Writing update

Despite the lures of the weather, Chapter 5 has about 1200 words in it. I am presently stumped by not having the name for a major character. This was starting to get to my kindly beta reader, so I had somebody ask the character what his name was, and he was perfectly willing to provide it, only it's not there.

That's the problem with Liavek, you have to make names up.

Pamela

Local phenology and gardening

Right after getting back from the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, I heard a white-throated sparrow in my back yard. And I saw it, too. It may have been just passing through to the boreal forests it's supposed to inhabit; I have not heard it lately. But I was thrilled.

The scilla is done; the Canada violets are blooming their small heads off, and the viola odorata has colonized the front yard, with beautiful results. They and the dandelions make it so beautiful I don't wish to mow it.

Mourning doves are calling constantly, and cardinals are singing. Bluejays are doing their "wheedle wheedle" sound; Eric and I had an interesting discussion of that, because a bird book describes it as sounding like a squeaky gate, and I was calling it "musical" because compared to the usual scrawking of the bluejays, it is. But we got it sorted out at my mother's place after the wedding.

Phlox and dame's rocket and peonies and beebalm are up. I bought way too many plants yesterday, and have put about half of them in. I managed to mow another patch of the back yard before the rain came, and did a vast deal of weeding. I know I did it, because the composters are full to bursting. But the garden beds look much the same. This is what I get for being tender of anything green in early spring, and anything that blooms, no matter where it plants itself. I wish to be more ruthless in the future, but I don't know if I will be.

Pamela