The year of the Cicada

 

Italian irs

house at dawn

Naomi selfie

Maya at the farmer's market

Chalk paint project. We have had Maya with us a lot. I try to have her go on a bike ride with me every day

lots of day lilies in bloom asiatic  lilies are almost open Tiger lilies next week

Calla

Salad for my friends along with cauliflower tacos. From my cooking class. I grew the cilantro and lettuce

nearby lake at dawn

Brood X 17 year cicada. They prefer oak trees.I didn't realize I had an oaktree until recently and it is good sized.  It is pretty far from the house so I didn't look at its leaves

For the past few weeks, we have been treated to the constant hum of masses of cicadas especially in the wooded areas where I run. They are harmless as they lack  mouths though somehow they drink. They live above ground for a few weeks mate and die. Their offspring  then spends 17 years underground.  How old will you  be when you see them again? Parents ask their children this, practical math. Maya will be almost 28 and grandma? Will she be alive then?

I have busy, mainly gardening. I keep thinking I am almost finished but I always find things to do. Things should  look their best in a few weeksI think all my gardens look good but this self appointed beautification person on the board claims my big flowers are dragging all the values of the neighborhood by at least $300K per house. Interestingly Zillow claims my house is worth $100K more than hers even though they are the same size. She thinks we all should spend $1000 on new matching mailboxes and we should beautify the front entrance Our share for ripping down perfectly fine crabapples would be $2700. Hell no to that. I sent a note to the whole neighborhood questioning the priorities during this time of covid recovery. She also wants to fine people for what she sees are infractions. Crazy, crazy lady. I said that she was toxic to the neighborhood vibe, not mentioning her by name I was nervous sending this not knowing if people supported her but fortunately they don't.

My injury is almost healed and I am slowly increasing how far I run. The early dawns mean I can bike before rush hour, which has mostly returned. Zero new cases of Covid in our county yesterday! Lots of biking. The sweet smells of wild phlox and honeysuckle have been replaced by the even sweeter aromas of sweetgrass in the country and lindens in the neighborhoods. Today I saw a newborn fawn.

And a return to normalcy. We have eaten inside of restaurants and I even went to the movies. True there was only 4 in the audience. We saw In the Heights. It was wonderful

And I have been cooking and having people over so that is fun. Next week Steves Family comes

Planting season

 

I have columbines of 4 different colors

I

A good friend has been making jewelry for us during the pandemic. When Maya saw the key chain made for me, she wanted one too as did Naomi

One of my many purchases for container gardens

The vegetable garden three days after planting. Lettuc came up by itself. Rhubarb, onions and asparagus are always there

Chestnut tree

Maya and I on the shrimp chair. It has a canopy and rocks

White bleeding hearts. Still have two pink ones still in bloom after 6 weeks

Fancy coconut margarita for Mother's day

Some of my 4 sets of Mother's Day flowers

Grandbabies on Mother's Day

Early morning sunrise on nearby lake

female hummer I have about 4 of them arriving early in May with the Baltimore orioles

Maya on University of Michigan campus

Every 17 years thousands of these cicadas hatch for 2 days then die Its that year Usually they are in forests but this one made its way to my garden

Hours and hours have been spent preparing multiple beds and planting 16 flats of annuals and vegetables and numerous perennials, some bought and some donated. Also planted a lot of seeds and will distribute them as they are bigger to beds  What I really need to do is mulch all these beds to minimize their watering and weeding. I also planted dahlias, gladiolas, Cana and calla lilies. Aside from making some of my planters prettier and never ending weeding, I am almost done

On some mornings, I am up before 6 riding my bike or running when there is less traffic, heat and wind. I am still not running as far as I was before my injury but I am gradually improving. I have biked more; so far almost 2100 miles between the indoor and the outdoor bike.

