A rainy evening and garden visits

We had almost two inches of rain over the last 24 hours, excellent for us, as we needed it. 

But I'm mindful of the deluge that folks experienced in Tennessee and Kentucky, and the resulting flooding, damage, and loss of life.  I've become aware of the increasing variability of extreme weather (predicted by climate change models), and it's hard not to wonder (and worry).

But the gift of rain, and being thankful for every day, is currently on my mind;  an evening stroll found a luminous light and plants grateful for extra moisture.

Last Friday, I had a lovely group of 'students' from a OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) class visit our garden after a presentation about 'Creating a Natural Garden.'  I'm a garden (and nature) educator by profession (and avocation as well, actually); I love to encourage folks to think creatively about their gardens, and what they can plant, how to find natives, etc. etc.  I was delighted to have a full class (25)! 

But it does take a bit of courage to invite people to visit your garden in its normal state. We do clean up the annual weeds, but were a bit behind, so cosmetic tidying was in order.  It wasn't pristine, but enjoyable, and that's what we experience everyday.  A gift, to be sure.