I do hate the spring winds of New Mexico

They are tiresome, they blow sand and fine adobe clay particles everywhere, and they last forever. They also batter plants.

One of the new climbing roses, so happy last week, is now looking very sad, dried out (it gets lots of water), beaten, and iffy. Even as it tries to put out new blooms. Sigh.

The lilac by the back door has had branches snapped. Between wind and frost it is very sad, having been lush and happy beyond belief just two weeks ago.

The two new yellow rose bushes all lean westward now. I think the winds funnel between the houses and come howling on a westward course. Naturally, the east side of the plants is the one facing my house, so they are all leaning away from me. Bowed.

That's the bad news.

On a happier note, several rose bushes from prior years are now budding. I saw the first white Iceberg rose on the southern of two standard bushes and several on the northern one. I saw one red bud emerging (and lots of tight green ones) on the western wall Blaze. A couple of small yellow buds have emerged on the Golden Showers. The first bit of color emerges on the Piñata. I can also see the first blossoms on the potato vines, some new growth on the jasmine, and the peaches continue to swell, though something is attacking my peach tree leaves.

I am hoping the warm sunshine we are having these days (in spite of the wind) will have blossoms this weekend when Debbie and I celebrate our birthdays.

For those of you pondering an intervention on my rose buying: Kathy said as long as I stay below thirty I am OK. On the way home tonight I was seduced by a lavender Heirloom rose. The number, once it is planted (and it was too windy tonight) will be twenty-nine.

No photos tonight, but this weekend for sure.

--the BB