Monday, April 14, 2014

Jardin de Julie


Julie is carrying a garland in honor of spring. What Springtime traditions or chores do you perform that welcome the release from winter's stern grip?

34 comments:

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Hey, that's Rh's new pup.

Icepick said...

I live in Florida, so I don't have a stern grip of winter from which to escape.

deborah said...

I know. But I think you have a hot as hell period from which the stern grip of you are relieved to be released?

Aridog said...

Pup "Julie" is growing fast. I hope that pup can bring rh the joy that "Vickie" did, a truly beautiful dog inside and out...and I am fairly sure she will.

Aridog said...

As for "Spring Traditions"...first one after the snow is gone is poop patrol for the remnants of doggie waste that accumulated under snow all winter...when snowing, and it snowed all winter this year here, you can only get about 1 out of 5 deposits to bag up...the other 4 times X remain for springtime. :(

Michael Haz said...

Motorcycling!

chickelit said...

Nurturing baby plants and seedlings. We have lots of pests out here -- namely slugs, which always make gardening a challenge.

Unknown said...

aw.

Unknown said...

Spike goes in for his annual shave.

Unknown said...

Chickl - May I suggest empty tuna cans filled with beer. Slugs love the beer and they drown in drunken slug bliss. win-win.

Aridog said...

Chick, April ... I think Scott's Ortho makes a slug killing product that doesn't bother plants or grass. Here, we get slugs under lawns...who eat the roots off the grasses and the grasses die off. No cure but to poison the little bastards.

Just added the slug killer stuff to my list of things to get shortly. They wiped out half our front lawn last summer. Thinking about re-sodding all of the front, but it would be pointless until the slugs are dead and gone.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Wash the windows, inside and out!!!!

Burn the fruit tree prunnings and a couple of small trees that were cut down from last year.

Fire up the weed-eater and start from the road up the driveway and along the ditches.

DUMP RUN!!

We've already been released, so to speak, as this has been an very warmer and drier year for us than normal. Cold through Dec and Jan in the sub zeros at night and barely above freezing for those months. Usually we are below freezing during the day and have snow. We could actually sit out on our deck in the latter part of Feb without a fire!

It has been glorious for the last week. I feel like we are living in San Diego (lol) mid 70's to low 80s during the day and warm enough at night that the heater doesn't go on. Sit on the deck in the afternoons, drink some scotch, barbeque some animal flesh, watch the finches, quail, bald eagles, geese and other birds. Laugh at the cats. That is the best spring tradition.


Cute puppy. Good for RH. A man who loves dogs should not be without a dog.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Oh yeah.

Also spraying: Round-up, Weed impede and Star Thistle herbicides from the local UC Farm Advisory group.

:-(

john said...

Make sure their is sufficient salt in the cellar for the upcoming margarita season.

Oh, and limes.

ricpic said...

Why wash the windows? If you don't wash the windows you get that wonderful sepia effect. ;^)

Paintin' an' patchin'. Or patchin' an' paintin'.

deborah said...

lol john, make mine a double.

deborah said...

What is this 'wash the windows' that DQB speaks of?

Something I want to add to my gardening scheme is spraying pre-emergent oil (neem?) on roses and such. Gets a head start on insects and/or fungi, black spot, IIRC.

re slugs, I understand that diatomaceous earth is filled with sharp little pieces that pierce the slug and they lose fluid.

deborah said...

Ari"
"Pup "Julie" is growing fast. I hope that pup can bring rh the joy that "Vickie" did, a truly beautiful dog inside and out...and I am fairly sure she will."

From what I've seen of Vicki's and Julie's pictures, I detect a certain mischievousness in Julie. That's not quite the word I want, a mild audacity. An 'attitude.' Which I find adorable. Of course, this is not to take anything away from sweet, sweet Vicki.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

What is this 'wash the windows' that DQB speaks of?

I know! Who wants to do this. We don't have curtains on any windows other than the french doors and side windows in our bedroom to keep the morning sun from waking us up at the butt crack of dawn. Everything else is either completely open, no window treatments at all, or 2 inch white wooden blinds. I hate a dark house so the blinds are always open during the day. We do use the solar contribution in the winter to keep things warm.

After a winter of birds flying into the windows leaving dusty impressions of their bodies, wings and feathers. Dust and other streaks of dirt, it is like looking through the window in the court scene from My Cousin Vinnie.

