June is the grand finale of spring and nothing less.  All of the birds born in May, will sing in June. May’s young blossoms keep their promises, turning the rabbit patch in to a garden.  The trees that flaunted tender leaf in May, now casts shade in June.

I spent the last few days of May in good company and doing things that I love. I took Lyla on a few strolls to feel the last of May’s gentle breezes.  When a light shower fell on us we neither one minded.  On Sunday, we had the Sunday dinner. Lyla and her grandmother, Claudia were dressed in red, white and blue and we took pictures of them with an arrangement of roses, hydrangeas and white, fragrant blossoms.  Lyla held a small flag.  It was a sweet picture of time well-spent.

On Monday, we went to a neighboring small town for a traditional memorial day meal at the Donahue home.  The Donahues live on  a tree lined street that could be “main street USA”.  The historical homes have well manicured yards and most displayed the flag. A young boy was riding a bike proudly, without training wheels, but he stopped at every flag to salute it.  It touched my heart to see his dedication to this effort.

The good neighbors from across the street came over to join us and I am glad they did. They are good company -and they brought a salad that was just perfect.  We settled in on the porch and I admired their yard full of gardenias.   The kids ended up playing in the rain on some sort of huge and slippery  surface intended for such play.  There must have been a dozen  children of all ages.  When children laugh in the rain, it does sound like June.  It was a wonderful time and I felt grateful to have been their guest. 

June at the rabbit patch, is a lovely time. Honeysuckle vines are hanging full of tiny flowers that sweeten the country air and make me remember my own time as a child.  The birth flower for June is the rose, and mine in the “Quiet Garden” are bragging about it.  Today I saw a mimosa tree full of feathery pink flowers.  Mimosa trees have a bad reputation for a short life-and seedlings come up everywhere you don’t want them to.  If you don’t act quickly to remove them, you are likely to be in a bind as they grow so quickly.  Still, I love them as my grandmother did.  My daughter, Jenny loves them too.  Lyla has napped under a mimosa tree, because Jenny will make sure that Lyla loves the uncommonly graceful tree.  It will be a good place to tell Lyla her great-great grandmother’s story.

It is no wonder, that people get married, often in June. It may be one of the grandest events of the calendar with it’s roses and fireflies .  The pearl itself is the birthstone.  June is full of love-I think it would be especially hard to quarrel  at a time when the earth is in such a state as June. June gives in abundance-things like the song of young birds, children playing in rain and everything blooming at once.  It is May’s encore and the prelude to summer. June is here-and it is a time to love.

                     Live well and happily ever after, love the rabbit patch.