It’s raining. Honest to goodness, puddle-forming, hair-curling rain.
This is the first substantial rain in San Jose in two months. Everyone else seems to be suffering from too much weather; we haven’t had enough. I walked with a friend for an hour this morning and it never let up. Fantastic.
My garden freesias share my enthusiasm. This is their first shower of the season.
Nature’s perfection
Refreshed
They aren’t the only ones happy about the downpour. The squirrels are chasing each other around and around the pine tree with glee. Meanwhile, a hummingbird tried to make sense of the fruit tree. It’s known as a four-in-one or a fruit cocktail. It’s one tree with four grafts. This one grows pitted fruit: peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines. The grapes were an after thought by yours-truly on her way to the compost bin. They still had some life in them so I hung them on the branches for the birds.
Hummingbird at rest
I’ve enjoyed watching the progress of this potted beauty. It sits on the back steps, so I can see it from indoors. I pass it on my way to do the daily rounds: emptying the kitchen compost bin, snapping pictures, checking on things. I pulled weeds for an hour yesterday, and cut back some of the dead growth from last November’s frost. It felt great to get out there and do a bit of work after nursing a crummy cold for over a week.
Four week progression
The yellow freesia was a surprise. It popped out from under another plant and seemed to bloom in a flash. Yellow is such a cheerful color, don’t you think?
Yellow freesia buds
These popped up earlier this week
If you are sick of the wind, the rain, the snow or the drought, I hope things turn around for you soon. I plan to enjoy every minute of this rainy day and, fingers crossed, hope for more to come.
Gardening Nirvana 
What a great post! Rain!! Yay – Happy dance!! I caught this post as I was coming out of my reader, chasing up posts that I have fallen behind in whilst on super slow internet time…… glad I opened it! That tree – four in one – what a clever idea for a small garden – does it really work? They don’t all kind of coalesce into some amorphous kind of soft fruit puree? I must look this up, it is new information for me!
And I love the thought of squirrels chasing happily about in the rain – what a sight that must be!
Do hope your crummy cold is clearing up – is it that time of the year for you? Personally I am getting quite concerned with all you northern hemisphere folk prattling happily on about ‘Spring is in the air’ My summer has never quite got off the ground – and I’ve been holding onto hope that it will eventually arrive. But now you have beautiful pink and yellow freesias blooming [isn’t the scent divine!!] which means my Boston ivy is turning red and that will be the end of that….. Oh well – you win some, you lose some. Just as well I quite like Autumn 🙂 xoxo
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I’m glad your connection is back to behaving itself. That can be so frustrating.
My cold is definitely on the way out, thank you. Just more tired than normal since I’m up a couple of times a night.
Yes, the rain is glorious. We’ve had several downpours throughout the day. We’re promised another set of storms on Friday (it’s currently late Wednesday afternoon).
I’m glad you are also a fan of autumn. That will help soften the blow a bit. How disappointing though to have your summer be a no-show. I have no idea what our summer will bring if we don’t get more rain.
So glad you stopped by, Pauline. xox
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My internet connection is driving me bonkers at the moment. Well, not really, but it would if I let it… The nice lady at the isp HQ tells me its because I’m at the end of the line or, in her words ‘quite far from the exchange’. As I’m in the middle of the city that is a tad difficult to get my head around… But anyway, we do all kinds of exciting things like swapping jack points, trialling with different connections and even swapping cords – my house looks like a war zone because everything is behind something else and it seems to have made not a jot of difference.
I get onto the www but it is very slow – sometimes times out before its loaded a page and can’t – or won’t – get facebook home page at all.
Happy days – I’ve twisted my back so I’m sitting reading today 🙂
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Lovely post, Alys….except for the part about your cold. I do hope the rain will wash it away. The birds are so happy at our house these days; chirping, tweeting, and enjoying life. Jeff worked out in the rain this morning; he never lets a little rain stop him because he tells me that ” the human body is completely waterproof”….that’s me, wiping up the puddles he left behind…..
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Thank you, Mary Elizabeth!
Jeff is absolutely right, we are waterproof. Too bad the floors aren’t also self-cleaning.
I’m happy to hear the birds are chirping and singing in your trees. The sounds of spring.
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What an awesome bunch of photos, so delightful. What pleasure in a garden, what pleasure!
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Thank you so much. I love this time of year when everything comes to life. Each day offers up something new.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Gorgeous!
