The growing season

 

The Fatsia japonica by the deck has just exploded in growth this spring after a severe hacking back. That bright evergreen tree to the left (about 15 feet tall) started life as one of those Trader Joe decorated Christmas trees. 

With the exception of the laurel hedge and fig tree, I'm responsible for planting everything over the last 45 years. The good, the bad, and the ugly. 

In fact, generations of plants have come and gone in just about every spot. Never a master plan, just years of impulse planting along with trial and error. Now, the yard is a wild and random hodgepodge. Martha Stewart does not like hodgepodges. Ask me if I care. The birds love it. 

 

We had pasta with homemade sausage sauce last night, priming the pump for Italian food next week. 

Actually, just a quick taste of Italy-- 2 nights in Milan, then a day tour near Lake Como, then off to St Moritz for 2 nights (Alps train and gondola experiences) before boarding the Rhine River boat in Basel, Switzerland.  

Talk about hitting the ground running! Although this a guided pre-cruise tour offered by Viking, and the transportation and hotels are taken care of. We'll just go with the flow and get a handle on the jet lag. 

And this is a learning trip for us. It might be a once in a lifetime experience, or the start of many river cruises.   

The European weather forecast looks beautiful next week, quite hot actually. I'm determined not to overpack. For once haha.