Uh oh ...

To copy a fellow blogger's dismay at autumnal colours, it is that time of year again. Well, probably not dismay at the autumn colours themselves, but more what they signify. Most trees around my area have one or two yellowing leaves. This one will suffer from premature defoliation.

Skywatch Friday - Ahhh moments ...

(see more Skywatch posts here )

Pretty colours in the sky last night.

Where do ski slopes go on their summer holiday ?

This is Nakiska Ski Resort in the middle of August. I admit I've never really paid much attention to the place, except when approaching it in the middle of January whilst battling my mind to focus on a day of exercise and 'fun'. Needless to say, it looks substantially whiter at that time. And suffice to say I am not a natural born skier but I can proudly report being able to remain upright on two planks for more than twenty minutes (consecutively) .

I have visions of a summer wonderland - lush and swishing grassy meadows cutting a swathe amongst the pine trees, with butterflies and colourful wildflowers, and bears frolicking happily while downing a pot of honey and gorging on berries.

The area is technically closed to the public but I would imagine serious walking folks (ie, not me) specifically make their way to these temporarily abandoned ski hills for a good old hike in the peace and quiet.

It must be nice for the ski hills to be able to breathe again after being assaulted by snow, man and machine for 5 months each year. A collective sigh of relief probably whispers out from the ski hills sometime in June, and the gondolas and chair lifts grind to a thankful halt and spend the summer months gently swaying in the breeze with a large jug of margaritas on the go.

Wish You Were Here ....

See you again in December ...

Lots of Love, Nakiska XXX

Garden Makeover - Day Three

Just a couple of pictures to update you on what I've been doing the past three days. Well, not just me - husband has been roped into this too of course, 'cos try as hard as I do, I can't shift 10 foot chunks of timber on my own - and he's very handy at digging too. I'm sure he was muttering something about gardening being devil's work but I have no idea what he means. I just ignore the mumbling and point the next bit I'd like digging. Actually, he's been brilliant and I couldn't do it without him, and I think he has secretly enjoyed this little project - it gives him an excuse to air all his tools which were gathering dust in the garage.

So from the back gate, new edging and gravel path added, 10 small Cotoneaster plants planted (in the hope of one day having a 5 foot high hedge along the back fence line. Give it about 10 years and it should look pretty good). I also risked digging up and moving a raspberry bush - it may or may be too late in the season for doing this, but the thing hasn't earned it's keep yet so I figured I had nothing to lose. I've created a specific area to keep the kid's trampoline on a semi-permanent basis too and then placed bark down for that. I must admit that this was not done for the benefit of the children but for the grass - Smudge can now continue to cock a leg and pee up the trampoline posts and no longer trash the grass underneath - genius huh?

I decided to remove a pile of big and little stones from around the base of Chokecherry tree which I suspect was planted when the house was built in the late 90's. I figured the tree could do with some mulch and nutrition. So I scraped away the oval shaped pile of pebbles and what did I find underneath? Kitchen lino, I kid you not! Who on earth puts kitchen floor vinyl around a tree? Granted, it makes a fantastic weed suppressant as not one little weed had made it through - but good grief, I'm surprised the tree was still alive. It has now been lovingly topped with a little quality soil and some bark and I sent out a neighbourhood invitation to any bugs and worms who would care to over-winter there.

Remember I said I hated digging up turf to make more flower beds? Well, last year on my gardening course I learnt about something called "lasagna gardening". No, you don't tuck into the perennial borders with a knife and fork washed down with a large glass of Chianti, though sometimes I can see how that might appeal if there was a good enough veggie patch on the go.

No, it's an easy no-digging way of making new flower beds whereby (condensed version coming up) you layer newspaper and cardboard straight on top of your grass and then top it all off with compost or topsoil and/or mulch (and a little parmesan - OK, not really) and then wait for 5 or 6 months. Apparently this will all compost down and the newspaper, cardboard and turf will decompose and hey presto, one new flower bed. So I thought I'd give it a go. This had better work or it will be one heck of mess to un-do. And for some reason, half-rotten soggy Panago Pizza boxes are not what I wish to face next spring.

So the left hand side of the garden is pretty much done already and I am very pleased with the shape and the contrasts so far. Smudge is already heading for his all-new, purpose-built bark-floored outhouse.

Garden shopping ....

... and about $1000 later, I'm ready to start digging ...

2 cu yards of stones, 2 cu yards of high grade top soil, 2 cu yards of bark mulch - $400 - think I've been "done" and will shop around next time.

