Showing posts with label Plants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plants. Show all posts

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Red Sky at Night?

Last night we had a gorgeous red/purple/pink/blue sky.


I always thought the saying went:
Red sky at night, sailors' delight,
Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.

Seems it should have gone:
Red shy at night, will rain at midnight,
Gray sky at morning, rain is still pouring.

I just made that up....

Right now I'm waiting for the skies to clear and my special delivery to get here (oh no, I'm stuck on a rhyme when there's not enough time).

So, I thought I'd feature my other "critters" that are always left out of the blog. Not that they are nearly as demanding of my attention, or quite as cute or furry or even four-legged, but they do require care and take up a lot of room out here in the country.

My plants.

When I moved here last September I had one peace lilly.

This poor thing has been with me for years. It was from my Grandpa Pilger's funeral. I almost lost it moving from Texas. I had it in the horse trailer, with all my furniture, and when we got to Painted Prairie Farm and took off for Equifest we had a frigid cold front come through and this poor plant was burnt to a crisp. I didn't throw it out, though, and soon little leaves began to sprout. It could look better now, but it's doing pretty darned good considering....

Then when I moved here, my landlord left a plethera of plantlife on the front porch. It started getting cold, so I went ahead and moved them all inside and let him know just to come in and get them whenever he wanted.

Well, he never did.

Here's one of the abandoned kids. Not sure what it's supposed to be called. I think I'll just call it Fred.

And here's Ethel.


Here is a huge Mother-In-Law tongue that he left. I need to repot it.


Then his mom, my neighbor (who is amazing, awesome, sweet, so cool--I just love her, really) gave me a lot of cuttings off her plants when she came back from Arizona.

This was one of the "cuttings."


One of the biggest Aloe plants I've ever seen....

Oh, see that plant in the right hand corner? My landlord left that, too. I did get a picture but it didn't load. It's a cool plant--have no idea what it is. I think it's name shall be Newman.

No reason....

This is another cutting she gave me. Another Mother-In-Law Tongue. I put it in the guest room. If I had a mother-in-law that came over to spend the night, it would have a lovely sense of irony....

But I don't. I probably won't ever have a mother-in-law again.

Thank God.

This is a lovely Bamboo that Jennifer gave me as a housewarming present. It's supposed to be a money tree?


I think I need to fertilize it or something. I have yet to see any money on it.

Also residing in the kitchen is fresh Basil.

Hello Basil.

I love this plant. It's the same kind as Ethel--have no idea what it really is. I found this one by a dumpster, if you can imagine.


It's kind of crazy. I think it's name should be Courtney Love.

My sister gave me a neat arrangement of plants when I helped move her. I took them apart and repotted them.

Here's Spike.



And Speckles.



This is some ivy and other plants that obviously I need to clean up. I had this birdcage I had used in my wedding as a cardholder. I really liked it, so I repainted it the antique bronze that I used on my iron bed, lined it, put potting soil and the plants in it. I think it turned out really cute (well, sans dead folliage, it is).


And another lonely peace lilly. This one is in my bedroom. It was the only room in the house without plants, so it was the chosen one (I have to talk it up, make it sound important so it will grow big and beautiful)



Then last week my neighbor gave me this cutting. It's a succulent of some sort, so I really need to get it out of the water. Anyone know how to start this thing?



I think I'll call it Fluffy.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tonight's Special: A Bit of Irony with a Side of Humor

I had an appointment this afternoon so I got home late. I worked with Laramie a bit and groomed her and JJ, then after everyone was fed and settled in I grabbed my camera. I always want to capture the peacefulness of the evening. I try, anyway....


Charlie decided to help Empress clean up any grain she spilled. He sure is a lot of "help." Not sure she sees it that way, but she's too polite to say anything.



Took a quick shot of JJ--I think he's gaining some already. I'd love to see him a lot heavier, though. He's such a pig--he eats up every single bit I give him. Laramie has already maxed out and is leaving a touch of grain and alfalfa behind each feeding, but I think JJ is like a teenage boy--"full" is not something he recognizes!



Got this shot of Bambi, too. I adore her....



So we get ready to go in and I decide to take a picture of some of what I accomplished over the weekend. I got this area all cleaned out behind the house (but I still have a lot of weedeating and landscaping to do). I made a whole village of ants homeless when I picked up some of the old landscaping sculpture the previous resident left behind. They weren't very pleased. I think I heard one of them put a curse on me.



Unknown Plant: While weeding out the currently vacant flowerbed I encountered this little fella. I didn't think it was a weed. Anyone know what it is?



KNOWN Plant: I pulled some of this up on Sunday without realize what it was until I already had a handful--a bare handfull of it. I washed my hands immediately and didn't have any problems...until today. That was my appointment--I have poison ivy all over my face! LOL! Somehow I missed a spot while washing and scratched my face, or got some on my clothes which came in contact with my face--something (I am convinced it is the curse of the homeless ants). My hands are perfectly fine, but my face itches and hurts.


The funny thing is my dermatologist gave me some oral steroids. The reason that's funny is when my back was out I begged my regular doctor to give me some oral steroids for the inflamation and he refused. I guess I should have gone looking for poison ivy!

Anyway, I looked up while taking pics of the plants and there was my 11 year-old "kitten," Harley. He's enjoying the open windows. I am trying so hard not to turn on the A/C yet. Must....save.....money......


Sophie found a ball to play with. I have no idea where these things come from!


She has a short attention span....


But all I have to do is say "You guys ready to go in?" and this is the attention I get (they know that means FOOD!!!)



We all have some supper and settle in for the night. "Dogs and cats living together--mass hysteria!!"