Myrl's first Iris this year . . .

On Friday afternoons, I have been walking over to my friend's home to take care of her indoor plants while she is recovering from a stroke at the Nursing Home. I get to do this so that her family members (that stop by) don't kill them by watering when they think no one is doing it. Ü They know they can count on me and, more importantly, that Myrl can.

Yesterday, I went to an EXCEL class at the college to learn how to do things on a PC computer because I only own APPLE products and I have to use a PC at my library job unfortunately. The week before, I had taken a basic PC class in WORD. (Have I told you how much I appreciate my flat screen G5 iMac computer?) When it was over, I got my new bus pass for May and then headed home only to take 4 walking trips back and forth -- to the church I attend -- with things for their rummage sale Saturday. I was exhausted! Now, you say, what does this have to do with Myrl's plants? Well, I am trying to express why I was so tired and didn't really WANT to go water her plants on Friday after all. . . but I did anyway. . . because . . . it was for Myrl.

I rode the bus from 104th to 124th and then started my walking trek of a couple more miles. Of course I had my camera with me and I got a few new photos and I spotted a "T" for my alphabet photo collection also.



Ok, I got sidetracked again. . . That's the way life is. Myrl's stroke got her sidetracked and she is missing the beauties of spring right in her own yard. I arrived at Myrl's home and watered her houseplants like usual. Then I remembered she had this huge Christmas cactus; I searched for it and found it in the dark interior of the garage where she puts it to hibernate after it blooms in the winter. It needs a little water now and again too.

I looked out the window to the back yard and saw that her flowers were beginning to bloom so I thought to myself, "after 8 straight days of sunshine and wind, I better give them a drink also." Getting the hose hooked up, I watered trees and bushes and plants. Her grass is automatically watered in the early mornings so I knew I didn't have to do that. Filling the bird bath with some cool water, I knew those creatures who frequent her yard from the forest of trees beyond her wooden fence would soon be able to cool off.

Then I opened the side gate and proceeded to water flowers that I knew were there; to my amazement, I saw this:



I hadn't expected an Iris to be blooming yet, it was the first one I had seen anywhere this spring! I was so excited about seeing it I watered it before I thought of returning to the house and getting my camera. I can hardly wait for the back yard to become ablaze with Iris of all colors that I remember from past years living with Myrl! Maybe I will make some cards for Myrl with photos of the flowers in her yard. Then she can watch the beauty grow from the Nursing Home until she gets better and can see them in person once again.

The snowballs on her tree are a sight to see also! The flower petals are still light green so they don't look like snowballs yet but they will! (I guess you knew I would find a way to write about snow in this post, huh?)



This is a photo of some from the same tree from two years ago. . .



Of course, her flowers don't end with the back and side yards but extend to the front also. I had plenty of rose bushes and other blooming annuals to water too. Her Clematis vines had grown so tall and tangled that they just drooped and clung together like a beard on one of Santa's elves. I could remedy that! I patiently separated most of the twisted vines and threaded each into the lattice work she had for that purpose. When those purple blossoms arrive, they will deck out her front porch in a beauty that invites one into the yard of a wonderful lady who would give her right arm to help you.



My watering finished, I closed and locked her door, I knew why I had made the trip today. I wasn't there just to water the flowers for Myrl; God wanted me to see the new spring flowers in her yard so I could photograph them and share them with her so she wouldn't miss a thing! I would rather that Myrl could see them first-hand but doing this will be the next best thing. Thank you, God, for Myrl and HER flowers that bring us both joy!