A Snowbird in Paradise

One of the things I missed most about the springs right after the hurricanes of '04 was the scent of orange blossoms. Several mornings ago I awoke to a breeze out of the West that was so heavy with orange blossom scent I just sat up and inhaled again and again. Heaven must smell like this! For the last week the scent wafts in and out as the winds shift. How can I share this in the blog?

I can't...not really. My friend Judy said it smelled like Hawaii. I was never there so I can't relate to that. The lady staying in our neighbor's house for a couple of weeks came down to the waters edge and asked me what it WAS that smelled so sweet.

I missed that scent the first couple of years after the hurricanes of '04. Indian River County groves had suffered losses of most of the trees around the perimeters of the groves. The interior trees were so damaged that it took until '08 to recover. I don't remember the scent being this pronounced. Maybe it is the windy days we are having, or the trees just laden with blossoms but this year it IS remarkable.

Coming home to Michigan late in April usually means an overgrown garden but, honestly, this year wasn't so bad. The problem has been the rain. I am not about to go out and garden in the rain.

This is the first year to have my lovely back deck/porch since it wasn't completed until last fall. How handy that is! I have a few adjustments for my son to make when he comes by, but it is quite a delight.

The birds practically sit on my lap. They come right on the deck while I am sitting there. Even while my granddaughters are there, if they are quiet. I was amazed that they sit on the birdfeeders while I am on the porch, but coming right on the porch was a complete surprised.

The first thing I cleaned up for summer was the pond and fountain.

This year there will be as many containers of annuals in the garden as I can manage. This twig-cart was a rescue from my daughter's lake house. With the addition of a cocoa mat from ACO and good potting soil it went from plastic and silk artificial plants to real.

The planter will get a liberal dose of Miracle Gro spray every couple of weeks, but there is enough in the potting soil for the next couple of weeks. The cart is much darker in the rain and I like that look, too. I am going to take photos of the planters throughout the summer as the contents grow.