I drove up from Oakland this afternoon, following the levee road across to Stockton. The San Joaquin Valley in the spring is amazing. Large fields are now being cleared for spring planting, Climbing up out of the valley I passed fruit orchards just beginning to bloom. Engaging music on Capitol Public Radio and I lost track of where I was, until I came to in Lockeford. Heavy cloud cover all the way across the Valley but only intermittent rain.
Taking advantage of a few more hours of afternoon daylight, I pruned the three crape myrtles. Large Myrtle and Myrtle of the Far East both showed green growth at the cuts. I pruned back for height and shape, and trimmed lower growth, dead wood and dried berries from last season. The center stem of the crimson myrtle was unrooted and really truly dead; it went down the hill. Two slender side branches were left and still healthy. I tied the two remaining branches off again, with room in the knots for growth.
A Year at the Snake 