Fire Ban by Susan L.

  My friend H emailed me yesterday to let me know the township has a fire ban in place. It's safe to assume other townships will be doing the same if they haven't already. It's been an extremely dry spring. So dry, I had to water the garden yesterday. Unheard of for this time of year.
  The ferns are struggling because of the lack of moisture. I thought they were dead but when I checked them this morning, thanks to a good drink from the hose, there are some signs of life.
  The four leafed clovers are back. I wasn't sure if I'd picked them into extinction but sure enough, in the same spot, there were at least half a dozen I could see. Also, the dwarf sour cherry tree I planted last year is doing well.
  The harsh winter basically killed my butterfly bush and my mock orange bush.  There's only a couple sprigs of green at the base. That's two years in a row for the butterfly bush when it's been killed back to the roots. Perhaps it is in the wrong spot and needs a place more sheltered from the winter wind although I have no idea where to move it to. It needs sun and those spots are rare in my yard.
  The mock orange has been in the same place for a number of years but is prone to aphids and has struggled mightily to grow. Again, I might have to move it or remove it. There's not much sense in trying to grow something unsuited to the yard or is so prone to infestation. Although it was fascinating to watch the ants farm the aphids by protecting them. I think aphids produce sweet water which ants love so there's a symbiotic relationship between the two. A little bit of National Geographic in my own yard and a fine example of God's design.
  "When I consider Your heavens, the word of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?" Ps 8:3-4