The Perennial Flower Bed Awakens

It seems like the temperatures this spring have been more erratic than usual. We have had a couple of days of near 90º followed by days in the 40ºs. Most days are somewhere between those two numbers, closer to the 50ºs and 60º. There was very little snow this winter, and very little moisture in our area this spring. 

The first grouping of photos from my perennial flower bed were taken on April 22nd.

The pasque flowers (2 of the 4) I planted last spring survived the winter. My big, older pasque did not survive the summer/winter. 

When I looked at the flower bed the week before, I did not see any peony shoots and was thinking that gifted plant did not survive the lack of snow/moisture this winter. But 3-inch shoots were appearing on April 22nd. The Columbines were making an appearance, also.

I went back to check the progress on May 2nd.

one of the Columbines

the peony shoots have doubled in height

the pasque keeps blooming

This is why I was concerned about my peony plant! These are a neighbor's peony bushes. Her bushes have been growing for at least six years longer than mine.

I don't have any tulips as the rabbits get them before I get out to spray. Because of my broken elbow and 'useless' left hand, I have not weeded or transplanted or planted anything new this spring. It is early as most of the flowers arrived in the greenhouses late last week. As I write this, we had frost/freeze warning two nights last week.

I took a picture of the hyacinth blooming at City Hall earlier in April. A colorful reminder that spring is coming!

The Rest of April

 As you will see by the photos I am posting, it has been a busy month. Here is a wrap-up of April...

We watched McBe's TKD testing for his next level of blue belt. 

Later that week, we attended his belting ceremony.

Also in that week, we renewed our driver's licenses and had some doctor appointments. On the weekend, we celebrated Easter weekend and enjoyed three days with OFD and the rest of the family. The family bowling outing was not worthy of sharing! The following week was dental appointments, more doctor visits, a library book club discussion, and...

...a very informative OLLI class, which I really enjoyed.

Last Thursday was the start of a busy 5 days. Miss W and the Lincoln High School Ensembles had their Spring performance. Miss W is a member of the freshman women's group. There were a total of 5 groups performing choral numbers. Miss W and the blond freshman on her right had a solo in one of their songs. The last photo is of all 5 groups in a final number.

Friday night Edison Middle School Show Choir, Inventions, had their performance for parents and friends. The 7th and 8th grade members present roses to their moms after their last song. Inventions alumni are invited to join the group to sing a traditional song each year. This year Miss W wore her Inventions T-Shirt and joined the group.

On Saturday, we celebrated Miss W's 15th birthday.

It was a combined birthday and confirmation celebration with family.

Hubby and I took a few minutes on Saturday to check the new set of geocaches he placed.

Affirmation of Baptism, or Confirmation in our vocabulary, was Sunday afternoon. Miss W read the lesson for her group's service. (Every confirmand had a part in the service; all 24 of them.) The second group had their service later Sunday afternoon.

The final event of those busy 5 days was McBe's middle school band concert. He is a percussionist. For this concert, he played the cymbals, the snare drum, and the marimba. The top photo is of the 7th and 8th grade band students at Edison. Each group performed separately but had a final number together at the end. 

We continue to organize the garage so both of our vehicles will fit next winter when it snows. We think we have a plan that will work. Hubby is now working on his license plate collection for display in his Man Cave. Pictures will be coming. I keep organizing in the kitchen. I am almost done. 

The weather is finally spring-like, giving me an itch to be digging in the dirt. I bought a few plants for the perennial bed and did a bit of removing grass and weeds in that flower bed today/Wednesday. The Columbines survived the winter and are growing. The peonies are making an appearance. I love this time of year!

A Trip to Pollock

 I spent some time in Pollock last week. I visited my mother in her "new to her" nursing home and got to spend some time with my oldest brother. Both visits were good. 

I love being back in the area where I spent my first almost six years as a child. The rolling hills along the Missouri River in the north central part of the state are a spiritual place for me, especially in the spring when the vibrant greens are at their best. I love the drive along Highway 1804 from the ND border to Mobridge. Photos do not do justice, so there aren't any. 

It was the hedge of lilac bushes at the city campground that brought out the camera.

the smell was intoxicating

the bees were busy

lilac flower buds

not certain the name of this bush 

but the flowers were pretty

white lilacs bushes, but not as many as the purple bushes

the bees chased me away from this area

I wish the smell came through the computer

the fern peony at my mother's house

the flowers were on the downside of their peak

Pollock Bay

the area between Lake Picasso and the Missouri River

 

May, also Condensed

 Grandkid sports and school activities continued most of May.

