Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Tree Hunt

It's time to consider what to do with the ugly, bare spot left in my sister's lawn because of the loss of the 50 year old maple in one of last spring's storms. We figured we'd just plant a tree or three and compose a little mountain woodsy sort of landscape with some found objects and our communal artistic ideas. I can sort of see it already.

So within the last few days, we've explored five different nurseries. We've covered a fair piece of ground up and down the I-5 corridor including the famous Al's Garden in Woodburn. Guess what? It isn't all that easy to find conifer trees to purchase here in our naturally thick with conifers Oregon. We were really surprised.

After some real time browsing at actual nurseries and some internet exploration, Bobbie decided she likes mountain hemlocks and alpine firs the best. Pat and I know that alpine firs are not that easy to find and mountain hemlocks can be tricky to locate as well but, boy, did we find some good ones in a Salem area nursery. I won't say which one because their trees go on sale tomorrow and you'll all probably rush out to buy the very trees we want. I'll tell you about this fabulous source after we've made our purchase. Suffice it to say that this place has great nursery stock and helpful though rather unsmiling clerks. Their nursery stock is beautifully cared for and thriving in an accessible and very navigable lot.
And the gift shop has some great stuff in it too.

So we'll finish our research on soils (we want to berm the trees up a bit), figure out yards to units (Pat's job), and get on with the buying. Someday soon all three of us will be out in Bobbie's front yard creating the new piece of landscape and planting something new in the place where my dad cautioned my sister to let the twiggy little maple alone all those years ago.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Writer's Block

Oh, um. . .what to write about? Need to update the blog-no more fancy trips just the one long and hot weekend in Prineville keeping cool by the swamp cooler or breezing in the boat on the Reservoir all with fun friends-slept on memory foam mattress and bought our own on the way home but it's the new and improved one with memory gel along with the foam or some such thing and, boy, is it comfortable and my back feels better than it has in a long, long time-thinking lots about turning 64 next month especially with the Beatles' song "When I'm 64" running through my head many times per day-want to get in touch with my Stayton friends for a walk in the Wilderness (maybethisweekendifyou'rereadingthis?) so did a practice walk in the cool of this morning-was lovely but I was puffing a bit-it's the extra weight which is driving me crazy but I can't resolve what to do and I can't believe I'm actually putting that thought out into cyberspace-yikes!and fall will start next week with childcare responsibilities shaping our schedules again but then it's off to San Francisco to see our Derek and Brian special friends for some Bay Area fun and hi jinks before I have to prep for the in-service workshop I'm doing. That's it! A blog update!