Getting greener...

Spring is still not quite a week off, but it's so close, you can taste it. The snowdrops are up down the street, and all over people are saying that their bulbs are popping up. But I hadn't seen hide nor hair of mine, leading me to the conclusion that they must have been eaten by squirrels. But no! As I was walking to the train this morning, I noticed that their are several things popping up. Thus far, none look to be flowering, but you never know. I also noticed that not only is my potted lilac leafing out great guns, the one in the ground is showing signs of green! Yay!!!

Yesterday, Peter gave me some daffodils (which squirrels don't like, apparently) and daylillies. This evening I planted them in the back yard and noticed there that my azalea from Liz is still alive, and one of the roses that Susie gave me from Monticello made it through! I also noticed something else with a varigated leaf that looks vaguely hosta-like that I may have planted on purpose coming up near the back fence. I can't wait to see what it looks like in a few weeks.

I'm still not a gardener, but it was fun playing in the dirt today.

Sure signs of Spring...

Yesterday, as I was walking into Merion Friends for longsword, I spied the first daffodill of Spring, early even for this area. I was so excited that I ran back for my cell phone to capture these images in the now-lighter early evening.

Look what's blooming...

As part of my housewarming gift, George gave me a cutting from his purple passion plant. Recently, it started blooming! The picture can't do the fuzzy yellow flowers justice.

More to come...

Boom!

The weather broke.

Making it extremely exciting to get home. Remind me why I don't live in Center City anymore...

The storms that finally hit tonight took out power lines to some parts of Mt. Airy, and shut down first the Chestnut Hill East line, and then the Chestnut Hill West line.

Tanya phoned about the power outage, but when I called home to check in, the answering machine picked up, so all was well on the power front. Then according to the signs at Market East, the R7 was only running few minutes late - fine. Until the announcement that it wasn't running at all. Less fine. But it was a good night for a walk from Allen's Lane, so off to the R8 I went. It arrived, and then stranded us all at 30th Street.

High winds, downed trees, branches, power lines. Downed trains.

But I'm from New York and I know how to throw money at the problem. A visit to the ATM and a chat with a cop about the status of the Lincoln Drive later, and I was in a cab, and finally, poorer, but home.

And at last there's a cool breeze blowing through the windows. I'm going to sleep well tonight.

A whiff of Spring

Did Phil see his shadow? (I just looked. He did. He always does. You would want to go back into your hole too if they dragged you out first thing in the morning when you could be napping. But really, I'm sure Phil just wants to get back to his nice, warm indoor habitat in the town library...)

Well, Phil be darned! Today was beautiful in town. So much so that when I finally finished my shopping and stopped in front of the house to unload the groceries, I left my coat inside, rolled down the windows in the car, and proceded to enjoy the air for the next 45 minutes as I looked for parking.

Days like this make me think of spring, and sunny days and flowers. I quoted Jenny in an earlier post and her comment about my collections of small things. I even like flowers that are clusters or cascades of small buds - lily of the valley, lantana, sweet pepper bush, and my all time favorite, lilacs.

We had a lilac out back in the house where I grew up, and they were Aunt Evelyn's favorites. It's the scent. It's just heaven. I can't get enough. And the blooms don't last when you cut them, so the best thing is to bury your face in someone's shrub, and hope they don't mind.

I learned just now that there is an annual lilac festival in Rochester, NY. I'm going to Rochester in May, so I wondered if I would be there on the right weekend. Alas, no. I will be a weekend too early. I wonder if the lilacs would accomodate me and bloom just a bit earlier.

In my house hunting, I'm looking for a house with a little yard. Not that I'm such a big gardener, but I need one for two reasons - summer cocktail parties and lilacs (well, and probably lily of the valley. And peonies. And maybe a rosebush. An orange azalea in front of the house?). I want one of the beautiful deep purple ones, but of course it's gotta have that scent. I bet I'll end up needing more than one...