Celtic Beamer

Celebrating Little Things

Page 4 of 11

Irises

Home of the Blues Iris

I never paid much attention to irises.  My cousin, Norma, always had the small bluish purple Dutch irises, around the veranda of her house in Dundee. They were pretty and seemed to spread so quickly.  In the past 10-15 years or so, Mom and I have started planting shrubs, bushes, and flowers in memory of special people who have passed away.  When Norma passed away I knew I’d have to plant irises in her memory.  I chose a selection of various coloured Dutch irises, but also noticed bearded irises in the catalogue.  I thought I’d order some of those as well.  But how do you choose, as there were so many different coloured ones available.  I started with a mixed group of four, and added an additional one to the order.  They arrived in the fall of 2020 and I planted them immediately.  They would show their colours come springtime.  

Spring arrived and so did the blossoms.  The Dutch irises were the first to bloom. 

Some were white with purple and yellow.

Dutch Iris

White with yellow.

Dutch Iris

And blue with yellow.

Dutch Iris
Dutch Irises

Of the 12 that I planted, 11 bloomed.  I was surprised as I thought they would all be of the blue variety. Sadly only one came back this spring (2022) but only had a stock with no blossom.

The initial five bearded irises were: Coup de Soleil, Cloud Dweller, I Pink I Can, Obsessed, and But Darling.  However when the order was filled, not all were available.  Obsessed was replaced with Grateful Red, But Darling was replaced with Idol, and Cloud Dweller was replaced with Boston Cream.  I was alerted to the substitutions prior to the shipment being sent.  I was fine with the substitutes and especially excited that Boston Cream was being sent.  Norma’s favourite city in the world was Boston and this was just so fitting.  

Irises have standards, falls and beards.  The standards are the three upturned petals, the falls are the three downturned petals and the beard is the fluffy caterpillar looking part at the base of the falls. 

The first iris to bloom in the spring of 2021 was Idol.  It is described as having apricot yellow standards, dark wine purple falls and a red beard.  

Idol Iris
Idol Iris

The next to bloom was Grateful Red.  The standards and falls are rich red with hints of maroons and browns and dark yellow beards.  

Idol Iris
Idol Iris

Up next was Boston Cream.  This one has creamy white standards and falls, with slight veining and the beard is orangey yellow with a white tip. This is especially for Norma Campbell Billard.

Boston Cream Iris
Boston Cream Iris

Coup de Soleil was next.  It has uniform orange (between tangerine and carrot) standards and falls with dark orange/red beards.  

Coup de Soleil Iris
Coup de Soleil Iris

The last to bloom was I Pink I Can.  The standards and falls are both pink and the beard is a darker pink, almost red colour.  

I Pink I Can Iris
I Pink I Can Iris

I fell in love with Irises last year.  It was fun to see the surprise as each one bloomed.  They rank a very close second to Hibiscus, as my favourite flower.  I ended up ordering five more in the fall of 2021, which would bloom in the spring of 2022.

All 10 irises came up and Grateful Red was the first to bloom.  The new iris were soon to follow.

Grateful Red

Sometimes the standards open enough to view the middle of the flowers. Gorgeous.

Centre of Grateful Red

First to bloom was Silken Trim.  The standards are violet/purple.  The falls are a much darker purple with the colouring of the ruffles the same as the standards.  The beards are dark, almost chocolate brown.  The centre of the falls is yellow.  

Silken Trim Iris
Silken Trim Iris
Centre of Silken Trim

Island Hop bloomed next.  It has primrose yellow standards, violet blue falls and orange beards.  It’s stunning.  

Island Hop Iris
Island Hop Iris

Off the Shoulder was next up.  This one has chalky white standards and periwinkle-blue falls with orange beards.  

Off the Shoulder Iris

It’s fun to see the emergence of the bloom. It is encased in the falls before displaying the full bloom. I was sure this was going to be Home of the Blues until it revealed its true colours.

Off the Shoulder Iris

Goldkist provided a rather unusual colouring.  It has white standards with white falls with 3/4” of yellow gold bands at the haft and purple veining in the throat, with bright yellow beards.  

Goldkist Iris
Goldkist Iris

The last of the new group to bloom was Home of the Blues.  The standards are dark sky blue with darker veining and the beard is a whitish blue.  Another stunner.  

