Spring keeps springing. . .

Pink Lady Slipper on Mt. Phillip

My attentive consort took this picture of a new addition to our forest chorus. . .a pink lady slipper. Now that we know what to look for, I'm hoping to see and thank as many of these fellow travelers as possible.

I got a thumbs up on my first post-op review today, so my first task was to bend over and give Jasper the greeting and pets he deserves (we've both been missing that); and then took my phone out to record what's happening in the yard.

I was intent on getting some images of the candles on our hemlocks, but honestly we're a little past candle stage. Still, the new growth is obvious, and I can't think of a more graceful tree than a hemlock.

Hemlock Candles/new growth

There are so many different greens this time of year. I got up feeling sad from lack of sleep and not a lack of pain this morning, but as soon as I "stumbled out of my rack", got coffee and stepped outside it was easy to forget that malaise. Greens upon greens upon greens. All of that energy. All of that power. All of that beauty. All of that hope.

The ostrich ferns are on full throttle display  now. These forest ferns and others like them are one of the many things I love about living in Maine. They are as tough as they are beautiful. And that not-quite-lime green.  Like seeing good dark soil, it makes my mouth water.

Ostrich Ferns

The cultivated columbine, as well as the woodland natives, are also blooming now. These purples were planted by previous house owners. What luck to inherit them.

Purple Columbine

 

 

 

 

 

Purple Columbine almost there

Best ever Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 And to finish up, I'll document two more beautiful things in  our lives. The first is Attentive Consort's fabulous bread. He just keeps getting better and better at making this. What better symbol of the civilization we hope to save?

The last is our newly painted house from the driveway side. Our poly-culture lawn is doing well, the Copper Beech in the front is just getting coppery (it will be green by mid July), the Pink Rhododendrons are halfway through their warm-up to full bloom and the remaining perennials are just tuning up. The house is getting another chance. A rebirth of sorts. I'm hoping that in a month or so I'll see that as a metaphor for me as well. Good growing.

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