Ok ladies - say goodbye to Australia
- it was a lovely visit. Pack a book, get comfy - we're traveling "across the pond" and spending the month of May in Memphis, TN - U.S.A.
Trying not to complicate the thread with lots of graphics so I'll give you a visual tour as you touch down.
Not that big of an airport, is it? At least you don't have to lug your luggage far - hey - is that the definition of luggage - stuff you lug?
Ok, as we cruise out of the airport, notice the huge airfield off to the left. That's the home base of FedEx formerly known as Federal Express - when it absolutely, positively, HAS to be there overnight - or in a day or two.
Let's swing by downtown on our way out of the airport (can you tell DH is driving). Memphis is rich in music history - some say Memphis is the birth place of modern rock and roll. There's Sun Records which was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash their first recording contracts and helping to launch their careers. There's also the Stax Records which created the popular Memphis Blues and Southern Soul sounds. We'll take a walk down Beale Street and listen to the music one night later on in the month. Over on your left is the Peabody Hotel. Every morning a family of mallard ducks makes the trip from their rooftop home, down the elevator several floors and marches through the lobby in a grand parade to spend the day in the hotel lobby fountain. Then again at 5 they make the return trip back up to the roof to their home for the night. It's cute to see and the Grand Master assures that the little children always get the best front row seats. Ok, we'll come back again for a better look but out the window you can catch a look at the Mighty Mississippi river. Pretty huge, isn't it? The Mississippi flows from the northern tip of the country all the way down to the Port of New Orleans in the south. They say the sunsets are quite spectacular down by the river and I'd have to agree.
Weather wise, it's pretty nice here right now. In the low 80's (F) during the day, around 58 to 60 (F) at night. Just for Carla - the magnolia trees are blooming. Giant white pods - longer than your hand from finger tip to wrist. They gently unfold like crepe paper to expose the blossom and if you get up close they have the most delightful fragrance of lemon. The blooms have faded from the azaleas and spring trees and have been replaced by the flowers and bulbs. The irises are a little past peak but still pretty. The purple and yellow and white pansies are loving the cooler weather and here and there you see peeks of hibiscus and other flowers poking about.
There's birdies everywhere - watch overhead
If you listen carefully you'll hear the teletale high pitched peep peep of baby birds all about. The parents are still weaning their young so you'll see pairs of red bellied and downy woodpeckers, thrashers, cardinals and all sorts of sparrows and wrens. We have been feeding the mocking birds their favorite grapes and it appears that they also have a penchant for Kit and Kaboodle dry cat food which they steal up to the porch and sneak off with a piece or two throughout the day. Personally I think they picked that up from the blue jays who can empty a dish faster than any cat I know
And just in time for your arrival - the ruby throated hummingbirds are back in town. I noticed one yesterday buzzing the empty hanging pots and we quickly made up some hummer juice. Today I noticed that there are 2 of them in the whole town and they both landed in my yard and are already trying to run each other off and claim the feeder for their own. (Extra feeders are being sanitized and prepared now). We have one baby robin who is a riot. He sees the other birds on the feeder and says "I'm gonna get me sum mah dat stuff". He sits on the top of the bench and flys at the feeder. Not sure how to quite land on it and he quickly flops off but as DH noticed, not before he awkwardly popped his head in a feed hole and grabbed a seed for himself.
Let me go rinse off the last of the pollen from the patio furniture so we can sit and chat. Make yourselves at home and welcome to Memphis... and say hello to the neighborhood cats. The gray and white one is ours.
A big southern hello to y'all
oh and a mint julep for Meadow
Memphis in May for the Worldly Chicks
but that is a hazard this time of year. Have a great time visiting with your friend today. Always nice to have some company around. 
Nothing says success as much as getting into smaller pants. Keep up the good work. Oh and you wanted to know about wildlife. The other day I was driving down the road and there was a dead armadillo - yes an armadillo laying in the road. Apparently they have made their way east from Painterwoman's Texas as predicted. We have a gazillion squirrels because apparently it's illegal here to shoot them and no bunnies to be seen (we've only seen 1 in the over 2 years we've been here) because as I'm told it's NOT illegal to shoot them. Can you imagine?????? 
THANK THE DH FOR PICKING US UP AT THE AIRPORT. SORRY HE HAD A TOUGH TIME GETTING MY CHAIR INTO THE TRUNK 
LET'S GO OUT ON THE PATIO AND CHAT AWAY MY SOUTHERN SISTER. 
BUT I THINK DOGS HANDLE IT BETTER THAN THEIR HUMAN FRIENDS 
IT MADE ME LAUGH AND FEEL BETTER YESTERDAY. HAD TO READ IT TWICE TO GET IT THOUGH!!! ROFL
Let us all go forth and be LUSTY in May
