Saturday, April 8, 2023

Sunny and Bright


Yesterday's temperature got up to almost 60º F (or 16º C), and it was bright and sunny all day. It was a day of seasonal firsts -- the first time I walked the dog without a jacket, the first time I wore shorts, the first time I sat out in the garden and read. Olga spent most of the day on her bed in the sun.

I pulled the dahlias out of the shed and though they're not showing any signs of life yet, they're at least outside now, where they can get some sun and moisture. It's still a bit early for them, but we appear to be past any frost danger, at least for the next few weeks. Nighttime temperatures aren't supposed to drop below the low 40s F for the foreseeable future.


The insects are coming back out, too. Can you see the large hoverfly (or a fly of some kind) on the end of this rose branch?


Here are a couple more flies artfully posed on this rose.

Insects are a marvel, aren't they? It's amazing how they vanish in the winter months and then magically reappear again. Where have they been all this time? I suppose many are just being "born," coming out of a pupal state or something like that, but some insects hide out and survive the winter.


Here's a new type of daffodil -- for us, anyway.  A few weeks ago I rescued a handful of bulbs from a neighbor's yard waste bag, and planted them in a pot on our patio. Several are tulips, and I'm not sure we'll get flowers from them this year because they've been traumatized, but this daffodil cranked out a flower with no apparent hesitation.

In other plant news, the Russians threw away a jasmine plant -- Mrs. Russia said she "had an extra one" (whatever that means) and they put it out on the street in a plastic bag. So of course we adopted it. I planted it in a big pot and I have no idea where we're going to put it. Don't I keep saying I want fewer potted plants? But I couldn't just let it go to the landfill.

I am still without a bank card, and since it's Easter weekend it looks like I'll be without one until well into next week. I tried to call the bank yesterday but of course it was closed, and I'm unable to order one online (probably because I already did so fairly recently).

Also, the downspout/drainage man once again didn't turn up last Thursday morning. I waited an hour and a half, and then called the plumbing people. Where was the engineer?

"Oh, he has a call in NW10, and then he has a couple of other calls and then he'll get to you," the woman on the phone said.

I pointed out that they said I'd be the first call of the day, given that he didn't show up a few days earlier either.

"Well, I'm not sure who told you that, because we don't usually say that," the woman said. I told her I had to go to work and asked to reschedule the job for this week, when I'll be home on Spring Break. We settled on Wednesday.

"OK," she said. "And I'll put you first on the list!"

I am not kidding.

21 comments:

  1. The situation with the bank card is ridiculous. Thank Almighty God in the style of Salvador Dali that you have Dave to fall back on. Just think - if you were a misfit hermit-like librarian who lived alone in a cramped flat surrounded by piles of old newspapers, how could you carry on without your bank card?

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  2. I felt that yesterday was the 'fist day of spring' - here in Wales, it was sunny and - of bliss - not windy! Not that Oscar cares either way.

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  3. Diagnosis, a plant hoarder.

    Why doesn't the company staff at least call Mr Reed to tell him of how things have changed. In that area, service in Australia has improved so much and I don't really know why. At least you are first on the list on Wednesday, haha.

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  4. “We don't usually say that” ... except when we do. Dear god.

    I love the botanical rescue work you do.

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  5. When you are the size of a fly, the thorns on a rose stem don't look quite as daunting.

    That receptionist for the plumber is hilarious.

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  6. That's hysterical- "I'll put you first on the list."
    A spare plant? I've had spare seeds seeds before but not sure I've had spare plants.

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  7. we never say that, and then she says it. that is a very pretty daffodil. I have a night blooming jasmine which isn't really a jasmine that's a shrub that can get pretty big. I thought jasmines were vines.

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  8. Laughed out loud at the last line. Happy Easter to you and Dave.

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  9. Well now at least you are first on the list. LOL. Such craziness!
    I hope your card arrives soon. It's a little bit strange that it's taking so long.
    Not quite spring yet here, supposedly one more day of chilling rains and then... sunshine, lots of sunny days.

