Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover

Tag Archives: Yakima Valley


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Thwarting the Invaders (Garden Tails)

Just look at all of that corn, beans, and radishes!

Oh. Wait. You can’t see anything but a few stems and missing row of radishes. That’s because we have invaders. Of the rabbit-y sort. The ones who LOVE almost everything in my garden: corn, radishes, green beans, parsley, kale (they really adore kale), and another leafy green similar to chard. All gone.

Plus. Holes. They love excavating as well. I think they can smell the new corn kernel seeds I planted, because several holes line up exactly where I replanted (and replanted).

Ignore the weeds. I gave up in frustration.

We have bunnies (formerly known as pets). People have dumped them. So now between the neighbors and us, we have a colony. A fluffle. We are happy that most of them live beneath the neighbor’s outbuildings (while 4 live at Taylor and Jamie’s as actual pets). But the green pasture is alluring. And the used-to-be growing garden a delight.

Two black bunnies edge nearer to the the pot of gold at the end of the garden rainbow. Grrrrr.

So today. Take that. And that. And THAT!

We installed a bunny barrier. It’s not tall, but we only need to deter Peter Rabbit, Cottontail, Flopsy, Mopsy, Benjamin, and their buds from free ranging the garden beds. We hope.

The question is, besides onions, garlic, basil, several chocolate cherry sunflowers, a few green beans, and a marigold or two, what is there time to replant (time number 4 for some items) that will mature before the frost?

Sigh. It was looking so good! Grumble grumble. Back to the drawing board.


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Haiku Moment: distraction

mom feathers afluff

dad’s piercing cry, distracting

leads astray, away

distraction by Angie Quantrell

photos by Angie Quantrell, a pasture somewhere in the Yakima Valley

This scene took place yesterday after 2 killdeer parents escorted their 3 remaining offspring (they usually lay 4 eggs at a time) right to the RV. I heard loud piercing cries, looked out the side window and there they were, tiny stick-legged babies. Perfectly placed for capture by our magnificent hunter cat, Monet. EEK. Good thing for them, Monet was inside napping. Also, good thing for them, I went racing out to try and shoo them away.

Which was not as easy as one would expect! What with the babies racing in opposite directions (from me and each other) and the parents doing the same, attempting to distract me from the babies. 30 minutes. It took that long to figure out how to get them all close to the horse pasture next to us and hopefully far enough from monster cat to survive.

But along the way, such cuteness and fierce protection from the parents! One parent actually took a dive at me, though my best intentions were to save them. The giant person was threatening.

#lifeinthepasture

It’s a bit blurry (they move fast), but can you spot 3 babies?


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Haiku Moment: in pink

had my colors done

i’m a spring, bring on flowers;

lookin’ good in pink

in pink by Angie Quantrell

photo by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley


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Haiku Moment: snow hats

spring began, stuttered

winter rushed back, hanging on

dumped a cold white gift

my hat! it’s heavy

my neck bends low, ground view

where did the sun go?

we wait, hope for warmth

wrap our coat-leaves tight, shiver

dreaming of sunbeams

snow hats by Angie Quantrell

photos by Angie Quantrell, Yakima Valley


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Tic-Tac-Toe in the Garden

Tic-tac-toe in the garden! The wood chunk topped by an unfinished wood circle is complete and ready for play. The battle is on!

I came home one day to see that my honey had added a table top to the gorgeous log I’ve been hoarding. Yes, cool wood logs are hoard-worthy. 🙂 Thanks to some good friends who shared their haul, I’ve been hanging on to several for just the right project (besides being used as extra seats).

I showed my honey the size and placement of the tic-tac-toe board I was imagining, and off he went to wood burn the game board. Once the top was burned in, play immediately commenced, though the rocks wear not yet ready. My creative grands figured out a plan though, smooth stones versus pointy stones (river rocks and gravel). Perfect!

But Nana just had to have painted river rocks for playing pieces…

A pleasant side benefit is that the tic-tac-toe table also works as a garden table, just right for reading books and eating snacks.

I used mineral oil on top of the unfinished wood, to add just a bit of weather protection. I’m still not sure if I will add more, perhaps wood wax. But I love the mix of bark and unstained wood.

And surprise, as I was oiling the wood, I discovered a praying mantis egg mass on the bark! This table is all around good for the garden!

Ready for the next garden project. Any ideas? What’s in your garden?


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Sunday Inspiration

Photo by Angie Quantrell

Yakima Valley