This is what we see when we look out the big picture window in the living room. As you can see, I am not quite finished planting this year’s flowers.

Well, it keeps raining on me.

That tree is a huge shagbark hickory, and the yard is absolutely covered with nuts. When I mow, they fling and fly everywhere. It’s a wonder I haven’t broken any windows. In the summer, that tree is literally covered with squirrels. I’d like to put tulip bulbs in that planter but it wouldn’t do any good; the squirrels would dig and eat them before I had time to turn around and go into the house.

I always put impatiens in it, because the planter is completely in the shade of that tree, and the impatien blossoms are such a spot of color in the shadows. Usually I plant red and white ones, but this year I’m going for the deep purple and pale purple. It really doesn’t matter. Flowers of all colors, in any kind of mix, are beautiful. Kind of like people. And, like people, the more diverse the mix, the more beautiful.

Things are bursting into bloom all around the house. Honey locusts, azaelas, and any day now, the rhododendrons.

“Rhododendron” sounds like a dinosaur or a tooth disease, but they’re beautiful, really they are. Honey locusts are kind of pestiferous in the later summer, but now, they’re beautiful, and look as though they should be on the lawn of Tara.

For two afternoons, I’ve been planting wave primroses; I finally finished about an hour ago. I’m exhausted. It will be worth it, though. It already is. Just the thought of what they will be like only a little bit into the future makes me happy. Kind of like our kids.

This must be the Analogy Post! I’ll quit while I’m ahead, then, and save the baby kitten update for later. Nobody really wants to see baby kittens anyway. . . . .