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  10. "The woman" on the phone sounds like a very accomplished and competent bull shitter.

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  11. It must be complicated to work for the bank these days in customer service. So many scammers making it difficult to take care of loyal customers. It is better to be able to walk into the bank to deal with things in person, but many banks don't have that option anymore. Hope you get your card soon!
    Enjoy your Spring days, your "new" jasmine and your Easter break!

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  12. What a pain about the card, and the first on the list woman. I wonder if she moonlights at the bank? She'd fit right in.

    I guess Olga doesn't get sunburned? Catching rays all day, just the thing.

    I just found several comments from you with the is this spam or not alert, none of which had shown up in my spam file. Anyway, thank you and they're now on the blog. It seems your comments are the ones this happens to most. Must be something you said.

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  13. I really did laugh out loud about being first on the list. Ha!

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  14. I'm laughing out loud! I can't believe she actually said that.
    I love that daffodil, it's a beauty. We finally made it to the 80's yesterday and today and they are predicting 90's on Easter. It's been a strangely cool winter and now it looks like it might heat up.

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  15. I burned with frustration about the bank card and the plumbing no shows but there's something about a warmish sunny day that makes things more positive. Shorts in 60 degrees? I'm still wearing sweatshirts/jackets at that temperature although the sun does make a difference!

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  16. The only Jasmine I see around my house is wild Carolina Jasmine and I'm not sure it's even a real type of Jasmine. Hopefully your rescued plant will thrive and you can share photos.

    Olga has the right idea!

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  17. That is a happy looking daffodil. I did giggle at your inability to not rescue any plant based life form.
    Our temps are about the same as yours but heading south. Although sometimes our winter temps aren't that far off your summer ones.

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  18. I have a beautiful view from Sophie's hospital room, but the outside world seems extremely remote after over a month here. Sigh. It's balm to my eyes to come here, though, and see your beautiful photos.

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  19. YP: Yes, I'm lucky to have Dave, even though I didn't marry him for his money, I swear. :)

    Bike Shed: It DID seem like that, the first day of true spring.

    Andrew: Exactly! If they reshuffled the schedule and then TOLD me, I'd know when to be home! Sheesh.

    Mitchell: It was an eye-roller, for sure!

    Ed: It's all in the scale! I suppose to a fly they don't even seem all that sharp.

    Ms Moon: That's what I said! It sounded so weird.

    Ellen: This jasmine IS a vine. It's smallish right now so it's only twined up a support cane.

    Debby: Happy Easter! Yes, we're a bundle of laughs around here. LOL

    Robin: Well, it's taking a long time partly because I complicated the process, and partly because the post office screwed up. We'll get it sorted in the end.

    Red: Ha! That's what I told Dave. "They'll say ANYTHING."

    Ellen D: Our bank used to have a local branch but they closed it. So yeah, seeing a person is difficult. I read yesterday in the NYT about some New York banks spontaneously closing customers' accounts!

    Boud: I don't know why my comments always go to spam. It's quite annoying because I do try to keep up on everyone's blogs, and I suspect a lot of people think I never come around!

    Bug: It's so crazy we can only laugh!

    Sharon: I love the daffodil too. A real find! Why would someone throw it out, I wonder?

    Margaret: I had to put the jacket back on yesterday. As long as I'm in the sun I'm fine, but when the clouds come out it gets chilly.

    Kelly: Apparently jasmine and Carolina jessamine are different plants. And then there's Confederate jasmine, which also isn't a true jasmine! (At least according to what I read just now.)

    Caro: I just can't stand to see healthy plants thrown out. Or even mildly unhealthy ones!

    Elizabeth: So sorry the hospital saga is continuing. I'm glad my photos are a boost, though Carl's are much better than mine!

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  20. First on the list again. Jolly good. Did you laugh? I would have rescued the jasmine, too. And that daffodil is beautiful!

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