Morning Stroll

The view from the front porch where I sat with my coffee this morning, soaking up lovely sunshine warmth.

It is loud with bee-song beneath the redbuds, a busy humming.

Dogwood bloom against a clear blue sky.

There are fancier hybrids of dogwood.  These were planted by the former owners.

I love the chartreuse-marked creamy white of the petals with the distinctive darker "toothmarks."

The entire dooryard is perfumed by the two straggling viburnams at the north-west corner of the house.

In the autumn I pruned out a strangle of honeysuckle vine that had wound through the bigger viburnum--there is more of it, triumphantly flaunting its leathery green leaves and twisting stems.

I must make time to tackle it before more leaves interfere.

The three apple trees probably date to the time of the earlier house on this property.

They are twisted and over-grown, with grey lichen encrusting the trunks and branches.

The upper branches, long unpruned, overlay one another resembling the clasped arthritic fingers

of an elderly person.

They have set fruit during both of our sumners here, fruit that quickly succumbed to fire blight.

Still, for a week in spring they have a nostalgic sweetness of blossom.

The earliest peonies are displaying plump buds.

This peony, purchased last spring and moved from the lower border to the upper area which Devin created, is showing brave little buds.

There is a possibility of rain this afternoon.  You can see from the look of the soil that it will be welcomed.

I should have worked some peat moss into this spot when we dug it over.

Dogwood with a redbud behind it.

Dogwood--a close-up on the 'macro' setting.

I long to spend every possible moment outside, heedless of housework,

content to stave off starvation with a mug of tea, a handful of crackers, a stout slice of cheese, an apple.

I am grumpy at having to devote myself to preparation of income tax data.

The well-organized person would keep up with ledger entries by the month, smugly producing the totals by mid-January.

[I doubt anyone would categorize me as organized!]

I have sowed a small flat of sweet banana peppers, potted on a cutting from an heirloom geranium, watered the tomato seedlings. 

I have ordered online seeds, as well as flea doses for the cats.

I have visited Pebbles the Horse.

The dooryard entices me with scents and sights. I can walk only a few yards without bending to sniff  a blossom, pluck a weed or two, admire a fresh green shoot poking from the earth.

I have a story or two to write, some genealogy research to pursue.

I have invited Gina and Devin to supper--knowing that will motivate me to prepare 'real food.'

The table is strewed with adding machine, pens, ledger, invoices, receipts--all it needs is for me to

get on with it!