In Spring, the Wind Blows Hard

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: 

when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.

- Charles Dickens

Spring has been scrumptious so far. Each day I go to the garden to see what new blooms await my notice. I would have spent even more time doing that these last couple of days, were it not for the wind. Take yesterday, for instance.

Our high temperature was 63°, and when you're on this side of winter, that feels like summer. Except for that blasted wind. It makes both walking and driving a bit of a challenge, when you've got it blowing at a sustained 45 mph, with gusts to 55 mph.

It didn't calm down much by early evening either, but Romie and I still went out to see if the daffodils had opened. The day before, they were very nearly ready, so we weren't surprised to see few golden heads nodding - well, thrashing about, really - in the wind.

But we were surprised by what else we saw, just next to the daffodils...

A few years ago, bacterial wet wood disease began to kill our weeping willow - the central feature in Max's Garden.

We went online to seek information and advice for possibly saving the tree, but they didn't give much hope. They said it could take a couple of years before the willow would actually die and that's about what happened.

We planted the tree in 2005, when we dug out the grass to form what came to be known as Max's Garden. Max was a yellow cat - the most wonderful yellow cat in the world - that just sauntered in from the field, right through the garden like he owned the place. And soon he did, so it just seemed fitting to name the garden after him.

Our willow's first days in the newly-dug garden, in 2005.

Just three years later, in 2008, the willow tree had grown into its own, right
along with the garden surrounding it.

By 2015, there was nothing left alive on the willow, but I still enjoyed its presence.

I had made the decision to keep the dead tree in the garden because it was so beautifully shaped and it seemed pretty solid when we pushed on it.

But our assessment of it just a week ago was that it felt pretty solid then too. So much for that. Sometimes Mother Nature forces your hand.

Romie wants to get another weeping willow for that spot. I'm not so sure. I loved that willow and want something that will be a focal point in much the same way that the willow was, but I'm not sure another willow is a wise choice. It does have fast growth in its favor, though, because we're not getting any younger.

We're open to opinions and suggestions.

There's a hole in my garden . . .