Happy (Snowy) Valentine's Day!!

Image courtesy of Vintage Valentine Museum

I'd like to extend my warmest Valentine greetings to all my blogging (and other) friends who stop by here at Urban Oasis ... over the last few years, and despite the distances and lack of truly personal contact, I've become quite fond of many of you folks, so here's my feeble Valentine tribute to you! Though this is a holiday that we once considered much more important and fun (when we were kids and actually got to have parties in grade school!), I have to admit that over the years it has lost a lot of its impact and appeal --a pity, I feel-- but both of us still try to surprise each other with some sort of small gift, and of course some chocolate! Sometimes we will go out for a meal ... or just stay in and watch a movie ... or just do nothing at all! Lordy, do I feel like we are such an old married couple sometimes!

Anyway, no matter what you have planned (or not!) for the day, I hope it is a pleasant and enjoyable one for you! My gift to myself is my steadfast vow NOT TO WORK this weekend, as I have had to do so much in the past few months ... after putting in over 65 hours this week and cranking out yet another tight deadline report, I'm gifting myself with some rest and time away from work. So even if we don't have solid plans other than to run some errands at Target and a few other stores, we just want to take it easy and stay warm this snowy weekend.... Besides, Hanna is still new to the house and we have to make sure we set aside play time and walkies time for her!

Actually if we get the time, I'd like to get out to see Slumdog Millionaire before it wins every other conceivable award on earth ... I've read nothing but good reviews and heard positive comments from people, so I'm really curious about this film. Besides, I haven't seen anything else nominated for an Academy Award (not even the new Woody Allen film with Penelope Cruz and Javier 'hubba hubba' Bardem, shame on me!), but what else is new? I think the last time I actually "had a dog in the contest" was in 2005 when Brokeback Mountain was robbed by that lacrymose and overrated piece of crapola, Crash. Yeah, I'm still bitter about that, and if the Academy had had their brains in gear, they would have given Heath Ledger the award he deserved for that film, rather than doing the usual and waiting for someone to die before giving the posthumous award. (Anyone remember Peter Finch finally getting his Oscar back in 1976 for Network after he died???) Ok, better get out of film rant territory ... but one parting shot: of course my favorite film released in 2008 (though completed in 2006), The Fall didn't even get a mention, but then again I expected that.... I'm used to being in the dark about most commercial films ... you know, the kind that get recognized and make money ... so just let me simmer in my Luddite Filmic juices ... and though we still haven't seen Batman The Dark Knight, sometime we will, because I do have to admit we both loved Batman Begins. Just not a high priority around here, and if I have my way tonight we'll finally be watching No Country For Old Men, which I got for Christmas but still haven't seen ... yep, I'm that behind the times that the Cohen brothers have already made another film that I'd like to see, but until now have missed the previous one.

Just in case anyone might be wondering what a good selection for Valentine's Day would be, I'll recommend the one I used to watch every year (back when I was single), and one I might still pull out tonight just for fun, because it always makes me laugh and cry: the 1977 Best Picture, Director, Actress and Screenplay winner ... none other than Woody Allen's Annie Hall. If by chance (shame on you!) you've never seen it before, now's the time ... and if you've seen it before, it's time to revisit it one more time just for fun ... I mean, who can resist laughing when Woody suggests putting out "a small dish of drawn butter" to try to lure an escaped lobster back into the pot? Sheer brilliance. But then, what do I know? I'm one of those pointy headed elitist liberals who voted for Obama!

Ok, I've ranted and raved enough about films... Please permit me one last whine about the snow storm we got on Friday ... though it was slow to actually move in in the morning, once it got going, it kept up at a pretty steady pace (about 1 inch/hour) until about 8:00 p.m. ... Fernymoss and Hanna (who actually ventured out twice last night) estimate that here at Casa IVG we got about 8 inches before it was all over. Luckily for us, our neighbor two doors down who has the snow blower graciously did our walks and driveway, so we're going to owe him BIG time ... we'll be inquiring this weekend what his favorite beer is, then getting him some, because this is not the first time he's done us such a favor this winter! So we lucked out ....

