Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Fix It



Up early this morning we busied ourselves getting Miss Roxy fed and then outside to do her business and then loaded her into the car for a thirty minute drive to Hillsboro were MeMa checked into the Hospital to have her third stent replacement which help protect her kidneys while the chemotherapy continues.  As usual I was able to go in with her while all the paper work was completed but  because of Covid restrictions we said our goodbye's and then I joined Miss Roxy in the car. Try as I might I just can't get comfortable in this car......not our car. Yesterday a pesky little warning light appeared on the reader board of our car so we stopped at the dealer to have it checked out. We were given a rental and the nice lady told us they would let us know. It was a combination of MeMa's successful surgery this morning and having to drive this god awful rental, that when the nice lady called back and said the problem will disappear when we approve the 12 hundred dollar bandaid. I said, "Fix it, I hate this rental, I want my heated seats, sunroof and all those electric buttons and gizmos that this rental doesn't have ." And I promise I won't complain about the fact that it is dark grey instead of red, even when I can't find it the next time leave it in a parking lot filled with dark grey cars. 

       

This car was parked in front of me at the Hospital. I was a bit slow when I looked at the jumble of letters but then I put the type of car, an Infinity with the plate NBYND. The Toy Story hero Buzz Lightyears famous saying "To Infinity and Beyond" 

A first timer Peony bloom in the garden - Duchess de Nemours
 

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Photo Op

 

While my wife was having chemotherapy our eldest son did a great job of keeping me distracted. I was showing him what I had planted in the kitchen garden when this little Anna's Hummingbird fed on the pendulous flowers of this clump of Cerinth growing along the fence of the old chicken yard.  She was completely unafraid of us standing less than a foot away and didn't mind us snapping photo after photo.



Thursday, May 20, 2021

Peonies

Boreas




It is peony season here at the moment and like Camelia season it is over with in a hurry. MeMa picks as many as she can and brings them in the house where our unpredictable weather will not play a roll in  shortening their already short bloom period. Peonies are one flower that can be picked while in a tight bud, brought into the house and in a few days they bloom and make a lovely display.

Tree Peony "Boreas"


Bush peony "Mothers Choice"


Intersectional Peony "Garden Treasure"


In all we have around twelve different peonies and plenty of room for new ones. And if we are feeling up to going to the Peony Festival this year I have prepared the beds for any new purchases. I had a treatment yesterday, my fifth. Tomorrow morning MeMa has another five hour chemo infusion and typically is feeling poorly for the next three days.



When the peony beds are finished blooming then my collection of hydrangeas (20+) start their long bloom period and halfway into that season MeMa's dahlias start blooming.
In the meantime there are so many other plants and flowers to enjoy. When MeMa is not able to wander about the gardens that I have built for her enjoyment then she can lounge in the sunroom which looks right out into the gardens.

The main view out the sunroom

We have 18 trees in the gardens, but one of my very favorites is this golden chain.



 

My Holden Clough Iris 


Calla Lilies

Very patriotic looking Basket that our eldest son gave MeMa for Mothers Day


Just planted this window box on the kitchen window



By the end of the day we are all exhausted, even Miss Roxy. It's a lot of work being cute.


The End