And it's suddenly late spring

 Some more blossoms around my apartment. Happy EARTH DAY!

As of Thursday, April 16 we still had some azaleas blooming.

I climbed down two flights of stairs to capture a few photos of the lilies of the valley.

Behind the big maple tree is where my balcony sits, over the entrance to the downstairs apartment. 

White azaleas are past their prime.

The lilies are as well. But what a huge patch of them! This is the biggest I've seen it.

Another native flame azalea, also butchered by the eager landscape crew in trying to make everything look tidy.

Quilt by Sandra Mollon.

Sharing with Tom's Tuesday Treasures

How we love nature (as long as it doesn't crawl on our counters!)

The peonies have started to bud. But I don't see any ants. They are needed for something in this flower's health, but with all the sterilization of our grounds, there may be few ants to be found.

I voted yesterday...early voting for the primaries in our county's libraries is really easy. I was just the 435th person to do so at our little library. But just thinking that my efforts may help get Madison Cawthorn out of the Legislature...you'd better believe I want my vote to count! Most unfortunately he is our district's representative. What a disaster!

Another topic just came to my in box...An Exo-planet. A short video follows.

The Flame Azaleas (native to North Carolina woods) have all burst into color.

And now I must make a mundane statement about the prices we're trying to live with these days. This week I finally was able to buy some water for the C-Pap machine. The grocery store has been out every time I've looked in the last 2 years. But the cost used to be a bit over $1.00...and now each gallon costs $1.50. There are actually quarts for sale also, at $1.00 each. The gallons have increased in price by 50%. I can, and have lived without using any water in my machine. That may need to be my choice again soon.

I was unable to purchase my choice of brand of toilet tissue. They have a huge stock of a brand I don't like...this store has the habit of filling shelves with whatever they happen to have, rather than stocking the variety of brands which they used to have. So I got something that is totally made from recycled materials. Yay me. I've been recycling for years, and finally am going to use one of the end products of that effort.

Today's quote:

 “If our heart were large enough to love life in all its detail, we would see that every instant is at once a giver and a plunderer.”

Gaston Bachelard 

Flame Azaleas

This azalea form is native to North Carolina mountains. But here in the apartment complex it has been pruned, like everything else.

Today's quote:

a billion stars go spinning through the night,
blazing high above your head.
But in you is the presence that
will be, when all the stars are dead 

~ Rainer Maria Rilke