May 2 - May 6 Poison Ivy Rears Its Head

2010-The poison ivy is really strong this year, its shiny maroon leaves suddenly catching my eye everywhere. I look, expecting flowers, and find its taunting presence instead. I heard vinegar will eradicate it, but a gallon poured on the very new sprouts alongside the studio seem to have no effect at all.  I can’t imagine how much you would need.  Anyway, I end up pulling it out by hand and, even with gloves and long sleeves, end up with little itchy patches all over me.
2011- A couple of beautiful sunny days and then back to cool, cloudy, rainy for the next chunk of days.  Remarkably, I haven’t seen a slug-I did put iron phosphate down, but still-not one. Awesome.
Picking dandelions for wine the other day, it came to me that one way to grasp the fleeting being of each particular  beautiful detail of the passing of time is to partake of the particular activity that goes with each.  Never did I really appreciate early March until I made maple syrup-the beautiful starry evening I never would have seen because it seemed too cold to go out.  And a warm late April afternoon is inside me forever because I spent it sprawled on the grass picking furry little sunny blossoms.
I thought I heard a hummingbird buzz outside the window and sure enough the migration map says they are here though I thought it was too early.  So I hung up the feeders but haven’t seen one yet.  (A day later-hummingbirds!)
2012-I hung up the feeder weeks ago in the warm spell because the online migration map indicated hummingbirds might be up that early, but the weather turned back cold and I never saw (or heard) one. But yesterday there one was-pretty brave little guy going right over my head to the feeder. I saw him trying out dried butterfly bush flowers from last year and the dried frizzle of this year’s nectarines and then back to the feeder. Without it, what would he find? This morning I heard the buzz right outside the front bedroom window. No real slug problem this year-really dry up until lately, but something has eaten the beet seedlings while leaving everything else-even the chard.
2013-Flawless days, cool nights. I cannot imagine how heaven could be more beautiful. The hummingbirds will find the apple, wild plum and nectarine tree in full bloom when they arrive. The temperature went down to 37 last night, but according to the long range forecast it won’t go lower than the mid forties again. No rain for a week and things are more than a bit dry.