May 2021

 May was such a warm and dry month, unlike a usual May of past years.  Our temps were in the high 70's and mid 80's, but not a drop of rain all month long.  Our drought is really getting more severe.

One of the great things about the warm May, our lilac bushes were very full and the fragrance that the slightest breeze would carry was magnificent.  These are planted just outside our bedroom window, and during the day I would open the windows and allow the breeze to carry the fragrance into the house.  We so enjoyed it.  I received a lot of compliments from the neighbors on how great our lilacs were this year.  Our irises were also full and loaded with bloom.  We have them planted our front and they gave the neighbors a wonderful show.

Our neighborhood ducks had quite the batch of new babies this year.  And with the water levels so low, it was not an uncommon sight to see a mama duck walking her babies down the block to the park, looking for a run-off of sprinkler water to swim and play in.  One day, I noticed this mama duck had 12 little ones following her to find any watering hole available.  One of the advantages of living in our suburbs away from the busy city.

Dave and I decided to venture out to a new Mexican restaurant that opened up not too far from our neighborhood.  La Hacienda, a new locally owned restaurant.

Dave and I ordered the Chile Relleno plate.  We were surprised at how much food came on the plate.  Everything was delicious and took us back to our days in Cabo San Lucas.  The prices were very reasonable.  This is sure to be on our list of restaurant rotations.

With the weather being so warm and beautiful, we were able to clean up, till, and plant our garden the first week of May.  This was quite unheard of for our area.  Usually, we have to wait until after Memorial Day to plant most of our garden, but the TV weather forecasters said it would be okay to plant, no more frost for our area.  We cut down on the amount of planting this year, we still have quite a lot of items in our freezer and pantry.

I noticed on Memorial Day that I have tomatoes on my plants.  I should be able to have homegrown garden tomatoes for the 4th of July.  Something I haven't had for ages.

I also noticed, that in addition to tomatoes, the green peppers are also forming.  The garden is really loving this warm dry climate.  In past years, May has always been so rainy and chilly until Memorial Day, and then suddenly it gets HOT!  Now I'm thinking, maybe I should have planted more.

Dave is still trying to find his way through retirement.  He's not really sure where he fits in.  I told him, "You need to find a hobby, and get busy with it.  Do something you like."  His friend, Howard, told him that the first 6 months of retirement were the hardest, but after that, he finally settled into his mojo.  So, we're almost 2 months in, and 4 more to go.  Let's hope he finds his mojo quick.

It's nice that Dave and I are finally starting to get out and about a little bit.  On Mondays, we go to the local Senior Center for a free movie day.  The movies are recently released and ones that we've been wanting to see.  We eat lunch and then stay for the movie.  It's a good way to spend a few hours.  We socialize with people our own age and have a good time.

We're still shocked that people are not getting the vaccine, and at the numbers who are dying.  We heard on the news that the one thing COVID people in the hospital have in common, is that they haven't been vaccinated.  We are still shocked that we know people who for one reason or another refuse to get the vaccine.  When we go out to a large gathering, we still wear our masks -  simply because we aren't sure if the other person we come in contact with has been vaccinated.

Once again, take care of your family.  Be well, and stay save.  Have a happy summer, and let's hope that the west gets some rain soon.