View from Outside the Secret Garden

Whenever I walk on the side walk that runs along my neighbor's side and back yard, I look across his backyard to see how secret my secret garden is. Not only is it looking like a well kept secret at the moment, it's almost a better view than inside it because I don't have to get distracted by all the undone tasks, the repair jobs on structures that I need to hire someone to do, and all those circular thoughts. For fun this weekend I took a few photographs from outside my secret garden, shot across my neighbor's backyard from the side walk. The red bud is so pretty this time of year. Never understood why a tree that is lavender when it flowers and has green leaves after it flowers would be called a redbud but that's what it's called. Some people might wonder how someone who has ended up being hopeless with a carving knife would end up being named Carver. I am pleased with how private my back yard is from the view most likely to have people walking by. I have friends in my neighborhood and I ended up joining a woman on a walk, who lives a few blocks from me, that I've said hello to for years as we passed each other on our walks but never met. She said hello and asked me how far I usually walk and while we were discussing that, she asked if I wanted to walk together and I said sure. It was very pleasant and it turns out that her garden is one I've always admired for it's woodland planting in the side and back and sun garden in the front. It has naturalized and formal garden areas but she's neat as a pen so I imagine anything but a distant view of my garden would probably make her twitch. A nice lady though. My point is I'm not anti social but I like to have at least an illusion of privacy in my garden. Although my front yard is fairly exposed to the street, my monster azaleas and oak trees give me hiding places. Just kidding. I sit in my back garden for privacy and am aware that my front is more exposed. My azaleas are so big that some people can't believe they are azaleas except when they are in bloom and even then they are so distinct from the compact pruned ones everyone else has in my neighborhood that I've had people say they can't believe they are azaleas. The funny part is I have some of the same varieties everyone else has but I've let my azaleas rule the world and it works for me. Today was my two year checkup with the surgical oncologist's NP. It went well. No problems in terms of the exam and it wasn't that awkward explaining that I'm getting my scans in Raleigh now and am seeing a medical ONC too because of the C reactive protein which has stayed high. She said that was fine but that if I keep getting my scans at home, I should keep bringing the CDs because the surgical ONC she's with will probably want his radiologists to read them too. I see him in six months since I see her every other time and him every other time. So that's it for melanoma follow up until June when I see the medical ONC. My only other appointment any time soon is with the pain specialist who manages the pain issues I've had since my LND, but that's not for a few weeks and I'm used to the process now. Good to be done with these two year scans and appointments and especially good that no problems have surfaced. I am feeling very fortunate.