Home of the Blues

Depending on the lighting, the blossoms take on different colours. Same flower above and below.

Home of the Blues

Unfortunately four of the originals didn’t bloom this year, but they did grow.  I’m hoping they are still adjusting and will be back in full bloom next year.  I have recently ordered 9 more iris to add to the iris bed.  

I loved watching the growth of the plant and the progression of the flowers. I checked them before going to work in the morning and upon arriving home after work in the evening. It was exciting to see what changes took place throughout the day. I’m anxious for fall to plant the newest rhizomes and to see what surprises they will bring next spring.

I hope you enjoyed my iris blog. Leave a comment if you did, or if you didn’t. All comments welcome. Celebrate the little things.

My Experience With Covid Part 5

At the Tree for Boston, Balmoral, Cape Breton 2020.

Day 6 Monday April 18/22 – It’s Patriots Day and Boston Marathon Day. It’s also a day of reflection for Nova Scotia, on the anniversary of the horrific tragedy that was taking place 2 years ago. Mom and I chose to wear our Boston Strong tee shirts today. They were given to us by my cousin Norma, who’s birthday would have been yesterday and who passed away two years ago tomorrow. I spent a lot of time reflecting on people and events today. The above picture is taken a couple of years ago. 

I’m feeling good. I slept quite late for me, almost 9am. I stripped my bed and made it up fresh, exchanged much of my winter/summer clothes, put away hats, mitts, scarves, etc. and brought out my summer head attire. I went for a walk this morning and found pussy willows and a CD (not my genre). I puttered about in the house, but I did not have a rest. I’m weaning myself off for my return to work on Wednesday. 

Pussy willows
Tim McGraw CD

On a downer, as of 4pm this afternoon Mom tested positive. My worst fear came true. I was so in hopes she would avoid it, but it’s hard, even though we kept our distance. I’m angry, upset, concerned, worried, and of course, I feel responsible. Now my next hope is that her symptoms will be mild. I hope she doesn’t get all that I had. She’s tough, and stubborn, and she continued to say ‘I feel fine’. She sounded nasally to me today and she finally agreed to do a rapid test, only if I helped her. Let me tell you, thank goodness I’m not administering these tests. She didn’t want to do the throat swab herself, because she feared she would vomit, so she asked me to do it. ME!!! OMG!!! I couldn’t get her to keep her tongue out of the way and I was scared to death to hurt her. Thankfully she did her nostrils herself. Ick. We actually laughed through the process, between her fits of gagging and sneezing. Like my rapid test, hers instantly showed two lines. She is now in isolation until next Monday afternoon. On a positive note, we don’t have to isolate anymore. I have to find the positive amongst the negative.

I put a sign on the door. 

This will be my last report for My Experience With Covid. There isn’t much more to report. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and if you find yourself with Covid, and similar symptoms, maybe it will help you. Everyone responds differently, so I suppose no one will have the same experience I had. If anyone is positive and would like to reach out to ask questions, feel free, but I can only answer based on my situation. 

Be well, be safe and for goodness sake, keep masking

My Experience With Covid Part 4

Chocolate eggs in my Island Crystal bowl

Day 5 Sunday April 17/22 – Feeling better this morning. My throat is still a bit sore, but it seems to be going away. I had two coughing fits through the night, one lasting almost an hour. That damn feather was back, tickling my throat, and I could not get it to go away. My goal today was to have a shower and I succeeded. I had it immediately after getting up, fearing my energy would suddenly leave. Then I did a couple of chores and broke out into a sweat. I decided it was time for breakfast, so I had some toast and coffee. My plan is not to have a nap. 


It is dreary and dark, with possible showers to come. I’ll have to put some bright pictures in this post to cheer it up a bit. 

Cousin Norma’s Daffodils. Her birthday would be today. Missing and thinking of her, a lot, all day.

So much for not napping. Around 10am I decided to just rest my eyes for a few minutes. The next thing I knew Mom was calling me for lunch at noontime. I was sound asleep. I had a large bowl of her delicious homemade beef soup. It just hit the spot today. After lunch I went back to my bed to play some word games on my iPad. After a half hour or so, I just laid there and again fell sleep for another hour. It’s ridiculous. But as my great friend Judy says ‘when you are sleeping, your body is resting and healing’. So true. 

