Summer?

Summer on the Oregon Coast is just around the corner according to the weather doods. I would give ya the temps but my weather station has completely died after many years of service -- a few months ago it quit recording the rainfall totals but still showed indoor and outdoor temps and now nothing. I put in new batteries but still zip, zero, zilch on the screen.

My peony thinks it is spring and is blooming again. This plant has never done an additional bloom after the regular early spring bloom.

The weather doodette on my local news says high clouds are moving in ahead of a week front coming in tomorrow but that this weekend will be sunny, mainly dry, and warmer.

Still Blooming

The peony is still in bloom. Sure does look (and smell) magnificent. It is much paler than it was when it first opened.

Peony

The peony bud has opened -- it took several days -- I took pictures. This was Wed late afternoon:

Starting to open, early Thurs afternoon:

Later that afternoon:

Friday:


In full bloom today.


As the days pass, the bloom will fade from purplish pink to pink to pale pink to almost white. You can see how the color has gotten lighter this week in these photographs.

Now that it has bloomed, the perfume is starting to develop -- was faint today but based on past experience, tomorrow I won't have to stick my nose in the flower -- I will be able to enjoy the scent just by walking by.

Fridge Art And Other Pretties

The clouds parted for about a couple hours Wednesday afternoon -- a nice break before the next big storm starts to come in Thursday evening.


My peony bud is getting ready to open. The bud has survived several rounds of hail and strong winds this week. The storm coming in Thursday night is gonna test its resiliency (and my ability to not worry over something I have no control over). This plant usually flowered in early May in Boulder Creek.


I have Fridge Art! I had mentioned that I had none on a recent thread of mine over at the lake -- and in today's mail I found this from my buddy J in NC. Thank you so very much J for sending me some fine Easter Fridge Art from Angelina. Thank you so very much, Angelina, for creating this for me.

More Peony

The biggest bud has opened all the way and is glorious to both the eyes and the nose. Some pink is starting to show on one of the two (and smaller) unopened buds. I expect it will start to open in the next day or so, shortly followed by the third.

A fish has taken up residence in a pool created by the downed tree on the other side of the bridge. Haven't been able to get a good look at it, mainly seeing tail flops in the water. It hides in the nooks and crannies created by the tangled web of branches that has accumulated there.


Have only gotten 1/3rd of last year's rain total so far. No big water to push the debris downstream which has been good for the fish and the birds. Lots of birds and ducks hanging out around the downed tree feasting on this year's bumper crop of insects.

Should could use some rain. Only got 5/8ths of an inch in March, bringing the year to date total to 25 and 7/8ths inches.

Peony In Bloom

My peony is blooming. I bought this at the end of winter a year ago. Last year, I had only one flower. This year, there are three buds and the largest is opening up.
I took this sequence of photos over about 2 hours as it opened. I know nothing other than it is a peony but I sure do love it. Has only a hint of fragrance now but there is promise of more to come.





I am enjoying spring here at the little cottage by the creek in the redwoods. Token and Goldie are spending a lot of their days lounging in the sun on the deck. They sat still for the picture at the top of this post, but Token refused to look at the camera. That is the peony pot they are posing next to - their size is why they will always be called puppies.