Paradise

... is Southern Oregon in the springtime.  Not warm, balmy, tropical paradise, but beautiful light, windswept clouds and lush, opening green paradise.  I wish I had some good pictures to share with you, but I never manage to really capture the light correctly, and with the way it's been slipping through the snow/rain clouds (no, that isn't a typo) and hitting the Table Rocks it would be a crime to get a bad picture of it.

We have an addition to the Tower household!  Last weekend was the Master Gardener's Fair and in lieu of outside plants (more news on that later), I purchased a small cactus and a succulent, which I may have to name, The Succubus.  I mean, Ophelia, succubus.... now I just need a pet bat.  Anyway, so, the landowners gussied up the landscaping this weekend as well and it looks really (really, really) nice, and the landlord told me that he is going to build a little planter-type thingy under the shade tree on the way to my abode, and that I get to plant things there!  I'm thinking some impatiens, maybe some lobelia or hostas.... I will get to re-explore the world of shade plants.

Speaking of additions, Florin and Jill have welcomed their daughter, Olivia Rose, into the world!  She was born Thursday the 24th and was 14" long, 8lb 1oz.  Congratulations, Flo and Jill!!