Gardening on Orcas Island

This may be the best spring for gardening I have ever seen on Orcas. Here are my tulips, this was taken about a week ago.. and behind the tulips are my peonies.. those bushes had as many as 75 blooms each last year!  The secret to my success.. well it's 100% pure, organic, composted Mustang Manure!  Yep, and we can supply some to you to- just give us a jingle.

See the heads coming on this Peony already?  So early, weeks early.  Back east in Ringoes I had two Peony plants they were on the south side of my home and I loved those babies, I nurtured them, I fed and watered them and they gave me about 5 or 6 blooms a year. Here on Orcas I put manure on top of almost solid clay and they flourish!

Perfect Tulips everywhere! Tulips thrive in the Pacific Northwest, that is why the Skagit is full of them, the cool nights and warm days make for perfect growing conditions and the blooms last for weeks. Today it's in the mid 60's and feels hotter in the sun. My lettuce are just starting to come up as are our beets and spinach. I have decided to only drink tea I can grow, no more imported tea, so I drink mint tea from the garden. Changes..

My peas are up and this am I ate a veggie omelet from my garden.with beet greens and chives.  If you are looking for a gardening spot on Orcas drop me a line! kate

Spring would not be complet without the return of the Hummingbirds!  Today is the birthday of my most glorious grandson Caleb. Happy Birthday dear one!  He's seven!

Living on Orcas Island

Today as I stood in the arena lunging Black Elk, I watched a pair of Eagles engaged in a mating dance. Their cry was completely different from what they normally sound like, and I stood watching them tumble and fall straight up above me, then over the marsh, up into the woods and back again. I thought this is why I live on Orcas!

And when I went to Coffelt's for eggs and saw these wonderful photo ops.  Wheelbarrows in a pile, shovels and pitch forks, a lake rimmed in pastels.

Perhaps it was the joy I felt when looking down the driveway and seeing Ken and Jay and Megan all digging holes for the yurt platform. Jay and Megan will have housing for the summer, our farm is growing.  Our neighbor, Dan had helped Ken design the platform it and then carved out a path lined with old logs with moss intact.

 Perhaps it was the felling of connection  I felt this afternoon I saw two friends who I helped find their homes on Orcas.  Jim had me over to talk about the market and how to prepare his house for sale. We brainstormed about his next tranisition and swapped a few tales.  Then I ran into Tom at the Post Office. He owns Deer Harbor Charters - and takes people whale watching. He had a fire in his home and yet was so happy with the changes he made with the home he   invite to stop by and see his remodel.  We chatted about his winter which he claimed was colder in Florida then here on Orcas!

 I think it was watching my grand-daughter, Trinity learn how to handle the wheelbarrow that made me happy to be on Orcas.

 Or maybe while watching her sleep...

Perhaps it was the long emails I got from a new friend assuring me that going virtual in our Real Estate Business will work just fine, and her warm invitation to join a oil painting class.

Lots to be thankful for; the beauty and the people and of course the gift of living on this very special Island.To see what kinds of properties are for sale on Orcas Island go to: www.orcasdreams.com

Spring Training on Orcas

I am back to training my horses. Black Elk and I have been walking the trails both on line and at liberty. We're getting back in shape. We have also been working on his giving to pressure in the arena, learning to leave a bit of a loop in the lunge line as he trots his circles. This spring he's learned to curve his whole body as he goes around and around, tipping his nose in and listening. He is very soft and very attentive. While last summer he could barely manage to canter his big body in the arena, now he can canter part of a circle.Yesterday he was trying to buck and canter while playing and he looked like a baby moose! We were in hysterics laughing.

Rascal has gotten so beautiful in his maturity. Now everyone says he is the most handsome of my horses, but this was not always so. You can see the changes that the slow dressage work have made in his body, which was once rather lumpy and awkward.
Dressage = the athletic development of the horse. He is still not as graceful as the others in some regards, like backing up is hard for him, but put him on a lunge and you'd think he's a Lippizan! This spring in one session I taught him to bring in his nose while trotting, as if he had on side reins. He is such a smart horse, he got it right away. I often wonder how he even knows what I am asking for.. he is one of those horses who keeps offering things. and then when he gives me what I want.. I let out my breath and sigh.. YES! He slows and comes in, drops his head and is happy. His other big improvement is being able to canter a 10 meter circle on the lunge, he is also getting so much better at not having to brace as he changes gaits from a canter to a trot. He is a serious hard working guy, when he is working. The rest of the time he is a ham!

I have adjusted how I lunge my horses, and now try to become the pole that they circle around. Black Elk found this so much easier to keep the proper distance and to make the circles really round and accurate. The Vaqueros used a pole and it is said that 30 days of lunging around a still point in the center will develop the horse as much as 90 days of riding dressage. Accurate circles is the key says Jane Savoie too.

On Wednesday I had Abby come over to ride Shaman. With my ribs still sore, I wanted the  wonder girl to ride any surprises out of my youngsters. She is so agile and athletic as well as having nerves of steel, I feel so lucky to have her help.

                        Shaman even got a bit bored while Abby took a phone call!

He had not forgot a thing. Abby was quite surprised, but I know these musangs  -  teach them something and they have it down. He was so happy to see her and always welcomes the attention. He stood quietly for mounting and walked around without any issues, making turns and stops.

                                        We kept it short..ending on a happy note.

Since things went so well with Shaman and we still had a bit of time, I saddled up the Elk and had her pop aboard. He stood like a rock (something I feel is VERY Important) and was just fine. They walked around and backed, he offered some very fancy side passing.  She commented on how he was much more fluid and lighter, giving to pressure so much more readily. I was happy to hear that the ground work was showing up in the riding so soon. My plan was to have her ride him a dozen times.. but already I am itching to get on.. my memory seems to be blessedly short! I am back to training my horses.
If you are looking for a farm on Orcas take a look at our site: www.orcasdreams.com