Faith, Folklore, and Friends

When we moved to this house  in '02, there was a large shrub at the northwest corner of the house.  We came in August, and we had no idea what the shrub was. When it exploded in white blooms the next May, I took a branch to our local expert, Margie Anderton, to find out what it was.  She told me it was deutzia. Every year since then, it is a show-off in early May.  People passing our house slow down to look at it.  Through the years, I have potted the sprouts, and the deutzias are now in several other yards. We planted this one in the backyard two years ago. When the blossoms fade, they fall off and make a big mess.  Still, for a couple of weeks, they gloriously light up our neighborhood.

Y'all know it doesn't take much to get me excited, and I was just tickled pink when I saw this. These vines are loaded with teensy weensy little orbs that will grow into plump, juicy muscadines. Last year, we spent quality time with our neighbors eating muscadines right off the vine.  Hopefully, we can do the same this year in October.  Of course, we will have to watch for little foxes and other creatures that like them as well as we do. The tomatoes are still small, but they are looking good! Hub waters them faithfully when it doesn't rain. That little squash is about an inch long, but squash grows quickly and we will be eating them in a few days.  There is about a hundred others about an inch long.  It always happens like that; there is just a few days between the time we are yearning for squash and the time we are tired of squash. I am loving this beautiful spring we have been gifted with! The world's favorite season is the spring....