This morning Dennis carried a box to the end of the driveway for the Epileptic Society drive. I followed behind in my pink bathrobe with a plastic bag. Heck, I was already out and about, I took advantage of the firm frozen ground and headed out to the east lot line to see how the winter had treated it. I have a lot of branches to pick up. Me in my pink bathrobe walking our yard would not astonish anyone living on Stauffer Avenue. It’s just that type of neighborhood. I wasn’t alone. Following right behind me, step for step was Snuggles and Honey Bunny. Even in times past when there wasn’t a cat in site, I wouldn’t have to look. I knew they had sprung out of nowhere and were following. Very good garden buddies. We looked, we sniffed, we touched and then headed back to the patio porch. Though the top ground was frozen enough to walk on, it swished with each step telling me that there was no shortage of moisture. I thought the cats might stay outside as the morning was quite mild, but no, we all ended back in the patio porch where Dennis was enjoying coffee. I stayed for a bit and then decided I had better get dressed for the day.
We had always had a small USA flag right outside the west house porch. The seamed side had a placket that was then stripped over a steel electric fence post. We always knew which way the wind was blowing. The harsh winter winds shredded it. This afternoon a brand new flag adorns that corner of the front sidewalk. As I was walking back into the house I noticed the Fairfax Tulips are already four inches tall in the flower bed right beneath the west porch windows. That piqued my interest enough that I checked out the east side of the house. Yup, several more Fairfax Tulips as well as the Fern Peony. It made me wonder how tall my cousin’s plant will be this spring. I shared a Fern Peony with her when there was a very small tuber that had a lot of promise. She has sent me a photo each spring to share its growth. Priceless. I also mean that literally: the nurseries don’t bat an eye putting a price tag of $40.00 for the same sized little tuber I gave her and what it could sprout. My original plant came from Great Grandma and Great Grandpa’s farm in Penn Township. That is priceless.