by 
May flowers
May 4 The first king bird of the season was seen perched on a telephone wire close to the shop. The next day, the first hummingbird of the season visited the feeder in front of 1911. Kari saw one in the garden a day or two before. All the trees are leafed out in their Sunday best. SA has gotten more rain this April than any April in the last 17 years, over three inches. We are being challenged to keep the place mowed and trimmed. We never turn down rain in Potter County, but…we wouldn’t mind fewer weeds.
There was no line to vote Saturday in the local election. I didn’t know who to vote for. All candidates were accusing their opponents of being rascals, so I just picked a rascal for each race and let it go at that.
May11 Kari and I managed to get to our destination on Lake Forest Lane without mishap, which is not to say without any inconvenience. There was plenty of that. Getting as far as Gainesville was easy enough but soon after turning on to IH35 traffic was funneled down to one lane and it was stop and creep for the next 40 minutes until there were more lanes accessible about at the junction of Hwy 80. We encountered yet another clogged artery in Sachse where Sachse Road, just a two-lane road to begin with, was turned into one lane for repairs. That meant alternating the traffic going one with the traffic going the other. By that time we were really close to our destination, but were still delayed by nearly half an hour. Nevertheless we still managed to get to Sachse with just time enough to change clothes and get to the wedding venue. We made on it time, but of course the proceedings were delayed another half an hour just because. Finally, the happy event took place, and the principals embarked on their journey of wedded bliss. We wish them well.
After several days of rainy weather this past week, we’ve exceeded our average May rainfall already. SA and the entire panhandle we drove through is as green as it gets. I’m still trying to keep up with the weeds but we had little opportunity to mow and trim because of the rain. I did mange to run the trimmer over the east easement, though. Lo and behold, some had already trimmed behind one of houses along there. It was only one but every little bit helps. Everybody else along there seems content to let the weeds do their damnedest, but I find easier to keep up rather than let it go and try to catch up. I’m trying to minimize the weeds on my side of the fence, so the easement is my first line of defense.
May 18 One evening this week after dinner the sky above SA was filled with Mississippi kites soaring, swooping and putting on an aerial circus. These were the first kites of the season, and they seemed to be happy to be back. There could have been as many as a dozen.
Hans and Chris finally made it back to Switzerland this week. Hans was scheduled to fly back early in the week aboard a Swiss air ambulance. After boarding the plane, a fuel gauge became erratic, showing full, then showing empty. Hans was transported back to the Amarillo hospital while the plane was flown to Kansas to get the gauge straitened out. That resulted in a delay of several days, but finally C&H caught a break. Chris was able to catch a ride on the air ambulance. He would have had to fly commercial otherwise. As it was, they were able to fit him into a jump seat.
Abigail and I made considerable progress whipping SA into shape this week. Abigail spent the whole week on the mower, but managed to get the whole place mowed. I got a lot of the perimeter cleaned up but still lack quite a bit, which I hope to finish off this coming week.
Also this week, I managed to get the vincas Dear Sister gave me planted. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to the following weekend motivated me to get busy in spite of there being plenty of need for cleanup type maintenance; didn’t want to be planting in June.
May 24 Another week, another graduation ceremony. Make that two: Rebecca’s and Kaylee’s. First Rebecca’s. I’m told the Amarillo school district held their high school graduation ceremonies in Dick Bivins stadium due bureaucratic tyranny during covid. Then when the idea of continuing the practice was placed before students and parents for a vote, the majority of the voters gave a thumbs up. So, the idea of scheduling senior graduation ceremonies outdoors in May in the Texas panhandle was embraced by people who ought to have known better. Sure enough it was a blustery day, but tolerable until sunset, which is about the time the ceremonies started. By then the west wind was uncomfortably cool. Then it switched around to the north and increased. It took me all night to warm up when I was finally able to slip into bed.
Thankfully, Kaylee’s graduation was held indoors. Kari and I rose early and made yet another trip to Sachse to celebrate Kaylee’s graduation. After enduring the shrieking of the harpies, we were able to break free of the traffic and get back to Jill’s at a decent hour.