Casa de Charlotte Della Luna

Banana blossom surrounded by magnolia branches and bamboo shoots.
(Click to enlarge photos)

I don’t know why I woke up at 8:00 am on a Sunday morning ready to jump right up. I’m not a jump right upper – I’m a lay-abed let-me-snuggle-awhile longer slug. But I was wide awake so I got up, made my coffee, fed the cat and wandered out into the back yard. It’s rained for several days in a row as is the summer pattern of New Orleans. Days begin sunny then cloud up in the afternoons for the daily shower. The back yard is soggy but I took a few pix, swatting mosquitoes as I squat to shoot the two below. Wiping my lens of fog and condensation over and over before I get a decent shot of the banana blossom up above. The bees were busily buzzing around the small white flowers that encircle the large red bud and it made me realize that I haven’t seen many bees this spring and summer. Hmmm…I don’t think I like that.

I worked in the back yard yesterday cutting down the invasive bamboo that springs up all over the yard. Yes, it’s annoying, but I still love the look of it all clumped together along the fence so I put up with the constant chore of cutting down the shoots when they appear where I don’t want them.

I moved a large potted palm to another spot and added new soil where the roots were showing. The S.O. thinned ginger and cleaned the fountain – assisted by moi and man is it heavy! There’s still plenty of work to be done since we lollygagged all spring, missing the coolest time of the year to do yard work. Now we suffer. Eh. Such is life.

A petal from the large red banana blossom rests under a Sago Palm.

Close up of Sago Palm fronds glistening with rain.

Now it’s time for another cuppa coffee and a visit to my two must-reads on Sundays, Adrastos and Rob. Y’all have a great day.

Camellia sasanqua currently blooming in my garden.

And on the third day, she arose.

It’s a beautiful, beautiful day in the city of her dreams. The light breeze blowing through the Queen palms creates a whispering, rustling sound as the fronds sway, then rest, sway, then rest.

(New Orleans sunset through palms)

In the backyard the poles of the giant bamboo clackety clack as they rub against one another.

(Baby bamboo emerging.)

And the birds sing, the fountain gurgles, the wind-chimes tinkle, the squirrels play and all is right in the world.

(My fountain)