#2948 volunteer season is here

The watercolor paint on a little project is drying, so it seems like a good time to write. 

Volunteer season is here! I had my first bloom recording session on Thursday. There were more things blooming than I thought there would be, and thinking about it, I'm surprised that I thought the way I did. The trees around here have been flowering for a few weeks now, so that shouldn't have been surprising. I don't record hyacinths and daffodils at the Garden, but there are plenty of other things blooming, like the Lenten roses, phlox and violas, as well as wild strawberry and early yellow potentilla groundcover, and of course, trees. My favorite tree in the Children's Garden at the moment is totally showing off. This is a type of redbud. I love the color of the blooms!

This one in particular is quite a cascading spreader. Other redbud trees in the garden are tall and tree-like. This one is like the Cousin It of redbuds, making it perfect for the Children's Garden, I suppose. 

There are also a few early-blooming lilacs, and the apple trees are still blooming a little, too. It felt good to be back there. Next week I hope to be able to walk around a little more. I'll probably go on Thursday night or maybe Friday. It will be May then and the hours are extended.

Next Sunday, a week from today, will be the season's first docent shift. I'll be happy to see Wendy and Tracy again. Our friend Ira who was part of our happy foursome passed away earlier this year. He hadn't worked with us for about a season and  a half because of some health issues. Now it's just the three of us. Wendy and Tracy drive the golf cart trams and I am the docent. Last year the three of us started taking a quick drive around the garden before the guests arrived so we could see what was blooming or what might be of interest so I could point guests in that direction. I like this habit, and I hope we continue it this year.

The summer concert schedule has been announced and volunteer assignments have been made. I've got 13 concerts on my calendar. My first show is May 29, and my last show is August 25. 

At work, the remodel is mostly complete. Everyone has moved into their new cubicles and the new Ops Services staff is starting to come on board. My workload is getting busy. The work I'm doing is a bit different from last year, and it's okay. I prepare myself to work around 50 hours a week during the summer, but I'd be happy at around 42 to 45. 

Okay, the paint is dry on my project, so I'm going to do some sketching on it and turn it into my wee calendar for May. I'll show it to you next week!