Shooting Stars

The first of the wildflowers are beginning to appear and I was pleased to see this little patch of shooting stars (deodecatheon meadia) this morning as we ambled around Spike's Walk. Our short walk is characterized by three very different scenes as we essentially walk around a little peak. As we walk up the hill we have a view of Spring Lake through the trees. At the top of the hill is a large meadow with views over to Hood Mountain a little pond, and a trail into Annadale State Park. Some children from the environmental center have made signs warning of newt and salamander eggs with pictures of what they look like. There isn't much water in the pond but there a re a million newt and salamander eggs. And ,of course, frogs. Coming down the other side of the mountain we pass a bank of several kinds of ferns which have unfurled over the past month or two. It is amongst the ferns that I saw the shooting stars.

Following a week of hard early morning frost and chilly days, we have had three days that feel more like summer. We're due to go back into a more 'normal' weather pattern tomorrow night of a slight amount of rain and cooler daytime temperatures. The plants don't quite know what to make of it. Flowers and trees that blossomed in anticipation of spring have drooped dispiritedly with the night time frost. It is to be hoped the the rain, however small the amount it turns out to be will revive them.

I was amused by the sign on a post at the bottom of the road which I have put in extras. Sounds like a fun time...

I arranged some beautiful roses John brought home yesterday in one of the vases slated for removal in our garage clean-up and took them down to my neighbor who is recovering from back surgery. All was very quiet and not wanting to wake her should she be napping, I left the flowers on the porch, knocked on the door and left. I sent her a text when I got home.

Tonight is President Biden's first state of the union speech in Congress. For the first time since Obama left office, I think I just might be able to listen to it. It seems that our fractured government has finally found something they can agree on. It's a shame that it has to involve the plight of the Ukrainian people, an unprovoked attack by a megalomaniac and the terrible suffering of so many....The Ukrainians have put up a fierce battle for their homes and their cities, but there is a line of Russian tanks that stretches for 40 miles out of Kyiv.

War makes for some surprising alliances. Elon Musk has delivered his Space X Starlink satellite  to Ukraine to keep their internet alive....