Happy May Two-Four

Victoria Day weekend in Canada marks the first long weekend of the year where we pretend it is finally summer. Everyone has at least one good story that they can share about how they celebrated the weekend - dreadful weather colours the story line, alcohol contributes to the theme - hence the name two-four - a Canadianism for a case of beer. For cottagers, this is the w/e when you sit in traffic for at least 10 times the power of 4 longer than you normally would to get to the cottage so you can open the cottage, dispatch the mice, cobwebs, dead flies and find out what winter has wrought - and if your cottage is in Orillia this year, you are advised to bring bear spray, because there is a black bear who appears to have it in for visitors (I kid you not....bear-spray - "hold on Yogi while I get this cap off and read the instructions."). Oh, and don't run, bears consider that to be play behaviour, and sometimes it works to wave your hands over your head and shout. And I guess sometimes it doesn't?

I'm staying in the bear-free zone this w/e: Planting plants, visiting good friends and going for walks. Everything is looking just grand right now.

Below isn't the best photo in the world. I took it at Post Park down the street and it gives me the feeling of the exuberance of the greenery.

Unfortunately many of the invasives are at their best too - here is a patch that Garlic Mustard has taken over as its own.

An ivy escapee.

Hopefully it will be a little more peaceful this weekend. So many houses have been razed. You can get an inkling of how many pieces of stone, quartz, and endangered South American forests will be used based on the quality of the hording. Get your Brazil nuts now.

Here's one of the larger homes that's been built. It is classified as an ultra luxury home.

But good to see they've saved a bit of money - there's another big stone fountain in the back yard. Who doesn't love a good 2 for 1 sale?

Don't you wonder what the original models were thinking when they posed for this reproduction of a reproduction?

Time to plant the annuals - back up the truck....

Or just go to Sheridan & Loblaws and pick out your own. This is my little afternoon project after I've done the grass clipping.

There is a glorious wind blowing this a.m. It feels fabulous on my bare arms. However, not so good for photos, but here are a few of the garden:

Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing' Really hard to photograph in the best of conditions - camera seems to grab every little white petal and not really know where to focus. Excellent plant - let it self-sow.

One of the few hosta in the back yard that isn't on Bart's running track. Sadly H. Guacamole is sitting in the middle of his route and now looks exactly like guacamole - chunky guacamole.

A spider doing Pilates.

A sweet little Geranium - name well hidden.

And the exquisitely yummy Japanese peonies are starting to bloom.

So very beautiful.

The Heracium maculatum is starting to bloom. Although the blossoms are a bit unrefined.

The leaves are unlike any others in my garden - furry, spotty, pointy.

And if I work a little harder on my shot, you can see that the flowers are quite interesting as well. Love the little Dr. Seuss curls.

Give it a proper background and I'd say H. maculatum might even be able to get a date.

Have a lovely long weekend everyone - safe driving!