High Altitude Gardening
{growing an impossible garden at 7,000 feet}
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
The Bulb Festival
Sunday, April 16, 2023
The Aftermath
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We’ve been very busy. Watching the snow melt. |
Time has this annoying habit of moving on - caring very little about my opinions on the matter.
Moving quickly when I would much prefer time to stand still.
Moving at a snail's pace when fast would be good. Great, even. Let's put this long, cold winter behind us.
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We had 400 inches of snow this winter. |
I'm happy to report that Spring has arrived in the mountains. You can hear it with the cheerful serenade of returning songbirds. We’re back! What’s for breakfast?
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Maybe a Finch? |
Even when you’re buried beneath mountains of snow, you can see that Spring has arrived. Feel it. A warmer morning light, a softer, gentler breeze. A kinder angle to the glaring sun. Bluer skies.
In the ditch, the driest area of the property, tiny green Daffodil shoots are popping up in the mud. Always makes me smile when I see how much growing happens beneath the deep drifts. Snow is a fine insulator.
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The view from my window. The view from up here. |
You can also tell it's springtime by the “Urgent! Avalanche!" warnings popping up on my phone. [Argh. Will this ever end?]
And then it did. End, that is.
Two weeks of exceptionally warm weather, snows rapidly melting. Spring has arrived! As indicated by the new warnings on my phone: “Urgent: Flash Flooding!”
I'm showing you a picture of my living room ↑ because I am so very proud of this old house. It weathered the plentiful storms. Roofs collapsed, from the weight of the snow, on newer homes, near me. But this place. The oldest house in the neighborhood. Did just fine.
And, of course, the dog ran away. The most predictable sign of spring.
6-foot fences in our backyards are no match for 15+ feet of snow. Charlie glided easily over the fence and kept on running. Embarking on a life of crime, he returned home with this chicken. - >
That was the funniest part of this epic snowfall winter. All the neighbors making the same - daily - announcements: Lost dog! Lost dog!
They're not lost. They're up on the sledding hill, having the time of their lives.
So that's what's happening in my neck of the woods. Just sitting around, watching the snow melt. Wondering when, if ever, those Daffodils will start to bloom.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Home is where the... snow is.
It melts on this sunny deck but don't let that fool you.
We have 400 inches of snow.
We set that record while I was searching for some sunshine in Arizona. [With zero luck, I might add.]
It's a lot deeper on the other side of the mountains ~ 5 miles west, as the crow flies. Although crows are way too smart to be hanging around here.
Snowbird has 700 inches of snow. No need to get out the calculator. I did that earlier this morning. I mean it's not like I have anything better to do. I'm stuck indoors. Because it's still snowing. 700 inches = 58 feet of snow.
Snowbird received 5 feet of fresh snow in the last 5 days.
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Snows have reached the roof level. |
It's snowing sideways right now ~ a bitterly cold wind battering this old house. It's almost April. It should be springtime. Crocus should be blooming. Maybe they are blooming! Do you suppose they do that? Beneath this mountain of snow.
I imagine you're not the slightest bit interested in my snow report.
But I just have one last thing to say: Enough Already!
Okay. Two things: I'm glad I don't live in California ~ it's even crazier farther west.
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Indoors ~ things are a whole lot prettier. Shock of the world... Everybody survived.
As in all the houseplants left to fend for themselves during the 6 weeks we were gone.
I don't know what possessed me... well, that's not true I know exactly what possessed me. I just hate to see all my little annuals die in the first freak freeze which happened in October. To save them, I dragged one of the outdoor planters indoors for the winter.
At first I felt kind of foolish. But I gotta tell ya... That planter is keeping me sane.
It's so nice to have my morning coffee with these pretty little Pansies. ↓
Geraniums don't know how lucky they are. Rescued from the garden last autumn. ↓
Happy little Daisies, planted by seed. ↓
Easy to grow Kalanchoe. ↓
Did you know Kalanchoe (K. blossfeldiana) can live for a hundred years? Why yes, indeedy, they do. So stop throwing these grocery-store cuties away. They're perennials. Give them a chance to re-bloom. You'll be glad you did.
AND! Tulips!!
I always keep a bag of Tulips in my refrigerator. Force the bulbs indoors for a little bit of Easter color.
√ It's really easy to 'force' Tulip bulbs. You basically take them out of the refrigerator and say: Okay do your thing. They'll flower with or without soil. But, of course, they appreciate a drink of water.
