The bluebells seemed to have died. Then this spring they jumped up in splendid life! The first flower formed and I was delighted. A couple days later the flower had been eaten. Another flower formed and I hoped the first tasted nasty and no one would return to eat this one. Well, either it tasted good or another garden visitor took a taste because that flower is gone now, too!

Remember my disappointment that the bulbs I planted came up as crocuses? Well, I was SO WRONG! Seems I planted the chionodoxa bulbs on top of crocus bulbs, (so hard to remember where everything is underground in November). After the crocus, the Chionodoxa bloomed and they are lovely!

In autumn the trees delight me with multicolored leaves. This spring seems especially nice as the treetops are “laced” with blooms of various colors.

The sad news is the beagle, Lucky, seems to get more lame. The vet wants to do x-rays and blood work which last week cost $90. She says the last medication made her liver values worse. We are uncertain exactly how old she is, 7 or more years? We do not want her to be in pain, but we also do not treat our animals as if they were human in terms of medical care.

We took her to the woods with us for a romp. After a little bit, I was afraid we might need to carry her back to the car. She could not jump over small fallen branches and trees as in the past. She was obviously suffering. Oh my heart misses her already. She is my companion and has her quirks as she is a rescue, but what to do for her? Yellow lace, red lace, so much joy!

Walking in the woods I found little yellow bud covers / cases and wondered what they were from? Then a few more steps and I found this broken branch.

There was not a naturalist in the State Park office, but the women working there took a photo and sent it to one. Later that day I got an email stating this is a male Eastern Cottonwood! I was amazed. I used to wait for a ride to high school under a cottonwood tree and never once saw this! We have walked under cottonwoods in New Mexico, too.

Perhaps you wish for more information? Put this in your search bar: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/eastern-cottonwood-populus-deltoides

For everything there is a season, and a time for every^]purpose under heaven: ² a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; ³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ⁷ a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ASV