MEMORIAL DAY PARADE 2012

yesterday was our town's memorial day parade. elmsford brought their ladder truck to hoist the flag over the parade.

our fire chief invited service people in nyc for fleet week and we were rewarded by the attendance of marines, 

sailors,

and coast guard cadets!

other marchers included a natty drum major...

veterans...

more veterans...

neighboring town musicians...

girl scouts...

and our volunteer fire department.

i did not march as i was on stand-by with the ambulance.

our current chief, who was nice enough to smile for me.

our old hand fire truck...

4 star rear admiral jim alexander, who brought the service people to our parade.

brazilian coalition forces also attended.

happy memorial day!

COLTON'S SUMMER DO

colton a week ago after a bath

colton and luna this weekend "before"

colton "before"

colton and luna are starting to "get" posing together, and they look about as happy as a human brother and sister might

colton "after" his summer do

POTAGER GEARS UP

california poppy overwintered in the potager...

the tomatoes are in; i'm growing the same ones as last year:

bradywine, cherokee purple, dr. wyche's yellow and black krim

clematis 'kingfisher' blooms on the obelisk trellis...

the entrance to the potager has herbs, salvia, grasses and amsonia...

radish popping out - ready to eat!

foxgloves in the potager

allium at entrance to the potager...

happy may!

THINNING APRICOTS

before we get to the work at hand, here is colton, who organizes his toys in the kitchen...

apricots - too many of them...

too heavy, and fruits will be small unless thinned and pruned...

directions for thinning are here: Fruit Trees: Thinning Young Fruit...

i think i removed about 75% of the fruit. 

and i pruned... the dwarf apricots are in the back in the middle... sungold on the left, and moongold on the right. clematis 'guernsey cream' is in the center. i also planted broccoli, beans, chard, kale and squash. 

APRIL FADES

clematis 'guernsey cream' opening on a cool spring day...

the parrot tulips are finishing up...

clematis 'kingfisher' bud with droplets...

colton is relaxing into his new home...

the potager is still quite bare...

COLTON IS MY IDOL, ANYWAY

after a bath, some light reading

bath, yuck

INTRODUCING COLTON

colton, a cream standard poodle puppy, joined our family today!

luna was initially enthusiastic, but did ask "how long did you say he was staying?"

 but no one can resist colton, and you can see luna touches his paw in this photo...

i realized colton had a bit of red fuzz on his nose after i took this...

getting along nicely!

luna poses with the best of them...

wow, what a cutie, and well-trained too!

we had a long walk in the woods, and everyone was tired...

nap time...