There'll be no backyard playtime today! The housepainters are making terrific progress, and we should be back to normal soon. Then all my backyard renewal plans can take shape.
Juno's learning a lot these days.
A particularly nice side benefit is picking cherry tomatoes from Anna's garden. They are absolutely delicious! They made for a wonderful dinner of salad and bruschetta with goat cheese.
There are sights, like Anna's neighbor's pumpkin patch, that remind us that summer is over.
First thing to do back in California -- go see sheep! The work we'd done on lie-downs and stays and just general responsiveness paid good dividends.
Juno had three sessions with the school sheep. The first went great, the second pretty good, and by the third, both she and the sheep were pretty fried and it wasn't as pretty. I'd had a gut feeling that could happen. She and I know each other pretty well after the summer together! She certainly enjoyed her well-earned cool-offs.
Astoria version, that is. We are continually fascinated by the variety of shipping we see coming up and down the Columbia River. Every weekday morning, the community radio station presents a 12-minute show -- The Columbia River Ship Report -- describing that day's comings and goings, and answering questions that listeners submit about the ships and their doings. The Ship Report is sponsored by the Columbia River Maritime Museum, which is the riverside building with the arced roofline in the picture above, taken from our window.
I have to confess rather liking the misty overcast conditions that usually prevail. Even though the weather was *perfect* the beach was still empty. Duncan was inspired to do some stretching exercises. Juno watched with great concern; Daisy seemed to think it was quite curious.
Hydrangea bushes thrive in local gardens. The hydrangea flower's color is sensitive to the pH of the soil. Most that you see around here are blue. I rather like these odd ones that have bits of both blue and red. This bush grows in the shade along the margin of our lawn.
The garden's daisies are huge and gorgeous, in their corny, mundane way.
I like the odder flowers.
I'm charmed by the mauve shade of these:
And these are just so neat!
But the best parts of a garden are the good hiding places!
The garlic flowers are other-worldly! They're shedding their little clown caps and displaying their pretty little purple flowers.
We'll soon be picking some nice crispy apples.
We've had to share our bounty with birds and some four-legged visitors.
I think the birds ate more of the cherries than we did, and the raccoons certainly made short work of the strawberries!
Just perfect for two dogs who love to run!
I think it's Daisy's idea of heaven! She loves the cool temperatures, and there is so much room for her beloved frisbee and ball games.
There are many, many pelicans. The fishing seems to be good for them.
Juno has not given up on the idea that someday she may catch one!
Time to go! That'll do, girls!
Okay, okay, here we come.
Actually, these trails are just as much fun as the beach!
Come on, Juno! The best thing is, there are NO foxtails!
We'll be back!
From the house, the view of the river and its shipping is fascinating and always changing.
Juno and Daisy are liking it here. The beach here is wide, long, and mostly empty. It is perfect for Daisy, who is always getting too hot when she can't cool off in the water. The expanse of open sand is pretty amazing. Here is an expedition with the dogs.
Juno's ears may be one-up and one-down!
Juno has a more mischevious aspect!
But Calli gets a lick in too.