I have hosted work friends one night which was warm (too warm) for us all to sit outside. All the kids and grandkids came over for Mother's Day. It was the first time the cousins were all together since the pandemic. Oliver had his first vaccine a few weeks ago; Daniel will be eligible this summer. Might be in the fall when they approve it for the under 12s. Michigan in April had one of the highest Covid caseloads in the country. Too many stupid trumpers. But finally the infection rate has gone down considerably. As some of the newly eligible are not adults, in some states, they need adult permission to get the vaccine. Other states let the kids decide. Lots of cases where the kids want the vaccine but their ignorant parents won't let them.

But as it is warm out, I can meet with my friends outside and have which is nice. The CDC says that the vaccinated can sit inside without masks with each other though some of my friends do not want to take chances. Vaccinated people still can get sick but they rarely die so I feel much better about the pandemic now.

Some states are providing financial incentives for vaccines. Ohio had a million dollar lottery for the newly vaccinated. Ha A Michigan person won.

May flies

 

Bleeding hearts. I have white and pink ones. Unfortunately a late spring snowstorm broke all the stems. At least the plant will survive

Our house after the snowstorm. Late April

The service berry blossoms had been out. Now covered with snow balls

pansies covered in snow. They survived. In the past I had them bloom in the winter. However the hot sun of summer will kill them

Trick mirror and my legs at the Henry Ford Museum

For my birthday Shanna treated me to a Tiffany exhibit at the Henry Ford. I do love glass

Serviceberry blossoms before our snowstorm Pear blossoms and these came early and lasted for a long time this year

Our Chosen Sisters group finally met in person as we all have been vaccinated for some time. I made a black forest cake. Sort of messy

Covid ran through Maya's dad's family so we had her for 3 weekends as the disease ran its course Michigan is still a hotspot full of idiots who think it is alright to kidnap our governor who asked us to wear masks. These same idiots refuse to get vaccinated too. I won't shed a tear if they get sick but unfortunately they take out the innocent and if they are hospitalized, we foot the bill

Maya doesn't need glasses but she feels they make her look smart. Today she is in school for the first time in 14 months

Tessa got to go on a Girl Scout field trip and then got this enormous sundae

I have at least 5 varieties of daffodils. They don't last long as cut flowers

double rainbow over a Target parking lot taken by Naomi

lensball photo of daffodils

Maya likes our jacuzzi

For whatever reason, it was easier to negotiate vaccine websites in Ohio, which is fairly close. We arranged for Josh, Julie, and Naomi to get a J&J one early in the month before they were pulled for blood clots. The parking lot was full of Michigan plates

Krispy Kreme offers free doughnuts to the vaccinated. Not any near us in Ann Arbor but Naomi and I went to one in Toledo after her vaccine. Both she and Josh reacted quite strongly to the vaccine. No blood clots though which were 3 cases out of millions

So much of the past month has been clearing my gardens for planting and I am not finished. In a week or so the frost threat should pass and I can plant some annuals. We have had all extremes of temperatures but I have been riding my bike quite a bit, a 1000 miles so far this year and almost 700 miles on the indoor. I did start running on Easter, very slowly. My injury is about 90% healed and most of the time I don't feel it. There are still certain moves I can't do.

I have been seeing my kids and friends so I don't feel so isolated nor do I worry much about covid. I am frustrated with how stupid people are though concerning masks and vaccines. I am glad we have a grown up in the White House instead of that evil Putin installed imbecile.

My birthday came and went. Such a big number! But I don't feel it nor do I think I look it. Over a week my family and friends helped me celebrate

A month of birthdays

this one turned 9 wearing the too big outfit we got for her

Thirty years ago I gave birth to Naomi who I am holding surrounded by Josh and Shanna

My mom and sister in law are there along with three nieces though one is off camera

On Josh's birthday we took him out to lunch. Although the outside temp was only 40 degrees, things heated up quickly in the igloo

Maya who is almost 11, is wearing a dress I bought for Naomi when she was ten Maya has yet to hit her growth spurt Even 7 year Allie is now taller

Naomi wearing the same dressat age 10

 Naomi yesterday on her thirtieth birthday, my baby

So March, full of birthdays, is over and now it is spring with its peepers, crocuses, and daffodils though today is unseasonably cold so back downstairs into the dungeon to exercise. I planted pansies to brighten my mood. Hopefully the 20 degree cold didn't kill them. They are 'cold hardy' but haven't had time to be established. Another thing I am trying is a new variety of hardy fig. I have put it in a large planter that I can pull into the garage until it is more established.

