Spring

  Posted on February 28, 2013 By George Weaver

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Early this morning, I saw a pair of courting doves sitting on the fence outside my screened porch.  Stealthy hunter that I am, I sneaked out behind the pergola where I could get a bead on them with the camera.  Of course, they saw me in my bright pink robe and sailed away.  I only got one quick shot of them from my hiding place.

When I looked down, I discovered a couple of blossoms on the Morea Iris hiding in the foliage.  I was rewarded after all for getting my wool house shoes wet.  Unless I walk around the garden often, I miss seeing these blossoms since they are hidden by the wall of the pergola.  I don’t spend much time outside in the cooler weather.

Last spring, I took a walk around the garden and posted a number of photographs of the blooming trees and plants.  During the summer, I bored you to death with photographs of Mr. Anole and the Trumpet Vine.  I have a love-hate relationship with the Trumpet Vine, as you know.  She’s still as bare as she was all winter, but I spied blossoms on a Texas Mountain Laurel.  I didn’t know that it was blooming too.  The Laurel is a small evergreen tree that is attractive for landscape plantings, but the leaves, blossoms and seeds are poisonous to humans and animals.  This one is outside the fences and away from the areas where the dogs play.

As I walked around the house, I noticed what is supp0sed to be a variegated Pittsporum bush.  There was only one leaf cluster that wasn’t solid green.  I suppose it has reverted to its original un-variegated state.  At first glance, I thought it was a flower.  The poor thing looked a little worse for wear from the winter, but it is forming leaf new buds in the center in a valiant effort to spruce up a bit for spring, I suppose.

Pintas are attractive from a distance, but they don’t appeal to me.  I suppose I don’t like the color.  I did a number on this lady with what may be questionable results, but she does look a little more interesting to me this way.  I suppose I should be nicer to the Pintas since they do blossom during mild winters.

As I walked back toward the porch, I saw the couple chatting on the roof of the kids’ house next door.  Perhaps, it was a different couple.  I am happy to see them returning from their winter migration.  I think they fly further south to the Texas Valley or into Mexico for the winter.  They will begin to refurbish their nests in our porch gutters soon, and we will be treated to the ritual of the babies’ learning to fly again this year.

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