Better Gnomes & Gardens

We scored BIG at this year's annual Hysterical Society garage sale! This was Lenore's view as we rode home with our cart full of useful crap. I got three (three!) slightly worn garden gnomes, a squirrel-proof (ha!) bird feeder (but only a buck!), an off-season Croc rack (for tidy winter Croc storage), and a handsome three-legged turtle for a quarter, to name just a few of the items procured, and all for a good cause.

Lenore also got herself a little gnome -- seen here with a nifty wheelbarrow. I won't even wax poetic on all the possible stories one could concoct from this photo, but I think whatever comes of the situation, it should involve the turtle getting a ride. I mean, really.



I was maybe a little too delighted with the gnome still life options. So sue me. I like the way the front guy is peeking out of the cart.



But I also like the way Lenore's gnome is looking up at the other guys.



Hoops wasn't sure what to make of the new family members at first, but eventually she decided they were not as tasty as they looked.



Lenore named her gnome Norman II (per her neighbor's granddaughter, who used to know a gnome named Norman). I kind of like it. Maybe I'll name mine all Norman too. Or just "The Normans." I've noticed more cardinals in the bird bath since The Normans moved in. Maybe it's their perky little red hats. Here's Norman II in his new home in Lenore's ivy.



The turtle's name is still being decided. Suggestions? Actually, I need two names, cuz the other turtle doesn't have a name either. Jeeze.

Here's everyone at home in their new garden. It makes me smile every time I look out the window.



Speaking of new things in the yard, I've been noticing some new growth as of late. Little clover-like sproutings that I thought were weeds. After plucking a few out, I realized these are not weeds, they are peanut plants! This means the squirrels who planted them are indeed retarded or exceedingly clever.




July nosegay documentation:



In other garden news, the cherry tomato plants are going crazy, and I finally got a few ripe grownup tomatoes. The rest are all very green. Not shown: impressive bell peppers that got eaten before they could be documented. Oops.



Last weekend, I also went on a very swift kayak ride with Roland and Amy. The river is very high and fast right now, so we made it from the Algonquin dam to Dundee (just before the footbridge) in just under an hour and a half. Normally, that takes a good three hours (because we tend to do more drifting than paddling). We went on an evening float for a change, so it was a little too dark for pictures, but I did get this one of an egret and a heron in one shot. (Remember, you can click on pictures to see them larger.)



August nosegay documentation (the black-eyed Susans are in full swing!):