Cigars

May 7

Have had some nice days this month for cigars.

May 13

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was a couple weeks ago and we had Mom over for brunch. It was a gorgeous afternoon so we took advantage of it by sitting in the back yard.

Around the Neighborhood

So much is blooming this month. Above are some shots from around the neighborhood. Love the irises. Not sure what the orange and yellow stuff is.

May

I love May. The chance that the weather is going to be pleasant increases significantly thought the month. We had Alyn and Ellis over for a BBQ yesterday and were able to sit out in the back yard due to the weather being absolutely gorgeous. We had a chance to talk to Deb over the back fence about the squirrels raiding her patio for the loose white stones she has between her garden stones. 

Above is a picture of a neighbor's Bridal Wreath Spirea. Noel seemed to think this was bougainvillea but I set her straight. A few years ago, Jim trimmed back his Bridal Wreath which borders our yard. It was such a crime as they didn't seem to flower much for a few years. They seem to be coming back.

Warren's

I was over at Warren's Friday for dinner. We sat on his back porch for cocktails. His yard always looks so good. 

Quite Warm Today

A few different downpours today. The sun came out and it got quite warm and humid. As the sun went down things had cooled of nicely. I had a lovely walk with Athena just before bed.

Lilacs

Photo of a neighbors lilac tree taken just a few days ago. According to Wikipedia, Lilacs "...produce more flowers if left unpruned. If pruned, the plant responds by producing fast-growing young vegetative growth with no flowers in an attempt to restore the removed branches."

We had a beautiful lilac tree at the house on Stevens. I remember Mom pointing it out to me when we moved there when I was three years old. After some years it stopped flowering. We didn't realize that pruning the flowers was detrimental to producing more. I pulled off way too many. It remained for many years but Dad eventually had it removed. It was probably more a lilac bush than a tree but we called it that anyway. 

"In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash’d palings, 

Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green, 

With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love, 

With every leaf a miracle—and from this bush in the dooryard, 

With delicate-color’d blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green, 

A sprig with its flower I break."

  -From When Lilacs Last In the Dooryard Bloom'd by Walt Whitman

Signs of Spring

Seen around the neighborhood recently.