Jake and I are taking our new little monster on lots of walks in the vain attempt that this happens more often. Oliver is learning "come" and "sit" as well as a few other commands pretty quickly. He's also learned to pull his leash off the door knob when he wants to go out.

Fall is here! #gardening #gardeninglife #pnwlife

We decided on Oliver/Ollie. I know it's not one of the choices but it does seem to fit him. He loves his yard and the woods! He's barely scratched all the things he can explore here, but now he's exhausted, curled into a ball, and sound asleep. Oh, and he loved the greenhouse! #gardening

We came to visit Tess and are bringing home a new friend. He's a 9-week-old Australian Shepherd and very cute. Not sure of his name yet. Tess's favorite is Austen, but I'm leaning toward Zeke. We had considered Sherlock, but he's way too active for that. #Australianshepherd #puppy

Love my hydrangeas -- all from my garden. #gardening #gardeninglife #pnwlife

Reindeer in Norway. Such beautiful animals.

Beautiful sunset.

Nightie night, sweet bee. #gardening #gardeninglife

My squash is a bit squashed. It was fine one day and no the next when I came to put it in a bag. It's been immovable ever since. I'm just waiting to see how long it takes before it explodes. #gardeninglife #gardening

Oslo, Norway. From the royal palace to the coastal development to the old-style windows, it's a great place!

Today's random post brought to you by Stockholm Sweden.

Night and day in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sunshine on a stem. #gardening #dahlias #flowers #pnwlife

Spa day at the watering platform lol. #gardening #birdlovers #pnwlife #birds

Dahlia, dahlia, dahlia! #pnwlife #gardening #flowers #dahlia

Dahlia days have begun. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

Sunshine against a blue sky and leafy greens. #gardening #flowers #pnwlife #daylilies

The hydrangeas are blooming. #gardening #flowers #pnwlife

Poppies! #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

I managed to catch a mama pileated woodpecker and her baby feeding on our deck today. Note that the baby's distinctive red feathers aren't full grown in yet. #birdphotography #birdlovers #pnwlife #birds

Off to make some Good Trouble in a few minutes! #goodtrouble #protest

A delphinium in all its regal glory. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

Hello sunshine! #gardening #flowers #pnwlife

Antique succulents on my patio. Well, the first pot is. It's been here, untended and left to its own devices since we moved in. #gardening #pnwlife #gardenlife

Fuschia hanging tight. #pnwlife #gardening #flowers

Ruffled water. #pnwlife #hoodcanal #olympicmountains

Almost the last of the foxgloves shining bright. #pnwlife #gardening #flowers

Yesterday's office, and probably tomorrow's. Actually as long as summer stays nice, I'll be working and looking at this view. #pnwlife #writinglife #gardening #kidlit

Can you guess who we saw in concert Friday? Great time and great concert!

The marion berry monsters I started as seeds, potted on, then planted out are finally bearing. Just like the plants, these are monsters! #gardening #pnwlife

Dangling hummingbird food. #gardening #flowers #pnwlife

The time of lilies has begun. #gardening #pnwlife

I harvested the cherries on the tree I planted three years ago. In total, I maybe got half a gallon of them, and the birds only got a few. I used black bird netting to keep them off until they were ripe, and boy are they good! #gardening #pnwlife

Kitten update: The vet I use is going to adopt two kittens (at least) and fix the rest before finding them homes. So happy! That's the best possible outcome! Some where in that clump of cats is the fifth kitten. #catlovers #rescuecats

Someone dumped five kittens and a mother on our road last week, and the mama cat kept them alive somehow despite all the predators around here. My neighbors and I met today with traps and food and caught all of them. I'll take them to the Humane Society tomorrow, but one may stay with us. #Cats

Blue skies, blue flowers and a massive tree stump. Perfection. #pnwlife #gardening #flowers

This iris is striking with its almost gray purple color. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers #flowerlover

A pale pink peony hides a bee under its anthers and stigmas. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

These clematis are so perfect they look fake. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

Peonies yearning for the mountains. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

A new iris that I planted in the fall. Hoping the others bloom soon too! #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

Peonies are in bloom! #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

Some of the many roses at the Portland Rose and Test Gardens. Lovely place! #gardening #roses #pnwlife #portlandoregon

We visited Ole Bolle by Thomas Dambo in Portland Monday. What a treat! #pnwlife #art #trolls

This rose was dancing on the wind yesterday. #gardening #rose #pnwlife

Blooming muscari in soft lavender. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

This rhododendron is showy and spectacular. Love it! #gardening

White columbine with a touch of pale purple on its petals. #gardening #pnwlife #flowers

Pacific Northwest vignette: mushrooms, sedum and lungwort. #pnwlife #pnwonderland #gardening

Iris season has arrived! #gardening