A shift

There are some things St. Jude can’t help to be-gone for me/mine, or at least one thing: A real threat remains, but the worse one? Himself’s MRI revealed it was the lesser of two weevils upon his heart muscle. The “surgery-or-not” conversation (were it a tumor) is successfully set aside, praise God.

In other news, Spring is coming. Or at least that’s what I’m deducing from Midwestern people who have both shoots AND blooms. The Bennybloom is particularly attractive. 😉

.. but also

More brown than green, still, but SO very green! Yay!

(Truly, there is no point in posting pictures from here.. we’re still in post-February only.)

Apparently, it takes a few years of being in Empty Nest Land before one (who has experienced no such thing for decades) thinks about altering the immediate landscape –inside OR out. *We* are re-thinking both the birdfeeder pole and the garden birdbath locations.

We had stopped filling the feeders before this winter in hopes of not attracting more rodents to our home (just feet away) with dropped seed. There is much that is more profane than looking at the side yard when southern company is here, and all of us seeing a rat hop away from the downed seed ..toward the house! However, one thing that definitely is more profane a surprise than usual is to watch a rodent travel in no hurry through two rooms inside while one sits in silent horror at the sheer audacity. That seed wasn’t for you, pal!

(I hope no one is surprised when a woman growls. It means exactly what one thinks it means.)

Well, long story not made shorter, the birdfeeders that we miss watching will be moved out back, and the birdbath which is located by the surprise ba-boom! growth of an anniversary hydrangea bush will be settled into the never-ending tiger lilies that hid the chipmunk and mourning doves as they cleaned up the birdseed ground. The birdbath is a favorite of catbirds, and catbirds are a favorite of those who long for them.

That birdbath move will leave the cat cemetery’s arbor (seemingly) empty. I use the term “arbor” loosely, of course: it is an ancient wooden ladder with round dowels, cut into threes and riveted into an arbor shape. That is a favorite of squirrels and cardinals, being set shadily between firs, maples, and an oak all behind Hydrangea, Universe.

I am no friend of squirrels anymore, though. That makes me sad-ish, but I’m over it once they get into (or try to get back into) this house. There is one who won’t give up the quest.. we meet regularly just before I pour apple cider vinegar on the weak spot at the eave from where the dormer begins. I’ve read that peppermint oil will stave off knuckleheads as well.. it’s on my shopping list.

Son will be buttoning up that weak spot better, though, now that the snow pack is nearly gone from the ground and a ladder can be safely set

It’s sad to think that our newest flowers will be funereal… Daughter’s little kitty is out back under the bulbs that daughter and her youngest planted atop the (magically soft) dirt.

We will all forget, sort of, that flowers are anything except flowers.

Or, Spring is coming.🌹Amen.

❤️
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