Confessions, still and again, part umpty-ump

Not anti-Rose, anti-thorn.

Mahonia, a very xeric plant with edible berries, makes roses seem absolutely easy-going in the thorn department. The mahonia was planted by D.H. in a fit of permacultural responsibility many years ago. He recently told me that the word "mahonia" means "bloody fingers" ( in what language I have no idea ) he said he thought it was because the leaves turn red in the fall, something we have never noticed, but Really it is because of what happens if you pick the berries.

I planted a tiny Oregon Grape Holly -- mahonia-- in my front patio. I am hoping it will get large and i will get to pick the berries. It is growing happily right now but has a long way to go. Mine is not as fierce a variety as yours, roybird.

Berries and thorns both on a plant presents a real predicament.

I think D.H. meant "hemocarpa" or something like that when he said, "bloody fingers". Well, think about black berries and raspberries. They're kind of stickery, too. And the prickly pear cactus fruit.

I love my black raspberries but they have the wickedest thorns! It's hard to pick delicate berries while wearing heavy leather gloves too. I usually go in with one gloved hand and a yogurt tub in my apron pocket to catch the berries.

Here's some good news! D.H. just found out he has a video accepted in the New Mexico Film Expo. It will be shown friday night at 5:15 at the Jean Cocteau and costs $7. in case any of you are in town looking for entertainment! It really wasn't much notice and he has to work that night, tutoring. So the timing is bad but he is very happy to get in! Yeah! I may end up married to a famous director!

WHOOO HOOOO that is SO exciting roybird!!! Please give him a big CONGRATS! from me. Drat I leant out my plane this weekend or I would be there with a big poofy hat on. (Big poofy hat cuz I'm working on a new autumn solstice dance where I wear a big poofy hat.)

Congrats to you and DH, Roybird! What kind of film is it?

Thanks from Kevin (aka D.H.) . It is a documentary about a local glass artist, Elodie Holmes. It started as a project for a video editing class. Various video classes had taken about 6 hours of footage and he edited it down to a fairly cohesive 37 minutes and took some additional video to help hold it together. I've seen it several times, as you may imagine.

Nice Roybird. Tell Kevin congrats for me.

roybird, please convey our congratulations to your DH for his film breakthrough! I doubt if Grady and I will make it because he has to take his mother to the dentist in Santa Fe Friday afternoon and then bring her home. He won't finish that operation in time to be back in Santa Fe by 5:15, alas. I would love to see it, myself, actually, but hate to drive down by myself. I would like to learn about the glass artist.
Oooh, next step Cannes!

Oh, fabuloso! Tell Mr. Roybrrrrd we're all terribly impressed!

roybird, Yes, convey my congratulations to your dh.

I have been out of town for a couple of days, an enjoyable bus tour over Stevens Pass to the coast to a nice casino. Color is beginning to show on the hillsides now and the weather was perfect. I must leave in a few minutes to go 30 miles to pickup my little dog. A busy day, Pick up dog, go to balance & strenghtening class, 1 hr. Next host at Senior Center, Lunch there as well. Pinochle for a couple of hours than back to Omak( the 30 mile trip), for 2nd of 10 massages, that my daughter gave me for June birthday. And finally home to visit with my little dog!!!

Donna

Donna, you are so busy! Ten massages for your birthday! What a thoughtful daughter you have -- but I believe I have made that observation before. Once again she proves herself to be a gem.
With all you have going on, I am amazed you have time to garden!

Thanks from D.H. Sometimes I'm surprised anyone has time to garden! Donna, I hope you took some fall photos on your bus tour.

That's really exciting Roybird, my congratulations to Kevin!

Dahlia, if you wore your big hat to the movies you'd have to sit in the back row ya know :o).

^_^

Thanks Paj.

No roybird, didn't take any pictures. Didn't take my camera, knew the bus wouldn't stop anywhere to see photo possibilities, and windows not very clean.

Now am still very busy irrigating as our weather is about 10 or 15 degrees warmer than normal. So maybe some of my green tomatoes will still get ripe. I ordered a few bulbs and expect them to arrive in a couple of weeks and I hope to get some of the large clumps of daffodils and narc. dug and divided.

Donna

I really wish I could see Kevin's film! Sounds interesting, and so exciting a development for him too.

Donna, your daughter is indeed a gem. Wow. Ten massages!

Hi everyone my dears! Just a note dropping in here to say, I have been having mondo monster computer issues and have not been able to access doodly squat, but am able at this moment to just post a little note to say I will be back soon as I get tech issues handled, send me Tech Help Prayers if you will!

love you all bunches!
Kyla

Hope you're back and all is well soon, Kyla!

I will pray for the well being of your computer -- and you, Kyla -- and for your speedy return to the forum.

Hope your puter is better soon Kyla.

Glad you managed to drop in, Kyla. I was thinking about you, wondering what was up. Glad it is just computer problems and we'll be hearing from you soon. Mulch, you would probably enjoy that video. Maybe we can send you a dvd while you are recovering from your dental surgery. I think you would like it because it is really an instructive art making video about glass. It moves rather slowly. I realized it would be a great video for an art class. Elodie Holmes, the glass artist, does in fact teach classes in glass blowing and she is very informative. But, I think to really enjoy the video one would need to have an interest in how art glass is made. One of the people who liked it best happens to be our 9 year old friend! He has a lot of interest in how everything works and how to make things.

