First One

Some of the bigger magnolias in the neighborhood are already in full flower, with their enormous pink dinner-plate blossoms thrown all over the sky. The tree in our front yard is a smaller variety, Magnolia stellata, and just beginning to pop. The glowing buds are soft as cats' ears, and the flowers are little origami miracles, waiting to unfold.

I've been doing a couple hours of gardening in the warm sun every day, weeding and tidying and checking to see what has escaped that frost we had awhile back. After lunch I go back out again, but this time with my knitting or a book, and I sit under the arbor in the surprisingly quiet afternoons, luxuriating in this unexpected and somewhat unwelcome and unseasonal summer. We are sure to be under water rationing soon, and I wonder if we can keep up the garden, even with our very efficient drip irrigation system.