I started out this morning doing a bit of cleaning around the house and then I headed outside to clean up the front porch and do some early morning garden (little garden ) chores.  

All the house plants have been brought outside to spend the spring and summer.  The peace lily got a good watering.   It’ll stay on the porch, out of the hot sun.

I scooped debris out of the goldfish pond, threw a few goldfish pellets and flakes in and sat down to watch the fish and sip on my green tea.   You might be able to see a few fish just under the water.  They are very slow to make themselves easy prey with all the cats in the neighborhood.  The do eventually come up to eat.  You may also note the two dark leave-looking things on the right side at the top of the water.  Lily pads coming to the top, finally.

I ended up at my garden table for a short time of thinking and reading.  So many garden happenings called to me.  I had to make myself stay put and read.  A pair of cardinals were in a tree behind me.  I turned around with my camera and thought to zoom in on the pretty female.  The male was on the ground “talking to her” while she was perched in a tree.  Between the time I focused the camera and the time that I hit the button, she decided to fly and I got it!  I didn’t know it until I loaded the pictures on the computer.  It’s pretty neat.  She’s diving down to her mate.  I suppose I took the same sort of nosedive when I met hubby. 

I spent some time just looking at everything that’s opening up.  What were just buds a couple of days ago are now full flowers.  Here’s the wild rose, that I called “red.”  It does look red from a distance, but in this picture it looks really hot pink!

You can certainly see some black spot setting in, common in this NC humidity! 

The Queen Elizabeth is still unaffected and looks so beautiful surrounding my porch.

Queen Elizabeth

The little Morden Blush rose is a very sweet light pink and also unaffected by the black spot.  In defense of the wild rose, these other two roses do get way more fresh air and space around them.

Morden Blush

Walking down the little path, I had to take another picture of the cottage pinks.  They have really jumped out in the last couple of days.  They make the entire garden smell good.

Fluffy and I watched in interest this morning as hundreds of termites emerged from the ground and danced in a cloud over the garden.

You can see them here all over the mulch before flying off.  (Please don’t eat my house.)

I have so many other pictures, but I don’t want to overwhelm you!  My sister sent me some pictures today for which I am very thankful!  What fun to sit with the children and watch the slideshow!

There was one of my mom and me on a walk on Christmas Day 2007.  Doesn’t seem that long ago…

There’s also one of a very important call I took the day we were at Hill Ridge Farms.

Some calls you just gotta take.

Lynn