May started out with such beautiful weather.  Wally worked up some of his ground for all of us to plant a garden. The girls were excited to help plant and we kept our distance and planted, peas, green beans, carrots, squash, cucumbers and pumpkins. Just over a week later and they were already coming up!  

Because of the stay at home orders, Mom and Dad had decided that this year they just would not plant new plants in the yard.  The only place they have gone since this all started was to the doctor for her broken wrist.  Well, I talked to Cyndi and we decided that we would go plant shopping for them.  At first Mom was like, "no, buying my own plants is part of the fun"  But she decided to let us buy them for her.  Cyndi and I donned our masks and hit the garden centers.  It was so fun.  We dropped off a load and headed back for more.  By the time we got back, Dad already had most of them planted.

The next weekend was Mother's Day.  Jessi and Arianna and Lina met me at the garden center all masked up and we picked out hanging baskets from them and the boys.

On Mother's Day, we talked it over with Jessi and decided that it was time to start getting back to normal being around her kids.  In the beginning, we had kept total distance, even though they were coming over here, they didn't come inside.  We decided that since all patients at the hospital are now being tested and only one patient was positive with no symptoms and Jessi is being checked each shift, that we could resume what we do with the kids. I was rewarded with the biggest hugs ever!!!

After the Veras family left on Mother's Day, we went over to Mom's for another distanced gathering.

Most of the month was spent at home, I was outside in the yard as much as possible.  We had sunny summer kind of days and rainy winter kind of days.  And we had rainbow days with some of each.

We had a rock painting day with the kids.

I was slowly working back at getting my chipmunks to take peanuts from my hands.  Sure enough they are back taking peanuts from me.  One day, Josiah was out there and he had one take 3 from him.  He was totally excited.

Jessi takes the kids on hikes all of the time.  It is so fun for me when they find something that they know that I will love.  Here are examples...robin eggs, hearts and maidenhair fern.

The yard is full of the usual critters.  Hummingbirds, bunnies, and other birds are all back and feeding at their feeders.

The year we moved here, we noticed an eagle nest way down by the river in the top of a tall fir tree.  A couple of winters later, it blew down and the eagles didn't build a new nest the next years.  It was so awesome one morning, I spotted two of them in that very tree.  They hung around for a few days and I was sure they would build a nest again, but sadly they have not.  But they do fly around and around in the valley every few days.  I love watching them soar in unison as they follow the river.

A whole flock of waxwings showed up and devoured the berries from our Oregon Grape plant. 

I can't let a month go by without a few shots of that mountain!!!

And of course...the flowers...

My favorite clematis, Josephine, came on just loaded with blooms and they all bloomed at once.  It was gorgeous at it went through the 3 stages.

The first year we moved here, John built me a pergola for my birthday.  I planted a wisteria at each corner.  It has fully covered the top and was so gorgeous blooming!!!

A few wildflowers from my workouts.  Yes, I stop and shoot flowers along the way.

I have an orchid plant inside.  I just love how the little middle part looks like some kind of exotic bird.

After 10 weeks of staying home, Mom and Dad agreed to a little excursion.  We decided to take a drive to Adelman's Peony Garden in Brooks.  We all took separate cars and the 3 cars followed along, Cyndi and Dan, Me and Mom and Dad. They are still going to stay home most of the time, but when it is for something that will keep them outside and away from people, they will start venturing out a little at a time. 

April
Still under Stay at Home orders for Jimmy's birthday on April Fools Day, I delivered him a meal from Wendy's, complete with his much desired ice cream. He has been asking for it almost every time I talk to him on the phone.  He doesn't really get it that I am not supposed to go places any more than he is and when I do, it is not just that easy.  I delivered it to the front door and while they wiped it down for the virus, I went around back to his window.  The nurse opened the window and I was able to chat with him a little.  I think it helped for him to see me and keep a bit of reality/normalcy in his life.

Staying at home isn't that big of a deal.  At least for us that isn't.  We have a steady income, we have a springtime yard that needs tending.  I know it is hard for so many, but am so thankful that each of my kids has means to keep their income during all of this.

Going to the store is not what it was.  I have to really want something to go out.  First off, you are not sure if what you are going after is going to be available.  Second, you have to plan on spending way more time to get what you went after.  Stores are only allowing a certain amount of people in, you have to stand outside in a line spaced 6ft apart.  You have to put on a mask and sometimes gloves (my choice if I am going to use a cart). Mt. Hood Theater has come up with a great idea to keep a little income coming in.  Every week, they sell popcorn.  You can buy a bucket for $6, or a bucket and a $20 gift card for future use for $20 or a bucket and a mystery movie poster for $20.  I drove in to get popcorn and a gift card.  You drive up and a person walks to your car, gloved and masked, tell them what you want and they bring it back out to you. I sure hope that we don't lose all these great businesses when this is all finally over.

Zoom and Kids Messenger has kept the family chatting, along with our usual texting.

When we first realized that we could should not be hiking, going to each other's homes, riding in the same car, etc., we went the whole other way, totally staying apart.  Jessi would drive up and drop something on the porch and I would do the same and then we would chat from a distance for just a minute.  Then as time went along, we have figured out that we can sit out in the yard, away from each other, but still close enough to chat.  The kids can run and play.  Jessi does not let them go inside to play and everything that they touched, like the little cars, she puts back away and we don't touch them until the next time they come over.  It is really weird having them jump back if we accidently get too close and not getting hugs or holding their hands.

