Hot, dry summer?

 The long range forecast this spring was for a hot, dry summer.  Hm, 6" of rain in one week - no too  dry  - or hot, for that matter.
 When we drove home this evening, we could see that past our house the road was flooded from the heavy rain we had today.  From a distance, it looked like only half the road was covered.

 But when I got up close, the water was flowing right across and was about 2" deep at the shallowest.
 It's not the first time that water has gone right over the road, but it doesn't happen very often.

 The water was just gushing through the culvert.

 And cascading over the side of the road into the ditch.

 Some of the gravel will certainly be washed away making a bumpy road until the grader can come along.
Our house, thankfully, is on a bit of a rise and so the water runs away from it. I'm sure some people in our area are getting water in their basements.  The trees, frogs, ducks, geese are all very, very happy.  We may get sun tomorrow.

Candelabra Primula

 This is a new addition this year.  It's a candelabra primula.  Unlike the drumstick primula, it has a circle of blooms, then grows more stem and then opens another circle of blooms so it ends up being a series of coloured tiers.  I really like the bright orange colour.  The all  important question, though, is will it come through the winter.  It likes a moist soil so I have it in with the drumstick primula which finished blooming a while ago.

 I picked a bunch of columbine that were knocked over in the rain and made an impromptu bouquet.  I like the colours with the petunias and impatiens behind it.

A photo for the skywatchers.  I liked the contrast between the wispy clouds and  the dense, puffy cumulus clouds.  Click for full photo.
Also check out www.artfayre.blogspot.ca for some great paintings and sculptures.

Here He Is Again

More pictures of Mr. Cutie.  Look at those knees and hocks - so big for his small body.






 "Hay, Mom. Whatcha doing?"

 "Mom, somebody's looking at us.  Should I worry?"

 "Am I supposed to eat this?"

 "Kind of fun when you get the hang of it.  Doesn't taste half bad either."

"Yippee! Let's go for a blast."

Foal

 Brand new baby, born this morning.  I'll try to get some better pictures in the coming days.

 We had a couple of strong thunderstorms come through yesterday afternoon.  This poplar came down beside the road but  the ones in the picture below fell across the road and had to be cut to clear the way. 

Some of the fields are pretty wet because we got about 3" of rain.  Actually, I think the farmers are pretty happy about it as it has been a dry spring.  This moisture will help the seedlings get off to a good start.   

 At the park, some young children were enjoying their outing with their teacher.  The water looks fresh and inviting, but it's not really clean enough for worry-free swimming.   Still, it's pleasant to look at.

 Some pedal boats and a canoe for a leisurely pedal/paddle.

The soccer fields are greening up nicely.  Brings back memories of many evenings spent at soccer games when the kids played in the local league.  Lots of driving around for that  as it is a county league with fields in many of the villages. The away games could be a 15min. drive or a 40 min. drive. from home.  At the beginning of the season, there would always be some poor parent who showed up half-way through the game because they got lost trying to find the field.  This field is the best one of the lot, being flat and open to a breeze.  Some of the fields were on a bit of a slope, and some had lots of bushes near them  which meant there were lots of mosquitoes and the ball occasionally got lost in the vegetation.  When our oldest daughter first started playing, I call the coach one evening to see if the game was cancelled as it was raining heavily. "Not unless there's thunder and lightning," was the answer.  And so it was.  They played rain or shine.  There is a long tradition of soccer in our area and one of the local girls plays for the Canadian Women's Olympic team.  Many others play on university teams.

Luna Moth

I found a beautiful luna moth on the outdoor dog-ramp (built for Ginger when she put her back out) this morning.  Such a gorgeous colour and I love the furry texture of its body and central part of the wings. Click for the full image.

Very fancy antenna.  They have no mouth as they don't eat for the whole of their week-long time as an adult moth.

So special.

Columbine, Chives, Cornflower

 A double hybrid columbine.

 A simple columbine taking flight.

 These little butterflies have been enjoying the ornamental onion and chives.

The chives are really quite attractive.  I've been popping in clumps here and there.  After they finish blooming, I'll cut them back as they do flop over.

The perennial cornflower is such a pretty blue.

Spring Reading

I've been reading 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith and finding it a pleasant bit of light reading. I first came across his books  when I found the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency at the library last year.  That book is the first of a series that takes place in Botswana and features a middle-aged woman who owns a private detective agency.   Mr. Smith spent several years in Botswana and he shares the culture in a very gentle and engaging way.  In 44 Scotland Street, we are taken to Edinburgh where we meet a colourful cast of characters who weave their way through each others lives. The book was originally published as serial segments in The Scotland so each chapter is short - only 2 or 3 pages long. Each chapter has a specific focus but still is closely tied to the larger story.  He writes in a humorous style, but his comments on Edinburgh society, which are also relevant to  Western society in general, are very much to the point .  A good read for anyone who likes character books.