It's Apple Blossom Time!

 I began noticing the fragrance of apple blossoms yesterday - and then my lawn got mowed and that overpowered the apple blossoms that were just beginning to come out. This morning the tree was in full bloom, and I've been enjoying the delicate scent all day on my porch.  Top right is some of the blossoms, and below left shows the full tree. The picture on lower right is of the crabapple tree further down on the lawn. That doesn't seem to have the same delicate scent as the one by the porch. Even the small tree I had pruned this spring is showing some blossoms - more than I've ever seen on it before, and it is at least 25 years old. It had a hard life, being moved from camp and split by heavy snow one winter. But I taped it back together and it survived, but it has never been very attractive until I had it pruned this spring. Apparently it likes its "new look" and is going to show off a bit this year. I'll take a picture if the buds I'm seeing continue and it actually bursts into bloom. I will be surprised - I didn't expect any buds at all after such a severe pruning. 

 Once again it was pretty hot outside today, so I didn't even try to do any outdoor work. I got some screens in that I've been putting off doing, mainly because they are really difficult to put in, but today they went in pretty easily. I also found time to sit on the porch and do some reading and enjoyed the apple blossoms and the birds chirping. Sometimes the din the birds make is really dramatic. There are a lot hanging out in the maple trees near my house, and others in the woods above the pond. They are a chatty bunch and today the bluejays were dominating the conversations. They are very loud! I have sparrows nesting nearby in one of my bird houses, and they can make a lot of noise, too. And this afternoon the robins were very singing up a storm, perhaps literally since it's going to rain. They always seem to know.

I've expected thunder storms all afternoon, but so far we've escaped and around six o'clock there was a sprinkle and the wind picked up. The temperature is headed down - Diane Rossi told me a few minutes ago it had dropped 10 degrees in an hour. My thermometer is reading 61.4 at about 8 o'clock. I don't know how high it got today, but it was very warm at mid-day, probably over 80, but I'm not sure. Anything over 80 is too hot for me.

It hardly seems possible this coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend. It is also our first Joe's Pond Association meeting of the year on Saturday, and Sunday there is a celebration on Danville Green for "Destination Danville," that was postponed last weekend due to heavy rain. I plan to be at the JPA meeting - and will have the West Danville/Joe's Pond history books available for sale, if anyone is interested. I will also be at Destination Danville on Sunday - with books! Word is getting out, and we are happy that people seem to be liking the book very much. I hope to see many of you at the meeting. It's always fun to see friends again after a long winter. We will hope the weather cooperates; it has been cold and even snowed on occasion at spring meetings, but hopefully this year will be nice. See you then.