After the Storms

After the training storms of the past weeks, the last few days have been positively breathtaking. The rain washed most of the tree pollen away, so everything is no longer coated with yellow. Granted, my yard is getting a little weedy, but since I can’t see it most of the time, I can ignore it. It works for me.

I do most of my writing sitting in my desk (aka the bed) with books scattered all around me, computer on lap, and the Supreme Poodle Pasha Zackery snuggled either beside me, across my shoulders, or around my feet, depending upon the temperature of the moment. Since the temperature has been especially pleasant, I’ve had the windows open wide and have been enjoying the spring scents and breezes. I’ve also been enjoying the colors. The Indica Azalea, Formosa, outside my window is in its full fuchsia glory. My room will remain hot pink for yet a few more days. The azalea is so desperately in need of pruning that it tops the eaves, and all I can see are fuchsia blossoms, chartreuse leaves, and cerulean sky. Well, not quite. Today, I see visiting mockingbirds, cardinals, bumble bees, and Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies. No interior decorator ever made more beautiful drapes. And for sure, no manmade drapes ever smelled so good. I dread pruning that azalea. There go the drapes.

Beyond the fuchsia azalea, are: blue, woodland hyacinths; lavender, woodland phlox; lemon yellow, pseudacoras iris; purple, William Setchell Iris (very old German Bearded); mauve, Persian Berry Iris (German Bearded); yellow, Well Endowed Iris (German Bearded); and yellow and white, Champaign Elegance Iris (German Bearded). All of these have such wonderful fragrances that my art students used to beg me to bottle them. I just might have to do that someday. :-)

As some of you know, and the rest of you have deduced, I used to teach art. I love wonderful art and while I was skulking, lusting after, looking for pictures of Iris I found prints of watercolor paintings by Clif Hadfield at the Cooley’s Gardens website. These are gorgeous watercolors, and I thought that you would enjoy seeing the rest of them. They aren’t expensive if your looking for something like them. Just click on Clif’s name to see more of his paintings. Click on Cooley’s above to look at their Iris collections.

Another incredible website is Schreiners Iris Gardens. Isn’t spring inspiring.

Be inspired.

Write inspired.

Frances

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