Cinco de Mayo, lilac time in this hemisphere

Cinco de Mayo today, which I'm told is not that big a deal among Hispanic people as we seem to think it is. Like St Patrick's Day, not a huge partying day in Ireland, very unlike the way it's celebrated in the US. As a friend of mine once said, it's a day you have to go to mass and pin a sprig of shamrock on your lapel and go to work!

But whether or not we celebrate hugely, the lilac is now officially out and the whole neighborhood smells wonderful from the bush next door to us, from which I larcenously took a sprig to put in the living room for Handsome Partner to enjoy. And post here for you likewise.



This morning I finally demolished the last of the horrible upright yew bushes which have blighted our front path since the place was built. They are impossible for me to dig up, but if you saw across the trunks, they don't come back, which is a bad thing if you like them, because you can't prune or trim them and expect them to go on being green. But it's a great discovery if you want to be rid of them.

I've been working on these shrubs surreptitiously for years, since the HOA might come down on me like a wolf on the fold if they think I'm damaging their valuable (!) shrubs, yeah. In fact I've improved property values quite a bit, what with my own plantings and all the gardening tuition I've given neighbors, and the divisions I've planted for them, not to mention all the daffodils and daylilies and other things back in the woods looking very nice. Can you see I've worked up this speech in case I'm ever challenged?

So the yew is gorn, and good old pachysandra and sedum, instantly yawned and stretched and filled in the gap so that you can't tell anything was taken out. I have a couple of neighbors wanting pachy from me and hints on how to plant it (easiest thing in the world for groundcover, very forgiving) next weekend, which is great because I need to thin it, and will gladly give them bags full of it.

It will fit in with the lovely neigboring willows, now in spring green outfits.





Next week on Friday, I get to take a vacation!!!! two and a bit days at the shore, Cape May, my favorite, perfect birding time of year, hoping for good weather. Handsome Son will come and take over Handsome Partner's care, and I have no worries about that, since they get along well, and HS is a lot calmer than I am. He's got plenty of notes, did great while I was in the hospital, and that was an emergency, and this isn't, and the neighbors are also alerted in case he needs to call on anyone, all very willing.

My only concern is that this will be the longest car trip I've taken in quite a while, and I am rusty on the highways. I expect that will pass, once I'm out there, though, and I trust that part will be well. Must remember a lot of coins for the tollbooths, come to think of it.

Last time I was down I saw a pod of whales frolicking along the shoreline, just as I was standing on my seaview balcony wondering if I needed to take a cruise to see any whales. How obliging of them. Little black guys, I think pilot whales, according to the naturalist I hotfooted across town to consult. Im going to the same hotel again, since I know them, like the view directly onto the ocean, great to sit in the morning drinking coffee and admiring the view, and seeing what heaves into sight.

I will take camera and charger, will probably not take my computer, since this is supposed to be time off from ordinary life. At least that's the idea. I hope I don't go into withdrawal...but other than that, I can't wait to see the sea again, and hike the bird trails and walk Cape May Meadows, which lead across freshwater areas and ponds right to the ocean and saltwater life, amazing place. And so many birds you can hear the beat of their wings, very thrilling sound.

Back when I had a home petcare service, my clients used to wonder why on earth, after working seven day weeks with an endless stream of ittle animals, this is how home petcare goes, I would use a few precious days off to go watch wildlife! I used to explain, this is different, I'm not responsible, they feed themselves.