One upside to this pandemic is how much time everyone is spending outside. It feels good. I had another socially distanced dinner last night with friends who live along Lick Creek in Spicewood, and the first thing we did when I got there was tour their grounds and look at plants. Then, as if feeding me wasn’t enough, I was gifted with a small, potted Pride of Barbados, which is a plant I’ve always wanted and never got for some reason. We ate dinner on their front porch, listened to the crickets, talked, looked at the stars and just generally had a nice evening all while sitting about twelve feet apart.

We exchanged stories about our favorite plants, which seems sort of geeky, unless you’re into native plants, and then it’s really exciting. We also talked about a lot of other things. Rain barrels and homemade rain chains. Our kids. Trips we just took and trips we might take. And we even decided that maybe our regular Memorial Day camping trip to the Nueces probably could take place next year, especially if everyone simply brought their own food, and we did away with the group meals, which is a pandemic no-no. Good conversation and problem solving.

Today’s calendar is bare except for yard work, which is ongoing. Made progress yesterday on the side garden expansion and will try to do more today. The weather will be nice and cool so these old bones should be able to handle the load. We’ll see. No sense pushing things. I’m not going anywhere, and neither is the yard. I did wonder yesterday what I was getting myself into in terms of creating another space that might need weeding, but the temptation of a new plant palate is irresistible, and I kept digging. You are welcome to tell me I told you so, if I whine later on down the road.