Jaci Dawn

I know that March has not been a good time for the Midwestern part of the country, with the start of Tornado season roaring in like a lion. I am just so saddened by the swath of destruction.

But here, in the temperate zone of the Pacific Northwest, March has turned suddenly kind. We had a wonderful warm day today.

It started with the familiar song of a Red-winged Blackbird. We haven’t had one in our feeder since we moved back into town 10 years ago, but they were regular Spring visitors when we lived out in the country.

It was a juvenile male and he came down to the feeder to show me his wings.

I didn’t really get to spend much time out in it: I did my usual Saturday errands and attempted to clean my house afterward. And despite the fact that I have upped my potassium intake and started with good multi-vitamins, my feet started to cramp. And after I vacuumed, my back, which has been giving me fits for over a month now, began to ache. Now every joint hurts.

I don’t know if it is old age and arthritis or if there is something more going on, but I can barely get through a day of housework. I am thinking that I will have to break down and pay for a chiropractor soon, but I don’t think that will take the ache out of my hips and hands. My last two chiropractor experiences were not good: one wanted to “sell” me a package of care over several years and if you didn’t purchase the package, you couldn’t get a back adjustment. The other was a friend who fell off the wagon, lost everything (including her license) and disappeared from the face of the earth. But before she did all that, she was a good chiropractor and always fit me in when I needed a lower back adjustment.

Insurance will cover an adjustment by a D.O. and I’ve been to my regular doctor for an adjustment. But he only does back on certain days (inconvenient to me) and I never feel the same relief as when a chiro works on my back.

Aside from the aches and pains and general lethargy (I really need to get out and walk every day again – I’d probably have more energy!), I got most of the housework done. And I took the time to go outside and look around at my winter-devastated garden.

The first thing I noticed was the the chickweed is in bloom in my yard. I love/hate chickweed.

And Baby-Blue Eyes. Another love/hate relationship. Such a pretty flower, such a pain in the butt to weed out of the beds and so very invasive.

The Perrywinkle is in bloom, too (Creeping Myrtle, Vinca Minor). It is not nearly as invasive as some would have you believe and I keep mine relegated to a little corner of a flower bed. It does require constant vigilance, but it isn’t rapid-growing.

This poor Anenome… It struggles up every Spring, the sole survivor of a package of Anenomes that I planted when Murphy was a puppy. I blamed Murphy for eating them (he dug up nearly all of the places where I’d planted them) but it could also have been the slugs. I’m a sucker for punishment: I’m going to plant another bag of Anenomes this year. In the front yard, exclusively.

The first Dandelion of the season. Actually, it is a False Dandelion, but there you go. How pretty.

The Forsythia has actually been in bloom for a few days. I noticed it under the cover of snow on March 1st.

Hmmmmm. I know what it is. I just didn’t remember that it was amongst some seeds I tossed over the fence last year. Jimsonweed. Very poisonous. At least I had the good sense to plant it on the outside of the yard this time, even if I don’t remember that it was in the little bag of collected seeds I tossed over the fence. Very pretty. VERY bad for dogs.

Ah, Spring weather! The first goldfinches of the season were in the thistle feeder. These are most likely female American Goldfinches. If only the males had thought to come to the party, too!

Tomorrow, I will haul out the rainbarrel and – if I have the energy – plant those new Anenomes and the package of Irises. All out front. I’m ordering for the backyard in the very near future, though. I plan on making this a Garden Year.

Oh, and I am going to take Harvey to a Dog Park. Not sure which one, but it will be a good adventure. I hope!