Today..

The wind blew so strongly yesterday that it took Jame's garland off its fasteners at the back of his head. Today I put it back on.

The yellow jackets were already looking for a place in his body to build a new nest. 

While I was out there at the old garden area I spied two flowers in bloom that I don't remember seeing before. One is the Star-of- Bethlehem, and is a perennial weed developing from a bulb. I nipped one off and will add it to my wildflower house bouquet. The other is a Wild Hyacinth hiding in the Chive blossom buds. The thousands of chives are doing very well - again!  Then, of course the Pickerel weed is everywhere!

Cypress Spurge is doing well this year as it is everywhere today in the old garden.  

As I drove up the road a bit to turn around I spotted the grove of Jack-in-the Pulpits. I thought they were doomed because the road department scraped the roadside of the bank where they grew. I pulled one to replant here. There were at least a dozen flourishing on that bank.

The glass is full today. Buttercups are abundant.

OH, almost forgot to show you what I did for supper last night. A dozen are in the freezer and I ate three! It was a project I have been promising myself to do. (Had to dip into my stash of my brother's homemade maple syrup.) Soooooo successful and delicious. It's been a while! Now I will just pop a couple in the toaster. Homemade is best!

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Appreciation on Memorial Day

Yes I do appreciate the freedom that gives me the chance to feel safe and happy on this day as I remember those who gave their lives. As I was buggy-riding again, I felt like shouting, "FREE!" Free to be me was my teenage mantra and I had initials for it: O2BFRE2BME. It all started when I realized that numerous members of my family were men who fought in wars. I understood that kind of freedom very well. Soldiers fighting wars and not coming home made us free. There were two young men on the street where I grew up who never came back. Their mothers put special flags in the door windows. (I was only a very young girl but knew it was a terrible loss.) 

To continue to be able to take pictures of nature's beauty is empowering. This series starts at home on Memorial Day. My neighbor put the flag out for me. 

The "Eleanor Roosevelt Purple Iris" are doing well this year, though I am unable to walk down and pull weeds. They are OLD!

The chives are growing and taking over mother's rock garden, That's OK. I like seeing them thrive.

Down the road the neighbor's white Iris are in full bloom and very beautiful and pleasing. Her gardening efforts are rewarding to many.

There are several bushes of flowers with green and yellow leaves growing in front of their home. I do not know what they are but they sure are charming! Later found out that they are 'Euonymus variegated and wine colored'.

Around and on the backside bank of the lake there is a section with the little yellow flowers (that look like dandelions, but are not) covering the area. I think my dad called these Yellow Hawkweed. They are also everywhere else at this time with their little yellow heads full of pollinating bees.

Down the road a little further, what was once a well-tended flowerbed has now gone wild but the Foxglove still blooms.

Forget-Me-Nots have found their sunny, dampish spot and cohabit with Buttercups.

I plan to go out another day for discoveries of newer and different exploration of the land I love. Buggy works well, steers easily, recharging is simple and easy for me — curiosity satisfied for now. It's all good. 

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Naturally Green

     

"We have gone; we have fled

out into the world we go;

we have left our home,

and we will wander

and roam, until we find

a new haven. Then we will 

in turn put forth a new generation.

People will curse us

they will say “Damned Weeds”;

but we know we are not damned

for we are the beauty

of nature and we too are

children of the Mother Goddess

as people themselves are."  Author unknown

Two Wild Weeds

One is Wild Dill Weed
Two is Wild Chicory Weed

These grow all over, in and around on banks as traveled on the golf car today looking for something - anything of interest to me. I didn't go too far this time. Everything there is, I've seen before. I was hoping for a special encounter or something to see that I might have missed. Nope! Just more and more of the same things. BUT.....

I did nip off a couple of these to create my little porch bouquet today.  Whenever I see the wild chicory, I just have to sing the song. Perhaps you know it as well. Perhaps not. It was popular in 1945!  Sammy Kaye sang it. There is much more and it is not about my kind of chicory but about a chicken! Oh well...Looney me!

"Chickery chick, cha-la-cha-la
Check-a-la-romey in a bananika
Bollika, Wollika, can't you see Chickery chick is me?"

and it goes on with more verses...............
Written by Sylvia Dee/Sidney Lippman

I cut a tiny bit of each for my porch bouquet. Most of the dill weed plants - and there are many, grow at the road's edge across the lake where we used to live. I had a garden full of dill for making my pickles. I wonder if the seed spread? That was over twenty years ago but I remember well its aroma. These have already gone to seed but brought back garden memories. Perhaps I shall save some seeds.

(this is a photo from the internet showing the seeds)

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