No Matter What Else, There Is Pink Perfection

Well, here you go. The first open Pink Perfection. That bush is so filled with blooms you can't believe it. Actually, they all are. Now- will all of those buds come to fruition? I cannot say. I noticed today that my favorite of all the camellias I have has a bud that's opening and perhaps it will be a full bloom tomorrow. Or the next day. 

We're supposed to get rain tomorrow. A lot of rain. Which would be good. We're in something like the worst draught ever here. I feel like we've seen it worse but I'm no expert. A winter draught doesn't seem to be as bad as a summer draught because things are already in a state of stasis so we don't expect plants and grass to be emerald green and all thrusty and hardy looking. 
I'm pretty sure "thrusty" isn't a word but perhaps it should be. 
What I think I'm probably trying to say here is that I hope it rains. I hope it rains hard and all day long. 

I have not been in the same good spirits today as I was yesterday. I have no idea why. The weather has still been lovely, although a little more overcast. Again I tried to stay busy with one thing and another and even went out to the garden and weeded (the weeds never stop coming up here) a bit, making a bed for some sprouted potatoes we'd grown last year. They've been sitting in a bowl under the folding table for months, and Mr. Moon finally brought them out and set them in the kitchen, intending for me to compost them. He noticed them because he was in the laundry room, trying to figure out where the slight leak from the washing machine was located. 
Sigh. 
It never ends, does it? 
He has not, at this point, zeroed in on that. He's been pretty busy with other plumbing issues including the sprinkler heads for the garden which froze and busted when it was so cold and also a water connection that needed to be made at Tom's. 
Again I say, it never ends. 

But working in the garden didn't raise my spirits the way it so often does. I got those sprouted potatoes settled in their own little trenches but I do not have a great deal of hope for them. It's another root hog or die situation. Still, I somehow could not just throw them out. And as we speak, Mr. Moon is in the kitchen cutting up seed potatoes he bought at a nursery today so they can cure or something that supposedly needs to be done before they go in the ground. We had such a feeble crop last year. I hope this year we have better luck. 

I also finished the weeding I'm going to do in the camellia bed but I haven't started mulching with the pine straw yet. All of this seems so overwhelming. 
I watered all the plants that are still inside and put a few more back out on the porch. I'm not rushing this process. Some of the plants seem to be tolerating the lower light fine while others do not seem as happy. 
Oh hell. I just realized I forgot to water the ferns. 
Tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow.

And yes, it's Valentine's Day and Mr. Moon made me a sweet little Valentine that was right beside the coffee pot this morning and his getting the new sprinkler heads is a love-language thing for him to do. He's bought some pork chops he wants to grill and so that will be our supper. I made his truffles and I think they came out nicely. 

I couldn't find the coconut I thought I had so there are only cocoa and pecan coated ones. They'll do. And yes, they are in a Christmas tin which I'm sure Rachel had filled with cookies or something else very tasty she made for one of our Christmases. That too, will do. 

Here's a thing that does make my heart so very happy. 

Jessie's boys with their Valentine's Day presents which she got when we were thrifting a few days ago. She got Big Slothy for August. The small Slothy that Big Slothy is holding has been a cherished part of August's life since he was tiny. Doesn't he look so happy, holding both of them? And Levon is wearing his new gold chain which he has been wanting. 
Oh, those dear boys. 

And since I haven't posted a picture of Large Marge, aka Xena in awhile, here's a picture Lily texted of the pup herself at a nursery they visited today. 

Lily said she was the belle of the ball. She also advised us that if you don't want to have to talk to people, don't take a giant puppy out in public. 

And one more picture.

The sky was on fire again tonight.
At least in Lloyd, Florida.

Love...Ms. Moon