Late Spring

While I am really excited for Bubby to see Holland, and to hang with Aunties Nell and Barbara, I had to take some photos of the evidence that late spring/early summer has finally arrived in Cedar City. These images are for Bubby to at least vicariously enjoy the wonder of this time of year. She can then better enjoy her time in the Motherland! The vinca minor is starting to bloom under the dining room window. It looks so bright and cheerful in its shady home.

The pansies did, in fact, tell me when they were thirsty, and it was way before Friday! They are doing quite well, but miss Bubby's attention to their needs.

We have been systematically reducing the amount of "red hot poker" in our yard since we moved in. It used to be in every flower bed in the back yard. Since we are also trying to drain the roof away from the southwest corner of the house, the last remaining patch does not thrive the way in could for lack of abundant water. Anyway, here is the first, and perhaps only, red hot poker bloom of the year.

I told Bubby the iris were in bloom before she left, but I don't think she had a chance to go out and enjoy them. It was just too cold. Here are the purple ones . . .

. . . and the yellow ones, which have been blooming a little longer. The flower bed could use some weeding, but that is not really my department. I have a tendency to weed chemically (Roundup and the like) so it is better for the flowers if Bubby does the weeding.

For some reason, we didn't get any lilacs this year. Must have frozen at just the right time. I haven't seen any lilacs on campus, either. The snowball bush, which Bubby planted to satisfy her nostalgia, is in bloom and doing very well. I wanted her to see it at its peak.

I promise I will stop with the flower/yard photos after this one. This is proof that it has been a great year for moisture, and it came at just the right time. This is new growth on our spruce trees, and the only time a person wants to reach out and touch them. This new growth is supple and inviting but will quickly stiffen and become as lethal as the needles from succeeding years.

Summer school has started, and one week (10 total) is complete. I gave the class an exam yesterday and when I graded it this morning, the class average was a little low for this, the easiest exam of the term. I am not sure how committed the students are to their homework. Could be a long nine weeks.

I went phishing yesterday at Sand Hollow. I got a great sunburn on my arms and the back of my calves. It was Friday, and the water was pretty churned up, but I still caught a lot of fish. I missed even more. I used the Senko technique again, and I really like it. Fishing that way is slow going, but tends to produce quality fish.

I have mowed the lawns, been to the cleaners, am doing my laundry, and will clean up in the kitchen. I wish I could have been in SLC for Jasper's birthday and Ted's blessing, but I have a presentation in Bishops' Council tomorrow morning at 7:00. I didn't want to drive home from SLC alone late tonight. I may slip out to Newcastle tonight, if the wind doesn't kick up.

Missing Bubby,

Poppy