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10 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MAY 2023 By Georgeann Wellfare, Resident Just in case you are not aware, the following are holidays celebrated in May: National Barbecue Month, National Hamburger Month, and Older Americans Month… to name a few! Also, of particular note, the first full week of May is Nurses Week. The third week is National Police Week. And the fourth week is Emergency Medical Services Week. This is a great time to thank those who are dedicated to keeping us safe, and healthy! Some fun days to celebrate… • Mon., May 1: May Day – spring festivals, parades, and maypoles are a tradition of this day celebrated around the world. It is celebrated with spring flowers, many from your own yard and in our community. Enjoy the beauty! • Tues., May 2: Brothers & Sisters Day – the older we get, the more we appreciate our siblings • urs., May 4: National Day of Prayer – originated in 1775 • Fri., May 5: Cinco de Mayo – this is not the celebration of Mexican Independence which is celebrated September 16th. On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army defeated the French army at the Battle of Puebla. What Cinco de Mayo has come to be, is much more than one battle in the colonial history of Mexico. Rather, it has come to signify Hispanic and Mexican pride and a time in US communities to celebrate with song, dance, and partying. Ole! • Sat., May 6: Kentucky Derby Day – The Run for the Roses • Tues., May 9: National Teacher's Day • Sun., May 14: Mother's Day • Mon., May 15: National Chocolate Chip Day – bake up a batch! • Sat., May 20: Armed Forces Day – since 1950 • urs., May 25: National Wine Day – Cheers! • Sun., May 28: National Hamburger Day – let's start grillin'! • Mon., May 29: Memorial Day – dedicated to service men and women who gave their lives for freedom and country. Originally it was called Decoration Day and was changed to Memorial Day in 1882. • Mon. May 29: SDV Veterans and Friends Silent Auction We like to celebrate many of these days, especially National Chocolate Chip Day, National Wine Day, and National Hamburger Day! Hope to see you all at the SDV Veterans and Friends Silent Auction! Come What "May" By Kathy Caraher, Resident Overall, it has been a great spring in my garden. As much as it is frustrating when I must sit in my office and just 'look' at my garden due to the rain and wind, it is making for a perfect start to the season. Early on, I noticed a lot of new birds. Some that I had never seen in my life. The high winds may have blown them off their migration path or they have just finally found my garden and wanted to visit! A beautiful bird that visited was the Cedar Waxwing. It is an elegant bird with a small crest, dark bandit mask and subtle velvet shades of beige on its body. Of the same family, a Phainopepla visited. I cannot even say its name. It was small, shiny black with a spiky crest and red eyes. It was perched, sitting straight up with a long tail. But as it flew off, I saw a large patch of white under each wing! What a surprise. Yellow is usually the first color in my garden. Spring has a way of making you feel cheerful. Then come the various shades of bright green as plants and trees start getting their leaves. The first flowers are my California Poppies. It is the only flower I let spread naturally as they make such a spectacular show! Hopefully, if you walk the Paseo by my back fence, you will still see them. Over the next month I will have roses, jasmine, bearded iris, geraniums, daffodils, and all kinds of desert plants in bloom. With the amount of rain we have had I think we should have a great growing season. My vegetables are off to a slow start. Getting them in the ground has been the problem. Hopefully, the seeds will like the rain we are expecting and sprout when the next spell of sunshine arrives. I am hoping to have beans, carrots, beets and eventually basil and tomatoes. I like to hold off on planting tomatoes till I know it is going to stay warm. They can be stymied in a cold snap. I may also plant any veggie 'starts' I might see at the nursery. I prefer organic as that way I know they do not have systemic pesticides that will kill the pollinating bees and bugs. By using organic products and fertilizers I can see that my garden has become so much more nature friendly, which is becoming particularly important to our environment. I do not seem to have many diseases or plagues of destroyer bugs. I have many types of bees, butterflies, and birds, which enjoy a small water fountain I made. All of which makes it so pleasant to sit and relax under my umbrella. Is it Finally Going to Warm Up in my Garden?

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