SPRING AT LAST!

To say that it has been a rainy winter on the river this year, would be dramatically understating the amount of wet stuff that fell. Many records were broken.
While we have been strolling along the Maleçon in sunny
 La Paz, and enjoying sunsets over the bay like this from the Bougainvillea garden on our balcony…

  ….back at the Duck Inn, Cora has been dealing with a lawn that turned into a swamp and almost swallowed the 
Willow Cottage barbecue. She rescued it and moved it
 to temporary safety at the top of the ramp.  
Kudos to guests who barbecued in the rain!

High on Allen’s Job List when we return in May will be building a new platform for it under the Willow tree.
We miss many blooming events in our garden while we enjoy the tropical flowers here, so Cora sends us glimpses of what happens when we're not there. We rarely see our Camelias in bloom, so here's one with Saint Francis.

 The rain dissolved our old chiminea in the wild corner, 
so Cora turned it into a rubble platform 
for Mexico's Virgin of Guadalupe

 When we left, the old swing was covered in vines and algae....Cora has given it a new lease on life.

 Fruit trees that were bare in January are now full of blooms. 
Dare we wish for cherries and apples later?

 Tulips came and went....

 

....and appeared often in Cora's flower arrangements.

Strawberries survived the rain and bring 
the hope of fruit this summer.

This Stone Crow, which was in Jill's Christmas stocking, came through the winter and is now part of 

the growing menagerie in our garden.

It joins Allen's Eagle, which still guards the crocus bed...

....against attacks from these and other rabbits.

This little woodpecker will have first pick of the spring grubs.

A tiny snail lights up a dark corner.

This squirrel has the best seat in the garden.

And these old swans still welcome Water Garden guests, 

while fending off the new growth on the vines.

Before we left for Mexico, Allen and his crew demolished several old wooden herb beds that were 

weighing down this corner of our dock. 

Cora has been rearranging the remaining planters and other

occupants to create a sunny winter sitting area.

A new birdhouse joined the many others.

Fresh chives sprouted here.

This little cardinal basks among the rhodos....

....as does faithful Henry, 

one of our favourite garden creatures.

 

Even this rooster, who lives in the office, 

came down to see what was happening.

And sunsets over the river may not be tropical, 
but they are beautiful. 
Here's one of many captured by Cora. 
The Weather Vane on the Florida Room was made by 
Neil Erickson, the artist who created many of
 the paintings in our house and the Duck Inn.