Anyway, I wish this video I took today was viewable at larger resolution, because it really does show how hard and fast the snow was coming down at around 4:30 p.m. ... but at least this should give you an impression of what it was like. Just remember that the angle from which I took this (on the front steps facing north across the boulder bed) was until just yesterday, mostly clear of snow from our recent meltdown. Not anymore! Everything is once again buried ... so here we go paying our penance for that evil groundhog's prediction back on Februrary 2.

Thanks a lot, you jerk of a marmot. I was looking forward to snowdrop s and crocus, until you had to go and muck it all up! I hope someone throws a toaster into the bathtub next time you decide to take a bath! And that you go out tortured by Sonny and Cher.....

A Blast From February Past ...

In honor(?) of the impending snow storm headed our way today (Friday the 13th no less!), I headed back into the 2004 archives on the XP box I use as a file server, because I recalled one of those February blasts that was particularly memorable ... so here it is, the great snow of February 5, 2004. I originally titled this first shot "NOT A Wonderland," no doubt due to my disgust with that particularly harsh winter when we had had our fill of the white stuff at that point. And, if I recall correctly, that was also the year that we had the surprise St. Patrick's Day blizzard that graced us (and buried emerging bulbs) with a mere 17 inches of snow ... it was a long winter that year.... So, let's head around back and see what Pepa and Rolly thought of the whole thing....
Pepa was definitely in deep and up to her elbows here, but not unhappy about the situation ... she and Rolly always loved frolicking in the snow, at least until they got too cold and were ready to come back inside. But on this particular day, they were quite content to take advantage of the snow accumulation to romp in the back yard while it was still coming down fast and furious....
Ever the snow dog with his heavy coat, Rolly was undaunted by the falling snow and given his height advantage over Pepa, had no problems tromping happily through the drifts on his way to a play session with his dear companion Queen Pepa....
Ah, these were the great old play days Pepa and Rolly so enjoyed in their younger years, when they would chase and wrestle each other around for what seemed like hours on end ... Pepa would start by nipping Rolly's ankles to get things going and then they were off! Who cared that day if there were already about 8 inches of snow on the ground and more on the way? They were having waaay too much fun!
But even as much fun as playing in the snow could be, Pepa usually was the first to have her fill and head for the warmth inside to find a nice blankie to nest in for a wee nap after playing ... Rolly, ever the oblivious one, hadn't quite figured out the cue yet and was intently watching something that caught his interest elsewhere. I don't exactly recall what got his attention prompting him to come in (probably one of those short, curt and bossy barks from Pepa signaling the end of play time?) but eventually he made his way back toward the house....
Ok, I'll admit it, I was mostly likely the one who first had had enough of the cold and snow and was really ready to go back in, though both Pepa and Rolly didn't mind that idea either at this point. So, as the snow was still falling, we all headed back into the house to warm up, dry off and settle down for a nice nap after a snowy playtime ... and the snow just kept on coming. If I recall correctly, we ended up with about 10-12 inches from this storm, more than enough for us to grumble enough already! But no, there was more still to come in March before it was all over for the year.... One last shot of Queen Pepa, who wanted to get up close and personal with the camera with her snowy nose before we went in ... In retrospect, I really wish the camera I was using at the time (the faithful Fuji Finepix 2250) had had the video capabilities that my new S700 has, but no matter, it did a fine job of capturing our two beloved furry loves for posterity, and that's what ultimately counts for us, now that they're gone physically, but still keeping watch over Jardín and Casa IVG! And once again, I think we have to give them great thanks for sending us our wonderful new pup, Hanna, who's not quite a snow pup yet because this year was her first time experiencing snow and since we've had her it's been wickedly cold and snowy, but maybe next year she'll be frolicking happily in the snow like her noble predecessors did for so many years here. Time will tell, but we'll see how she reacts to this next snow on the way, so stay tuned for more details....

Fickle is February!

