Project 365: May 21st through May 27th

May 21st: Dinner at Marrakesh with Jen Earp - and we were the only people there.

May 22nd: Sun garden and fence completion. I also added some new stone, plants and rearranged other stuff.

May 23rd: On our way home from Ikea my little Bernie broke a part which is on order. We got a tow from the nicest guy though - thanks for the lift Wil Kaplan! And, as always, thanks be to my car goddess for finding the problem fast and working to fix it. Ahhh the joys of owning a car two years older than me!

May 24th: Salty’s on the Columbia Willamette Valley Vineyards Winemaker’s Dinner Don Crank the winemaker for WVV, Chef Josh Gibler of Salty’s, Beverage Manager of Salty’s Megann Williams and Derek the sales manager for WVV in Oregon.

First course: variety of cheeses, fruits, breads and Prosciutto wrapped melon paired with WVV Dry Rose of Syrah/Tempranillo 2011. Second Course: Orange and Chili Rubbed Colossal Tigar Prawns with Pinot Gris poached pear, crispy Pancetta and Local Arugula paired with WVV Pinot Gris 2009. Entrée: Pan Seared Copper River King Salmon with Yukon Potato Gratin, Crispy Morels, Proscuitto wrapped baby artichoke and a Pinot Noir Reduction paired with South Block Pinot Noir 2008 (this wine is not available any longer and is VERY tough to find but amazing).

Desert: Ricotta Cheese, orange zest, pistachios and fruit compote paired with Quinta Reserva “Port Style” Pinot Noir 2008 (another wine you can not longer find).

May 25th: More work on the yard. Patrick covered the old chicken pen with lattice to hide the veggie garden and our compost. I moved the evergreen clematis and also rehung the purple clematis and honeysuckle from the new lattice work on the old fencing.

May 26th: New blooms - and here in the front gardens my black and purple iris have started blooming.

May 27th: The last of the Spring bulbs are almost done like this stunning red anemone. I still have a few purple ones left - definitely plant anemones since they provide a lot of bang for your buck!