It Never Rains, But It Pours!

And it did indeed pour this past weekend in New Jersey.

Buckets and buckets full -- washing away the last bits of snow, guaranteeing a generous supply of mud for the next millennium, seeping through some of the old foundation stones, and causing flooding in this river-riddled sponge we call Northern New Jersey.

And wind! Wowzer! Things like this happened all over the state:

Do you see that tangle of branches in the near distance? It used to be a very tall gangly fir tree that cracked off about 1/4 of the way up its trunk and crashed to earth, just feet from the new house next to ours. (Photo taken Sunday morning, thru sunroom windows because it was still raining!)

Part of the big fir is suspended in a huge oak;
I have no idea how they'll get that puppy down. Take a look:

That may look small in the picture, but that is a very large hunk of pine tree stuck in that oak!

We are lucky; our worst damage was the wind knocking over the gas grill, and ripping the tarpaulin off the snowblower. We have power, unlike much of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

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Last week was a doozy. One of my dearest friends learned she is facing a health challenge. Then, on Saturday, my father-in-law was admitted to the hospital in Florida, so Howard will be heading down there later; his sister is there now. Howard's Dad may come home today, which would be a blessing. In his 83 years, he's pretty much never been sick!

My Dad continues to improve at rehab, thank goodness.

Dion still is a dingy mess of a doggy from all the mud outdoors.
It's times like these I wish he were litter-trained. Then, I regain my senses.

But now it's time for something pretty.
Remember my crazy mixed up cactus, that bloomed at Thanksgiving and now is in bud again?
Guess what? The first bloom is open!

So . . . I'm thinking it sports enough green to be a St. Patrick's Day cactus, don't you?

And speaking of green, all this rain and mild temperatures have caused mass sprouting of little green shoots everywhere -- crocus, daylilies, and things I am not sure of but I know they are green and that makes me happy.

Because after this winter, and now this beginning to spring,
I am more than ready for That Old House to look like this again:

I need me some summer, don't you?

I apologize for sketchy blogging and even sketchier commenting; I should be home long enough tomorrow to come up with something interesting. . . I hope.

And speaking of interesting, I discovered today that the phrase "it never rains, but it pours" has been in use since the early 18th century. Wow ... something that's older than me! -- Cass