I can’t say it enough–Tennessee weather is always interesting and unpredictable.  You’re just going along having a normal evening, when suddenly for an hour a big t-storm whips up, high winds, torrential rain, possible large hail, a 20-degree temp drop, etc…then back to normal, as if it never happened.  Happily, no tornadoes in the immediate vicinity–yet.  The midwest and west got slammed with them.

Now it’s just a balmy, sultry hot day in May, more like summer.  Avdi spent the night and hung out today, working on the porch.  Misu plopped down under the porch, where it’s cooler.  Flowers are soaking up the rays.  I predict iced tea with mint in the near future.

Here’ my son trying to wake up after sleeping over, while Misu performs acrobatics for him.  She’s always happy to see him (as am I).

Here are some new flower openings: a new iris I didn’t know I had, another poppy, and some snow pea blossoms.

It’s like a sauna out today, so I mostly stayed inside.

This is my excuse for not posting yesterday–too busy.

Misu was busy ferociously guarding her turf from poor Joey, when she wasn’t torturing rodents and lizards.

E was busily painting the shed, when she wasn’t baking challot.

And I was busy “farming”; here’s my updated herb garden and germination table.

And of course we have our obligatory flower photos.

Happily, as usual my son joined us to work, eat, and hang out.  He was kind enough to help me with some computer issues, in between meetings.

Wherever I’m working in the garden, Misu is always right there checking it out, sampling, sniffing, approving, or plopping down right where I’m digging.  That is, when she isn’t tossing large rodents up in the air for fun.  She’s a very paws-on kind of cat.

Here are some random shots of new spring growth, and some colorful Bloody Marys.

I won’t bore you with all the mowing, cultivating, planting, weeding, watering, watching things not grow, and tormenting of chipmunks that go on around here.  Suffice it to say, pretend farming/hunting is hard work!

What makes it all worthwhile is (are?) the little firsts, like my first borage finally blooming, or wildflowers and trees volunteering in our meadow, or the first poppy of the year.  Most of my stratified wildflower seeds are now germinating, another first for me.  Although my veg garden is still struggling to thrive (persistent soil issues?), all these volunteer tomatoes, squash, peppers(?), and flowers from last year’s compost are taking over!  I could almost just compost the garden and wait to see what comes up.  Gardening is always a learning experience.

Oops, well I went and bored you anyway.  My life is pretty boring, but it’s what keeps me somewhat productive.  I’m just glad to finally have a garden and land to play around with, and watch nature take back what’s hers.

Mother’s Day as an artificial commercial construct aside, mine was pretty nice.  I appreciate it all the more, knowing my close relatives and friends don’t all have the luxury of having a mother anymore, whether gone, estranged, or zombified.  (Mine is the latter.)  Moreover, for now I have the privilege of living near my son, and enjoying just hanging out together over beers.  For me, that’s the best M-Day I could wish for.  No frills, just seizing the moment while you can.  I feel very fortunate (and proud, of course).

Unfortunately, the favorite hangout we had planned to meet at had, um, suddenly disintegrated?!  That is, its entire brick façade fell off!  It looked like the scene of a tornado or earthquake.  Probably the heavy rainstorms, just tapering off as we convened, had played a part.  So bizarre.

Slightly daunted but not deterred, we walked down the street to another hangout, got yummy snacks and beers, and then took a walk through the beautiful Maryville Greenway along Pistol Creek.

The stream was high and rushing after all the rain (we got over two inches in one day, then more), and there was an incredible array of critters.  We saw many turtles (painted and snapping?) basking and swimming, a couple of Canada geese with like a dozen adorable goslings, swimming in a long line and grazing on the bank, a group of tame wild ducks (mallards?) just hanging around, a large long-legged black water bird similar to a heron or egret (cormorant?) fishing, and a muskrat (!) swimming down the river.  The honeysuckle and other flowers were fragrant in the misty air.  All in all, a pleasant time.  Thanks, Avdi!

It’s like a tropical rain garden out, and plants are responding enthusiastically, which makes me happy.  Also my son is hanging out here, so it’s all good.  Here’s a sampling of annuals, perennials, wildflowers, and trees.

I’ve been so busy gardening, I haven’t posted in days, which is a good thing.  Even better, my son was working from here yesterday, making it feel companionable.  In fact, his toothbrush appeared in our toothbrush holder, so it must be official–we’re his home-away-from-home.  I know, corny and sentimental, but it makes me happy.

The next wave of cold-strat wildflower seeds came out of the fridge the other day, and into germination flats under lights.  There’s one more batch to go.  The older ones have rotated out to the porch, to mature and get repotted.  I also sowed leftover flower and herb seeds on the porch.  And I’m planting more veg seedlings in the garden as they come ready.  It’s like a revolving door of plants.  That, and all the other garden maintenance jobs keep me feeling productive.

Guess what we did today?  Hint: see beer photo.

Yep, that’s right, it was mowing day.  Misu kept busy torturing chipmunks, and supervising from leisurely vantage points.  No one should be this photogenic.

More flowers and trees continue to take over.  I know it sounds boring, but I get excited helping nature get the upper hand, as it should be.  I know these particular ones are not native, but they came up of their own accord; who am I to stop them?  😉

It’s thundering and pouring waterfalls off the porch, where my son likes to work.  He was under the weather after his trip, and spent the night, so we get to have him some more, and treat him with Mom’s famous Jewish penicillin and other “remedies”.  Meanwhile the garden is also getting hydrated.

My son is here working and hanging out, back from his latest business trip to Nashville.  He was so tired, he fell asleep under a tree, in between rains!  It’s like a tropical rain forest today.  The flowers are going nuts.  I love these little ephemeral moments in time.  I know they won’t last, so I try to capture them now.