Another Moose on the Loose!

This morning I looked out the window of the office and wondered how a horse got in to our pasture.  I quickly realized, there was no way a horse could get in, and that that very large creature that was eating the quaking aspen tree was not a horse.....it was a moose!  No trouble for this long legged critter to step over the fence and start munching on whatever she wanted to munch!

She moved on, after Reynald walked over to the north side of the house.  Fortunately, Baxter was inside the house.  Our neighbor Les, reported seeing the cow moose at his place later in the day.  I hope she doesn't decide to come back here.  She could do a lot of damage to plants and animals in a very short period of time.

A cow moose making a Rolinco Road visit!  Look at those long legs!!!

Here she is moving off to the west through our wheat field, smashing a distinct trail behind her.

The bee garden is just coming in to bloom.  The poppies are on the verge of explosion.  The weather forecast for the rest of this week is for very hot temperatures, upper 80's to low 90's.  I'm sure most of the bloom will come and go in a matter of days.   For now though, it's very pretty.

The bee garden coming in to bloom.  There's so much in the yard right now for the bees to work on.  So much for me to work on too!!!!

The early morning sun cast a beautiful glow on the poppies.

Most of the plants in the bee garden are annuals that self sow.  I am in the process of planting a lavender hedge from babies that have stared from plants in the yard.  Also planting a bank of iris behind the lavender.  The iris need to be someplace where they get less love and water than they are getting in the house flower beds.  They are taking over the world!!!!

Our season is still about a month ahead of schedule so it's a mad scramble to keep up with yard, garden and field work.  We're giving it our best shot, and trying to enjoy the process along the way.

Memorial Day

The Harrington cemetery has always been a favorite place of mine.  I love helping my parents clean up our family grave sites in the spring, and I especially like wandering around, looking at the headstones and remembering those that have lived their lives and contributed to this world.

This year there is a new addition to the cemetery, an idea hatched by my friend Beth, to place flags across the entire west end of the cemetery space.  Flags were donated in memory of loved ones.  Two service organizations, the Harrington Lions Club and the Harrington Homemakers did the work of placing the flags and noting the memorial donations.

I took several photos, and I can't decide which one I like best, so I've included more than one!!

Flags at the Harrington cemetery.

Last evening mom and dad and we went for a drive. There were some pretty wild flowers blooming and the sunset was amazing.  Again, I can't decide which photo I like best, so please indulge me, if you will, and scroll through more than one to get to the end!!!  Plus a cute little dog came along with us!!!

The landscape was aglow from the setting sun.

I love channeled scab land.  The smell of the sage was sharp and fresh.

How many ticks do you suppose Baxter picked up?  I've found two already this year on him.  I expect there will be more.

Construction site

Yesterday I started a little construction project in the yard.  Well, actually I started the prep work at the construction site earlier in the week by moving several plants from the area, to the bee garden.

Also earlier in the week, Reynald picked up some bricks for me, in preparation of the project! I am building a brick pathway through the north flower bed, in to the pasture, for the wedding party to walk on in October!

Here's what I got done yesterday.....

Reynald took the fence boards off and will make them in to a gate.  I did a little bit of excavation work, and hauled the soil to a different part of the yard.

The path is going to be 32" wide so I laid out four bricks to help estimate the excavation width.

Here's the stack of bricks to be used.

I smoothed the area then made my initial border line with bricks.  Ideally, I would make a sand base to seat the bricks, but Reynald covered my sand pile with gravel last spring so that was that.

And the start of the path bricks.  I think it's going to like kind of nice!

I would have made a little more progress, but as usual, I suffered from a bit of  yard work attention deficit disorder!  I am so easily distracted!  It's all stuff that needs to be done.  I just can't seem to start one project and finish it, before I move to the next!  Kind of the fun part of that disorder, is that there are little bits and pieces of a lot of things started, so that when I do eventually get disciplined enought to finish, there's not that much left to complete.  Then a whole bunch of stuff gets done almost all at once!!!!

There's a bright golden

haze on the meadow.....

This morning when I went outside to do my morning chores, I was greeted with a beautiful sunrise that was casting a glorious golden glow over the field of wheat around our house.

Also noticed that the wheat is pollinating.  You can see the little bits of pollen in the photo below.  It's a very distinctive fragrance that says, "summer is just around the corner".

 This clearly isn't corn, and I'm not an elephant, but this wheat is almost as high as my eye!  I don't knew if we've ever had wheat this tall.  One day soon I'll have Reynald take a photo of me standing out in the field so you can get some perspective on the height.  The landscape is absolutely stunning these days.

Cruizin' Harrington

Yesterday was a big day in Harrington!  A few years ago the "Studebaker Guy"  aka Alan, conceived the idea of having a car show in Harrington.  Alan loves old cars, and restoring old cars and displaying old cars.  Knowing that there are many other car enthusiasts in the world, he sponsored a show in Harrington.  It has expanded to include not only a car show, but a quilt show, and an opportunity for area vendors to display and sell their treasures, but mostly it's a chance for folks to get together and chat and learn and enjoy small town hospitality!

Here are a few images from the day, with the quilt show most heavily represented!!

Gretta was fully loaded with goods to take to the quilt show.

We set up the show on Friday afternoon,  It takes quite a bit of time to get things just the way we want it, but it's well worth the time.

Beth and Nina, prepping a quilt to be hung.

The stage crew worked for several hours, hanging all the small stuff.

Then Saturday arrives and folks are treated to the wonderful colors and talents on display.

One of the organizers of the day, Paula, made this darling sign for the Opera House window, telling visitors what to expect inside.

The Opera House auditorium, adorned in quilts!  This shot is taken from the back of the auditorium.

And this taken from the stage at the front of the auditorium.  

Smaller items were hung on racks, covered with sheets.  You could spend a lot of time on the stage looking at everything in this area.

This display surrounded the beautiful grand piano on the stage.

Still more from the stage.

My cousin Therese is a true artist.  She created these masks, each one unique, representing different life phases.

More of Therese's masks......so amazing!

Almost every visitor to the show stopped and chatted with Nina as she spun wool in to yarn.

I love this image of Nina, working her spinning wheel in front of these beautiful quilts.

Some of Nina's wonderful spinning.

Nina has the most beautiful yarn.  I wanted to buy so much!

And the car show is so fun!  Again, so much color and talent and time spent restoring and then caring for these cars

Cars up and down both sides of the block, and beyond.

A full parking lot outside the Ford Garage.

I LOVE the color of this car.  

Our friend Curt drove this bright yellow gem down to the show, from Spokane. 

And here's the interior.  Also bright!!!

Who doesn't love the T-Bird!  Not my favorite color, but I wouldn't turn one away if someone gave me one!

There were lots of Studebaker cars at the show!

Love this Studebaker Coup.  

I haven't ever seen a rig like this.  An International Panel I think you would call it?  We used to have a panel at the school when I was a kid, for taking small groups of kids to events.  

I thought this was so hilarious!  This golf cart made to look like a chevy pickup!

Caught the owner having lunch on the back seat! It was fun talking to him about his creation.

Interior details of the golf cart.  Notice the wood paneling and the stereo speakers, and the darling little wood block to hold the golf tees!

And here's the detail that really cracked me up, blue dice valve stem covers!

Only in Harrington, will you see a combine and tractor represented at a car show!  The combine is actually advertising for the Lind Combine derby, coming up in Lind WA in two weeks.  http://www.lindwa.com/

And here's the mayor of Harrington, posing in front of the tractor!

There was a lot more happening yesterday that is represented here.  It was a terrific day, and a fun day!