A Loss: Our Chaiyka, and Introducing Lily

Our Beautiful Chaiyka left us last October 13, 2019.
He had been diabetic for 2 years, and also had developed 
a bad skin condition, with which he became obsessed (chewing).
Here he is in his prime, shortly after he came to us one early
summer day, showing off that gorgeous long tail.

During this time, late summer, a shadow began to flit by in the garden on a regular basis, and more and more frequent as the days wore on into fall. And you probably can guess the rest already.

Here she is - Lily - showing off the new garden trug that just arrived in the mail. So cute, and we need all the entertainment we can get in these strange and difficult times. I am off work until May 1, so they say, and have been off since March 23.

PS - you may notice there are two contributors to the blog now, Anya and Anya 😉 Well, back when I knew less than I do now about all this, I had another blog with another email address. I don't use it anymore, but it meant I had to sign out of Google and do other sign-ins (all very annoying), to get to this, my main blog. (Not to mention the Google photos business, having to download from G-photos to then upload here - THAT is majorly annoying). This partly caused my absence - just too bothersome. Anyway, finally found a fix today: I invited myself to be a contributor from the other blog - and voila - no more signing in and out nonsense. There was probably another way, but I was afraid to lose all this content. 😁

It's Been a Long Time - a Quick 5-month Recap

Muscari in a pot, left forgotten on the ground last fall,
was a lovely surprise out in the spring garden where almost nothing is growing yet, let alone blooming.
Spring was late this year - very late, 
and all manner of things were delayed. 

A double-decker for our girl Elvie.
But don't let that innocent face fool you!
She is craving to get outside at last.

These lovely Muscari, spent the basement as bare bulbs (in the fridge in a paper bag), and were potted up only 4 weeks ago previous to this photo. So pretty. 

Viburnum Snowball produced the biggest ever puffs this year - just gorgeous! I have read they can grow up to 15 feet high and wide! Wow, now that would be sight!

Extra early daylily Middendorfii,
every year with more scapes - this year a record 20!
A much needed splash of colour.

Arborvitae Anna's Magic Ball - how could I resist?

Gift to myself this year - a nice and high wooden planter, serving a catch all for now, but I have plans!! :)

The Snowballs in the early morning light - awesome!

These beauties just refused to bloom for Christmas!
That's OK - as long as they eventually do

The always exquisite,
always different Gervase.
A stunner!

I Think this one is Double Dragon (some tags got lost this year)

.

Flirtatious and festive Samba.

Two scapes blooming at the same time,
as Gervase dances in the sun.
Summer at last!

Christmas Lingers

A much down-sized tree this year,
due to naughty kitty behaviour last year,
and pain issues on my part
(part of the Christmas Blues).
But most said it was pretty nevertheless.

No room at the inn!
Not for humans anyway.
Sleeping in heavenly peace here:
Chaiyka, Tristan, Ginja (and pal), and Zena.

Ginja pondering or plotting?
He was naughty with the tree last year,
and this year's edition
is rather underwhelming
in his view,
not to mention, out of reach (yes!)
Or is he thinking:
"Meh, call that a tree?
Not worth the effort"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

October 22, 2003 - 15 Years ago

This poem found me shortly after I learned of my brother's passing - 15 years ago today:

by Stephen Spender

In railway halls, on pavements near the traffic,
They beg, their eyes made big by empty staring
And only measuring Time, like the blank clock.

No, I shall weave no tracery of pen-ornament
To make them birds upon my singing tree:
Time merely drives these lives which do not live
As tides push rotten stuff along the shore.

- There is no consolation, no, none
In the curving beauty of that line
Traces on our graphs through history, where the oppressor
Starves and deprives the poor.

Paint here no draped despairs, no saddening clouds
Where the soul rests, proclaims eternity.
But let the wrong cry out as raw as wounds
This Time forgets and never heals, far less transcends.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

No, there is no consolation - nor will ever be.

South Stack, Wales

Ginja in the Sun

The Summer Thus Far - Hot!!

Hmm - seems to me there was an April post here, but it is gone. Very strange.

Muscari.
 I ran out of time to plant them in the fall,
but I was able to force with great success.
Will try again this year.

The earliest of my daylilies - Middendorfii - blooming at the beginning of June, lasting until the 3rd week.

My fearless towering Acacias,
in full bloom here in mid June,
my house is the barely visible one at the end near the pine tree.

Physical problems have forced me to slow down,
and find aids like this one.
Ginja found it quite comfortable!
I bought a second one :)

Perfect size too :)

I am accustomed to my purple Clematis, below, but this year,
like a miracle, a white one bloomed, just one single flower.
How is that possible, and a double (triple?) no less.
It was the only single clematis at the time - the purples had not even begun.

Smuggler's Gold - a solid beauty- a bit more yellow in real life.

Flowering Maple (Abutilon),
Winters in the basement, this past year was so neglected,
Cat Wrangler was sure it was dead and wanted to throw it out.
Truly, there were no signs of life.
After a month outside, tiny leaves appeared,
then later, came into bloom.

Jamaican Me Crazy

Outrageous - it sure is!!

Claudine

South Seas - after today's rain

And when it's so hot as it has been lately,
what else can one do, than lie belly up, and try to catch a breeze.
Alas, we do all all look this cute in the attempt

Ghost of me and Christmas - Past

Every year I have gloomy thoughts as I put Christmas stuff away,

and this year a little bit more so.

Having received a 35 year service award pin at work,

I am feeling mighty old - and tired.

Pain of osteoarthritis is causing much struggles to just get to the bus stop,

just to get out of my chair, etc. etc. 

Something in the word degenerative that is really really depressing. 

Like, how can you have any hope with that word hanging around.

To make matters worse, all my life I've been pretty much avoiding talking pills for aches and pains, only now to start taking them out of desperation, and realizing with utter astonishment and dismay, 

that I have no pain relief - none. 

Medicinal MJ?

My last hope, I guess.

And I hope soon.

Oh little tree in library,

How sweet you are each year!

(to the tune of O Little Town of Bethlehem)

Where?

Even Santa looks down in the dumps :(

My little tree got a new topper this year,

instead of the broken one, 

mended with paper clips for a couple of years (shocking!), 

and which I took home last year,

with every intention to glue it together.

But - A whole year passed...

Can someone say Amazon!! :)

I tell you, when it's as cold as it's been lately here in Quebec,

online shopping is just the ticket!

And if you stick to it, 

every day is Christmas when you get home and check the mail!

(Um, oops, just forgot my NY resolution).

In closing I share this neat image.

Cool make-over app at Facebook,

transforms photos into artsy creations,

like this old favourite - a frosty me,

taken at a frosty bus stop,

on a very frosty morning.

Happy New Year!

(Just don't wish me good health or any such malarkey, thanks, 

it's not in the cards for me!)

August Already

Ginja poses with Carnations in honour of my sister's birthday,
tomorrow actually, but birthdays here are a weekend event!

Same flowers with a filter I just discovered.
Cool eh?