Cedar Waxwing

As I was eating my lunch, the skies began to clear, after heavy showers this morning. Soon there was much more blue sky than grey, and the sun came out. It turned out to be a lovely day, with higher than expected temperatures, which I should have taken advantage of by spending some time outside. But I stayed indoors. My goal for tomorrow, providing it is dry, will be to take an extended walk around the yard. Baby steps.

Hope springs eternal.

I spent some time perusing through these two books this afternoon. They have been on the bookshelf forever. I re-read such classics as A E Housman’s “When I Was One and Twenty”, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” and John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields”. I’ll have to spend more time with these, as there are lots of great works in them.

Prose and Poetry books

All in all, a positive day. This post is shorter, so I’m feeling I’m on the better side of this virus, as there isn’t quite as much to report. I’m still receiving messages and phone calls which is so amazing. Thank you to all. Two more days to freedom. 

Damsel Fly – love the intricacy of their wings

Be well, be safe and don’t let your guard/mask down.

Sunflowers for Urkaine
From Cape Breton, Canada with love.

My Experience With Covid Part 3

Happy Place today, April 16, 2022

Day 4 Saturday April 16/22 – I’m not going to be fooled today, into thinking I might be better, because I’m not. I had hoped for some improvement this morning, but now I’m getting discouraged. However, it is only day 4. I have 4 days left before FREEDOM and I feel I have a long way to go. I know, I have to be symptom free, with no fever, for 24 hours prior. 

I know I’ve been running a fever the past few days as I’ve had chills from time to time. During the night I woke up drenched, so I’m hoping that is a good sign that maybe my fever broke. My throat is still terribly sore. It’s a weird soreness too. I’ve had strep throat many times in the past, but not for about 4 years. With strep throat it feels like knives scraping down the sides of your throat every time you swallow, often much worse at night. The sore throat I have with this is so different. I can only describe it as an arc at the back of the throat from side to side. Yup, that sounds crazy but that’s how it feels. I can literally feel the arc shape when I swallow. Very weird. My core remains sore but I’m sure that is from coughing. I still don’t seem to have much congestion in my chest, so I’m thankful for that. However, the crap coming out of my nose is grotesque and I won’t go into details. 

I’ve been up since 7am, and it is now 9am, and still don’t feel like I need a nap. Considering I was in bed at 8:30 last night, I shouldn’t need a nap. But will lie down, just to rest. The sun is shining and there is a slight breeze. The temperatures are due to soar, possibly reaching 15C. I might even venture out on the deck for a few minutes of fresh air. Something to look forward to. 

I’ve been thinking of all the people who had the early virus. It must have been terrible, before vaccines were rolled out. I’m thankful to have had my two shots and booster. 

On a happier note, no pun intended, I picked up my fiddle and played a couple of tunes this morning. That made me feel good. But I soon found myself lying down again. As I laid there I wished I wrote music, but I don’t. If I did, I thought how I would write a tune about having Covid. It couldn’t be a jig or a reel, as they are happier tunes, dancing tunes, and believe me one does not feel much like dancing with Covid. I don’t think a waltz would be a fit either. A waltz is a close dance, with another person, and one needs to keep their distance. A strathspey wouldn’t work as that is a short-long, accented, Scottish snap type tune, and just wouldn’t work. A march? Possibly. Perhaps a title could be March to My Death Bed or March to My Recovery, depending on what the final outcome would be. But I’m leaning more towards a lament. Niel Gow was the lament king, so something along those lines. I could call it simply Lament for My Journey with Covid. But I don’t write music, so there it ends, but it passed the time for a while.

I did spend 45 minutes outside on the deck. Initially there was cloud cover, but when the sun burst through the clouds the warmth was very welcoming on my face. I sipped my coffee and ate a piece of Mom’s delicious banana loaf, while listening to the wind chimes tinkling, chickadees and juncos chirping, the trees rustling, the flag flapping and the leaves blowing across the driveway. I took a ton of deep breaths, filling my lungs with beautiful fresh air. I walked over to Happy Place because, well, it just makes me happy. And I enjoyed seeing some of the crocus’s in bloom. 

