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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Stones and Sprouts and Wee Tiny Tenants

On this wonderfully sunny day,
as warm rays take the chill off the early morning frost, all 
manner of living things at That Old House are popping out to say "Hello."


Behind our house is an old stacked stone wall that stretches more than a hundred feet. . .
Tucked into countless nooks and crannies in the stones live some very busy chipmunks.
This morning my husband Howard popped the telephoto
lens on his camera and caught this little guy:
He had ventured all the way from his stone condominium
to the back corner of That Old House.
He finally spotted the paparazzo, or stalker, known as Howard.
I expect the restraining order to show up in the mail any day now.

But cute furry little varmints aren't the only living things popping up all around the stone wall;
I'm pretty certain that these are the early sprouts of our white-flowered Bleeding Hearts.
I'm very glad to see them.
We had an over-enthusiastic crew do the Fall cleanup and
I was sure they'd pulled out every last bit of Bleeding Heart before I could stop them.

Calling all real gardeners!
Do you know what this, below, is?
Whatever it is, its tubers have heaved up out of the soil over the winter,
and look a little -- well -- creepy.

If you know what they are, please let me know.
Should I toss some topsoil over them?  They look rather embarrassingly nekkid.
And last, but certainly not least, as the last of the heavy snow cover melted,
we found this poor thing lying underneath:
A once-plump pumpkin, reduced to something resembling an old hot water bottle with leprosy.
This was the only pumpkin we didn't crack open and leave
under cover of brush for animals to eat over the winter.

Next year we'll remember to serve up all the old pumpkins;
I don't want another deflated ugly popping out of the melted snow!

***************************************************

 Because it is Tuesday, it's time for Three Or More at Tam's Gypsy's Corner.
And because I love you, I am sharing another picture of my great-nephews,
twins Luke and Calvin, at 5 months.
This is my current desktop wallpaper, and I talk to them all day.
Yes, I am slightly cracked . . . but all the best people are -- Cass

PS -- I've been scarce, I know -- our daughter Alida and her fiance Josh are here for this week, our daughter Anne is home for a couple of days, and we've been busy!  A big party last Saturday, out to the beach house on Sunday, then shoppingshoppingshopping . . . the wedding's in June!  Lots to do, and not much time for the computer.  I'll catch up!

18 comments:

  1. That pumpkin's ego looks VERY deflated. Poor fella.

    DI

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  2. Hello Cass,
    Those are called Rhizomes and are the bulbs of Iris. They tend to like their selves uncovered like that and won't do as well if you cover them to deeply in soil...you could spread a thin layer over them but they'll eventually peak back out. If you wanted to think them after they bloom you could do that by breaking off a piece and planting it somewhere else....they are so easy to grow...Mom threw some at the edge of the woods once and they just kept on growing.
    Love the Chipmunks and want some in my yard.
    Mama Bear

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  3. The boys at the bottom of the post made my day! such cute smiling faces. Thanks for sharing them :)
    The chipmunks are fun, reminds me of when I was a little girl and we went camping. We had them all over the camp site and my little sister fed them cheetos they loved those things. :)

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  4. Mornin' Cass...

    Ahhh...your twin nephews are just adorable, my friend...and so is your little chipmunk! They are so much fun to watch. We don't have any at our place but when we go to the mountains they are in abundance and I get the biggest kick just watching them! Well my dear, it sounds like you are a busy little bee! Enjoy your daughters being home and have fun with those wedding plans!

    Just popping in to say hello, dear friend!

    Have a wonderful week!
    Chari

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  5. Those are irises. Please take a picture when they bloom, I'd love to see what color they are. Once they bloom you can dig them up and move them. They are very hardy. I dug up lots of irises from Nanny's house when we moved.

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  6. Luke and Calvin are the cutest things in your garden. Wish I could grow me some of them!

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  7. Looks like iris. Mine surfaced like that also, and I was going to cover them, but was told to leave them as they will just resurface. I have a couple of chipmonks that visit, but they are very skittish due to the cat population around here.
    The twins are so cute.
    Enjoy your family. Some of mine will be here next week.

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  8. Creepy or not you are going to have some awesome Iris!!!! You can divide them and replant them.....I love the little guys.....we have a little varmint out here similar called a prarie dog, about the same size nd just as cute, as long as they don't live in your yard! LOL

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  9. Good Morning Cass, now girl I would take those twins in a heart beat..way too cute my friend..and just look at your iris these look like the purple kind..mine will do the same thing after alot of snow...Come by some time and see me my friend I have missed you..Hope you have a GREAT week..hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

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  10. Cass,

    Glad to see you back if only for a brief visit. Those funny looking things will be irises. It is wise to check the rhizomes for bugs/worms. Iris borers I think they are called.

    I had a white bleeding heart in my Maine garden.Very elegant. Babies are darling and wedding sounds exciting. Don't get too exhausted!

    Carol

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  11. Hi Cass
    They are defo irises! The twins are adorable, so sweet! I know how you are feeling about all the wedding preparation, my daughter and SILs reception is at the end of July and it occupies hours of thought and action everyday! Hope it all goes well and look forward to the piccies! xx

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  12. Yep. Irises! Please show us when they bloom!
    The babies are darling. I know you've been busy!
    Happy Spring!

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  13. I can't believe that you didn't know they were iris!!!!

    And you know chipmunks are just rodents -- like squirrels and mice -- only in striped clothing (and living mostly outside) -- I've always said that if a squirrel had a mouse tail, people wouldn't think they were cute!!! If a chipmunk had mice fur instead of striped fur, people wouldn't think they were cute either!

    I've been wondering where you were. Egads, I did forget about the wedding -- I do want to hear all the details as they come to be!!!

    And don't forget, as MOB, you have to look smashing -- but not too so -- it is the bride's day, after all, not the MOB day!!!

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  14. Everyone seems to be saying those are irises. So I guess that what they are! I didn't know that though as I have not grown any before. Those twins are adorable. The chipmunk is cute too. Just hope Howard has not been cited yet. LOL! Good luck with all the fun stuff coming up with the wedding.

    ~Linnea

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  15. Absolutely Bearded Irises. And also everyone is correct that you don't cover the rhizomes. They will rot.
    You have the smartest readers.

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  16. Cute pic of "Alvin" he looks like he's got lots of personality! LOL!!! My neighbor set a pumpkin on a post, and I've been watching it deflate - it's now flat as a pancake! LOL!!! Cute babies!

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  17. Cuteness all the way around!

    I've got photos on my gardening blog of the nastiness I need to tend to soon ... blech.

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  18. What cuties those two little guys are!

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