I confess that today I dug a big hole

This is to plant many bulbous things. It used to be under the old wooden deck which was replaced by the patio. What do to with all the clayey soil that came out? Cap the compost which I just filled this morning. Water, water, watering and now the giant heebiejeebie worms will do their magic.

Looks like you will have lots of bulbs next spring! I have many to plant, but have to go to the Iris Society meeting in Santa Fe tomorrow. Would rather garden, but I get a new iris introduction if I go. Besides I am the secretary. Can't very well fail to show up except in emergencies.
Today I began to remove the gravel near my mail box so I can plant some spuria iris. Whoever landscaped my yard put about 6 inches of gravel in the hell strip. I will be busy making a hole no where near as big as yours, Dahlia. I am getting quite a pile of gravel now. I guess I am going to have to offer it to someone. No way I can use this much gravel and I have not yet begun to de-gravel this place. Right now it is all in a giant pile in the vacant lot.
My magenta colored delosperma is blooming nicely right now and some of my autumn crocus is blooming -- but I fear I disturbed the big "Waterlily" Autumn Crocuses that I had in the front for the past few years. They aren't blooming this year. Maybe they don't last forever. So much to do before winter and now I am planning a trip to Louisiana and Mississippi in October. I am bad.

I hope to see the glass blowing DVD if you make one, roybird. I think I would find it interesting, though I have no personal interest in glass blowing. I have watched it with interest thought on numerous occasions.

paj, sounds like you are very busy. Bet you enjoyed the Iris Soc. meeting. It has been years since I have been able to attend any of the several garden societies that I belong to , meetings. Used to go to one or two every year, but traveling was easier. I live so far out in the boonies that there is no one else to travel with to those kinds of meeting.

Hope you didn't work too have removing the excess gravel at your mailbox. My mailbox is out of sight and about 1/4 mile away, No water available so nothing planted there.

My delopsperma is finished, but the Waterlily Autumn Crocus are looking good. Good luck and fun on your your planned future travels.

Donna

Oh, Donna, in the middle of the night my shoulders hurt horribly from the gravel removal and I began to wonder how I would accomplish this very major project. Then I had a couple ibuprofen and went to sleep. I have carpal tunnel syndrome -- now confirmed by the neurologist and will have to have surgery on one wrist this winter. But the doc says I don't have to give up gardening except for 6 weeks in the middle of the winter. Well that won't be a problem then.
I have had fun at the iris society meetings and especially shows and sales and conventions, but after the new iris I receive today, I think I will have to start setting serious limits on my purchasing -- and improve my infrastructure such as the drip system and all -- to accomodate the ones I already have.

Lots of digging going on! I hope to get some bulbs later this week. I like tulips best. All bulbs are lovely but tulips are just my fav's. We've been very busy with social stuff this weekend. Then we got a call that Kevin's niece is in the hospital in Minnesota so that is upsetting. She has a form of Lou Gehrig's disease and has been very ill for several years, though it sounds like she may be getting worse. Meanwhile we are wondering if we ought to go ahead with our plans for our trip next weekend. I guess we might as well and we could cancel at the last minute if necessary.

Were you planning another camping trip roybird?

Paj, Hope you don't try to do too much and creat more pain for yourself. Good luck with your carpal tunnel problem and surgery. I should have dug and replanted several of my iris but I am pretty slow when it comes to digging, so didn't get it done, too late here for that. Our temps are supposed to drop seriously by the end of the week. And we are supposed to get some needed rain.

I do hope Kevin's niece does not get worse so that you have to cancel your plans.

Here is a picture of a very tall growing clump of grass. Can't remember the name, seems like it is Savanah, It grows to 10 feet at least.

Donna

Rutholive, I think that's Ravenna grass.

lisabees, Thanks, You are exactly right. It is a good grass plant if one has lots of room, just large, doesn't spread too much.

Donna

Heading out this weekend for the annual Tai Chi boot camp event. That is if our niece doesn't get worse. Sadly, that may indeed be the case and if so then Kevin will want to be with his sister and I will need to hold down the fort here with the elderly parents who really can't take traveling any more. In some ways it is best that our niece be in the hospital, though, right now, as she is able to get better nutrition than she would at home. I don't mean to sound as if the camping trip is more important than supporting our family. However, the last thing they need right now is an influx of helpful, concerned family members all arriving at the airport with lots of baggage. Literally and metaphorically. It is a hard call to know what to do so we're going ahead with what we were already doing and knowing that things could change in any moment. Which is life as usual, when you think about it! Some good news is our assessment went very well and all the bank/roof etc. stuff seems to going very smoothly!

Wishing you and your family and your niece well, Roybird. You are right, too much "help" isn't always helpful. I'm glad things are going well with the bank/roof thing... I'm thinking you probably really need your Tai Chi right now!

sorry to hear about you neice roybird.

Yes, Lou Gehrig's disease is a bummer. So sorry your niece and the family have to go through this. Hope you enjoy your Tai Chi boot camp. Will it be outdoors?

Yes, it's a prettty scary autoimmune/neurological disease. The number of sufferers is growing by leaps and bounds, and if we can ever manage to claim our right not to be poisoned with neurotoxins, it will be an enormous step forward.