May 18

Hylie and Flower

Last week, R walked into the house cradling a stuffed animal. I was distractedly thinking "Which toy is that? It looks so lifelike." Something about R's mesmerized facial expression made me look more closely. Then the toy's ears twitched.

That's how we found out we have baby bunnies living in our backyard. My heart was pounding out of my chest as I helped R get it safely back into its burrow without hurting it, and we invoked every dire consequence we could think of to make sure she never touches one again. Still, they're her little friends. She lays out trails of carrots and lettuce leaves for them. She studies where they go and leaves cups of water where they are likely to need them. She picks grape hyacinths and honeysuckle and leaves them by the entrance to the burrow "so their house will be beautiful." She will lie on her stomach in the grass for an hour, watching them hop out of the burrow, eat some grass, and hop back in. So far it looks like there are only two babies. She named them Hylie and Flower.

Every morning before R wakes up, I check the back yard for the mother rabbit. I always see her hopping around, so I know the babies are ok for another day. And every night before she goes to sleep, she whispers, "Mommy, that baby bunny was so soft. The softest thing I've ever felt."

Waiting for June 1

It's not really warm enough for peppers, cucumbers, melons and tomatoes in Colorado until early June. So while we're waiting to plant the front yard garden, we made one more lasagna bed today in the back. Probably for zucchini and summer squash.

I hope R never outgrows her love of raking dirt, because it comes in handy.

The salad garden is really taking off.


Looking north from the back fence, through the lilacs.

Watering in the garden apron the Easter Bunny gave her.

I am so excited for these peonies to open all the way. I love them against the silvery blue-green artemisia.

The first radish harvest!