One would not naturally assume that when one takes a vacation to British Columbia in mid-late April, one would experience a snowstorm. But I guess that's Canada for ya. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it was about +27 degrees and tropical, so I came back to this: 
And, more importantly, this: 
The cat's not dead, he's just lazy. Looking at this photo makes me realize that my black cat's not as black as I always thought he was. Huh. Like a panther. Do you know that they're actually spotted?
Anyway, the vacation was good, but back home all the snow was melting and the garden was growing. When we returned, I was able to rake out all the dead stuff and get a move on outside, but gardening with a puppy is challenging, especially when the hubby's out fishing for the weekend. Being a single parent is hard.
But Rosie turned a new leaf while we were away. My parents had her, and had a wonderful time. We almost didn't get her back. Apparently she's developed a taste for running around in swamps and eating rawhides, which are pretty harmless habits. Also, she experienced being tied up for the day, and she was ok with it. They had lots of playtime and the weather was great, and she slept a lot during her stay. Now that we've got her back, she's all mature and stuff. She doesn't bite us anymore, and she's more mellow. We can put her to bed earlier, and just turn out all the lights and she's fine. This morning I also noticed that she's lost some of her baby teeth. I'm sad. My baby's growing up. She had her final shots on Saturday, and graduated from Puppy K (not with flying colours but that's just as well. Probably my fault), and she weighs 32.6 lbs. And now she is losing her teeth.
She still attacks the cat really hard - I'm not sure when or if that will pass, but I am ready anytime. It's very stressful. They're better outside, but inside it's total chaos. My poor cat's fur is always crusty around the neck and ears area.
In the garden, the bulbs are up though I am a bit disappointed - I think I may have lost some over the winter because I could swear that I had waaaay more tulips planted than what I see. Like I should have in the neighborhood of 50, and I only see about 20. Perhaps some of them aren't really up yet.
The perennials were all poking their heads up even through the snow, so I can now also see where things didn't come back. One of these days I will reconcile myself to the now-irrefutable fact that I cannot grow artichokes. It makes me sad. Not that I love eating them, I just think they're fantastic-looking. When I uncovered the buckets full of leaves that I'd covered the artichokes with last fall, all I saw was black mush. I don't think they're coming back.
The perennials are all out at the garden centres now, which is a ton of fun. I want some new things this year, surprise surprise. I think I'd like a few more ornamental grasses for the area around the veggie garden, and some tall red flowers (lobelia?) for the perennial beds and veggie garden areas. I want to attract more hummingbirds. I have a lot of monarda, but I think it might need to be refreshed and spread around. I love me some monarda.
As for the veggie garden, I really have to get a move-on and work it. Luckily, the last few days haven't been great or warm so I have a bit of a grace period, but I have to get the garden composted, turned, and tilled/formed into rows next weekend so I can plant out the onions, beets, lettuce, spinach and other early direct-seeded veggies. The rhubarb is up, and some onions, and all of the garlic that I planted last fall (yay!) and I will have to work around the strawberries, sage, and inevitable cilantro that'll be up before long.
I also have to figure out what the hell I'm going to do about my squash and melons. I'm thinking they'll go at the edges of my perennial beds so they can tumble out and over the lawn. It'll be a mess. I have a great spot at the back of the house but unfortunately it's bordered by railway ties so I can't grow any edibles there. I am wondering about sunlight levels on the west side of my veggie garden, and whether I can make a quickie newspaper garden there for the behemoth plants. Maybe that'll be a plan for next year. This year, I think I will have to improvise.
Tomorrow I'm going to pick up my potoatoes, and bags of shrimp or mushroom compost, and some peat moss. I also should have bought a tie-out for Rosie, so she can be close to me in the veggie garden but ideally not peeing or digging in the soil. Or worse. I will need a new garden gate and I think I am going to go professional this time, and buy something sturdy. She is a lot different than a delicate cat.
I also have to pot up my tomato seedlings, becasue they're enormous and leggy and not looking so hot. I can fix it, but I should act fast. Like tonight. Maybe I'll ask hubby for an hour off of dog duty and do that this evening. Or I'll let her 'help' me outside on the picnic table. Ha. I need to find a spot to harden them off...every year I burn the leaves in the sun, so ideally I need a shady spot out of the wind to start, then gradually bring them into the bright sunlight. They look soft.
The peppers are coming up - a bit slower than the tomatoes but that's not unusual. I also have basil, thai basil, and my "Big Max" pumpkins which have sprouted, and will likely need potting up by tonight as well.
I have to look at the garden plan and plot my time. I also have to be reasonable, because with the dog, I get a lot less done. I do, however, want to buy more fruit trees and plants (blueberries?), and this year, I will probably part ways with the old plum tree. I'll wait until it blooms though - it's so pretty.
(Sigh). How can something so enjoyable also be so stressful!? I need another vacation.
