Crank It Up!

I hate to double-post in one day, but this is something I've been meaning to put out there for awhile. On our cross-country trip, the biped acquired a beautiful and VERY old portable Victrola. It's quite a stunner.



He bought it because in the late fall, he found a book of old 78's at the Methodist Church Thrift Shop. So here's a video of our favorite song playing on the Victrola! The singer is Una Mae Carlisle--we had never heard of her, but now we are instant fans!

The Plagues of Egypt

Was rain one of the plagues? What were they? Rivers turn to blood. Locusts. What else? The slaughter of the innocents. Was throwup one? Because we've had rain for what seems like a year and I just threw up.

Fortunately, the biped is here to clean up after me. He takes care of the inside of the house. I take care of the outside. And what have I been doing since I last posted, you ask? Well, why don't I show you.



I gave biped a list and we went to the Agway in Orleans and bought plants like we were fools. It's Phase II of Operation Chihuahua Garden. First, we've been nursing some grass seed that has begun to grow like...well, like weeds for the past week or so. With the grassy beachhead established, we are moving onto bedding.

So far we've planted some catmint...


astilbe and various shades of salvia and english lavender...


and a beautiful rose 'Bonica' bush...


We're keeping the daylilies and seeing how they do. We have big plans for plantings of azaleas, foxglove, hollyhocks, bleeding hearts, columbine and Dog knows what else. Oh, and we've got some Siberian irises and some bee balm.

Here's a patch of secret irises that JUST bloomed. They're back in the Covert Action Garden.



And here are some photos from the inside...the biped-mother is going to create some drapes so that we can finally have a little privacy in here! Here are the windows that are in desperate need of cover.




Thanks, biped-mother!

And can you see this little guy?


It's a baby sparrow. One of a pair that go hopping around the garden, tweet-tweeting after their parents who have been teaching them to eat and fly. They come right up to us, no fear. The biped and I are just part of the background for them. And we're having fun watching them grow.

Fair Weather Friends

The biped is getting a little carried away with the decorating. He keeps snapping photos and insisting that I post them, which I am loathe to do. But here they are anyway. I do like the rug.




He went out on the harbor in a kayak today with his giant friend. The pictures he brought back are beautiful.



Rocks and clam shells.


Lighthouse.


Big boy.


Beach roses in bloom.



I stayed home and tended to the garden. Somebody's got to do some work around here!!




Check out this little movie of some lunatic in an ultralight buzzing boats on the bay. Say that twenty times fast.

When Iris Eyes Are Smiling

Have I mentioned how much I love our new place? It's carpeted. EVERYWHERE. I can go up and down the stairs at will. And that makes me very, very happy.



Today started out cold and rainy (which has become something of a routine) and then the sky opened up and it was beautiful.

The biped and I went on an iris hunt today. We started in our own garden where the first iris bloomed late yesterday. She's small and sweet and classic iris.



Then around front we found these bearded beauties. They're so gorgeous and white and fancy. It's like a hat from My Fair Lady!



Down at the Red Inn, the irises are in full bloom.



We especially love the smaller, purpler ones, Russian or Japanese irises, Randy told us.


And speaking of Randy, he has some beautiful pink irises in front of his house. Sable came over to say hi, too.




Then Randy directed us down to the Turn where a house had this most spectacular display of irises.




And I can't skip this yellow wisteria. It's not an iris, but it is truly gorgeous. It's just a few houses down from us.

They call it June, June, June

June is busting out all over.

Well, not really. The weather is still mostly gray, cold and rainy here at the very tip-end of Cape Cod.

The biped and I have recently moved to what is truly the very tip end of the Cape. We have a two-digit address near the beginning of Commercial Street. From our window, we can look into Provincetown Harbor at where they Mayflower dropped anchor in 1620. It's a beautiful new space with a beautiful little garden and we are both thrilled to be here. These are from when the biped was still getting things set up. I was trying out the couch.



This is just after the flokati arrived (thanks Kay for the great suggestion--it's FABULOUS!)



This time of year, though, when the sun is out, you see everyone out on the street. Here I am with some friends I ran into in front of the boatslip!


And sunset is becoming a major event. I went with the biped to Herring Cove the other night. We met Tiny there with his mega-huge camper. He drove from Chicago in it. The sunset was nice, too.