It's not every day that one sees a traffic warning sign like this one out on the streets! You may have seen this photo, as it's been making the rounds the past couple of weeks, but the back story is that some enterprising and clever hacker managed to get into the traffic sign system down in Austin, TX a few weeks back and changed the signs to this rather ominous warning. I have to say this would have definitely gotten my attention had I seen it driving around the city ... and we'd have been eagerly peering around each corner hoping to spot one or two ... but remember, we're big fans of zombie movies, especially the "zomedies" such as Fido and Shaun of the Dead. I have the sneaking suspicion that the perpetrator of this humorous mischief just might have similar tastes as well, but I'm just sayin' ...
Ah, winter in Iowa, you just gotta love it! It certainly can keep you on your toes for sudden changes, so today's secret word (scream real loud!!!) is Fickle. Just the other night I was waxing lyrical about our recent meltdown and balmy temperatures in the low 60's (it was a glorious 64 here on Tuesday!) We were just finally being able to see the brown grass underneath the disappearing snow pack the past few days and then the Weather Underground had to come out with this forecast tonight ... (if you're here) read it and weep! They've also issued a Winter Storm Watch for Friday and Friday night that mentions the possibility of 6-10 inches of the ubiquitous white stuff, so here we go again...!
Of course, this is nothing unusual for February, and I half expected as much, but after what has seemed like an interminably cold and snowy winter, allow me a brief whine (the cheese is over on the table, help yourselves) to say that I'm deeply discouraged, especially after getting my hopes up to be bulb spotting soon ... that will have to wait for another day. I did venture out front briefly late this afternoon to look for signs of bulbs coming up, but aside from the ratty looking foliage of the muscari which usually lasts through the winter anyway and some pretty bedraggled and melted looking primroses, there's not a lot of green to be seen.

Even the hollyhocks behind the house are looking melted and still dormant, and in the north Woodland Garden, there's still too much snow there to even begin to see if the Hellebores are still green. Of course, just about the only green out there is from the Hollies who provide us with our only winter interest in that part of the garden. Maybe I'll finally get some photos of snow frosted hollies this weekend if this storm turns out as predicted ... we've been meaning to do that all winter, but frankly, it's been too snowy and way too cold to even contemplate it thus far, but they do look really pretty with a nice covering of snow, so we'll see what I can come up with. I may just take some shots of the winter garden to show how depressing it looks at this point in winter with its dead foliage still standing (at least the birds got some food from the coneflowers), just waiting to be cut back in those first few warm days of spring as we prepare the beds for another growing season. But again, that's for another day when the snows have finally subsided and signs of green are definitely appearing!

As we gardeners well know, there are a lot of "waiting games" we have to endure over the seasons (awaiting the first blooms, the first ripe tomato, the first hibiscus blooms, the list goes on and on), but the period between late winter and the arrival of early spring is, at least for me, one of the most frustrating because it seems just so interminable!

I guess that if I don't have to work again this weekend, I'll just spend some time perusing some of the catalogues we've been receiving en masse since January ... I did look at one the other day that had a great deal on some blue irises that we may want to order at a substantial discount, though with the financial situation as it is currently, we're trying to restrain ourselves this year on new purchases ... but knowing us, we'll probably break down and get some new things anyway! We do, however, plan to restrain our planting instincts somewhat this year, and limit ourselves to mostly vegetables and a few new perennials (I've vowed not to get any more hibiscus this year!) so we can concentrate on what we already have in abundance. Besides, we do have our new puppy to train in garden etiquette and plan on spending a lot of time working with her on that ... further, we've decided that Hanna is a prime candidate for learning some agility type activities, so we want to work on those as well ... if for no other reason than to help her work off that inexhaustible puppy energy! She loves jumping and running, so we figure she's ready to do some hoop jumping and hurdle type activities if nothing else. So much we have planned for warmer weather ... it's just the waiting for it to arrive that is driving us all a bit stir crazy here right now ... I suppose it's just a case of the late winter "antsies" affecting us all, so the sooner we have nicer weather, the happier (and more active) we'll all be!