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Thank you, Cindy!
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So beautiful! Glad you finally received some rain there.
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Thank you, Sheryl. The rain is wonderful.
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Yay! Rain! We had a very prolonged drought in Melbourne. It broke a couple of years ago, but I can never complain about too much rain. Now, if I had been in England these last few months I might have had the odd whinge!
Your freesia photos are lovely.
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Thank you, Anne! They smell as wonderful as they look, too, an added bonus. I bought more freesias to plant this year. They may be my new spring favorite.
Yes, that rain in England is dreadful. How sad, too, for so many people. I fear the weather is a discombobulated mess from coast to coast, pole to pole. Scary isn’t it?
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It certainly is scary. I would like to just bury my head in my paintings and the garden. Unfortunately it is as gardeners that we see the results up close. Not enough rain, too much, too much cold, unexpected snow, high winds etc all do damage to our plants. 😦
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All very true.
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Beautiful photos Alys,especially the little hummer, she’s really something special . I actually had to a look at that one extra long because the grapes thru me off. Nice treat for the squirrels .once they’re all tuckered out. Oh that’d be fun to have a front row seat to watch them enjoy life.
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Thank you, Boomdee! They smell wonderful, as you know and have the beauty to match (the flowers, not the hummingbird). Hee.
The hummer was so happy with the rain. I was watching the crows drink and bathe in the water-logged gutters today as well.
Those squirrel antics are hilarious. They were scolding each other on the fence, then they ran around and around the tree. At one point one stopped and looked down at me as if to say “what are you looking at.’ It cracked me up.
Next time you visit, we’ll just park our chairs and settle in for a show.
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Oh yes, that’d be so perfect. Any day spent with ((you)) is fun but add squirrels…magic! LOL I love when they go about they’re relations, chirping away, oblivious to everything around them. Then, doing a second take over to you would have be hilarious, snort.
The first thing I did this morning was breath in my flowers 😀 heaven! It’s my little piece of California right here in the frozen north. ((( you ))) are so special. xoK
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You are special…and you make me feel wonderful every day. xox to infinity
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The freesias are beautiful, Alys. Sadly mine were all eaten a couple of years ago, I think I may chance it and get some new bulbs this year. The yellow certainly is cheery 🙂 I love yellow flowers in a garden. So pleased you’re getting some rain at last!
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Thanks, Aileen.
I would definitely give them another go. This year I planted a ton of bulbs thinking that even if I lost several to foragers, I would still have some left.
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NOW it feels like spring! You have RAIN! Everything is happy and popping out to say so. I love yellow flowers. Yellow makes us feel happy. You are one lucky lady to get pictures of that hummer sitting there and what a good heart to leave the grapes for the birds. I would never have thought of it. It’s getting warm enough here to think of planting a bit and moving pots back outside at least for the day.
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Isn’t that wonderful? I know you have had it up to there with your rain and snow, but with only four inches season to date, we are celebrating. We’re due for another storm tomorrow and again Saturday.
Yellow does make us happy. It’s a joyful color, always symbolic of the warming sun.
I love those hummingbirds. It just makes my day when one sits a spell and I can take a closer look.
Thanks for being here, MH.
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I honestly don’t mind the rain here. It’s kind in that it lets up just when I need to get out and run an errand. I don’t have to shovel anything here and I can sit inside and watch and listen to all the wonderful weather. I am so grateful for the green and the flowers, i would never complain about the weather. I might get a little punchy once in a while. I think I have more trouble with the wind than anything. But we need that too. My son is staying home tomorrow to enjoy the rain. Everyone is grateful all the way down the coast. When it rains, I get to read or sew. Not a bad deal. 🙂 Hope you are all wet.
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I love your attitude, Marlene. I’ve heard so many stories this year of people spending an hour digging out of the snow, just to leave home. We are so lucky not to have to deal with that. Sitting indoors during a rainstorm is glorious. My oldest son is such a fan of the rain, that he goes out in the backyard and just stands in it. He’s a bit like his mom in that regard. 😉
I love that last line of your comment: Hope you are all wet. You make me smile.
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I thought of you when I heard the news of rain!! Happy dance … for you and all living things!
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Thank you! Happy dance indeed. Our brown hills are finally sporting a nice coat of green. The air is cleaner and signs of life are everywhere. I love listening to the birds and watching them play in the water. It’s glorious.
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