Return Of The Ladies

Amaryllis are the darndest plants.  I've never been able to figure them out.  At a certain time of the year they throw out lush, long, green succulent leaves, but no flowers.  The lovely pink trumpets come after the greenery has died, springing out of the bare ground.  No wonder they are called "naked ladies."  They are always a surprise.  These bulbs were planted years and years ago, and they come back every season.  I was gifted all the bulbs by Deb and Craig who had obtained them when Craig's place of business had re-landscaped.  The ladies get points for longevity, for sure.  An added bonus for me is that neither deer nor ground squirrels will touch them.

Speaking of squirrels...there is not one single living thing in any of the many pots on the deck, and still the squirrels come on a daily basis.  Why?  I miss looking out and seeing flowers, but can't rationalize spending money for squirrel food.  They have acres of stuff here to munch on, and soon the acorns will fall.  Squirrels have become the bane of my life.  To make it worse, Camille, who lives just two driveways down the road, tells me she never sees them  Phooey.