Dutchman’s Breeches

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/dutchmans-breeches/dutchmans-breeches-wildflower.htm

A wildflower growing in my garden for the first time. Do I remember planting it here? I was startled and delighted to see it here. 

I slept twelve hours straight. Huzzah! Sam was plastered to me. At least twice he got up to smell me. I felt fine this afternoon when I woke up. 

At some point this afternoon I went downstairs, looked out the window, saw gorgeous Fireglow leaves on my tree and was amazed. One week I was gone, I come back and the garden is stunning. I have Brunnera Siberians putting out forget me not like flowers all over. The red bleeding hearts haven’t lost them yet. 

On the deck the lilac tree is starting to bloom. My neighbor had this tree in her back yard for a while and didn’t plant it. I even started surreptitiously watering it for a while. Eventually she planted it but it was not happy and she gave it to me. I had learned that this one corner, 2 feet by 2 feet, on my deck gets a lot of sun. 

This afternoon I got to sit by it and smell lilac. My garden downstairs smells of oregano because oregano transferred itself in several nice patches. The columbines are colonizing many spaces. 

The weather was perfect. The mosquitos aren’t out yet. All was beautiful. 

The extra shows my sitting area by the lilac, Fjeldheim, and Akane, 

The leaves are growing and may eventually obscure the hawk nest but I was able to find it today. 

Ukraine downed a Russian supersonic bomber. Russia said it had a “technical malfunction.” Ukraine hit it 300 kilometers from the border. 

Earlier this week Ukraine destroyed four S-400 surface-to-air missile launchers and three radar stations in occupied Crimea. 
Friday night Ukraine hit at least three electrical substations and a fuel storage base, after which they caught fire. 


China’s messaging about the war has been consistent, as to be expected, but a Chinese academic recently broke ranks and had interesting things to say. I’ve been saddened by the loss of the peace dividend but the academic pointed out that one of Putin’s failings is the reinvigoration of NATO. Not only does NATO now have Sweden and Finland - massive, unbelievable changes that we never would have predicted five years ago - but another way of looking at the loss of the peace dividend is NATO members increasing their spending to counter Russia. Putin strengthened NATO in two ways.

He also pointed out that China started the war with a “no limits” friendship with Russia and has returned to its standard position of nonalignment. Some Chinese companies are helping Russia, and some are not because they don’t want secondary sanctions. 

Another thing Feng Yujan pointed out is that Ukraine has an effective government and Russia’s top brass lives in an information bubble.