This year, I planted my Tulip bulbs - indoors - in the planter - before I left on vacation. And for once in this gardener's life, these flowers did exactly what they were supposed to do.
Filled my house with glorious spring colors.
It was a pretty wonderful welcome home to see them all blooming.
After I climbed over the 6-foot snow drift blocking my front door. :)
Wednesday, March 01, 2023
The I'm Not Kidding Ghost In The Attic
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We've driven as far south as we can go - without a passport - and it's still snowing. |
↑ 11 miles from the Mexico Border. ↑
When we embarked on this Let's Head South to Warm Up, impromptu road trip, I packed two suitcases. One for hot weather - one for warm weather. Bit the bullet, got a pedicure, prior to my departure. Couldn't hardly wait to put my sandals on.
Packed three whole items for cold weather. Confident I'd be escaping the snows very, very soon. Been living in a filthy sweatshirt and a pair of dirty jeans for a couple weeks now. The only warm clothes I have. I haven't been warm since we hopped in the car, eager to leave winter far behind.
It makes sense that I'm suffering through a super snowy winter. I live high in the mountains in a ski resort.
It does not make sense that the father south we drive, the colder it gets.
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After departing chilly Sedona, we headed much further south. |
Tombstone was a ghost town. Which makes sense ~ seeing as how their biggest attraction is shooting each other every hour, on the hour, at the OK Corral.
I suppose the lack of tourists stems from the fact that it was so freaking cold there nobody felt like cheering on the Gunslingers.
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This is a major thoroughfare and a two-way street. |
From Tombstone, we headed farther south, to Bisbee. We were lost the whole time we were there. I'm still laughing that it took us 30 minutes to find a restaurant that was only 1/2 mile away!
* FYI ~ once we did find Cafe Roka (sign in the photo - I think I hold the Guinness Book of World Records for u-turns, while on vacation) it was the best meal I've ever enjoyed.
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The town gets much prettier when you drive around the corner. |
Bisbee is an eccentric, artsy, ghost-loving community. Which sounded like kind of a crazy claim to fame. Oh, lookee there! Isn't that cute? I thought to myself, when I saw that Bisbee was listed as one of the most haunted places in Arizona.
We came to stay at this lovely 100 year old mansion. ↓
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When the weather cooperates, it looks like this vs. the top photo in this blog post. When it's covered in snow. |
When I booked this place I envisioned me in Donna's glorious garden. Me in a tank top, sipping lemonade, and photographing her lovely flowers... and... what?
Eleven miles from the Mexico border - it was 18 degrees the day we arrived.
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Look up! Complimentary wine but you must climb to rafters to retrieve it. :) |
I fell in love the moment we walked inside. Have always dreamed of having a country kitchen in a wonderful old home like this one. Sans the ghost.
Yep. Pretty sure it was haunted.
That's crazy! YOU are saying to yourself at this very moment.
I'm a light sleeper - woke in the middle of the night, hearing footsteps. Figured it was Hazel (I picked up a friend at the Phoenix airport for the last half of this journey.) But then I heard her snoring in the next room. Which is right about the time I remembered why I don't travel with her that often. :)
Footsteps. In the attic. And no dog.
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Even when he's bored to tears, while I'm working on my computer, Charlie never leaves my side. |
Charlie refused to come upstairs in that house.
He's been by my side every day for the last 8 years. We sleep together every night.
But Charlie wouldn't come upstairs to sleep with me while were staying in that house. Flatly refused. Which felt so very strange. Until I heard the spooky visitor in the attic in the middle of the night.
So there you have it. Truth in advertising. Bisbee really is a ghost town. And there's absolutely no need to book one of those super popular ghost tours the town offers. Just book the place I stayed in.
* If you don't believe me, believe in Charlie Waffles. He was smart enough to sleep downstairs on the couch.
Thursday, February 09, 2023
The Story of the Vortex
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Flowers! Outdoors! Oh yay! We've finally driven far enough south for it to feel like spring. |
What do you mean this Airbnb is $1,000 a night? It was $125 bucks a night when I last looked!
It's the Super Bowl! Everybody is coming to Phoenix the weekend you want to be here! What???
Not being a football enthusiast - and even less so after I saw how the Super Bowl was destroying my travel budget - by inflating the rental prices in Phoenix...
