My Yard – Page 20 – Sequim Daily Photo

Spring winds

It was very windy on Tuesday, gale force all day and well into the night. DH wanted to investigate how the waters looked in Dungeness Bay, which as some sheltering influences. This shot can illustrate what he saw. Close in, where the water is less disturbed, is the bay. The line of land in the middle distance is Cline Spit, an important force in providing shelter to the bay. Further out is a thin strip of land. That’s the Dungeness Spit, another moderating influence. Beyond that, where you can see breaking waves and very choppy water, is the Strait of Juan de Fuca where anyone in their right mind would not have wanted to be.

I don’t exaggerate when I say it was windy. We lost a large piece of our plum tree to gusts. As you can see, it wasn’t as healthy as we might have thought and it was in need of a good pruning. But it takes some strong wind to tear apart a tree like that.

Spring obstacles

Spring is a great time to take on projects that we’ve planned over the winter, such as our new deck. But spring hasn’t been very cooperative. In addition to the seemingly endless wind and rain, thunder and lightning was added to the mix Thursday evening.

Deer and more deer

The neighborhood deer are accompanied by little spotted fawns in summer. We try to harden our hearts to them — they are, after all, landscape eating machines. But they’re cute and this trio has ranged around our yard a lot. So one day when Mom and only one fawn grazed across our land we mourned the missing fawn, sadder than we’d expected. Several days later, the trio reappeared. Multiple family units, apparently.

Then this young buck showed up, confident and a little cocky. The two Pomeranian dogs next door were apoplectic. He was unfazed.

He came back later with a younger buddy.

Lots of deer also graze at the Dungeness Recreation Area. This time of year the grass is high enough that sometimes ears are the biggest clue they’re there.

Theme Day: Shadow and Highlight

This month’s City Daily Photo theme challenge is “shadow and highlight.” I’ve given peonies from my garden a starring role. Their ruffled petals are animated with an interplay of light.

Click here to see other interpretations of today’s theme.

Delicata squash

Have you ever eaten delicata squash? No? If you haven’t you’re missing a treat. These aren’t like your typical big, pulpy squashes that rely on other ingredients to taste good. These guys have “yum” down solid. They have earned a revered place in my garden and I look forward to them every year. (These were at Sunny Farms. I’ve eaten most of my 2015 crop.)

Cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out the pulp and seeds. Then cut them into inch thick half rounds. Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them evenly on a roasting pan in a preheated oven at 425 degrees. Roast for about 20 minutes, then flip them over for another 15-20 minutes. The naturally sweet squash carmelizes beautifully and the skin is completely edible.

Floral fun

My nasturtiums have been going great gangbusters this year. They started early. By mid-summer they looked like they’d had it for the year. Now they’re back again, even more glorious than before.

Some of the volunteers have stripes and are different shades than the originals. The plants have reseeded and come back on their own.

Monster beets

I knew I was staying busy and I knew I was neglecting the garden. But it really hit home when I looked at the long neglected beets. Oops. This one was about the size of a large grapefruit. They’re usually harvested when they’re the size of a fist.

I remembered to weigh this one before we cut it up (“Honey, would you get out the chainsaw?”) It was slightly over 7 pounds without the greens and roughly the size of a large cantaloupe.

If you have the opportunity to find beets fresh enough to have attached leaves, the greens are very tasty and loaded with nutrients.

Despite their heft these weren’t woody and were very tasty. If I had more time I’d have pickled and canned them. But then if I had more time I’d have harvested them a month ago.