Miss W had another and final volleyball competition, May 4

her team had a couple of close matches

7th & 8th grade Middle School Choir Festival, May 7

6 public Sioux Falls Middle Schools participated

about 250 students spent the day with a guest director from Nebraska

they did 'the wave' while waiting for their parents to arrive

Thankfully, Miss W told us where she was sitting so we could find her

May 10

Northern Lights photos from our deck

May 11

Northern Lights display from our deck

As many of you know we traveled to Iceland last fall in hopes of seeing Northern Lights as that was how the trip was promoted. We also know seeing a Northern Lights display is really a hit or miss -Mother Nature in control- opportunity. So seeing them that weekend in May, from our back deck, in the city, was AMAZING. 

Sixth Grade Spring Choir at Edison Middle School, May 14

The Inventions Show Choir also performed a number

M's soccer game, May 18

the wind was so strong

M's piano recital on our birthday, May 19

There was also book club discussion, lunch dates with friends, doctor appointments (regular, not anything new or unusual), dinner dates with friends, and Curt completed 35 EECP sessions for his cardiac disease. School is out. There are a couple more soccer games for M this week. We are all ready for the summer schedule to begin...

April in a Condensed Version

 I have had a couple of reminders (and requests) to update the blog. As much as Ruth enjoyed the platypus she is ready to see something else. So here is what we did in April...watched the two grandkids participate in their sports and school activities...in a condensed version.

Miss W-track meet, April 12

M-soccer, April 13 (a rare nice April day)

M-soccer, April 20 (so dang cold & windy)

Miss W-volleyball, April 21

Miss W's Inventions program for family & friends

Inventions is the Edison Middle School Show Choir

she was one of the members chosen for a solo part

Miss W turned 14!!!

One of her requests was a laundry basket

Edison Middle School Spring Band Concert, April 30

M plays percussion; 5 song & 5 different instruments

Miss W plays the flute

6th grade Band

I didn't take a photo, but the 8th grade band was half this size!

And that was April.

Spring Sports with the G'Kids

 It is April and that means the spring sports season has begun whether or not the weather in South Dakota cooperates. The winter was very mild in our area and we missed some days of 70º temps in March. April thus far has been windy and 50º temps feeling like a chilly 40º. But we attend the events we can and thankfully, some are indoor events!

Miss W's first track meet of the season last Friday

this was the 4x200 relay

she ran the third leg

Then a day of volleyball in Watertown on Saturday

M started taekwondo lessons in February

Monday night was testing for his yellow belt

he loves the 5 times a week classes

first was a demonstration by the performance group

of martial arts students

warm-up exercises for M's group

first part of the test was on form

M takes taekwondo very seriously

then they tested on kick and punch

(M is way in the back)

his class of white and yellow belts ages 5-11

If he passed, the belt will be awarded at Saturday's class

Tuesday night Miss W's show chorus performed at

one of the city's retirement homes/centers

Inventions is 7th and 8th graders from Edison Middle School

they audition in the fall and work on six songs with

movement for their spring performances

she loves Inventions

This wraps up the first week of what we did when we got back to SD for the summer. Soccer starts on Saturday.

The World Series (geocaching)

 A Valley geocacher who loves baseball, created puzzle geocaches about the World Series beginning with the first games in 1903. Hubby enjoyed doing the research to get the correct numbers to solve the World Series puzzles, all 62 of the puzzles. Several other geocachers were interested in finding the string of geocaches so a plan was made to walk in the desert on Sunday. The temperature was to be in the low 60s, perfect for a day of desert geocaching, an hour north of the Apache Junction.

heading to the first geocache

the desert is so green and quite lush right now

clouds and mountains and dirt roads

only one short road was drivable, these were walk to geocaches

buds on the staghorn cactus

wildflower sighting

one trunk developed into two saguaros

spiny goldenbush (?)

firecracker penstemon 

a LARGE animal burrow

the mountains are covered in green

lupine 

staghorn buds

caches were all easy to find

hanging in the trees

5Gs + 1B

(Sherry, Vicki, me, Hubby, Paula & Mary)

looking for ONE MORE cache, but no luck!

The price to pay for caching in the desert...boot soles filled with stickers & thorns. The left boot is clean, using a tweezers and a needle-nosed pliers. Hubby said he cleaned his boots but I bet they weren't as clean as mine!

the little stickers/thorns in the waste basket

It was a successful and fun day! We logged 64 caches on Sunday, had a great lunch at Twin Peaks and an enjoyable day with the other 4Gs.