We took another detour on our Let's Go South to Warm Up impromptu vacation.
Headed to Sedona.
Vortex areas in and around Sedona are said to bring about self-awareness and spiritual healing.
Native Americans believe that a spiritual transformation occurs more easily in Sedona because the veils to other dimensions are more translucent and accessible.
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Found the perfect place. A room with a fabulous view. |
I had a 'spiritual transformation' the moment I pulled into town. No snow + the first glimpse of some outdoor flowers. In case you're wondering... I live in a ski resort and we've had 300 inches of snow during this insane winter. I love snow. But I also love leaving it far behind.
I've visited Sedona 14 times ~ and yet I've never spent any time, at all, in Sedona.
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Not just a view. A view and a fireplace. Which helped with the disappointment. Because it was freezing here, too. |
We used to travel to Sedona every spring.
Brought our horses to the Caballos del Sol ride, where we could forget about the mountains of snow back home ~ while trotting through those breathtaking red rock canyons.
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I have absolutely no use for this. But it's turquoise! |
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The excitement over 'no snow' lasted all of one day. |
The True Story of The Vortex
Do you believe in magic? Divine intervention? "Woo-woo" experiences? Yeah, me neither.
√ Although I thought it was rather magical that I managed to score a place to stay in Sedona, at the last minute, with a stunning view and a fireplace!
Science plays a huge role in how we view the universe. Yet. There are times when I wonder if we behave cautiously - claim certain oddities couldn't possibly be true - because we don't want to embarrass ourselves by admitting we believe. Subjecting ourselves to ridicule because of our beliefs. And also because lots of really cool things are downright impossible to prove.
Or. Are they?
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Sedona really does feel as if it's 'alive' with a special type of energy. |
A long time ago, I visited Sedona with the gal who would ultimately become my freelance business partner. We had argued for almost a year on how to make this work. Young and strong and very fit at the time, we hiked to the top of Cathedral Rock.
* I would not recommend this. Go shopping. That's loads more fun.
At the top, we rested, dangling our legs over the ledge, talking about The Freelance Business. The one we couldn't agree on. The problem-solving ideas flowed out of us, like water from a teapot. In the span of 30 minutes, we solved all the major roadblocks. And we have not swayed from that business plan in 25 years.
When we got back to town, we had drinks in a local bar. Still in awe that we figured this all out so easily, we mentioned this to some of the locals. They nodded their heads, saying: Oh, yes, clarity of thought. That's a big one up there.
Friday, February 03, 2023
I Never Know Where I'm Going ~ 'Til I Get There
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Bryce Canyon in Winter. |
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Queen's Garden in Bryce. Oh my gods it was cold there! |
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Coffee and donuts are quite popular in Kanab, Utah. I could live here forever. |
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We always stay in the wonderful Cameron Lodge, Navajo Nation, on the outskirts of Marble Canyon. |
I've traveled this road so many times. For most folks, it's a one-day drive to Phoenix where you are pretty much guaranteed warm weather. [Though most folks never take the backroads.]
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Charlie Waffles needs a bath. |
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You won't see a sign directing you to this overlook. But if you drive 75.6 miles from the donut shop, you'll see the turnoff. |
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Amaryllis - January's Best Blossoms
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The view from my window. The view from up here. |
* lilting holiday music * Oh, the weather outside is
For the first time, in 7 years, we are experiencing an absolutely delightful, normal, cold, snowy, winter.
And I gotta tell ya.. it is bringing me back to life. This break in the severe drought began long before the snows arrived. Utah experienced a monsoon season this summer! Albeit short, but who cares? It's a positive. Good news is hard to come by, these days.
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This is a $10 dollar flower bulb, purchased from Home Depot. |
Indoors - everything is also normal. Well. As normal as it can be around here. When you live in a ski resort, experiencing the "Best Ever!" snow and your tiny mountain town has blossomed with an extra 80,000 people who showed up to ski.
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This variegated Amaryllis is one of my favorites. Another $10 bulb from HD. |
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I saved this Amaryllis bulb. She was growing in a box in the store when I found her. |
Amaryllis are so eager to bloom, they often grow, and blossom, without sunlight, soil or water.
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Pay no attention to that can of dog food next to this pretty flower. |
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Amaryllis petals sparkle in the sunlight. |
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The beautiful view on my {filthy} kitchen counter. |