A Prickly Garden Visitor

It was just about dusk when Ed spotted what he, at first glance, thought was a skunk. "Look at the size of that skunk", he remarked. Amy was visiting, and we all hurried to the living room window to get a look at our garden visitor. Amy said " Dad, that's not a skunk!" By that time I had found my binoculars. What we were looking at was a very large black porcupine sporting a white collar and tail. I've read they can go up to 40 pounds. He was headed from west to east in a straight line at a steady pace. Amy managed to snap this picture, but by the time she could change to her other camera lens the porcupine had disappeared into the tall grass. It was great to be inside for this wildlife sighting. It will be interesting to see if we get another look at this porcupine. They are not supposed to wander far from their home.

What Could Be Better Than A Sunny Day In May?

Chalk up another hot, sunny day here at the Stonewall Garden. It feels so much like July that we can't help feeling we are behind in our planting. It's not true. Here planting on Memorial Day weekend is still just a little risky. Last year we had freeze in June, but this year's garden is moving ahead along with the weather. Elle's yellow roses came and went before I even got a chance to get a picture. We are trying to get plants in the ground. In Ed's beautifully amended soil things are dry and dusty. In places where the soil has only been cleared of stones, the dirt is hard as concrete. I had to water before I could dig the holes to plant the nasturtiums. The mowed area of the meadow where we garden is beginning to brown. It might be considered mean spirited by some to wish for rain on a holiday weekend and spoil the kiddie's fun, but it's a nice all day rain that could be better than a sunny day in May. In the meantime, we have our watering cans.