We saw his truck across the street later that afternoon, he was likely visiting a neighbor, so we know he’d been by. We took that to mean he wanted privacy, so we retreated inside the house for the afternoon. You probably won’t even know I’ve been there…” The winter aconite and snow drops were putting on a dazzling show along the back tree line. When he called a couple weeks ago, it was one of the first warm days. I was wondering if I could take her to the gardens. During a visit to his apartment in January he seemed a little more awkward than usual. We’ve stayed in touch with Jay – sometimes delivering mail, always taking him cookies, or an occasional hot meal.

“We only recognized her from behind – she was always digging!” Every property on the street is decorated with hostas, iris, and peonies that she shared as she divided plants. As we met our new neighbors, we heard tales of Nancy’s devotion, and generosity. He wanted to be with her, and made the decision to sell, and move to a small apartment to be close by. When Nancy developed dementia, Jay did the best he could to care for her, but she was placed in a memory care facility in 2019. It wasn’t until after their children moved out that they decided to do a major renovation on the house – adding a massive family room, and an upstairs master suite, with library. They raised three children in that small house. The original house was tiny – maybe 1,000 square feet, three bedrooms, one bathroom. As the weather warms, we are delighted with new discoveries. We make a point of wandering the property every day.

Wandering willows trailer