Perspective

I find myself getting frustrated during this time of mid-Spring (and subsequently annoyed with myself for feeling frustrated) when I so desperately want to hurry up and see the garden absolutely and completely filled to the gills in an orgy of Midsummer leaves, branches, buds & blooms.


It's times like this, though, that I have to step back and appreciate just how far we've come.

March 2007

Today

OK, I feel much better now.

Yours truly-
Tigerlily

Sun Salutations

Sometimes, all it takes is a warm sunny day, a caravan of friends, and the beach to remind us that a cold, grey Spring has to end eventually.

It's especially good when you take the time to roll in it...

Like, really roll in it.   Oh yeah, that's good.

 And then there's an invitation,

which starts a chase,

and escalates

to a high-speed pursuit.

After all, isn't that what friends are for?

Yours truly-

Tigerlily

Penny & Howard- A Love Story

Dog toys have come, and dog toys have gone.

Most make it a couple of weeks before their ceremonial disemboweling occurs, spilling a trail of polyester fiberfill behind their sad, empty pelt.

And then there's Howard.  Oh, Howard.

 

Since the day we brought him home, we knew he held a special place in the hierarchy of the stuffed animal kingdom.

Don't expect to see Penny come out of the bedroom in the morning without Howard in tow.

After all, a girl's gotta make sure her duck is getting his fresh air for the day.

If it's a really good day, he'll get buried,

 only to be unearthed a few hours later,

and used as a prop.

He'll take an evening trip through the washer,

 

 

so he can be returned, nice and clean, just in time for bed.

Yours truly-

Tigerlily

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: April 2011

Today marks the day that I'm one step closer to becoming my mom-- I'm officially joining the ranks as a Garden Blogger with my inaugural Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post for April 2011!

Seattle has been stuck in a pattern of below-normal temps and above-normal rain, so a lot of what's in the garden this April feels behind.

April, so far, feels like the month of Almost.

The leaves of the Japanese Maples have almost opened.

The lilac, who at this time last year was gracing me with sweet bouquets, still has its buds closed tight.

The non-fruiting Kwanzan Cherry is almost there, too.

I just love the way they they look at this stage, when they open out and drop the buds like little pendulums.

The tart cherry tree (variety "CWTH", a.k.a. "came with the house") is also almost there, but definitely behind schedule.  I wonder if this year I'll have pie by the 4th of July?

 

Luckily, the tulips always look great even when they're in the beginning stages.  

This was after the hail storm that we got earlier this week.

All our tulips were brought over from our old rental house in February of 2007.

This one has such nice coloring! 

The evergreen Clematis has had a rough winter, but it's hanging in there, giving us a few more spring blooms that the hummingbirds appreciate.

The Magnolia tree never looks amazing, but the sooner it blooms & leafs out, the sooner we aren't able to see through to the old man's house across the street, where he's undoubtedly standing on his front porch in his underwear & robe.

The white scilla are starting now, too.  They're small, and require kneeling on the ground to get a really good look at them, but it's worth it!

Just when I thought I was through touring the yard, I found this happy sentinel of the Northwest spring tucked in the corner of the house.  These blue scilla are everywhere.

I don't think there's a house in Seattle that doesn't have at least a few!

Yours truly-
Tigerlily

Run-on Sentence: 12-miler

Saturday's long run was a simple out and back course.

It took me from home, around the south end of the zoo,  d  o  w  n  Stone Way to the Burke-Gilman Trail, east past Gasworks Park to the University of Washington, and back.

The daffodils at the zoo were in full bloom- I don't know what variety these are, but they're lovely!
I also like that the bark path at the south end has been widened- THANK YOU City of Seattle.

 Gasworks Park

I wonder just how many times these concrete thingamajiggers at Gasworks have been photographed just like this.  OK, so I don't win any points for originality on this one, do I?

This was spray painted on the sidewalk at my halfway/turnaround point. It made me chuckle.

Ah, the return route, back through Gasworks.  There's my city!

Nothing like slogging up the slow gradual, 1 mile uphill of Stone Way to test your training.  Even the murals on the buildings make you feel like you're going against the stream.  I'm pretty sure that little one in the corner was laughing at me.

Back at home- reward time!

Thank goodness the TASTE has been scientifically proven to be 100%.



Distance: 12.2 miles
Time: 1:59:10
Temp at start: 43 degrees
Temp at end: 47 degrees
Conditions: Overcast, dry, and calm
Playing on my iPod: Absolutely nothing, because iRun without
Things I thought about (other than this blog post):  A few weeks ago, I made up a joke and told it to BS, my husband, while we were out on a hike.  It was one of those jokes with an incredibly long set up.  It was a funny bad joke.  Like, really funny bad.  It involved a Sasquatch that was part of the barefoot running craze.  It's been killing me because I can't remember it, and neither can BS.  I spent the better part of 2 hours trying to remember it, and came up blank.  Good thing I have 14 miles next weekend...that gives me about 18 more minutes to try and remember it.


Yours truly- Tigerlily

Friday Funny: Smartypants

My Cocker-Chow is smarter than your honor roll student.

Yours truly-
Tigerlily

Wrestlemania

In the couple of years that we've had 2 dogs, I have witnessed countless wrestling matches in the backyard.  During these matches, I'm fairly certain I've taken no less than 10,000 pictures.

It never grows old (unless you're the lawn).

They always start the same-- an invitation to chase:

The chasee becomes the chaser:

The competition for ugliest faces ensues:

The big one bears her teeth:

 The little one stands his ground:

Several minutes are devoted to the fine art of canine head biting:

And if you're really lucky, you capture a moment that defies gravity:

Next time on Tigerlily Chronicles, we discuss how to attempt to maintain a healthy lawn with 2 active dogs.


Yours truly- Tigerlily