Our state, particularly in its Trump loving counties, has become a hotbed of new Covid activity, in the top 3 of the whole country, which I find hard to believe. There is a huge distrust of science. So don't use anything 'science' has provided. No smartphones, no airplane rides, no television. I have nothing but contempt for these idiots who are responsible for the epidemic dragging out. Both Steve and I are vaccinated. In some counties they are vaccinating all adults but not in our county. Will search for Ohio sites for 2 of my kids.

I am still injured which most of the time I don't even feel unless I sit for an extended period and do certain exercises. Fortunately biking doesn't bother it. Between the indoor and outdoor bikes, I have rode 1100 miles since Jan 1. Maybe I can run soon. 

Our hospitals are full of Covid patients. Still I visited a friend, non Covid related, who had to stay in the ER 3 days before a room could be found. She was allowed one visitor a day, a lengthy process to get cleared in order to see her. Even with these restrictions, it wa hard to find a parking spot.

I have been seeing my vaccinated friends, which is a treat. On Easter, it will be warm so I will have the whole family outside.

quotidian covidian

 

Nala in her new pineapple bed She's been known to squeeze into bags barely bigger than herself. Hopefully she'll sleep in here at night instead of Naomi's bed which increases her allergies

I buy so many orchids but half don't survive beyond the first bloom

last of the amaryllis. I have better luck with them. This one is 5 years old

Cooper's hawk comes daily to feed on my birds. Only once have I seen one successful. I did see a sharp shinned hawk chase around a morning dove barely smaller than itself. 

Each day blurs into another but perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel. Steve finally received his first vaccine. Bonus, he didn't have to make a 90 mile roundtrip north or south to the alternate venues we found. He didn't cancel them until the last minute. Once burned twice shy as last minute cancellations have happened. But he got the wait 4 weeks instead of 3 and our in common health care provider no longer is handing out free gifts to the vaccinated.

And vaccines are starting to pour in. They are going to start with the 50-65 age group next week though I know they haven't reached all the over 65s. My daughter is a line and prep cook, recently back to work. Still not covered. True she doesn't see the public but in minutes food that has been in  her hands (gloved!) goes to the public.

We did attempt to eat outside last night. Temp 38 and with the wind, windchill 28. Although we were surrounded by heat lamps, somehow the heat goes up and not out so...useless. We had Maya with us who happily played with her cousins. They spent very little time sitting down, instead they explored the blocked off downtown

I still have my injured hamstring which prevents me from running though I have some increase of range of motion. While I am resting, I have it on a heat pad which seems to help. Fortunately my new to me indoor bike provides exercise and I've biked outside a few times. It will be warm this week so I can get some fresh air and maybe try running even.

Also only 3 more days of having to take my blood pressure 6 times a day, which is annoying especially when they read high. They are getting somewhat lower and I even have had some readings close to a I have got in the doctors's. They cause undue anxiety. I will enter 'phase 2' of the study in whch I take my blood pressure only once a week

Maya will go to school in person in 5 weeks for only 2 days. More than half of the covid cases in our county are due to those fun loving  but profoundly selfish college students.  My other grandkids not living in college towns have in person school now. Will we ever be Covid free? Not with idiots such as the governors of Texas and Mississippi removing mask mandates. Biden called this 'Neanderthal thinking' He was too kind. Fox news was all over this saying how can Biden claim to be a uniter when he calls this governors Neanderthals. Also they blamed him for not publishing some racists Dr. Suess books (not his decision) and for having an ugly German Shepherd (does not look presidential) Actually his dog is quite handsome but they are really scrapping the bottom of the barrel criticizing  adog