The Start of the Season

It is the last day of May. And spring has finally arrived in the mountains. 

We're lightyears behind gardeners in kinder climates. Who are likely showing off landscapes filled with brightly blooming flowers. But we're getting there. And it's nice to step outside in the early mornings - to photograph what's happening.

Heavenly Blue Morning Glories are flowering like crazy! They should be. I planted them in January. 😊 That's snow in the background. These beauties are toasty warm, flowering in the sunny window. It's a well-known fact that we cannot control the weather -- but there are lots of ways to wiggle around what Mother Nature has to offer. 

Jack Frost (aptly named) Brunnera doesn't care about the nasty weather. Often the first flower to bloom in my garden. Tiny little things. Smaller than my thumbnail. [Plant in full shade.]

And wild Meadow Phlox doesn't care about the drought. 

Which is a good thing -- because, climate-wise, it's been weird around these parts. Snowing and freezing in late May. Beastly hot and dry in April. So hot, I would have turned on the a/c - it was 85 (f) degrees in this house. But the a/c was still buried beneath a drift of snow! 

The volatile weather might be why the Flowering Almonds have decided it's time to kill themselves.

While it was raining, then snowing, then freezing.. I attended a Floral Arrangement class with my daughter.

That was so much fun. This is my masterpiece. ↑

Plus - I learned something super helpful about cut flowers. Dissolve a couple tablespoons of sugar + the same amount of white vinegar into a quart of water. Cut flowers will last a lot longer.

And we welcomed a new furry friend into the fold. 

It has been a hard, hard year for me. My dog, Charlie, passed away from what vets are calling the 'mystery illness.' Plaguing dogs in 14 western states. 

That just tore me to pieces. The only time I was in touch with my emotions was when I lost my temper with well-meaning friends saying life goes on. I don't want life to go on. I want life to go back to the way it was before. 

But loneliness has a way of changing your mind about those things. And when this little guy was dropped into my lap. By another one of these well-meaning aka incredibly annoying + far too controlling friends. I decided to keep him.

The view from my window. The view from up here.

Here's hoping the weather is kind and your gardens are brightly blooming.