I’ve kept my eyes on these flowering cherries and they are finally coming into bloom now. I wanted to have a sunny shot of them but it looks like that is not going to happen for another week or so and I’m afraid the rain and hail will leave nothing for me to take a picture of if I’ll wait, so here they are.

These are just your very common garden variety of ornamental purple leafed plum cherries. But aren’t they gorgeous? They make me smile every time I see them.

                                                           

A lot smaller but just as effective for making me happy are these little cuties. Now if you’re a gardener you’re not calling them cute, I know, you’ll call them pesky little weeds, but I think they’re pretty.

They’re fig buttercups (Ranunculus ficaria) also called Lesser celandine. Now I like that last name the best because I read that it comes from the latin chelidonia meaning swallow : it was said that the flowers bloomed when the swallows returned. How cute is that?

Now Ranunculus is latin for "little frog (off course, who wouldn’t know that?) and this probably refers to many species being found near water, like frogs. Well, to call this particular place on earth ‘watery’ would be the understatement of the year so no surprise there I’d say.


 

The small river next to the campsite has turned into a very wide and fast flowing one turning brown from all the mud it takes from its banks and bottom.

Lots of trees along the banks are now partly submersed in the water.

James is still doggedly plowing through the mud in Doug’s yard, through rain or shine, snow, frost and hail or freezing wind. You have to give it to the guy, he doesn’t give up easily!

He finally finished paving all pathways and the patio and created some pebble ‘streams’ along the borders. He brought in some more of the bigger rocks to tie the rocks of the waterfall and the wall to the rest of the garden.

At the top tier in the backyard he planted some espaliered fruit trees and added more bushes to the lower ones.

It doesn’t look too spectacular right now but after some years of growing out it will be very beautiful.

In the evenings James somehow finds the energy to work on his ‘computer repair skills’ in the hope to soon start his carrier as a computer technician.

Merlin seems to think he needs all the help he can get.