Hi, everyone!
The day after Thomas’ birthday, Grandma said we could go to Highland Park to see my lilac friends! We made sure we wore masks and stayed six feet away from everybody else, to help stop the bad virus from spreading. It’s been such a cool spring that some of the lilacs still weren’t blooming! The ones that were open were mostly the lighter colored ones. They were very pretty, but I missed seeing the dark purple ones. We looked, but we couldn’t find my favorites – Sensation lilacs. I guess they weren’t blooming yet!
I looked for my groundhog friends, but none of them were around. The openings of their burrows were really big! I wonder whether that’s because there haven’t been as many people walking around the park this year? Grandma and I walked all the way along the lilacs to the pansy bed. That’s just starting to bloom, too, but you can see the word HOPE in the design already! The weather was so nice that we had our first dinner of the season on the back deck after we came home from the park.
On Memorial Day weekend, Joe-san and Nancy-san brought Tilly and Moose-san out to the bay to visit. They have been careful about staying away from the bad virus, just like Grandma and Grandpa. I was happy it was safe for me to spend time with my friends! On Friday, we helped Nancy-san work on a jigsaw puzzle. Saturday morning was really nice weather, so we sat outside while Grandma weeded and put new mulch under the azaleas. I showed Tilly and Moose-san how I help with weeding! We had lunch and dinner on the porch, right next to the earliest blooming azalea!
Saturday evening, we all went up to Sodus Point to watch sunset. It was very pretty!
Joe-san and Nancy-san left on Sunday, but Grandma and Grandpa and I stayed until Monday — Memorial Day. I made a new toad friend! Before we left, I made sure to say goodbye to my blooming azalea friends. I thought some of the blossoms might be gone by the next time I saw them.
On the way home, Grandma stopped to buy impatiens to plant in Fairport. This year, she decided to make a new planting under the maple tree by the garage. I got to help spread more mulch! She always plants some in the front window box, too. Because it was Memorial Day, I got to wear Uncle Bill’s dogtags.
The Tuesday after Memorial Day broke the high temperature record for that date! The lilac in our back yard was finally in full bloom. By Thursday it was cooler. It was Uncle Bill’s birthday, so I ate ice cream for breakfast. Then my groundhog friend came for a visit! Grandpa checked weather radar and told Grandma they would just have time for a walk before it started raining. The first raindrops fell as they got back, and then we had a big rainstorm!
The next day was Grandma’s birthday! We all went to Uncle Steven’s house to celebrate and have dinner. We had takeout from Grandma’s favorite restaurant, but Uncle Steven made a coffee cheesecake birthday cake. That made James and Thomas happy, too!
Now that all the leaves are out, I’m seeing my groundhog friend almost every day! My friend likes to sit in the sun on the back deck and nibble on plants in the lawn.
The very last day of May, Grandma and Grandpa took me back out to the bay. On the way out, Grandma bought some basil and rosemary plants to put in the herb garden. The old basil seeds she planted have sprouted, but it will be a long time before they’re big enough to use. I made sure the new plants ended up between the rows of baby basil sprouts! I was happy to see the rest of the azaleas in full bloom and proud we’d managed to protect the flower buds on the rhododendron! The end of May sunset was very pretty!
Uncle Steven’s birthday is just about a week after Grandma’s birthday. He wanted a coffee cheesecake for his birthday cake, too! I helped Grandma make it. Marbling the chocolate and coffee flavored batters is my specialty!
We had a two-day, two location celebration for Uncle Steven’s birthday! On Friday, everybody stayed at the bay overnight. While Grandma made a special dinner, I helped Thomas fish off the dock. Then I showed him the tulip tree blossoms that bloom way up high on the tulip tree! Of course, I took time to visit the white azalea in full bloom and the blossoms on the wild blackberry plants. In August, those blossoms will be berries ready to pick!
After dinner, Uncle Steven made a small bonfire. Thomas was a marshmallow ninja! His parents helped him figure out how to get a marshmallow toasty and gooey without burning it up! Of course there were lots of video games that night and the next morning. James made a word puzzle for me, too!
Saturday morning, Grandma gave James and Thomas kayak refresher lessons. After lunch on the porch, we all went back to town for the second part of the celebration. Uncle Steven made butter chicken for dinner and we ate his birthday cheesecake.
We’ve had a lot of birthday parties lately, but Grandma says we’re not done yet. Four down, two to go! We can’t celebrate Uncle David’s birthday in person because the border is still closed, but Grandpa’s birthday is coming up!
Love,
Lion-san
Looks like you are on birthday overload! Hope no one has to go on a diet after all those birthday cakes!
Grandma Sue
Business as usual for Lion-San, Grandma, and family. So glad Joe and Nancy-San and Tilly were able to share Memorial Day. It was splendid. The sunsets are stupendous!!!
Happy Birthday to all!!
La Vache.
It looks like you have been very busy lion. Tilly and Moose-san had a good time. They enjoyed the time spent with you and the gardening lessons. It must have been nice having three birthday celebrations in a row, ice cream for breakfast, chocolate cheesecakes for desserts. We are using the new laptop.