the Survivors

 

It was a very mild winter here in Georgia. There might have been a dozen flakes of snow that never made it to the ground. One or two days with the potential for black ice.

A scattered handful days of barely below-freezing weather. 

This grayish-looking thing is a butterfly bush that I bought late in the season. The mailbox garden was already overrun so I parked it in this planter and crossed my fingers. A few of the pansies made it too, tough little buggers. 

Once I get the mailbox garden cleaned up, I'll move the butterfly bush up there to keep company with the other perennials.

This hollyhock was grown from seeds that *someone* sent me years ago. I found the little plastic bag in the bottom of a container and planted them with no idea if they were still viable. 

I'll have to dig it up and move it back. It's literally right at the edge of the asphalt and if it gets as tall as it should, it will block the mailbox.

On the left, the children of Satan, I mean irises. I thought I got them all dug out and re-homed last year. Silly me. 

Righ behind the mailbox is my gardenia, poised to intoxicate me with its fragrance every time I pull up for the mail. It needs shaping and feeding. 

Peonies are just breaking through the soil on both sides of the gardenia. That's Bailey being nasty as I watch!

I confess that all my horticultural attention was focused on the back deck last year. That worked out so well, I won't need to repeat the effort this year and hope to get this little patch back to glory.

It needs topsoil, manure, vermiculite, Miracid for the gardenia. Worms would be good. Coffee grounds and eggshells. Some packets of nasturtium and marigold seeds. My back hurts just thinking about it all.

A good day away from the World.

 

This is what I needed today. A few new books (and the time to start each).  A little spell stitching (Liz, I ripped out the ERS in Sisters and re-did it properly)

And the good company of a fellow artist and writer over bacon, coffee, and fried onion chips.

He's working on his interpretation of the Gravity Falls zodiac. Making his own up as he goes. 

We talked about The Cheese and confirmed that the best, number one Cheese needed to be Family & Friends, followed by Lego and TV.

I taught him the old phone prank: "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?"

(interlude to google Prince Albert Tobacco)

"Yes."
"Well, let him out before he smothers!"

He took his tablet downstairs, called my phone and we executed it flawlessly. It still makes me laugh, but I think Charlie just went along to amuse me. 

Then we learned about commas.

Some excitement!

 

All night long I kept hearing a freight train coming. Shazam! It's here. 

I haven't been decent before lunch in a while and before the croak of dawn this morning THIS transpired. 

I am so grateful to all of you who have ridden along this far, brave souls. I will be naming names, so, no place to hide.

AND to remind myself that this is just the beginning and there's still a lot of work to do.

Fine day

Somehow, the Way with this one revealed itself this morning. I'll be glad to have it to wring on from time to time.

There was a Publix picnic then, Art in the Park. 

My copirate and I leered at a bright yellow Corvette in the parking lot. He said he would have a blue one with no top. 

Another rag-topper!

They are learning about time in school. Analog time!

Wrapping up the day with more good company.

Spelling

Dug this unfinished scrap from the closet while looking for Bailey. When he's not terrorizing the other two cats, he's taken to hiding in there as if he was expecting kittens. At least he's happy with laying on the floor and not digging through the baskets of cloth

I'm hoping that working this will keep me out of trouble and keep my mouth shut for 24 hours. Big excitement pending regarding the book. 

Hear me sisters, Fire, Wind, Water and Earth, in all your names and guises.

Light the watchtowers for us. 

Hold back the night.

I ask cover from all quarters.

Bless us this circle and we within.

.