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Flowers are coming and going like the Johns in a whore house, eager and alluring at first, bursting into fervor, all showy the next minute, then faded, dejected, deflated and gone until next year. These are the Crocus, Daffodils, Irises, Peonies, Liriope, Lilac... all early, fast bloomers. This year, they seemed especially quick and the biggest disappointment was the Lilac with one anemic blossom cluster for the entire season.

I stepped out of the office building today and met the linden bloom head on - it's distinct, sweet, and when you look off in the distance at whatever tree or trees are causing it, you see the lighter green tongues hanging down. Beautiful, and they're good for tea.

This season leads to the abundant bugs, skulking everywhere, under every upturned log, every paper bag, rock shovel... a bug skitters off when moved. I've seen my snake this year, and the purple finches are contentedly disturbed enough to have built 2 feet from my main entrance door. I don't know what birds are thinking, but the Phoebes used to do this too - and all that they get is tension flitting away every time I come and go. I've heard the babes peeping like mad as parents return home with the bacon. Whatever that is for finches.

I love the season, but it tires me, mowing more than once a week just to manage the lawn, but not enough time to change the lawn to something needing no management. It's not quite a half acre... so a lot to mow. The tomatoes are doing splendidly - 6 in the ground, four ready to go in the ground. I expect to be making sauce end of season this year, and perhaps will throw a sauce and pasta party in the winter. Won't you join?

And so out the other end of the accelerated growth spurt of spring, who knows what follows, drought? More severe storms? We shall see.

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