I used to work outdoors for a living, but this week of humid 90s in May is challenging even for me.  Nevertheless, I push on–literally, as I had to mow yesterday.  Sometimes it seems like an uphill battle, but I refuse to give in to oldness!

Today I cleaned up a few beds and planted more herbs, perennials, and wildflowers.  I like to keep a healthy balance between order and chaos.

Meanwhile, E is making progress painting the shed.  Soon it will be like a brand new building.

This tableau is not only alive, but kicking.  Every morning Misu and I stand on the porch and watch rabbits, hear bird choirs, and see new flower developments.  It’s my favorite form of art.

Also, my veg garden is now officially filled.  Squash and tomatoes are blooming.  Elsewhere, the snow peas finally started pea-ing.  It’s just a matter of time…

Our anniversary was spent window-shopping for the most part; we did get a few small sewing supplies at the hugest Joann’s we’ve ever seen.  The cloth bolts alone went on for miles!  And the sewing and craft supplies–astounding.

After killing a few hours, we ate at this little Italian restaurant.  “Italian” is a loose interpretation for what passes for that cuisine in Knoxville, but we mainly chose it for the quiet, cozy atmosphere with its dark, red-lit nooks and crannies.

Today was blazing hot, but I did manage to finish planting my pepper and eggplant seedlings, water, move more seedlings outside, and clean up some garden beds.  It’s going to be in the 90s from here on out.  I wonder what summer will be like.

I refer not to the fifth century, fifth gear, a musical interval, or even a fifth of whiskey.

Rather, it’s the fifth anniversary of E & L42.  Perhaps not a big one, but a lot has gotten packed into a short five centuries I mean years.  Including some fifths of whiskey!  And many househunting/ moving trips in fifth gear.

Now for an imaginary musical interval of probably Neil Young, knowing us.

Many of the wildflowers already established here in E. Tennessee turn out to be alien or exotic invasive weeds that thrive in abandoned waste places and along sterile roadsides.  My point is that humans have turned so many natural spaces into unnatural wastelands where mostly non-beneficial invasives survive.  These choke out the native species necessary to sustain the rightful inhabitants and healthy, functional habitats.  Ultimately this ripples up the food chain to us humans, threatening our very existence.  

The original native humans knew this instinctively, but then we alien invaders got a foothold and choked out and destroyed them.  Next, we proceeded to wipe out, sterilize, and chemicalize everything else in our path.  In the process, we imported plant species never intended to grow here, whether inadvertently or intentionally.  The damage is done, and restoration is always much harder than prevention.

I realize in the large scheme of things, people have much more immediate worries than the environment breaking down around us because of our actions, but it’s still a concern.  I know one individual like me, up against a history of damage done, can do little to undo it.  Sometimes you have to compromise with reality.  

Thus, many of my photos reveal non-native perennials and wildflowers, because I like them, and they aren’t hurting anything.  Yet I still try to work toward more natural, sustainable surroundings.  I have to start somewhere.  

Draw any analogy or metaphor about current reality from this you care to.  Meanwhile, here’s a spider, and other residents, enjoying the languidity (I think I may have invented a word) of a Southern spring.

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.