Third Time is the Charm

Coughing woke me up this morning around 6--perfect, I'll write my post and get on with the day. Without a working keyboard, that is hard to do. I now have a brand spanking new keyboard which feels very good indeed.

After errands and lunch, I began again. In the midst of that attempt, the little ring of FaceTime came through, signaling a call from Matthew. Perfect! While I lay sick in bed those days I couldn't help but think of the time I lay there for six weeks; a perfectly horrible time in my life. It was while I lay there that Matthew had the opportunity to move to London, and being the good son that he is, he vacillated--should he, or shouldn't he? My vote was to take an amazing job in one of the most exciting cities in the world, and eventually he decided the same. Am I ever glad he did--what a life he has led these six years! Plus, he would have never met Tom Terrific had he not gone, so there's that. Later this week he flies to Jakarta, Indonesia for business, followed by some days in Singapore. Imagine that.

Following our conversation, I decided it was high time to visit Herb and Corrine, bringing them some of the peanut butter cookies I made yesterday. Poor Herb--he is in the early stages of dementia and it is painful to observe. Their house is still a wreck outside, but the good news is the insurance adjuster finally came; if all goes well, the $8,000 repair will be covered. Following that visit, Baxter and I checked in with Angela. Adding to last weekend's mishaps, there was a little miscommunication, and instead of taking Baxie home on Friday, she did not come and get him until Saturday around noon. Poor little doggie--home alone for nearly 24 hours!! All is well that ends well--apparently he was lively and fun during our absence.

So, here we are on the third attempt, and what shall I write about? How about the garden in springtime? We've a new visitor around these parts, in fact, I think there are two of these guys, although I can't be sure.

Why wouldn't we have a woodpecker anyway?

Over the years I've purchased orchids from Jim and Kathy; once they finish blooming, usually they are tucked under some other bushes until such time as they decide to bloom again. For nearly two weeks I've waited to see what color this one would be:

Then too, the orchid given to me by my sister-in-law Ruth's parents blooms yearly now, and not just one bloom--loads of them.

I'm very happy with how, what I'm calling my red, white and blue garden is coming along, although it won't be long before it is too hot for the petunias!

The blue in the middle is one of my bargain finds--last year it was a straggly mess, but this spring--o-la-la!

The ivy geranium is filled with beautiful blooms,

and the petunias out front--gorgeous!

T

There are loads of hibiscus flowers--red and peach, and every now and again, the yellow one blooms.

The nandina is in prime form right now with both large bunches of red berries and white flowers:

My little supertenias have survived yet another move--they began life in a small pot. After outgrowing that container, I moved them to another, and finally they have found a larger home:

Speaking of supertenias, last year I bought two pots in the discount area of Lowes--original price $20, my price, $6. One of them did not last the winter, while this one, although it looked like it was a goner for a while, came back, and is flourishing!

That's my gazing ball behind it, nestled amongst the ferns. Sounds so cozy doesn't it? Well, for about a month, it lay on it's side because I could not get it to nestle, however, there is someone in this household who could make it happen, making me very happy indeed.

Here's some little cuties visiting the Nuttery:

I have no idea how we've all of a sudden attracted goldfinch, but I'm not complaining. Recently, while looking for something in my photo library I discovered last years baby cardinals born at the end of March. For the first time in several years I have been unable to locate a cardinal's nest in the bushes.  What is going on around here? Woodpeckers and goldfinch, with nary a baby cardinal in sight!

While we're on the subject of nature, I must report on the beautiful wildflowers we saw along the highway on our drive to Gainesville. Driving on the trip up there, I have no photographic evidence, and on the way back it was too dark to get any shots. Trust me on this one.

Because I am a fool for flowers, there will be more to share this week....