Winter dreams...

 After finishing my blog last week, Kelly, Ella, and I went for our evening stroll.  We have some nice peaceful roads by our cabin.  About 60 yards in front of us we saw something in the road.  

It took a moment for us to realize it was a yearling mountain lion.  I think it was chasing a frog.  When it caught sight of us, it retreated into the woods. No it is not in the picture above.  That is just a picture of the road.

I wish I had a picture, as the colors were so vibrant.  The grass was emerald green and the lion was such a beautiful brown.  Of course we cut our stroll short, but I am thankful to have that image in my mind.

We have had a plethora of rain.  My gardens are gangly and flourishing.  I keep having to tie my plants up.

Doesn't the rainwater on this iris look rich.  It is aptly named Before the Storm.

These irises are called Illuminati.

We haven't seen any fawns yet, but it is just a matter of time, as we have lots of does around.

Everything is green and lush.  

Last year I tried potatoes in a raised cage, but frost got them.  This year they are doing great and I already have the chives in top.

The garden and greenhouse are flourishing.  Despite a few hailstorms, there hasn't been any severe damage.

Thankfully, my husband helped me solidify my garden fence.  Quite a few of the wheels were just balanced on.  We took the weekend and drilled hole then bolted them together.  

I could never have done it without him, as some of those wheels had very thick walls.

I feel better knowing they aren't going to fall if someone leans on them.

The peonies are in full bloom and probably the fullest I've ever seen them.  I have one on each side of the steps and they smell so good.

My evening primrose is also blooming.  They remind me of the gumbo lilies we had on the prairie.

The yellow rose is also in full splendor.  It has held tough despite lots of wind and rain.

That is the extent of my week.  I hope you are enjoying your gardens after a long winter of dreaming about them.

Wonders never cease...

Last Sunday, my husband and I were sitting in the living room.  It was well past dark, when he thought he saw something moving on the bird feeder.  I turned on the outside light and lo and behold there was my flying squirrel.  I have tried to get a picture all week to no avail.  Luckily, my husband knowing how badly I wanted to share the news with my blogging friends set up his game camera.

The pictures aren't the greatest, but don't give up hope.  I'll get a good picture of him sooner or later.

He has been a regular every night.  It is pretty exciting to have such a special guest.
Speaking of special guests, we saw this handsome fella in Deadwood.  He must have been looking to spend a little money gambling.

Then the icing on the cake was a visit from this lady.  

She hasn't been around much and doesn't stay long.  I think she may have a nest not far from our bedroom window.  I certainly love where we live.  

I wanted to share a gift I received from one of my students on Friday.

A rock you say.  Not just any rock.  My student is interning at the Sanford science lab, which is located in the old Homesteak mining shafts.  This rock is a quartz from the bottom of the mine.  He got it for me because I have lived here for thirty years and never had a chance to go in the mine.  The best part, he took it out of his backpack and as he handed it to me he said it had never seen light until the moment he gave it to me.  Yes, I cried.  Do I have amazing kids or what?

On the flower front my irises are starting to bloom.

I can't help myself with the close-ups.  I am fascinated by the colors, depth, and intricacies of the iris.
I enjoyed some time on the deck yesterday.  The view was perfect. No, I didn't see the squirrel.

That is all I have.  This has been a perfect weekend.  I am a lucky woman.

What is the strangest animal you have seen?  What is one of the most unique presents you have ever received?

A stroll through the garden...

It was a pretty lazy weekend.  It rained 1.33 inches on Saturday.  Sunday my husband and I spent the morning cleaning pine pollen off of everything.  Now that it has rained we are hopefully done with the yellow haze until next June.

I sprayed the outside of the cabin down with the hose and then wiped everything down with a towel.  I may or may not have been distracted by the butterflies.

Another Sutton Iris bloomed.  This one is aptly named Red Hot Chili.

My wild honeysuckle is starting to bloom. The scent is indescribable.

The wild roses are also putting on a show.  The bees, butterflies, and bugs enjoy them immensely.

It took all day to get these pictures.  Butterflies are actually quite tricky and difficult to photograph.  They don't stay anywhere very long.

It is difficult to see, but I went a little overboard with the carrots.  

I went for a stroll this evening and came across this little pod of baby spiders.  That is a lot of spiders.

My husband made me this potting bench the first year we were in the cabin.  It is tough as nails and I use it for everything.  It has been in the barn for the winter, but we pulled it out today.

I took a few photos from different angles around the cabin.  This is the walkway from the garage to the cabin

This is the new addition, a larger deck that connects to the porch.  I can't believe it took us so long to add on.  It has made a huge difference in our utilization of our outdoor space.

That is all I have for the week.  I hope you are enjoying the summer.  

Rest and relax...

 I tried very hard to just rest and relax this weekend since all of my obligations were done.

I did pick some more dandelions for wine.  This has been a banner year and I think I will have the most dandelion wine I've ever made.

We had a terrible hailstorm at work.  Luckily, it didn't hit home.  I found it funny as I drove home in the hail all of the tourist were pulled off under trees and South Dakota vehicles were driving along.  I guess we are used to it.  It was only marble sized.

Ella is having a difficult time understanding that the asparagus is finished.  She sits longingly by the patch hoping for a spear.

My sister gave me a gift certificate for irises.  This is the first year they have bloomed.  Cute little buggers.

I love our cabin in the woods.  The porch is the most relaxing place on earth.

Here are a few more of the miniature iris.  I got them from Sutton Iris and highly recommend the company as they are great stock.

I picked exactly 15 pounds of rhubarb for a big batch of wine.  How I managed to pick exactly what I needed was interesting.

We have had a regular turkey parade around here.  This morning 7 hens and three toms went running by.  I thought it was a turkey race.  This evening the same group is strolling by at a more leisurely pace.  There is nothing more ridiculous than a turkey on the run.

Of course for me baking is relaxing, so I made a batch of Toll House chocolate chip cookies.  Yummy.

In case you weren't aware, I am notoriously cheap.  I like to take yogurt, berries, and granola for my lunch at work.  The price of granola is ridiculous.  I decided to make my own.  Then I substituted maple syrup with my peach syrup.  Can you say awesome?

In case you are interested here is the site with the recipe:  https://biancazapatka.com/en/chocolate-granola/

The bumblebees sure love the allium.  I'm a little bummed as I planted about 10 allium bulbs and only 3 have bloomed.  Do you have any advice?

That is it.  A nice quiet relaxing weekend.  How has your summer been?