Cue the wild roses, blooming all over the property.

And cue the rain, which will be with us later today through Friday.

I know many of you need rain, and I feel for you.  We, on the other hand, could use a break. The ground in the Secret Garden is still soggy from last weekend’s rain. Don did a lot of mowing yesterday in a desperate attempt to outrun the rain.

Right now, it’s gorgeous out there.

I don’t have much to share today. Maybe because of our sorrow or just because, I feel the need for quiet more intensely than usual.

So I’ll share this poem by Wendell Berry:

The Wild Rose

Sometimes hidden from me

in daily custom and in trust,

so that I live by you unaware

as by the beating of my heart,

suddenly you flare in my sight,

a wild rose blooming at the edge

of thicket, grace and light

where yesterday was only shade.

and once more I am blessed, choosing

again what I chose before.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

I only have about 4 or 5 peony buds this year and this one is about to open.

I’m getting ready to inhale.

I realized yesterday that the baby wrens have fledged. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t hear the song of the wrens, which had been the melody of my days. I kept watching the nest but there was no activity. I cannot tell you how sad I was. It was as if dear neighbors had up and moved in the middle of the night without giving me a chance to say goodbye.

It rained heavily all day Saturday and Sunday, and it was cold, so we didn’t hear any birdsong. But I do remember, on Friday, observing one of the wrens perched on top of one of the chairs on the funky patio, chirping repeatedly, head moving side to side. This happened at least twice during the day and I remember wondering what this behavior meant. Now that I look back on it, perhaps the chirping had to do with cheering on the about-to-fledge babies? Now, of course, I wish I’d paid more attention.

I miss them.

The robins are still feeding their babies. I imagine they’ll be fledging sometime this week.

A ladybug on milkweed.

I’m going to try to paint today. I was missing the birds yesterday and felt too sad to paint.

It’s a beautiful day out there, all the more appreciated after our torrential rains.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.