I am now past the half way point of isolation, which was between 1-2pm this afternoon. I hope I have reached the peak of symptoms and will start to feel better. I do feel I’m making some progress, but I’m afraid to get my hopes up. No fever today, so that is a good sign. I think my throat is better, but far from good. I was hoping to have a shower today, but didn’t really have the energy. That’s my goal for tomorrow.

Oddly, after one of my vaccines, I remember having an enhanced sense of smell. This morning while I was resting upstairs, I could smell the soup bone Mom was cooking. When I came down for lunch I asked her what was in with the soup bone and she said just onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper. It was just an amazingly pleasant aroma, one I have smelled many times before but seemed so strong today. I had the same experience yesterday when she made banana loaf. I know…another weird observation. 

Happy Easter, from Camp Covid, too all who read this. Be well, be safe. 

My Experience With Covid Part 2

Day 3 Friday April 15/22 – I woke myself up, at 6am, coughing and I coughed pretty much steady until 6:30. I’ll take two positives from this; 1) I was asleep and 2) I woke up. As I layed there I heard the eagle calling. I swear he/she knows there is something up and they were concerned. I also heard many songbirds singing, seagulls and ducks calling, a bluejay and a woodpecker. Not a hard way to wake up in the morning. Before I knew it, it was 8am. I had fallen back to sleep listening to the symphony of birds. Lucky me. Overall I think I’m better this morning. I don’t seem to be as sore and the soreness I do have is likely caused by coughing. I don’t have a headache yet, so hoping that is gone for the duration of this virus. However, the cough I have is no longer a dry hacky annoying cough, but a deeper cough with phlegm. 

Mom’s PCR test is still not back. I checked the portal in case we just didn’t get the email, but there is nothing available. I can only assume no news is good news and she is negative. She is still not showing any symptoms and when I ask how she is feeling her response is “I feel great”. Let’s hope that remains the case. 

One thing about today is that it is Good Friday. Our office is closed, so I don’t feel bad not being at work. I won’t have to think about feeling guilty today.

I’m overwhelmed by the outpouring of messages and phone calls from people offering to pick groceries up, or help in any way. Seriously, it’s more than I could ever have thought possible. I didn’t post my Covid blog for attention but just so others who may end up with it will have something to compare too. I know everyone responds differently to Covid, but sharing my experience may alleviate others worries. However, it has been nothing short of amazing. You know you live in a special place when so many people reach out at a time like this. I am forever thankful to live where I do. I will not try to name people, as I will surely miss some, but to those of you who have been in touch via email, facebook, phone calls, etc. many many thanks. I may not be feeling good but my heart is so very happy. 

When we had our PCR tests we were each given a box of rapid tests. Rapid test boxes seemed to be hard to come by in Nova Scotia. I had received only one box of tests and it came from a lady from Saskatchewan. She happened to stop by, with a mutual friend of ours, when I was out walking, 

and somehow we talked about rapid tests and how they were very hard to find here. She immediately offered a box as she had packed 6 boxes for her trip to Cape Breton. We should be all set for a while now. 

Speaking of PCR tests Mom’s finally came back this afternoon and she was negative. She also received a call from the doctor’s office informing her she was negative. I can’t imagine the extra workload the doctors are doing, to inform everyone of their status. 

I’m trying to see the good in everything. Today we were due to go to Sandy’s and Greg’s for Easter, but obviously we can’t go. I had bought tons of chocolate eggs to hide around their house. One year they had done this to us, and I swear we were still finding them in July. I guess we’ll have to eat them ourselves. Someone suggested hiding them and have an egg hunt. Interesting idea. It would be similar to Mr. Bean sending himself the Christmas cards and getting excited about it. 

I mentioned that I thought I was feeling better this morning but as the day went on that doesn’t appear to be the case. I was back in bed at 10am, for an hour and a half. I got up for lunch and was back in bed from 1-3pm. During this afternoon I developed a terrible sore throat, which seems to be more than an irritation from coughing. More Tylenol I guess. 

I’ll finish up saying don’t take this lightly. Continue to mask and wash your hands. Because if you don’t;

Abra-abra-cadabra
It could reach out and grab ya.

Be well, be safe.

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