3 June 2012 - Pop's birthday

Today is my Pop's birthday. It's bittersweet since he is no longer with us, but also because he is still with me everyday in more ways than you can imagine. One of my favorite songs by Michael Smith is I Brought My Father With Me.  The last verse gets me every time:

There are some ways I'm just like him
Some ways he was just like me
And sometimes when the mirror's dim
His face is clear to see
Tonight the winds of heaven
Blow the stars across the sky
I brought my father with me
I couldn't say goodby.

In my case the mirror doesn't have to be dim. I have often seen his face in my mirror, we are aging the same way. 

What I wish he could know is how happy I am to be here. I am so happy to be here that my heart hurts. There are days that I look up at the patented Utah blue sky with the peaks jutting up in front and I just want to hug the world, hard, but I can't get my arms around it. It is odd to be trying to describe happiness in terms of pain, but truly there are times I just ache with happiness. It feels like I could burst, like my innards are turning inside out. This all sounds horrible. But in spite of the weirdness, I am so damn happy!

I have always considered myself a happy person--the bloom where you are planted type. And I have been told--more than once-- that I am a manic depressive who is permanently stuck in the manic phase. But this? It defies everything. Every morning I walk into the kitchen look out the window and can hardly contain myself for happiness. I cling to my coffee cup, turn to Jack and say, "Have I told you how happy I am to be here?"  "First time today," he answers. 

Friday evening Jack and I went back to Red Butte Garden to check out the rose garden. On our last trip there, ten days ago, the roses were still covered in tight buds. In just over a week the garden had changed drastically in the colors of what was blooming. I thought we could just run down to the rose garden and then leave, but no, I had to see everything. Red Butte Garden is situated behind the U of U up Red Butte Canyon, so there are places where you can see across the valley.

The foreground trees are hiding the city, but looking west you can see the lake with some of the islands. The day was much clearer than this picture suggests. 

Looking south Mt. Olympus is the tallest peak. My neighborhood is tucked in at its base and is hidden behind the smaller hill in front. 

Here are the peaks just to the east of Mt. Olympus, still bits of snow in some of the crevasses.  These are views I see every day, and it makes me feel like the Grinch when his heart grew three sizes. 

It doesn't matter if it is the middle of winter when the hillsides are brown and gray, or if it snows on newly opened leaves in the spring. The mountains change on an hourly basis-- how the light strikes them, how flat or how 3-D they appear. Sometimes they are shrouded in clouds or the air is so clear you can see minute details. All these things thrill me.

Even seeing one of my hiking trails ahead of me fills me with joy. Utah's current motto is Life Elevated. I can only concur. 



It isn't only the mountains that bring me such satisfaction, but having some family close by again is a wondrous thing. (See post of  May 13.) 

Living in the house where I grew up is like putting on a favorite pair of slippers, the ones that are really comfortable, yet well worn. 

I have been here six months now, and the happiness factor is increasing. If it continues I may just spontaneously combust. I can see it now--News at Eleven! Woman Self Immolates in a Conflagration of Joy!

31 May 2012 - Cats, Critters and Crawlies

For many years I wrote letters to Pop detailing our trials and tribulations with the backyard rodent population. Now I have moved 2000 miles across the country and I still have rodent problems.

The critters, in this case ground squirrels and red squirrels do have one ameliorating function: they keep the cats entertained. They come up on the balcony and eat the sunflower seeds that have fallen from the feeder. It took a couple months before the red squirrels figured out how to go directly to the source by leaping onto the feeder. 

We generally know something is going on when the boys go on high alert. 

This behavior usually has Jack or me or both of us sneaking up behind them to see what is going on. 

The red squirrels drive them crazy because they move so fast. 

The cats are entertained for hours, they pat the windows, natter and pine for the chase. The squirrels ignore them.
 

In the early morning we have quail in the front yard, and better yet, a sunny window. What could make a cat happier than that? Other than not having to share the window, that is. 

In the course of cleaning up the yard, we have discovered many ground squirrel tunnels--not in good places. They have burrows underneath stairs, in the rock walls, under the cement pad for storage behind the garage... you name it, we find tunnels. 

It was more than past time to consider relocation. I borrowed David's live trap and in three days caught three squirrels. I released them all in the same place up Millcreek Canyon.  The cats are not happy about it at all. 

We also have some odd insect activity going on in the lawns. Something is digging holes leaving little piles of dirt surrounding a hole.  I have shined light down the holes and seen a bit of movement, but that's all. It could be bees, worms, beetles... who knows? 

We have amazing mud daubers. They build their rock hard nests in the strangest places. In a back dark corner of the garage the daubers have made nests on a wire and a hinge. 

There are different kinds of nests for different species of wasps that use mud. Some wasps paralyze little caterpillars, then stuff the cells with the caterpillars, lay an egg in each cell then seal it up. When the egg hatches there is a ready food supply.  I found one of these amazing structures as it was being built. 


