Cool Water, Cool Weather, and Garden Zucchini

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Cool, foggy days are the norm during summers on the far north coast of California.  Sometimes it's so foggy and the air is so wet, the forecasters call it drizzle.  Locals call it spitting.

I wish I could send some of our weather to my friends, family, and blogging friends who are dealing with record heat and drought this summer.  And maybe get just a bit of sun in return.  The zucchini would like that.

The best I can do is invite you to visit coastal Humboldt County to experience for yourselves what life is like in California's refrigerator; where the majestic redwoods meet the Pacific Ocean and outdoor fun includes camping, biking, hiking, fishing, surfing, boogie boarding, skateboarding, and beach walking.  All in coastal-cool summer temps.  Can you say "today's high, 62-degrees" in mid-July?  In the northern hemisphere?

And if you bring a bit of sun with you, you just might get zucchini for dinner, chez nous.

 A sunny and warm late spring had the zucchini growing like zucchini should: from itty bitty fruits to kitchen-size overnight.  Now that summer has settled in it's growing at a more sedate pace.  This is definitely not the Sacramento Valley!

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Shadow Shot Sunday 2: Cocktails anyone?

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I am often highly amused by shadows.

This one especially.

More shadow shots await your perusal here.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

First Artichoke

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Oh my, what a delightful surprise!

The small artichoke start was planted a mere month ago; this wasn't expected until sometime next year.

And three days after taking this photo there's another tiny thistle forming.

Oh my!

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Calla Lily Redux

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The exquisiteness of a Calla Lily, from its tightly closed bud to the spiral unfurling of the flower,

revealing itself in sensuous slowness to its full, pristine white majesty, never fails to captivate me.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Ruby Tuesday 2: Ruby Daylily

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The first daylily to bloom in my spring garden,

I caught this one glowing very ruby-like in the late evening sunlight.

Followers of Ruby Tuesday 2 will want to head on over to see this week's delightfully creative ruby photos.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

"Hootie"

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Owlbert, doing his very best to keep the pesky quail from decimating the vegetable garden, needed help.  

Afterowl, how many quail can one silent owl scare off?

Enter Hootie, whoooo even without his compliment of Blowfish, scares the feathers off of the resident quail with his haunting, sudden and rather loud hooting accompanied by the turning of his head, which, I found out, can turn totally backwards, and that's a bit disconcerting to see.  

A daunting sentinel indeed, Hootie is so fierce that he startled a flock of mourning doves

that were just settling into the chicken yard for their morning snack of grain.

That was quite a sight:  doves flying in all directions cooing WTF???

Now maybe I can harvest lettuce, kale and chard that don't look like they've been peppered with buckshot,

and the chickens won't have to share their breakfast. 

Update, July 12, 2012:  The band-tail pigeons have arrived, as they do each summer and, sadly, they are not fooled by plastic owls.  This is quite a bummer.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Shadow Shot Sunday 2: Shadows on White

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Walking from one room of art to another, I turned a corner and started down the corridor

when the shadows cast symmetrically on both walls arrested my attention.

If it's unintentional, is it art?

Of course I had to take photos.

Our lovely Tracy from the land down under, and originator of Shadow Shot Sunday,

is guest-hosting Shadow Shot Sunday 2 this week.

Head on over and say G'Day!

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Sugar Snap Peas

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Sugar Snap Peas

Pea Blossom

Our cool weather vegetable garden, guarded by Owlbert and his new friend Hootie (sans the blowfish) - pic coming - is producing madly and becoming hard to keep up with.  Meanwhile, summer produce is coming into our local co-op. For two people who were raised in the summer-hot Sacramento Valley where tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc. abound, deciding to eat from the garden or to buy summer squash for the grill is a constant conundrum.  We do both, trying to put the emphasis on our garden produce.   With beautiful peas like this one, some decisions are a snap.  (Yeah, I know...)

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Owlbert

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Allow me to introduce you to Owlbert (whooo? ...  you heard me), whose recent presence in my vegetable garden has effectively, and surprisingly, kept the marauding quail at bay.

He doesn't speak, nor does he move his head, but sits there quietly with, I'm guessing, a menacing enough stare with those big yellow eyes, to put the fear of Predator into the tiny hearts of those destructive quail.

I'm happy.  The quail?  Maybe not so much.  Although they do have full run of the rest of the property.  Just not this small piece.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

It's Mother's Day - Celebrate the Mothers in Your Life

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To my sisters, daughters-in-law, good friends and all the mothers and future mothers who have touched my life,

especially my own -

Happy Mother's Day.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.