Summer 2012, Part I

Spring left us with an abundance of blooms. After the early season bulbs, peonies signal the time of frost-free days, the official growing season which begins about Mother's Day. This year, after a mild winter and a warm, wet spring, plants bloomed about three weeks early.

 

Amsonia and Peonies

Peonies

Clematis and climbing roses...

Almost every day included some planting, especially lavender in preparation for years to come.

And at the height of the planting season, I had to go indoors because I had an inspiration to make bags in school colors for the upcoming reunion of childhood girlfriends.

                                    

 

 

 

Summer started with the 2nd annual Reunion of the Girls of Opelika High School class of 1969. This year, we met here at A Point of View. Traylor and Ruth made a paella for us by the pond. While only 11 of us gathered, we had a blast telling stories and catching up. On the last night, I read from Spanish Doors and performed a queimada ceremony to assemble all good spirits.

 The whole bunch on a picnic in Boone.

Shagging on the back porch: Susan and Wanda

 

Judi and Phyllis 

Linda and Susan 

The whole gang on the back porch after the Mama Mia "peformance."

 Ruth and I tested our Mama Mia routine on these kind friends before taking it to the Renfro Reunion. It's all about the laughs. (and the fact that we can walk in those shoes!)

Diana, Phyllis, Judi, Traylor and Ruth (Traylor and Ruth, our chefs!!)

   Back: Judi Bowman Sikora, Linda Sherrer Drake and Susan Duncan Elliott

Center: Wanda Burrell Cole, Diana Harris Renfro, Phyllis Askew Boswell, Robin Gay Wolley

Seated: Nancy Vaughn Myers, Susan Story Fowler, Jackie Walker Reid. 

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The Renfro family Reunion was next in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Ruth and I entertained everyone with a long-practiced Mama Mia routine and Traylor and I moved my mother from Morningside Assisted Living into Arbor Springs Health and Rehab. In small groups, the whole family visited both Eloise (Renfro) and Joyce (Harris,) our mothers.

Joyce Harris, my mother, in her new room.

 Back at A Point of View, growing blooms for weddings and the River House and just taking care of 45 acres kept us going non-stop. This was a good growing season because of the regularity of rain. Some spraying was needed to prevent fungus, and I discovered the Cornell Formula this year which I don't feel uneasy about using.

 As we approached the Fourth of July, we were having steady rains-almost daily- so that flowers were happy and prolific. Little did we know about what was happening in the center of our precious cherry tree which could soon lead to its demise.