 
The tranquilized caterpillars are extremely sluggish, and she had a pile of them under her nest, ready to poke into the cells. I just love this stuff! 



Here is a bug I have not yet identified, but isn't he a beaut? I was on the verge of a better photo when he flew. I think I need a camera that can focus and click faster.

The spider babies are hatching now too, and the yard is full of tiny spiders sailing through the air on their gossamer strands. My little microcosm is an wonderful place to be. So much to see on a daily basis. And it all changes so quickly.

25 May 2012 - Birding on the Great Salt Lake

Life took an odd little detour today. I decided it was time to check out the lake. Closest I've come to the lake in years has been going to the airport. Close but no cigar. This morning the clouds were hanging thick and low over Mt. Olympus with hints of raindrops every now and then. Across the valley, I could see the sun was on the Oquirrhs. So why not? There is a wonderful access road that runs beside I-80. If you are driving on I-80, you can't even see this road, it is like a secret route. In my four hours along the lake, I saw three other cars. Very nice to be the only person in the world while enjoying some beauty.

As you approach the lake there are boggy areas filled with birds and blooming things.

This pond was home to a few Canada geese and their babies. The pink shrub in front is tamarisk, also known as salt cedar.  It is an invasive species that destroys wetlands due to its own insatiable thirst. 

 
I am completely unfamiliar with this plant.  It is a large shrub with huge clusters of these purple flowers and an incredible amount of yellow pollen.

One more thing to look up! Pretty! I only found the one plant, which makes me think it may not be a native.

 The boggy pond areas were filled with yellow-headed blackbirds. I love that they live and nest in close communities, but are they ever noisy! Raspy kruck noises filled the air. They squabbled with each other, chased other birds, and complained about my presence. Great fun. When they fly you can see bright white markings on their wings. Just a hint of it in this photo.

I spent quite some time checking out the bogs on my way to the marina. Looking across the valley to the east, the mountains were still socked in. It's hard to tell in this little photo, but you can see the rain coming down in the mountains.

 

 Where I'm standing, with my back to the marina, it is warm and sunny.  

Those are islands in the lake, you are not seeing all the way across the lake to the  mountains on the far side.  The lake is so shallow, that any little bit of wind will make the surface choppy. It was a bit churned up today. 

You have to keep your eyes open, or you will drive right by some of the access points, such as this small path through a fence. This is typical Utah landscape and I adore it. Sand with sage brush,  alfalfa, rabbit brush and grasses. 

Since I was there I had to stop at the new Saltair. It is really awful--tacky, tasteless, tawdry. The best thing about it? Cliff swallow nests just under the top of the turrets, tucked in under the ledges. 

Better yet was this baby screeching for food. When you look at all the little mouthfuls of mud making up each gourd-shaped nest, you have to admire how much work it took each bird to find and haul the mud.  What you can't tell from this picture is that these holes are pointing down to the ground, the close-up shot skews the perspective.

The original Great Saltair Pavilion was completed in 1893. It must have been wonderful in its prime. 

Over a hundred years later, some of the original pilings are still visible on the beach.

 But I digress.

Continuing on down the road to the next brackish pond I found some American avocets and quite a few black-necked stilts. The avocets spent most of their time trying to chase the stilts out of the water. 

Lots of hawks! I counted 15 in the air at one time. Not sure why they were all flocked up.  I stopped to take a picture of dead trees, and then saw the hawk sitting in the biggest one. See it? Check out the closest tree in the branch just over the ridge line.

 Not only was the there a hawk in the tree, but a small blackbird was waiting for him to move. The blackbird was keeping up a running diatribe and was occasionally answered by other birds in the lower bushes. When the hawk moved, the little bird and his friends attacked the hawk. 

 The hawk was looking pretty ragged. I was reminded of the scene in Harry Potter when Hermione says, "Professor Lupin is having a really bad day."  His feathers are all ruffled and poking out. When he finally flew from the tree, I saw he was missing wing feathers.

According to my bird books, red tail hawks eat small rodents, they hardly ever hunt birds. I guess the little birds just see them as a predator and don't want them near their nesting areas.

You never know what will happen. I went to see the lake, and ended up birdwatching. Then found I was being watched as well. It was a bit unsettling.

And just a pretty irrigation ditch whose water will end up in the lake. 

 How many ways are there to say what an awesome morning?


birds today
killdeer
black-necked stilt and babies!
american avocet
american coot and babies!
yellow-headed blackbird
red-winged blackbird
western kingbird
cliff swallows
red-tailed hawks
snowy egret
willet
california gulls
canada geese and babies
forster's tern

16 May 2012 - Odd reversals

I was hit by an odd epiphany today.  I had gone to the library to return books, and as is my wont, I took a different way home, this time driving through a neighborhood in Holladay. The gardens in this area were stunning, full of flowers. Blooming right now are iris, peonies, clematis, roses, wisteria, globe mallow and so much more.  It dawned on me that in Michigan, you rarely see neighborhoods where every yard is full of flowers, yet Michigan is surrounded by lakes, has a lot of rain, and no real shortage of water.

