Tag: gardening

Hummm… June 2021

The Cedar Journal June 25, 2021

I will start with a random act of kindness. Yes, I believe those people still exist in this crazy world.

Someone in Hillegom placed this ice cream on my bike.

Thank you universe for this wonderful random act of kindness. I asked people who were close to my bike if they had seen who had placed it there. Nope. Hummm… an ice cream angel. We all could use a few of those.

This hummm… happened in my back garden a few days ago. Butterfly love.

Hummm… Butterflies and dragonflies landing on me is nothing new. This one in our back garden landed on me several times while I was working. On my arm, my hat several times, then on a ladder with tools. Upon a closer look I noticed it had a damaged wing. Most likely at the end of its short life cycle. I was happy it found our garden as a resting place.

While on vacation we saw plenty of Hummm… although our cameras were not always available to catch the moment. As always clothes that have been dislocated from the person seemed to be a theme in our Hummm… finds.

A hat in a tree along a canoe route. Not uncommon.

Hummm… a belt in a tree along a canoe trail? That is a new one for us! It does take a great deal of effort to lose a belt in the woods.

Then the birds are adding to the already thick June Hummm… digital file.

This is a multi purpose house as a bird found a way to make a nest here. Hummm… was she successful?

While at the local strawberry farm… I got surprised when I went for a nice ripe strawberry and a bird popped up in my face.

A beautiful nest hidden in the strawberries.

Disclaimer… we find some things to make us think and ask hummm…. The following pictures may not be appropriate for some of my readers. I thought I should warn you first!

Hummm… I wonder what you can get at the last town listed on this sign? Maybe… Sex… Beer… Rum…?

This next photo was taken on a day trip out to IJmuiden to watch ships coming into the Amsterdam canal.

When we started to drive out of the parking area heading on our way home, the Hubby slammed on the brakes! I thought we had forgotten something.

“Did you see that?“ he asked

“What?“ as I scanned the grassy area for some rare bird.

“Look at that building we just passed!”

“OMG! That is a Hummm… for sure!“

A building off the beach in IJmuiden. We found it actually had a name.
*Man in Conflict with Nature*

So we have come to the end of the June 2021 Hummm file. Once July starts we will be fully vaccinated and will on the road a bit more so I am sure we will collect more of the items that make us wonder hummm…

Stay safe everyone!

A Slug/Snail Art Day…

The Cedar Journal May 23, 2021

Many of my regulars to my blog know that I have been volunteering at a local community garden since COVID made me stay closer to home.

As with any garden or garden season there are challenges with the balance of nature. Nature knows what is needed and what is not needed to maintain a balance. We humans think we are so smart so most of us try to “fix” what we perceive as “problems” in our personal or community gardens.

I usually don’t get too wrapped up in “fixing” what nature is throwing my way. Although frustrating to see my Dahlias being munched to nothing overnight can be a bit overwhelming.

Or all the sweet little pumpkins that I raised all Spring with love and care to become a wonderful salad for the snails and slugs at the community garden once they were planted.

My sweet little pumpkins heading out into the big bad world full of unknown threats!

Then, I had an idea… what if we give these creatures some job appreciation! Everyone is trying to kill them, or relocate them.

I am going to try snail/slug art appreciation to see if I can encourage them to relocate out of my garden and into the art scene. Once they become famous they can buy small greens and will leave my pumpkin plants, dahlias, and broccoli alone.

Here is the first of the Snail/Slug art exhibition…

U-turn: A portrait in travel by Sam Snail

In Search of Peace: A one slug journey on plastic. By Sidney Slug

Just Hanging: Art on irises, Modern. By Sir Herman Slug Black

Early to Rise: On Onions, Modern. Sir Herman Slug Black

Death of Friends: The Real Tragic End from Alcoholism. By Unknown

Whatever your challenges in life, more will always follow…

Wordless Wednesday- Netherlands in Bloom

The Cedar Journal April 21, 2021

cedar strip canoe

Watching Spring

The Cedar Journal March 22, 2021

We had a short escape recently to Limburg. The beady eyes are from the EMU that lives down the street from the Meen’s B&B where we stayed. I surprised myself, how just a few hours outside the house on a road trip made me feel a little less stressed about the restrictions we are still under.

The problem is that where we live is very populated. People are stacked ontop of each other. Normally the crowded conditions don’t bug me, but after a year of being mostly in our bubble of the house and garden it has me feeling a bit of “Minnesota winter cabin feverish”. We embraced the outing.

When we woke the next morning we had a light frost on the grass.

Now back in Amsterdam, the Spring season has started and I am busy with starting plants for the volunteer garden. Spring is everywhere…

The blooming bulb mix that edges the walking path here in our town.

The tree at the volunteer garden starting to bloom.

The daffodils are blooming everywhere.

So the seasons change here as in the rest of the world. We are still on restrictions for at least until 23 April. Then… who knows?

Hopefully when we get our vaccination (now predicted June). A bit more freedom of movement. I would just like to walk down the sidewalk without fearing that someone will breath on me and get me sick.

We are setting our eye on our first canoe paddle for next week. Fingers crossed.

Stay safe everyone and let us know how things are in your world in our comments section as we love hearing from all our blog followers.

The bees getting busy with Spring

Friday Floral

The Cedar Journal January 15, 2021

Cold, gloomy and a chance this weekend of snow makes for a ho hum sort of walk, until you see these.

These happy daffodils put a smile and sunshine into my gloomy walk.

Now, inspired, I looked for other signs of brightness in the gardens I passed.

This periwinkle is protected by the rock wall.

The shrubs in this moderate climate provide colorful eye catching berries.