Here are a few shots that they send me of their past times through this.

Easter was not celebrated as we normally do, of course, but we made the best of it anyway.  We drove in to Jessi's place and hid a little gift for them in their front yard.  Then I dinged the bell and they came out and found it.

In the afternoon, we drove to my parents' and had a tailgate party.  Each of us brought our own food and chairs and we sat spaced out.  It was a beautiful warm day and we had such a good time.

A week later, it was my birthday.  John had Jessi pick up some Chinese food and a cake.  Once again, spaced out, we made it work.  We had a whole family ZOOM for the birthday song.  My parents and sisters and all the kids and grandkids who could not be here got online for that.

The next day, we met up at Mom and Dad's for another celebration.

Once again, in the field. But this time, it didn't turn out quite so well as Easter.  Once we loaded back into our cars to go home and Mom and Dad were walking up to the house, Mom tripped over a little berry vine, falling and breaking her wrist.  They have not gone anyplace since this whole shut down began.  The last thing Dad wanted to do was take Mom into a hospital waiting room.  I called and got her an appointment at Urgent Care.  Us girls all followed them there and waited in the parking lot.  Dad and Mom were taken directly back to a room and didn't have to sit in a waiting room.  Her wrist was broken in two places!  

Like I said, spring flowers make it so nice to stay at home.

This isn't a flower of course, but I loved the way the drops formed on the spider webs on the hedge.  It is full of these guys.  You can see the hole where they go hide and wait for their victims.

The flowering trees are so loaded this year!

I always think Dandelions are so pretty from start to finish.  I saw on Pinterest where somebody put some of the puffs in a jar to save them. A jar full of future wishes.  So I filled the biggest jar I had.  I was so happy.  Well, it didn't work.  They packed down to half a jar and then the jar filled with moisture.   I guess I should have left the lid off and maybe dried them all before putting them in the jar.  I will give it another try.

 

 

I love the different shades of greens you see as each of the bushes and trees leaf out.

Here are the masks I made being worn by my family. I liked it that I was able to do something to help protect each of them.  When the virus first hit, we were told that if we were not infected, we didn't need a mask.  Now it is recommended that if we go out, we should cover up. 

Josh didn't like the masks that are supplied at his work, so he asked me to make him a couple more.  He requested StarWars fabric.  Of course I didn't have any on hand, so off to the fabric store I went.  The line wrapped all the way around the corner!  I stood in line for 1 hour and 10 minutes!!!  But it made me happy to that he asked me to make him a mask.  

Somebody brought in special cookies for the nurses at Jessi's hospital.  So cute! As it turns out, Oregon has not been hit hard with the virus.  They now have enough proper protective gear for the staff.  Patients are being tested before they are admitted.  I feel so much better knowing that she is just a little bit more protected that she was before.

So one of my stay at home days, I decided it was time to wash the windows.  I spent the whole day up and down a ladder.  I washed them inside and out.  And just as soon as I was done and put all the cleaning supplies away...down came the rain!

Oh well, it didn't do much damage to my cleaning job.  I just love rainbows and always am reminded of God's protection and promises to us.  That is especially nice to remember right now with the COVID-19 hitting our world and how much it has hurt and affected almost every area of our lives.

The Super Moon rising. 

I had plenty of time to play with my crystal ball.  It is going to be so much fun using this in the future. I learned the hard way that you can't have it in the direct sun too long.  Well, actually, not at all. It was only seconds and I could feel it burning my hand.

We have a new inhabitant in the front yard. I don't like snakes, but as long as it is just a garter snake and I know exactly where it is, I can deal with having him out there.  That doesn't mean that I don't jump every time he makes himself known.  One time last week, I was pulling up some leaves that I just pruned off and ended up grabbing on to him. I am sure he was as surprised as I was.  I sure dropped those leaves fast!  

It is finally warm enough in the mornings, along with my outdoor heater, to sit on my morning porch with my morning latte.  It is such a peaceful way to slowly begin my day.

I love watching the birds, the humming birds, squirrels and chipmunks.  Last fall, I put out a big jar that only the chipmunks could get into eat from.  I didn't want them to get hungry over the winter.  Well, my goal has been to get them taking peanuts from my hand again.  They have been pretty timid, but finally two days ago, one was brave enough to grab it and run.

 My next trick is to get the hummingbirds to eat from my new feeding ring.  really!  I found a ring that you put a little bit of food in and they are supposed to feed from it. There is one hummer that is pretty brave.  Each morning, it comes right to my face and checks me out.  I have seen it done, so I am going to do what it takes to get her to eat from my ring.  I will of course post it here if it happens! 

The squirrel wants to get a peanut, but will not get close enough.  As soon as I go inside, he is right back eating any of the ones I have left behind.  There are two kinds of squirrels out there, these reddish ones and then a smaller blackish gray one.

Not too great of photos, but any sudden movements and I knew he would run.  I had waited too long coaxing him there to have to start over again because of trying to focus the photo.