Yesterday I Pulled A Weed

...it was one of those annoying little seed spitters that I need to garden into oblivion before they are all over my yard.  But, oh -- that nice garden soil smelled sooo good.  I think I'm ready to garden.

Today I went out to check the flowers that are just starting to think about blooming here in western Oregon. Things seem to bloom here in alphabetical order (give-or-take-a-letter-of-the-alphabet). Fragrant daphne blooms first just outside my front door. I'll need to wait patiently for this one for a couple of weeks.

Next come the camellias -- almost ready:

And you don't think there is anything quite so beautiful.
But next open the azaleas, and then the rhododendrons. They are magnificent, and in some places here in Oregon they look like trees in flower.
    But after these come the roses -- just now ready to mulch and prune and garden, but they will be in full bloom in a couple of months. And there is absolutely nothing as spectacular as roses in full bloom.

I guess I can wait. Lots of other little flowers are starting --this yellow primrose has been blooming in the same spot for over 25 years:

But I accidentally planted some Marsh Marigolds next to it a few years ago, and they are spreading everywhere.

Well, I'll wait until they are all done blooming. They will be a huge mass of yellow flowers whenever I look out into my back yard....only just now starting:

And when they are done, I'll yank out all of the greenery. It will come back next spring, so I'm not being mean to my flowers or anything.

While I'm in a flowery frame of mind, I want to talk about hellebores.  I don't understand hellebores. They are SO bashful.

The flowers all hang DOWN, never reaching their smiling faces to the world.
"Bashful" is a good word to describe them, but they are really lovely:

But if a person REALLY wants to admire them, you need to take your camera and point it right into their faces from below:

Yes, this is the same hellebore, lightened and brightened with the help of my computer.
     I guess you can tell I'm ready to garden.

Speaking of "lightening and brightening," I need to write about the squirrels in our yard. I've been taking pity on them because most of our bird feeders are squirrel-proof, meaning the squirrel takes a flying leap, lands, and then slides right off. So I bought peanuts and put them out for the squirrels.
     Of course, as soon as I opened the back door, the squirrels ran away. I put the peanuts out anyway.
    And guess who came?

Blue Jay!  Well, I think they are pretty, but they can go through a tray of peanuts really fast.
     Here's a picture of a finch having a bird-bath and one of our squirrels. Our yard is kind of weedy, and I have a good reason -- if I leave the "old" flower stalks up, the birdies can come and munch on flower seeds.

Finally, here is a picture of my Norwegian Forest Cat, Cuthbert. He likes to sleep under the desk light and just under my "petting" arm.

However, when my camera wakes him up with the flash accidentally going off, he does tend to give me the ole Evil Eye. 

But he's a good kitty, one of two that hang out at our house.

Well, I've spent enough time at the computer. I think I'll go and finish stitching the little Hummy Art Quilt.