Something Old, Something New, and Something Blue Sky

Ok, who pushed the Spring Button? Here in South Florida, Spring is trying to make an appearance and nature being well, uh natural, is responding to the siren call.

Marglobes

Late Friday afternoon, I am buzzing around in the car with my 14 year old son and the radio is all yackity-yack, so, he says “I have a song I know you’ll like mom,” and he plugs his IPod into my car’s system (inward sigh here). To my surprise the oldie by George Harrison “Here Comes The Sun,” begins to play, and you know what it’s soooo good to have an IPod sometimes - in addition to an intuitive kid.

Singing along to this 30 + year old tune, I gradually felt an increased spring in my step - which resulted in the car lurching forward a few times, but it was in time to the music so that's okay. My spirit was lightened, and the New Year yawned before me with fresh gardening projects, healthy resolutions and, naturally, the inevitable spring cleaning of house and yard.

Saturday morning dawns clear, cool and fresh.

Here Comes The Sun!

 After the pre-requisite 2 cups of coffee I am newly enthused with cleaning the stucco of our home, which is supposed to be a pale Saffron color, but now the scales have fallen from my new, spring eyes appears to be almost Buttercup yellow. The flower bed bordering our front porch withers under my glowering gaze. With the invasive Mexican Petunias and leggy Pinwheel Jasmine, I just know it is time for a change.  5 hours later with the stucco scrubbed, the windows sparkling and a bare flowerbed with a lone Pinwheel and Sky Vine remaining, I am bone tired but uplifted. I did manage to find the energy however for an immediate check on our budget to see if more spring fever impulses are able to be funded.

Lemon Boy

Sunday morning arrives and my back aches but hey, I have to drive my kid and his friend to play paintball out west, 40 minutes away. On my way back home, “ELO” (that’s Electric Light Orchestra for you guys and gals under 30 years of age) is on the radio singing “Mr. Blue Sky,” which quite obviously is a subliminal message to take a detour to the big outlet and get a couple of hanging baskets to hang on my sparkling, light, saffron colored porch. While I am there,  without any additional musical prompting I might add, I pick up some trailing, scented, blue petunias and a couple of cans of blue spray paint to gussy up my tired, old planters and maybe the old wicker couch we have out in the yard on one of the meandering pathways in the back yard.

Looking Good

Later that afternoon, with a limp in my step, a worn but satisfied spirit and a definite crick in my back, I am sitting on my back patio. The birds are competing for air wave space with their singing and cheeping, complete with the weird bamboo-sound rattling from Mr. Blue Jay gang  (who can imitate the hawks as well), and lots of “cha, cha, cha,” (exclusive to the Woodpeckers) and, while I am watching them chasing each other around in the yard, over nesting boxes, territory and food, the radio begins to play a Bill Withers song that I have not heard for a very long time; “Lovely Day.” 

Fellow gardeners and bloggers alike, I rest my case. Have a wonderful weekend.