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Green Up

POW!  Middle of May, a night of warm rain, and Vermont is living up to its "Green Mountain State" name.  Vermont weather is kind of like childbirth--one gorgeous spring day and you forget the pain of a long, bleak winter.

My view as I sit at the table and drink coffee.


And can you believe it is the middle of May?

This has been a very bittersweet springtime for me.  Spring was Mike's favorite time of year, May his favorite month.  All the times that I think, "Oh, I have to tell Mike I found a robin egg, or the lilacs are about to bloom, or the river's gone down and people have their kayaks out..."  Well, I tell him anyway, but with a tinge of sadness.

I have not brought out the deck furnishings.  I have someone coming next week to clean the deck and put the protective coating one it.  I didn't want to move it around twice and it was too cold to use it anyway.  By next weekend that should all be done.

My son mowed the lawn on Monday.  By Thursday the grass was high again, but let's not get ridiculous.  I got out and did edging and cleanup tasks.  I enjoy working in the yard, but it's a big yard.  I think I have too many projects and then I went to Gardener's Supply and bought a small raised bed garden kit so I could plant a few vegetables.  I had converted the area I used for vegetables into flower garden last spring.  It is only a 2' by 4' bed.  That should feed my resident woodchuck quite nicely.

My little garden bed.
Lettuces and carrots planted.

Another woodchuck exit.

I waited a long time for the jonquils.

Oddly, this is supposed to bloom in summer.
There is a reason they call it "Cooky."
(Gerum coccineum


Comments

  1. I think I understand the bittersweet quality of your spring. I can only imagine how I would handle losing my life mate. I'm happy to see you are out there trying new things. And it's finally spring!

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  2. I too can understand the bittersweetness of this time for you. And you should continue to tell Mike things... and I would bet anything that he hears you. My cousin just lost her husband in a car accident this week. She is the youngest of us (cousins) and although she is 65, I can't believe that she's having to go through this now.

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  3. Oh dear, those woodchucks are rough on a garden. Find out what they like and plant a bunch far from your garden. The one that came with my property loved clover which I had a yard full of so he left my garden alone. I found him on the road smushed by a car. I had mixed feelings.
    I must be so sad to have so many reminders of Mike but I like that you still talk to him. I do believe

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  4. I'm sure Mike hears you when you talk to him, the bittersweet memories are evidence of your love for one another.

    We've got no woodchucks here, just rabbits. Hopefully he/they will leave your garden alone!
    Glad to hear spring has finally arrived. I had hoped it would be here by the time I got home from my trip, but other than the grass, the trees are still not leafed out, nor are any of the perennials showing much growth.
    Have a great weekend!

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  5. Well, woodchucks are a real pain. I would trap it and take it to greener pastures. I am working with a woman who lost her husband unexpectedly a few months ago. She is dealing with it in such an amazing way. I guess we all could if we had to, but you help us by leading the way.

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    Replies
    1. They will make their way to my neighbors garden as they always do and he will relocate them in a hurry.

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  6. The past week here has been amazing, it started out with a green mist of leaves and now they are almost fully leaved. I used to be like Mike, May was my favorite month, but in the past decade or so it has moved up to April. May can often be too hot. I miss having three months of spring. We seem to go from winter misery to summer misery and spring has been reduced to a couple of weeks.

    The grass!!!! Put your ear close to the ground and you can hear it growing.

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  7. These photos are just great. I can see the analogy between childbirth and Spring. I can't say the same here in Hawaii, as it is green year round. Lol.

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  8. Nice garden bed ... can you fence it in any way to keep the critters out?

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    Replies
    1. Sure thing. Gardener's Supply can help me out there as well.

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  9. I love that little terrarium on your windowsill. Mike enjoys spring through your eyes now. So nice of you to think of the wood chuck's lunch!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. I made that terrarium a couple of years ago and it has survived!

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  10. I do love your view!
    I *think* between Twursula my cat and me and my hose, I have finally convinced the gopher in our yard to move to a more gopher friendly location! One without me and the cats! FINALLY! Of course he did seem to eat all of my lily bulbs first!

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  11. It sure looks pretty. Here, we are all supposed to get rid of our lawns because of the drought.

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  12. Uh oh... woodchucks? So near the home. We had chipmunks and they undermined our front stoop. Cute little buggers, but a problem.

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