Iris Garden

There was a nice article, including a picture in the Merced Sun-Star today about the Headrick's Iris Garden in Merced. His Iris Garden is on 2/3 of an acre just off of Yosemite Avenue and Seal Court in North Merced.
In the picture is "Select Circle" that I bought from him last year. It's very different from the others that I have and it caught my eye right off. For a while I wondered if I liked it or not. But now I've decided that, yes, I do.
I received a free bonus Iris last year, named "Abby Grace." In the article today I learned that is the name of one of their daughters. It does have a very pretty flower. I missed getting a picture of it with all the rain we've had, but I see a new bud is about to open. Mr. Headrick develops one or more new flowers every year through hybridizing. Their website is: www.hisirisgarden.com
The article is online, so if you don't get the Sun-Star, you can read it here: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/ I don't know how long they keep articles on the Internet.

Distant Cousins

Yesterday, my sister, Carolyn and I met with 3rd cousins, (once removed) at Brooks Ranch in Atwater for lunch. In the picture are Marv and Ruthann Dirks from Kansas. They were in California to visit his brother in the Bay Area and first cousins, (once removed) Mark Dirks and his sister Eloise from Turlock.
The six of us had a very enjoyable 2 hour visit. Ruthann and I have exchanged Dirks information over the years, but this was the first time we met face to face.
Carolyn and I have known Mark for years, but never met his sister before. Years ago, Mark and I exchanged lots of genealogy, not just our own families, but other Mennonite families as well. That was back when I was trying to connect all the Mennonite families who lived in Winton. I think I almost did it. LOL.
I meant to take a picture of Mark and Eloise, but they were not sitting together and so, unfortunately, I forgot.
Thanks for lunch, Marv, it was a very nice afternoon. The two hours passed too quickly.

Plants 'N Things

The six little tomato plants made it through the 2 day storm just fine. We did get a lot of rain, about 1.27 inches. I was concerned about the little plants, but it wasn't a hard rain, just steady.
The snails haven't found them yet, but they are all over the Iris plants.
I got my "joint fluid therapy" type of shot in my knee last Wednesday. I was so eager to get it, I'm really tired of this bum knee. Today, Saturday, I can finally tell it is getting better, but the muscles around the knee are sure sore. The full benefit of the shot can take up to 3 weeks, so I am hoping to be pain free and walk without a cane or limping someday soon. As soon as I got the shot, it was painful to walk, I had my cane with me and I slowly hobbled to the car. I had planned to go to the grocery store afterwards, but no way. I just wanted to go home and get in the recliner. This fluid expands in the knee and is supposed to fill up all the "potholes" in the knee and lubricate the joints. I sure hope it works and I won't have to have a knee replacement.
Here's a picture of "Abbey and Me" a pretty yellow and white Iris. I bought it year before last in Cathey's Valley. It was my most expensive one, $9.00, but I had to have it. I see in this year's catalog that it is down to $6.00. Guess you have to be patient and wait a year or two. We saw a beautiful Iris in the field that year, so different from anything we had seen. I forgot the name of it, but it was $50.00. Last year it was down to $25.00. Wish I could think of the name. It had the truest dark red I've ever seen in an Iris, I think part of it was black. It was very striking. But, I don't have room for any more Irises anyway.

My Maggie

My Maggie is on her favorite perch (the 3rd level) of her cat tree. She is guarding her back yard from the safety of her cat tree inside the house. We get quite a few stray cats in the back yard and Maggie doesn't like it. She's not aggressive though; she's too afraid to fight, and I am happy for that. But, she's not afraid to get aggressive with me and I have the scars to prove it.

Yesterday, I managed to plant 6 tomato plants. Joe, the gardener was here early in the morning and got the ground ready. I'm glad to finally have those in the ground. I planted one Big Beef, two Better Boy and three Celebrity. Earlier I stuck 4 or 5 Early Girl in a very large pot. I plan to only leave one in there. They are so big now, I hope I can still transplant them. I have one Cherry Tomato next to the house. I really bought a lot of tomato plants this year. Guess I am determined to have fresh tomatoes all summer.
I went to my Orthopedic surgeon this week and let him know that the last cortisone shot didn't help my knee this time. He's going to try a different kind of shot. It used to be made out of rooster comb, but now they make it in a synthetic form. They had to order that medicine so it will probably take about 2 weeks to get it. In the meantime, I am trying to get by with my painful knee. I bought a cane today because I don't want the neighbors see me use my walker to walk to the mailbox. Guess I'm not ready to completely wreak my image. Probably in a day or two my knee will feel better and I won't need the cane or walker. Some days are better than others.
If this next shot doesn't help, the next step will be knee replacement surgery. I hear a lot of pros and cons about that.

New Iris Blooms

This is a new one for me, Ozark Rebounder, it looks blacker than it does in the picture. Just beautiful, looked like black velvet yesterday. This one came from Superstition Iris Garden in Cathey's Valley.
Splashacata is another one from Cathey's Valley and is also new to me. I love the speckled coloring. I've had a lot of problems with snails again this year and besides that, it looked like something was turning some of the leaves brown. "Abby and Me" and "Apricot Frosty" have bloomed, but the flowers are a little deformed. So disappointing, I've been waiting to see those. They didn't bloom last year. I hope to eliminate the problem soon so I can see how beautiful they are. So many Irises are beginning to bloom now and that's pretty exciting.
I lost my original "Gypsy Woman" Iris, so I was very happy to find a replacement at His Iris Garden in Merced. It looks so dainty and beautiful with the yellow Standard and the white with pink edge Falls.
I always hate to lose a flower that I really like. It's like losing an old friend.
I've been thinking for some time that I would like to move to Atwater and be closer to my sisters. But. . . it's also hard to leave my home in Merced and my yard that is too big. I still like having the room for fruit trees and plants that strike my fancy. Nothing is ever finished. But that's the way I like it. It doesn't get boring then. There's always a place to dig. Maggie the cat loves it here too. She comes and goes as she pleases through her cat doors. She still loves her cat tree and is on it several times a day to take a nap or to check out the back yard from her high perch.
Yes, Spring is wonderful. Just wish I had a new knee.