"Sure could use a little good news today...."

So far this year (knock on wood), the deer have left my hostas alone – and they are all blooming!

The hostas are in my island bed. Across the driveway from them, these little lavender flowers are spilling out of a planter:

On the north side of the house, there is one shy bell on my clematis:

I didn't get my clematis tied up properly this spring so it can show off its blossoms. Adding insult to injury, a ground squirrel burrow exits at its base.

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Yesterday Brian took a couple of hard spills while riding scooters with a friend at a skate park. His wrists have been bothering him ever since, so Rick x-rayed them this morning and conferred with his orthopedist BIL. Doesn't look like any bones are broken, but a growth plate in his left wrist may be damaged. We will watch and wait for a week to see if Brian's comfort improves; if not we'll take him to a local orthopedist. Not sure what this means for our canoe trip; the able-bodied members of our group may soon be outnumbered by the halt and the lame! Mere ripples in a puddle, though, compared to what a local family is going through. A stay-at-home mom of two small boys from a small town very near us went missing 12 days ago; her body was found today. The investigation is ongoing, but the police have said there is no immediate evidence of foul play. How heartbroken we are for those left shattered by the loss of their wife, mother, daughter, sister....

With heavy hearts at . . .