Dear Reader:

As much as the crazy windstorm and hard freeze ( mid-20’s) over the weekend proved challenging, moving plants inside… the end result was most surprising… who survived against the odds and who dared bloom during the freeze?

I chose the blooming hibiscus because it was moved inside on the B&B side-with no heat and lights off-chilly and dark. Yet when I walked over yesterday morning the hibiscus had bloomed again inside the dark chilly surroundings! It stood there smiling at me in the early morning light-looking ” pleased as punch.”

Next …my new spring beauty ” buttercups ” were too heavy to carry around the yard and up the porch steps-I tried but just couldn’t do it! I hauled it to the outdoor bench across from the side garden… spread a vinyl tablecloth over the back of the bench held down by chopped logs and hoped for the best! Look! Two new blooms when I took the cloth off-25 degree’s y’all!!!

And the sunflowers and blue pincushions Jeff planted for me last week? Lots of prayers here-left to fend for themselves….

The only problem, overall, is that four (high percentage ) predicted days of rain didn’t come through for us inland or at least in my neighborhood. It is dryer now than before… with the heavy winds and freeze really drying out the ground even more! Watering day today!

And what about Mr or Miss “Somber” Tulip Tree moth-still where we left it yesterday except it has slightly altered its position from yesterday’s slightly sideways stance to an upright stance on my porch windowsill

Normally it attaches to trunks and limbs of trees since it can camouflage right in… but with the terrific wind storm it instinctively sought a safer setting. ( Smart moth-I lost lots of branches in the windstorm. )

Both Cindy and Doodle have warned me it is probably waiting out the last stage-death. Male moths die after mating -females after depositing their eggs-not much of a life cycle-moths don’t even get to eat as adult moths… big bummer there for me! I think I will stick with being human.

At least for right now I know it is resting-one source described it-” When resting this moth ” sits” with flat open wings-this is its preferred resting position” …I wish it only the best.. it gave back to the world by adding new life and now it’s life is almost over. It contributed to the world in the only way it knew how.

Hopefully our moth is happy in its fleeting time left… after all Booker T Washington once said ” Those who are the happiest do the most for others.”

Big Red survived on the front porch all by itself with one bud still about to unfold in spite of the freeze.

Even with the freezing temps-the spring ” greening” is spreading rapidly! Aren’t the first spring green leaves on oak trees and pears such a vibrant green-almost indescribable in its freshness of green beauty?

So until tomorrow… Kaitlyn and I were texting back and forth yesterday and she sent me this quote I fell in love with… she said she found it in a yoga notebook she kept while teaching yoga-it is credited to a Yoga Sultra.

As soon as I read it… I immediately thought of Ukraine and their patriotic courage!

” If a river flows easily, the water in the river does not express its power. But once you put an obstacle to the flow by constructing a dam, then you can see its strength in the form of tremendous power!”

Kaitlyn just let the family know that she and Tommy ( after a three year coronavirus hiatus) are heading back to Ireland next month for two weeks -now that all entry restrictions have lifted.. heading to their favorite town -why Dingle of course!

*** Hope all the photos pop up this morning but my post started cutting up on me when I went to check it before hitting submission-will keep my fingers crossed… if not – tomorrow is another day. 🤣