Lilies of the Field

Yes, I'm still on this yard/nature kick. It happens every Spring, doesn't it, when we all start gravitating outdoors!

While I've been posting about our front yard and the monkey grass, for some reason, I have been more aware of our BACK yard--the yard that's not in the woods but isn't pampered, just mowed. Almost au natural! It's had a ground-cover for a week or more of these purple-bluish flowers (you may need to click on image to enlarge). I haven't a clue what they're called but before long they will be gone and the yard will resort to the run-off slopes of mostly Georgia clay with tuffs of grass hanging on for dear life.

If you look carefully behind the row of pine trees (again, you may need to enlarge image) you can see the natural pond that borders 4 of our neighborhood homes. I don't like to say we are part owners of it because I don't feel like we really "own" any of this land. I especially feel that way knowing Native Americans once roamed these woods and supposedly caught many a fish in that pond. Somehow it still belongs to them, even if they aren't here any more. Their Spirits are. Maybe some day we will have a little dock built so that Nicholas and G'ma can go fishing. And the day we find an arrowhead will be the frosting on the cake!

In the meantime, I'll enjoy these flowers while they last. These are hugging a birch tree we planted several years ago (one of my favorite trees in the whole world), along with 4 maples and one weeping willow we planted here-n-there. Especially in the back yard we need root systems that can keep the soil/clay in place. We're so thankful they didn't rape our land when they built our house, like so many of the subdivisions we see around us. It pains me to see what happens in the name of progress and population growth.

While I look at these flowers, I'm reminded that if they are taken care of, how much more are we: “Why take ye thought for clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Jesus, from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:28-29)

Shave and a Haircut

Okay, so I'm on a yard and Nicholas (5-1/2) kick right now. A G'ma's prerogative! Remember last weekend when I told you I had to cut all the monkey grass clumps manually because the new shoots were too tall for the lawnmower? I wasn't lying. This photo is from last week but today, a week later, they've probably grown another inch or more.

What I didn't tell you then was that Nicholas at one point said, "You're giving them a haircut, G'ma!" HaHa. Yes, of course. So then I told him to count all the plants to see how many haircuts I'd have to give.

You have to first understand that we're talking about monkey grass lining our sidewalk to the front door and then all along one part of the driveway on both sides. When Nicholas got to 108 (counting out loud), he immediately stopped and said, "G'ma, there are 800!"

"800?" I exclaimed. "That's a lot. Are you sure it's not 108?"

"Nope. It's 800."

So when I was all done, I said, "Okay, let's count them together to make sure." I counted 111 and then added the 5 at the mailbox, making 116. So I said, "It looks like there are 116."

To which Nicholas adamantly replied, "No, G'ma. There are 800!"

"Oh yes! I forgot. 800!"

So that's his story and I'm sticking to it! (G'ma's prerogative.)