Chez StanMinn Communiqués: Sweet Summer Solstice

1st layabout pre-mow

The weather around the area has been a little too nice a little too soon this year, which leaves us on tenterhooks.
Fickle conditions can turn ugly; low water tables due to less winter snow pack affects flora and fauna- I especially fret over salmon runs.
However, forest fires are a huge concern, as well.
But we've taken advantage of the user-friendly days to get the place in shape for our annual shindig.
CAM "experimented" with letting the yard go (I call it too lazy to mow) and surprised us both by growing quite a pasture leaving lots of hay behind when finally cut down.
That's been placed around the chicken coop, front flower beds, and kitchen garden to keep weeds out and moisture in.
It always tickles me to discover these simple tricks: letting something be completely natural and then reap benefits from it at no cost.
The paths he'd made for us earlier in the season have oddly remained green and look like a huge peace sign in the otherwise brown and dry yard.
For some reason, the changes on the property seem even more dramatic.
Looking out to Bramble Island, one can hardly see past the wall of lady ferns and stinging nettles.
(Curse those damn briars, though, no matter how hard I try to eradicate them they continue to foil me just as I think I've won the war. Surely, were we not to bother trying to pull them out and cut them back, they'd take over swiftly, creating the impassible morass we found upon arriving.)
He's on the back deck as I type marveling over the many species that have joined us to share in the calm beauty we've created.
Short list: Hummers, Ring Necked Kingfishers, Crows doing battle with both Stellar Jays and Band-tailed pigeons, Bumble & Honey bees, Butterflies, Dragonflies, Turdus migratorius...
Buttercups have taken over and that's fine with me; a few other yellow flowers of mystery (but not as many dandelions so I wasn't able to feast on the young greens), small, delicate daisies about to be replaced by the larger, poopy smelling ones (pollinated by flies, yuck), foxglove, elderberry...
And those are just the plants popping up with no help from us.
The ones we've intentionally put into the ground are doing well.
CAM received a starter greenhouse for his birthday and sowed many seeds within; lots were gifted by our generous and prolific green-thumbed friend, Tina, and others were purchased.
Most have now been transplanted to the ever evolving patch out back that used to house the hen pen.
It's been re-tilled and supplemented with rich compost of our own making!
Again with the sense of pride over such simple endeavors.
We made dirt- it thrills me.
Below are some pix of the place the way it looks.
Always in flux- hopefully always improving.

PS> Happy Father's Day to mine, RGS. I'm so glad we were able to spend some quality time together this spring.
This was taken at The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution/1903 Wright Flyer March 2015

Earlier this spring


And now before Global Warming turns it all to dust (most of these are volunteers and Imma just gonna let 'em be.)

We also spent an awful lot of time in the creek a few week-ends ago cutting back branches, blow-down and debris to make it more safe and fun for the kids in July.
Sorry there weren't any 'before' pix to show the improvement.