Madison. Hudson with a hammer, but I find I got no good pictures of Parker (thought I did). Hudson had given up his pacifier recently but with a cold he wanted that extra dose of comfort back for the moment and found one.

The stump grinder came today and our yard is now ready for whatever comes next. The big root I planted the Indian Free peach over? The six feet of it that showed above ground (I think it’s the same one, despite the distance between) is all gone now, along with the last of the trees taken out last week. All wood chips and mulch now.

I was looking around this evening and I found one perfect dark blueberry and brought it happily in for Richard. Who, after I handed it to him, popped it into my mouth with a grin.

The Babcock and Indian Free peaches are confirming that they will indeed bloom together, as we need them to. They are going to be glorious in spring in the years to come–I wish I could let you all inhale the sweet essence.

I had never seen a mango flower before in my life. Now I have. (The red dot is the top of a thermometer.) There is a whole new sprig of buds that wasn’t there last week.

We left the frost cover on while we were out of town to keep up the warmth at night, figuring one day of lower light wouldn’t harm the tree but one or two cold nights would. I’m sorry to say another honeybee snagged its toe in that cover and died.

So my putting the thing well away from the plants during the day has been a good idea. It also means the bees really want those mango flowers.