How many of you are feeling similar at this point of the winter? It can't just be us!

The Inevitable Has Arrived

I'm sure, from this title, you can already tell just how excited I was (Not!) that we got our first measurable (4 in) snow from late Saturday through Sunday night....

So in great part, chalk that attitude up to yet another intestinal bugaboo that decided to attack my stomach this past weekend! Losing two days in bed during a holiday weekend just wasn't my idea of a good time ... then to top it off, very cold temperatures and snow ... just the thing to get you in the (some kind of) spirit, eh? Fortunately, Fernymoss actually enjoys the first few real snows (until the serious shoveling starts), so while I laid low in bed, he ventured out to capture some scenes around Casa IVG. So here are couple to start with:

This first shot is, obviously, the as yet un-removed decimated maple in back (now nicknamed the "Sleepy Hollow Tree") against the background of other snowy trees and a clearly heavy sky. I like this shot a lot, and oddly enough, to my eye it seems to resemble a certain character from The Nightmare Before Christmas ... can you say/suggest who that might be? Then again, I may still be burned out from that virus --and seeing things-- that finally started to give up on me earlier this evening ... decide for yourself.




















This second shot is one of a number of close ups Fernymoss took of various plants around the garden (more to come soon). This detail is the Miscanthus sinensis (Porcupine Grass) laid low by recent winds and now snow. Though a good portion of the stand is still upright, some has inevitably fallen down and will remain that way until we cut it all back in early Spring (oh so far away, Spring!). Having said all that, I do think this is a lovely shot Fernymoss captured here ... there are some advantages to dead plants in winter bearing snow (ever notice how cool Coneflower cones look with a topping of snow?). In the next few posts, we'll be choosing some of the other 'make the best of winter' pictures we got from this first snow.

Ok, so I'm not adjusting well to Winter just yet and I'd better get with the program, eh? Oh, I will eventually when things thaw just a bit before the Christmas rush, which we both vow we're going to ramp down significantly this year. We, as I'm sure a lot of other folks, are scaling back our usual holiday gift giving and extravagances in these uncertain economic times. After all, it's probably a good thing to get back to less consumerist ways (something I've always agreed with in principle) and just remind ourselves modestly (via material things) that what really counts is our togetherness in a shared journey (upon which no one can place a price). That's our goal, at least....

Of course we intend to celebrate in our own modest yet festive way ... we're just going to buy a smaller tree this year, not spend much (if anything) on decorations (besides we have way too many already!), and take back accumulated cans and bottles for the refund to fund our "Christmas Fund" for buying gifts. Pay cash for almost everything we do buy (though I'll probably shop some at Amazon, but the card will be paid off before it accumulates interest, 'deadbeat' that I am), and limit ourselves to a single, fixed amount. I see no problems with that, as that is how we usually do things, but this year we're cutting the budget by at least half of what we have spent in the past, when, honestly, we've both overdone it to the degree of excess.

I think we can still have a memorable, warm and meaningful holiday season despite it all ... and in more moderation than in years past. Who knows? All the stress we usually put ourselves through just might tone down or disappear this year! I'm not going to bake for all the neighbors and friends this year (so there go a few really busy stress-filled days and nights), though I do enjoy some of it. Just a few batches of cookies for family, some candy perhaps, but nothing more than one night's work... I might even want to eat some of the stuff I bake this time around! (Believe me, when you're making 20 or so cookie/candy trays, the appetite is the first thing to go.) We can have our usual quiet Christmas Eve dinner together (probably a turkey breast and sides), seeing my sister and her friend and exchanging a few small gifts, topped off by some champagne and a well chosen movie to end the night. But I get ahead of myself, after all it's only December 2, but that's kind of how we envision dialing things down this year, but still enjoying ourselves.... Simple. Sweet. At home, where we're happiest. Isn't that what we all aspire to every year, but so frequently don't achieve?

Anyway, Christmas Ornament Blogging will arrive in a week or two here! So stay tuned for more to come....

Photos by Fernymoss, taken on 30 November, 2008.