Blossom's Abound ~

 The most beautiful time of year.  It's taken a couple weeks, but the trees are leafing out!  Seeing all the fresh shades of green is a true gift of the season.

The way south~

Our weather so far this spring, has been one for the record books.  Just the week before Mother's Day, we broke the all time record low, at 29 degrees.    Hardly a week later, we're breaking record highs, averaging 20 degrees above normal with daytime highs close to 100.

Smokey & the Phlox~

Along with the blistering heat, was the non-stop wind, gusts reaching 30-mph.  Working outside was like baking in a blast furnace.  The poor flowers I'd planted in pots took constant watering just to stay alive.  Wednesday, was the worst day of the week & everyone I know was ready for the wind/heat/humidity combination to cease!

Banks of blooms~

Butch had fertalized the front lawn when he was home mid-April.  With the little bit of rain we did get, along with the heat/humidity, the grass was inches tall in just the week since it had been mowed.  By the time the man who Butch hired to mow started in Wed. evening - grass was flying everywhere.  In my rock, on the porch, in the street & ground into the sidewalks from the zero turn mowers.  I spent over an hour cleaning up the mess.

Such a change!

It was a refreshing change to be out in the clean air & enjoying the fresh greens!  I was surprised to see the planted corn already a couple inches tall.

The light green of growing corn!

I could hear the train coming, but didn't make it to the underpass in time to get a photo of the engine.  It's an impressive sight to see it coming full speed with it's lights on.  One of these days my timing will be right!

Train going by overhead!

It's incredible the noise the locomotives make when they're going over!  Almost scary!  But, as fast as it had appeared, the train was gone & I continued on to Malvern.

Anise Root~

The Anise Root is now in full bloom!  I have some in our woods now & hope they contine to spread.  There's quite a difference in the habitat of the trail, compaired to our lowland woods, but cool & dappled sun seems to be what it prefers.  It had been so dry for so long, even the Virginia Waterleaf had wilted without blooming.  The rain we did get, combined with cooler temperatures the last couple days, finally gave it an opportuinty to recover & bloom.

The Bronco at Little Red's~

I did stop to visit the Bronco.  It's on Donnie's to-do list!  Once it's running again, I have an excursion in mind.  I told Donnie there's no hurry...  I'm just hopeful he can find & fix the problem with the ignition!  

After a short break, I turned back.  Smokey & I are cruizing right along on our 17-mile stretch of trail now.  We'll see how summer's heat effects my motivation!