Gardening 101

Today I needed a break from my computers, so I brought some papers for reading and editing to My grandparents in law's house. While there, Andie and I spent time preparing a raised bed that Fred is loaning us in his garden.


With a little instruction, I tilled the bed while Andie grazed nearby. We think she is part cattle dog, after all.


Fred has one bed stocked with raspberries, lettuce, and onions.


The rest of the garden will be tilled with a heavy-duty rig in preparation for dozens of tomato starts.


Fred assures us that we can plant our own tomatoes in any unused space. Fred grew up on a tomato farm in the Okanagan Valley, so I could not ask for a better garden mentor. I can't wait until we have boxes of tomatoes to preserve and garnish every meal.


When Sarah finished work, we planted some starts that had been sitting on our deck during the past two weeks.


Now that they are in the ground, we are thinking about what seeds and starts to plant in the remaining space.

Tuesday Excursions

Yesterday, I left the confines of the apartment to lead a sanctuary tour at the Audubon Society of Portland. There were 13 fourth graders in my group and they were very attentive and energetic. Highlights of the tour include a great view of a singing winter wren in the forests and a pygmy owl being treated in the Wildlife Care Center. It was too cold for newts to be active and visible in the pond, but the kids were thrilled to see three mallards floating around.


Large fungus like this is always a crowd pleaser!

Some of the sanctuary's shrubs, such as this elderberry, are starting to return to life. Indian plum is starting to flower, but the salmonberry is not leafing yet.

After the tour, I chipped away at my Forest Service work at my grandparents- in-law’s house just west of Audubon.


Andie the dog slept on the floor while Clark the cat came to help with my spreadsheets.

The feeders at Fred and Maggie’s always put our apartment bird-viewing deck to shame. While working, I watched a cedar waxwing check out the birdbath alongside some robins.

Rough photo, but the waxwing is the one in the middle.

Other birds on the deck included a male downy woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatches, bushtits, varied thrushes, spotted towhees, dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, golden-crowned sparrows, American goldfinches, lesser goldfinches, pine siskins, and house finches.