May the Fourth Be With You
Our youngest grandchild, Cole Jonathan, turned 7 on Tuesday. That’s nearly impossible to believe. He, of course, was delighted that it was his birthday. He got lots of treats, including a break from school lunches to go out with Dad and Mom. Papa Bill and I went over in the evening to give him our gift and to eat birthday cake. There is almost nothing cuter than watching a little kid when the birthday song is being performed for him or her. He took great care blowing out his candles, perhaps aware of the danger of the COVID virus. Happy birthday Cole!….

When it Rains, It Pours
Today we got a break from the rain, but it’s supposed to come again this weekend. We had the nicest rain on Monday. It never actually poured, but all day long, a gentle rain fell. The temperatures have been cool, but by Friday or Saturday, we will once again be in the 80s. I heard on the weather news last night, that this has been the wettest year in 77 years. Yay rain.

Mother’s Day Deadline
Mother’s Day is the informal start of the planting season. In fact, Mother’s Day itself is the craziest day to try and buy plants. It seems that’s what many do as a Mother’s Day activity. My plan is to go to my favorite nursery this afternoon and buy at least a couple of tomato plants. Last year I waited until after Mother’s Day, and the tomatoes were quite picked over. I won’t plant them outside yet, as our weather forecaster suggested it’s possible we will get cold and snow even after Mother’s Day this year, but I will care for them carefully in the house until they can go to their outside home.

Squirrly
The battle with the squirrels begins. I filled my bird feeder on Monday. To my delight, I have had a number of little birds — chickadees I think — visiting the feeder. Yesterday morning, I caught my nemesis — Mr. Squirrel — climbing the pole that holds the feeder. I chased him away, and sprayed Pam on the pole. My hope is that the squirrel is unable to get to the top because he will keep sliding down. At the end of the day, however, the squirrels always win.

Ciao.