One new wheelbarrow (because Old Favourite Brit wheelbarrow's wheel fell off, literally, and we couldn't source a new inner tube in the same size or a similar sized new wheel - and time is of the essence here remember - winter is around the corner, haven't got time to travel to the big smoky city hunting down an inner tube!) - $160 - seems a lot too - but when I worked at the garden centre earlier in the year, too many of the cheap wheelbarrows came back with broken wooden handles, crap design - so we 'upgraded' slightly - and I justify the cost by the fact that at the end of the spending, we will still have a funky blue wheelbarrow. Seems fair to me.

Three new trees - Caragana "Sutherland" in case you are interested (I love the fan shape and bark) originally priced at $190 each - now 50% off at the local garden centre, because they don't want to be left with lots of stock (because summer is over, remember) - $285

Two more rolls of the black weed suppressant fabric stuff - $32

Pegs to hold it in place - $16

One new shovel - $15 (and at that price, I suspect it may not last very long)

Timber - lots of treated 4x4 in varying lengths, to act as edging strips and dividers and fence posts, plus some other 'shaped' bits of wood with which to build a raised veggie patch area - $340

Box of 12" galvanised nail thingies - $80 (nearly choked at that price)

Three new grasses - also in the end of season sale - $40

Husband's dropping jaw as he loaded up the minivan - priceless

(And I haven't even finished yet - shopping that is .... )

Tune in next time to witness my Popeye biceps which will morph over the next week or so as I barrow this lot round the back of the house ....

Launching the garden project ...

The garden - or yard as it is called it here (why is it called a yard, anyone? A yard to a Brit is a concrete 12' x 12' area behind a small terraced house (think Coronation Street) or somewhere truck drivers work from, or a London Metropolitan Police HQ, as in Scotland ...) - OK, minor digression. I'll start again.

So - the garden is in for an extreme makeover. I know it's the third week in August and by all accounts summer is over according to the locals (la la la, I'm not listening!) but by my reckoning I still have a good month or two to play with the garden and create some shapes, paths and flower beds. And anyway, it was 32 degrees today and we're in for at least one more week for warmth and sunshine - so I'm off and ready. And sunburnt already.

As whilst feeling a bit despondent about employment and slim finances, I might as well make myself useful by spending $$$ of the household budget on my plot! 'Tis the female way - no money? Go shopping!

I drew up my ultra amateur garden design the other day - which, when I've worked out how my scanner works, I might be bold enough to put up on here - and then got rid of an awful concrete (utilitarian) fire pit that took pride of place in the centre of the grass courtesy of the previous non-gardening owners of this home.

This is what I am working with.

My garden is basically a big square lump of grass, with some grass, with a bit more grass and tree in each corner. It is surrounded by, in my humble opinion, hideous green chain link fencing (rules of the neighbourhood) which leads to no privacy or screening whatsoever. My British heart nearly fainted at the exposure! Last year I made up one crescent shaped flower bed, and then this spring I created one more oblong flower bed. Digging up turf - or sod as it's called here - is not my idea of fun. Back breaking work, hummph!

I got a man in (!) during May to aerate the lawn with one of those fancy machines that punches holes all over the lawn, and then distributes little sausages of earth and grass all over the place. Personally, I think it just looks the dogs have gone overtime on the pooping department. Smudge looks guilty, doesn't he?

The whole aerating thing, and then adding fertiliser did absolutely nothing to the quality of this lawn which has had it's day, and to be honest, I've given up on the grass this year. I can't keep up with the dandelions, nor the dark circles created by the female canine in the household.

So this is a photo of Day One. The grass is in shit order - thanks to two dogs who pee with gay abandon anywhere they feel the urge - and two children (who do not pee in the garden as far as I know) but who have the audacity to actually play on the lawned area and knacker it out. The current state of affairs is an embarrassment to be sure, and all I need are a couple of old tyres and a half-shredded sofa and I'm sure the local residents association will be drawing up a written warning any day now.

When no-one's looking ...

Looking through my photos, I have many snapshots of people - of friends and family and a few unknowns - when they were unaware of me standing around with a camera.

I love these kinds of pictures - where the subject is not aware they are being photographed. And I don't mean this in some weirdo, pervy, jump-out-of-the-bushes way, or like the paparazzi with some creepy telephoto lens. No, I just mean that you can catch people in such a natural, unaware, un-posed split-second of their life - they are concentrating on the task in hand, be it building a sand castle, playing a game or getting blindingly drunk. I suppose a part of them is exposed in some way - I'm not exploiting anyone here - but it highlights the part of me that just loves to people watch. I could sit in an airport or supermarket for hours and not get bored. (And to any friends and family that may view this blog, don't panic, I won't publish those photos ! )

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