St. Paddy's Garden update

We had a big weekend full of cooking, partying, gardening, lots of other ing's...I made this sentimental video just now to document it all.
(that's Kent and Judy at the end watching an Emmylou Harris/Mark Knopfler video...and for the discerning viewers, yes, my dad IS eating his helping of trifle with a spatula)

Gardening update: I put up the deer fence around the veggie garden because they are starting to get back on the grind and have been nibbling on my pea starts. I also planted a 6pack of bok choy...we'll see what happens. Leeks, onions, garlic and kale are looking pretty tight at this point. My new front yard "spring greens rock garden" has been planted and completed...we'll now see what happens. I'm giving it a 50/50 shot for success vs. horrible failure. Gotta be in it to win it though.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Corvallis Rock Garden

It's almost Spring in Corvallis. The days are getting longer, the sun a little brighter, though warmth is still not very common. Today is lovely, though!
My project for the weekend, rain or shine, is to remove the grass from another patch in the front yard and make a rock garden with some pretty aquamarine rocks I procured from Pacific Stone-something or other place on Hwy 34. I will plant lettuce and other attractive spring greens. It will be just fantastic even if no one else can see my vision right now.

I also purchased 2 columnar "snake river" stones for decoration but Colin is concerned that a kid will knock them over in their current location and we will be labeled and unsafe garden stone owners and be banished from the neighborhood. So they will be relocated...but I am excited nonetheless for the new shape our front yard is taking.

I also snapped some pics recently from around Corvallis. This town is funny...I've always known this. But running around the streets and looking more closely than i used to (garden snooping mainly) i've noticed some extra special things documented in this video:

Garden coming back to life...

I don't care if there is still frost. I'm gardening again.
Cut down the last of the Black-eyed Susan stems (or *Black-eyed Rhianna stems as they are also known) and other winter blechy-ness. *if she can duet with Chris Brown I can make fun of her.

I bought new bark nuggets to fill in all the holes Missy dug in the garden to express her angst against the world.

I planted "local" (which means I paid 50cents more) snap peas and lacinto kale in the veggie garden as well as a fresh 6 pack of spring blooming strawberries in the strawberry patch where Missy expressed her angst against the world by digging a hole in them over the winter.

English daisies are already doing great in the front door planter...those got going in early Feb....you CAN have winter color, it's a beautiful world.

The next big project is called "Operation Succulents". I'm going to make this crazy succulent wall based on something I saw in Sunset magazine. It's going to be dripping with awesome and the other good news is that succulents can survive anything...including my inability to properly care for plants.


NPR:
Red Velvet- Outkast
Til the Morning Comes- Neil Young
F*ck You- Dr. Dre feat. Devin the Dude and Snoop Dogg

Miami Beach run

This was a weird but fun run. I got lost a couple of times and walked some because it's so hot and humid...over 80 degrees and hard to breathe. So ignore the time (message to myself). I started at the Sheraton at the Miami Airport and ended up at a clothing store (bought some necessities) on Ocean Drive on Miami Beach. In between I ran through the depths of poverty, and ended up in the lap of luxury. From having to navigate passed out homeless people's heads to euro trash fake boobs (not sure which is more disturbing) all in the course of about 5 miles. I saw a flock of parrots on a telephone wire. I am pretty sure I saw the hotel where they chainsaw the guy in the bathtub in Scarface...actually I thought that about 10 times throughout the run...there are some scary hoods in Miami! Then a gorgeous barefoot ocean walk along South Beach...skeezy guys, string bikini'd starving girls, old ladies, families, tourists. It was a feast for the eyes. I already am having body issues just being here in the land of self obsession but I'm also liking it. I feel like Jefferson in Paris. Off to the pool!

Dimple Hill 15+mile loop

I did this on Saturday and it's a great run...you get to skip Harrison and its basically trails the whole way. The longest distance I have ever run...so far! Next goal...18miles by end of Feb.


Garmin Connect - Dimple Hill 15+mile loop

Bald Hill long loop

Garmin Connect - Bald Hill long loop

NPR: Nobody's Perfert- J. Cole feat. Missy Elliott

Dimple Hill loop

Garmin Connect - Dimple Hill loop


NPR:
Work Out- J.Cole
E.I.-Nelly
Rosa Parks- Outkast
Miss You- Trentemoller