Unsettled Spring

Unsettled weather continues in our weird New Mexico climate. Some rain, some cold, some wind. Some glorious sun and blue skies. Wine on the patio sometimes, but hunkering down inside other days. Every day is a surprise.

My weekend trips to the Waterwise plant sale continue and I have been busy getting things in the ground. For such a small enclosed courtyard garden, I seem to have a lot of plants.

'Swallowtail' columbines are blooming. I got a few more to make a bigger stand of them here.

It is strange to be planting on nice days and digging in soft dirt and sitting in the warm spring sunshine while the mountains around us are snow clad. Such a dissonant sight -- snow on the mountains, plants in the ground, hot sun on my back.

There were very few casualties from last winter. One or two plants did not make it, all the rest did. A miracle, considering how harsh and how long our last winter was.

'Seriyu' Japanese maple in its blue pot is lush and leafy right now.

All of a sudden we are busy. We had to have our sewer line to the street dug up and repaired this week. Arrrgh. It's done and we now can flush with abandon. This is a delight.

New windows are being installed next week. All of them are being replaced. You've read about our leaks. We need new windows before monsoon season starts this summer.

I fly to Denver tomorrow for a visit with my son. That will be fun. Jim stays at home fending off the neighbor ladies who are convinced he will starve while his wife is out of town. While I am gone he plans to smoke cigars on the patio and promises to water my new plants.

This is how May begins in northern New Mexico.