Here in Utah, it is a desert. Water is a precious commodity. Snow pack determines if we have a good water year or not, but still, everyone has incredible gardens that all need water. I have half a notion to dig up all the lawn and replace it with native plants that are drought tolerant. That is a bit more of an ambitious plan than I can handle this year, but who knows.

 In addition to the front yard gardens, people have done beautiful things in the parking strips as well, such as this 40 foot strip of iris. 

Or this one full of native plants, sage brush and grasses.  

Here's an example of a yard landscaped in a water-wise plan with native plants.  Mulch and hard-scaping help conserve the water. 

Here is another naturalized yard, but in a shady location, so the plants used look quite lush.  What you can't see in a picture this small is that most of these clumps are blooming. Charming!

Many homes in my neighborhood have yard services. This particular service always cracks me up. Their trailer is covered with stuffed animals and dolls. Very peculiar. 

Oh! And speaking of parking strips, how about this one on a major street outside of a Mexican take-out? 

Roses and iris, always a winning combination.

Just down the street in front of another restaurant is another native, naturalized setting. Lovely.




While we are talking about reversals, how about this? Every day I go out front with my bucket and pick up pine cones.

 Because I can't help myself, I count them. Today I had 56. Yesterday was windy and 84 fell. The day before that, only 35. I haul my bucket out to the garbage bin and pitch them. 

I was rooting around in the garage looking for a box of nails and I came across several stashes of pine cones thanks to our red squirrel. 

He fills containers with pine cones.

 

When we were removing debris in the yard, I picked up a pile of limbs and found a huge hoard of cones buried beneath the branches. 

Guess we both are collecting and stashing pine cones, just for different purposes.

14 May 2012 - Exploring 13th West

What a glorious day! 84 degrees, sunny, perfect blue skies.


We spent the weekend, with major help from David (thank God for brothers), finishing the raised beds and installing a seven foot high deer fence around the beds. Jack is determined that we will get veggies, and that the deer will not. Stay tuned. 

So, after work today we went out to pick up a couple tomato plants and assorted seeds. The nursery was on the other side of the valley, which was conducive to exploring on our way home.

The first thing that caused me to hit the brakes, perform a u-turn and pull over, was a pasture with Highland cattle and babies! I had not realized how small Highlands are. A pony is taller than these cattle, although not even close to as heavy.  Their hairy faces give them such a sweet look--deceptively sweet-- I might add. One of the mothers charged the fence when she thought I was too close to her baby. 

The babies were about the size of Labrador retrievers. They were racing around the pasture, bumping heads and having a wonderful time. Truly, they made you want to hop the fence and hug them.

 The mothers were not having any of me. They were watching their little ones very closely. You can see the fence looks more than a bit on the rickety side, so I stayed further away than I wanted. 

Don't they look so very picturesque with the mountains in the background? 

Upon arriving home, I checked to make sure they really were Highlands (yep, they were) and also discovered that a group of Highland cattle is not called a herd, but a fold. So a Scottish Fold is a breed of cat, but a fold of cattle are Scottish cows. It is a weird and wonderful world we live in.

Back on the road, we had scarcely made it a mile down the road when we saw a big sign for a Conservation Garden Park. A what? Naturally we turned in to check it out. What a surprise! The modern building houses the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District offices, but they have an education center with classes, seminars, plant sales plus acres and acres of beautiful gardens that illustrate how to plant in a desert and use water wisely. What a delight! 

We took the self-guided tour which walks you through areas that emphasize design, irrigation, planting and maintenance. It was beautiful. Fabulous specimen trees and so many ideas that my head was spinning. We would have stayed a lot longer if the tomatoes were not getting heat stroke in the back of the car. We will be going back, you can bet on that. And I'll have a notebook and pencil. 

The gates were all different: huge slabs of quarter inch plate steel with cut-out designs of gardeners doing things. Fun!

 There were many paths through the gardens: concrete sidewalks, stepping stone paths, and mulched woodland paths.


Best part? All the plants were labeled. 

The paths led in and out of seating areas, including wood pergolas or through metal arched walkways or more formal poured concrete benches. 

 Here's an example of a hot, dry setting with a stone riverbed. Big flat boulders double as seating. 

The garden designers somehow made ordinary plants look exotic in these combination plantings.

Tall purple smoke trees, spiky clumps of blue-gray ornamental grasses, rounded flowering shrubs... all combine into a landscape that is so much more than a sum of its parts.

Here in a more wooded area, the garden is about to explode into color with peonies, iris, poppies and  penstemon.    Mental note: I want to go back and see that! It should be absolutely spectacular.  The purple flowers in this picture are globe alliums.

It was a lovely day out, and we were teased by so many possibilities.