep shade Scot moss and Daylilies from our neighbor Em.


Arts and crafts looking shade groundcover. I lost the tag, so don't remember what it's called. Anyone?


Sweet Woodruff groundcover. Thrives under pines in dry shade.


Sagebrush for the full sun xericape BERM. Once these xeric plants get established, they won't need any supplemental watering.


Wooly thyme! We've planted this inbetween the pavers.


Hens and chickens--cold hardy and drought tolerant succulents!


Lambs ears!


Thyme...One of three varieties in the garden.


Seafoam sagebrush for the front borders.


Salvia -- a drought tolerant ornamental sage planted in mass along the dwarf alpine garden on the parking strip


Que thinks this a Chia pet. He finally admitted that he likes it.


Unusual dry shade plant called Euphorbia. Brilliant chartreuse bloom really lights up the deep shade. Related to succulents.




Returning hostas in the shade garden.


"Thyyyyme is on my side. Yes it is. "


"Thyme after thyme..."

49. First Big Spring

Even though there's still snow on the far mountain, it's finally warm enough to dig around in the garden. Que and I, along with the rest of the town go into a landscaping and gardening frenzy. I draw out the ''s" shaped paths and new garden beds with wheat flour, then cut them into pie wedges. Que digs the turf out with a shovel and makes a berm. I look up a really interesting Xericscape co-op in Boise where I pick up low water and native plants such as lamb's ears, fescues, a mock orange, seafoam sagebrush, hardy lavenders, and flats of wooly thyme.

















Click image to read mural. Do you think the muralist was stoned? Que and I plan to sneak over there at night with a bucket of paint and shorten it to it's correct porportion, as well as change it to "the Gods'" to represent the multitude of faiths. Maybe not.






Our friend of the family, KT comes for a visit for the weekend. On Mother's day, we celebrate 'positive female role model day' with brunch at our friends and their parents at a house overlooking the valley. The following are pics from KT's visit to the El Big, as well as a few from Boise after dropping her off at the airport.


Boise's Basque Museum giftshop



A few shots of the nearby art colony town of Josephine and their obsessive bronze wildlife street art collection...


Yes, that's a real bristle cone pine. I think it resembles one of those fake trees used for disguising cell phone antennas.
This one's not even worth rotating.


This one's for Hillside!



















Ladies and gentlemen—the valley's first straw bale constructed house!


























Ultra unbelievable. Occasionally a site like this sends me back into a temporary state of culture shock. I make Que turn the car around so I can get a closer look. The last time I saw a one was in a small, middle class primarilly Caucasian, conservative neighborhood in California in about 1972. I can remember driving around with my father in his stationwagon and listening carefully to him explain why they're considered offensive.








Unagi in Boise?!


Resin Buddha says, "Bathroom is through the hall and to your left."