Friday, the last day of the work week is greeted with the gratitude of a homecoming, the “ending” of a period of work, of aspiration.  It is not as if the work can be finished, brought to a ultimate terminus.  To be alive is to be immersed in change; there’s always work to be done.

This is certainly so with respect to our condition as a society.  Reports of rioting last night in Minneapolis and Louisville.  The justified outrage continues over the murder of Black people by police, killings, if left unchallenged, are often ruled ‘justified homicides.’  Of course the President weighted in on Twitter.  He takes advantage of social and racial unrest by exacerbating the divided country.  He also objects when Twitter fact-checks his outbursts.

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Without further ado let us move on to other indices of change to be observed around us.  I have in mind the variety of blooms in the garden, flowers to attract the pollinators that are necessary for fruit bearing, for the reproduction of life.  I offer these photos of what is offered in my backyard, admittedly the result of the good taste and labor of the previous homeowners.  We moved into the house in midsummer of last year, and thus have been living on the property for less than a year.  What we now enjoy is the effect of the effort of others.  I think that is a general principle that ought to provoke gratitude.  In a walk around the neighborhood, you may enjoy flowering trees, and blooming ground vegetation, the work of others, offered for you free of charge.

These magnificent yellow iris blossoms are perfect for cutting and arranging on the kitchen table.  The Iris is a regal blossom.  These remind me of the Iris beds at the Emperor Meiji gardens in Tokyo.  A blossom worthy of royalty.

I was unsure of the nature of the Clematis bloom mentioned in T. S. Eliot’s poem Burnt Norton — until I identified this vining blue flower climbing the trellis.

I am aware this is not a flower.  A miniature Maple leaf of the new bonsai tree is enchanting.  I am learning that caring for a bonsai is not unlike the care and upkeep of a small dog.  There is regular pruning and necessary annual re-potting.

The Rhododendron bush is offering its delicate pink blooms.

A large bush at the side of the yard is covered in fragrant clusters of tiny blossoms.  Within ten feet of the bush one is enveloped in the seductive umbrella of scent.  This is a Verburnum bush.  I understand that it blooms into the summer.

Finally, I enjoy the image of the Buddha that sits atop the hill overlooking the flowers and green yard.  The statue of the Buddha in repose of contemplation is a reminder that everything is in the process of change, no exceptions.  Our unchanging, semi-fixed standards of propriety, of decency, of humanity are similar to a photograph-that-freezes-time.  These standards we deem essential, useful and necessary to us, for a way of life that builds upon, and enhances the beauty and order within Nature.  The statue of the Buddha is a reminder, lest we forget.