A Day at BrownStone Chinooks

June 5, 2017 - began a cool, sunny, beautiful day with every outdoor surface coated yellow pollen. But, alas isn't that why hay-fever medicine was created - for use in the pollen capital of the world? Without pollen, we wouldn't have such beautiful flowers and trees delighting our morning.
Icemageddon clean-up is still ongoing. This morning I met with the neighbor to remove part of a large oak tree that had taken out my vegetable garden fence and irrigation system. A wonderful friend had repaired the irrigation pipe and replaced the sprinkler head but dangling 8' diameter, limbs from the oak tree threatened to once again take them out. Success. The deer can still easily hop over the fence and finish off my pea crop but the pipes are no longer at risk.
Next chore was mowing the lawn. I tried to sit with my coffee and paper to enjoy the morning light but just couldn't. The overgrown grass called. I now know that my lawn mower is not a two-stroke engine and that two-stroke oil makes it not run. I thought I was being prudent starting the season out with new oil.  Guess I should have asked when type was needed. We now have a future dust free section of our gravel drive and the mower works perfectly.
When I came in for lunch, I looked out to see:

From this vantage point, the deer can easily see the tasty morsels awaiting in the garden. All five of these bucks still have velvet on their antlers. Protecting the four trees I just planted to replace those lost to snow and ice needs to go higher on my to-do list before they become handy velvet relief and marking posts.

This beautiful dock was built by friends during Dave's last birthday party. Currently a mom mallard and her four chicks live under the ramp and in the iris. They have kept us entertained for a couple of weeks. The little ones are real speedsters until they try to perch on the Lilly pads.

Early afternoon Dave and I went to the hospital where he had nine pounds of fluid taken off. He is now breathing and moving much easier.
And for all of those following her progress. Koyuk is looking pregnant. She is up a couple of pounds and is exceptionally clingy. I don't know if it is her hormones or not but both she and her mom Cedar are digging dens.