Hooray for Spring (I think)

 

The Forsythia is blooming so it must be Spring! Yay! There are fabulous flowering events in all parts of our vast estate (hahahaha!) and after a pandemically gloomy winter, this brings happiness and relief. The beautiful Forsythia seen above was a gift from our friends Sheldon and Louise, years ago, I think during our first Spring here. Bob and I are so thrilled to see it explode and spread golden light. 

And look:

Another Spring charmer, erupting by the vegetable garden. This Prunus tomentosa was a gift from our friend Bob who is a horticultural dervish and can propagate almost anything from seed or cutting. You've gotta love the effusiveness of vernal blooms!

And here's another unexpected site in our Spring-time garden tour: Rhododendron prostratus "Bedspreadus".

Oh no! What happened to Spring?!?!? Bob comes in to tell me that it's (gasp!) hailing outside. (They even predicted snow overnight, but we dodged that occurrence, unlike some unlucky friends to the north. Ugh.) I gathered several sheets and covered our Rhododendron "PJM" as last year- just as it was starting to flower, we experienced a cold snap and all the blossoms died. I was so bummed! Having waited an entire year, I wasn't chancing snow/hail/sleet/frost or any other vile reminder of Winter past! I'm glad I covered this shrub as this morning an unveiling showed undamaged flowers... bring back that warm weather!

A Rambling Spring Feverish Posting

Incredibly, this is the only thing blooming in our yard at present. With all the plants and crazy planting that Bob and I do, you'd think there would be something more than this lonely little white bloom cluster (on a stem of Abeliophyllum distichum, commonly called White Forsythia, or Korean Forsythia given to us by our good friend Bob Santin. Oh Bob! Giver of many plants! Grower of many plants! Giver of purloined peonies!) Have I mentioned that I neglected to purchase almost any bulbs (with the exception of left over, reduced tulips) last fall? All those visions of species crocus and giant aliums and frittilaria and chinodoxia... the anguish! But hey! I was busy and making art for several important shows.
I finished cleaning up the garden and have been spreading compost and starting seeds and assessing what made it through the winter and who croaked. So far, I am impressed with things like returning delphinium. Many other plants are taking their sweet time; probably because there was snow cover until only like a week ago. An ice! There was ice under some leaves that I was cleaning up last week. Gone now, but it has been chilly.

(Picture has nothing to do with text alert. Although, come to think of it, this is a picture of a place we looked at years ago. The barn got torn down but the silo remained. I guess we explored "alternative housing possibilities"... we do live in a chicken coop, so why not barns and silos?! But this does serve to remind me that I was planning a project where I rephotograph places we almost bought... like dismantled barns. And house now torn down (with good reasons.))
On an entirely different note, today was not a good day for faucets of all things. First, I went to turn on the outside faucet to water some transplants and there was no knob. I stood there, stumped for a moment and then looked on the ground and saw the vise grip that we had used to turn the faucet. Obviously, it had fallen off during the winter. I couldn't really get it to stay on as well as Bob but I managed and watered my little green friends. But later in the day, I went to Staples to pick up my laminating and I got glue all over my fingers as I collated the pages. (I get sticky fast). I didn't really think of it until I went to the grocery store and realized I was sticking to the basket, so I went to wash my hands. When I went to turn on the sink, the knob of the faucet came off in my hands. Is it me or maybe the stars are aligned in the constellation of Spigot?  And don't get me going about getting locked in the bathroom at work the other day. That was really funny!
Probably not my most salient posting but I'm a bit dopey do to over oxygenation. This happens every spring and I roll with it; it's actually very pleasant! But you can't expect brilliance.

I Fought the Law and...

Sheldon and Louise have left, and the house feels oddly empty. Just before they departed, they presented Bob and I with two forsythia bushes. (I have a photo of the plants around here somewhere, but am using the forced forsythia in a vase as I can't seem to find my picture. I've been disorganized lately, so the picture above will gave to suffice.) Any kind of plant is a great gift. Thank you!
On Friday morning, a lot was happening. I had to be at work a bit earlier than usual and Sheldon and Louise were preparing to depart, so it was even more chaotic than is typical. It was therefore in a flurry that I went out the door and "put petal to the metal" as they say. I do drive a little over the speed limit on good days (who doesn't?) but on Friday I was really booking. As I rounded a bend on Route 109 in Morris (not far from the fabled Stoddard House that Bob and I almost purchased three times), I spied a police car parked in a recessed driveway. It had been there a few times earlier this month, so I should have remembered and slowed down. Too late, I hit the brakes and tried to look nonchalant as I sped past the cruiser. Sure enough, there were festive flashing lights and sirens in my rear view mirror.

I rolled my window down, with my license at the ready and said, preemptively, "I'm sorry. I know I was speeding. But I'm late for work and I've had house guests for almost a month." The officer asked me where I worked, replying, "Interesting". when I told him and he returned to his car. I sat, stewing in my own self pitying juices, thinking how I was going to get an expensive ticket and how I hadn't even considered until then that my stupid emissions sticker was expired and great! I still have my "Dogs Against Romney" bumper sticker- life sucked! He let me sit for quite a while. (I was going pretty fast. It's only a 35 mph speed limit).
But then the police officer finally returned , he said, "I'm letting you off with a verbal warning". $%!^!$!&^!!!
Wow! The great gods of all things traffic really smiled down on this law breaker! I don't know if there's a moral to this story, but I got an apology and a break on a ticket in one week. And two forsythia bushes. Sweet.