MamaM said...

Why wash the windows?

A house "smiles" when its windows are clean. When the glaze of dirt from winter is removed, window glass reflects light with a difference that can be seen from the road. I'm surprised by the change in appearance that results each time we finish that chore.

KCFleming said...

My first Spring tradition is the ritual Defenestration of Shovels, accompanied by a Modified Trumpet (i.e., my mouth), a rousing march from back door to garage, the Cautious Blessing of the Spade D'Snow (to avoid needing their hand in May, and finally Hanging Them in Their Place Righteous.

Followed by a beer and a quiet Hooray!

Then the actual work begins.

Aridog said...

DBQ (incredulously) said...

We could actually sit out on our deck in the latter part of Feb without a fire!

Huh? What planet do you live on? Here, this year, we measured the day by whether it was over or under zero Fahrenheit, whether the wind was more or less than 20 mph, and whether the snowfall was over or under 6 inches...all the f'ing g-dang winter. And f'ing snow was forecast as a 30% potential for today (!!!) if some storm from down south cut northward and dumped on us...damnit, it is April 14th...WTF?!

So far it hasn't happened, but the temps dropped about 30 degrees from this morning, when the wind was 50 mph to 70 mph, etc. Blew my 350 gallon trash cans all cocky-wacky up against the drive way gate.

I have friends living in yee gawd Montana who had a much milder winter. I'd be sitting here on a minus 10 degree wind howler snow drifter of an evening and get a call from one of those suckers telling me it was a balmy 40+. The hell you say!

Aridog said...

BTW...my "ritual" is like Pogo's, but slower yet...a day or two between moving shovels to garage wall, and actually putting them inside. Meantime, plenty Cognac and contemplation (hours+) how not not jinx the local Karma...e.g., ask for more frigging snow by putting shovels away in front of Gawd and everybody.

When no one is looking at say 0230 hours you sneak outside and put them away and say nothing. If you are seen by any anyone, snow is on the way...bet on it!

Pogo has it right, just too fast. :)

KCFleming said...

I agree, must not tempt the weather gods, who are angry and punitive bastards.

But I cannot resist the little joy of hanging the shovel in its Rightful Not To be Used For Many Months Position.

Aridog said...

And, YES it snowed herein Detroit last night...from about 0100 to 0400.

Where's Al Gore?

I wish to kick him in the nuts, if he has any.

deborah said...

How deep?

Aridog said...

About 1.5 to 2 inches of wet sloppy snow.

It is melting fast...roads were already too warm (and salty) to hold snow, so sidewalks and roads are clear. Roofs, lawns, and parked cars, etc are covered.

You seen Al Gore(?)...or is he off in Tahiti or something enjoying the warm. His nuts need kicking on general principle.

deborah said...

Suck it up, Dearborn dude. A little April snow never hurt anyone :)

Aridog said...

Deb...uhm, where you are, how much April 15th snow did you get? :-))

See, once the medicos ordered me off snow skis in the late 90's I no longer pine for snow...even in Jackson Hole or Snow King, the epitome of deep and steep to me, rivaling ferocity only compared to Ernie Blake's Taos Ski Valley ...just mostly steep, not so deep.

These days I enjoy reading about deep snow in places like "Nahlense" or "Dallas".

deborah said...

Here in VA, on March 25 we had a similar snow to yours.

I have never skied..never really been interested. Snow boarding looks like a blast, but that ain't gonna happen.

Aridog said...

Snow boarding looks like a blast...

Bunch of knuckle-draggers, barely advanced beyond the most primitive ape. Nearly zero control and hazards to all on any mountain. One of the last hold outs for civilization (no snow board policy) was Taos Ski Valley, but they finally caved too.

deborah said...

I did not know that.

Aridog said...

DEb...hah, few do any more. Cali-fornication has overtaken the ski world...did so long ago. I am a troglodyte by today's standards. Such as...when someone can show me a snow-boarder skiing at top speed though a glade of trees not over 6-8 feet apart in irregular patterns on say about a 30 degree angle slope...then I will say they have decent control.

Otherwise, their primary emergency stop means is to skid sideways and sit plop their butt down.

Oh, btw...pay me no attention. I am "insufferable" after all :-))

deborah said...

If by insufferable you mean grouchily logical, count me as a fan of insufferable old men :)