Sunday

Another lovely morning on the Cape of Cods. High temperature today was about 61, but with pleasant breezes that made it seem a little cooler than yesterday, not warmer. I found another patch of those wonderful little blue flowers, tucked into the corner of the bed behind the house, between violets and primroses. They don't bloom for very long, I've noticed, and so it was nice to find another cluster of them. I must find out what they're called.

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Also in the gardens around the house, it appears we will shortly be enjoying the short-lived blossoms of Star of Bethlehem. I missed getting any good photos of them last year, so I'm looking forward to another attempt.

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Out in the back garden, I did eventually get around to planting some portulaca, and the first of it began blooming today.

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One of the lesson's gardening has taught me over the years is that (much like on the "Facts of Life" TV show) you have to take the good with the bad. And so with that in mind, I present my least favorite thing about gardening on Cape Cod: the Tick (and I'm not talking about the superhero of the same name).
This is the dog tick, which--while small--is possible to spot, or feel on you and quickly remove. They eventually make a very satisfying pop when you hold a cigarette lighter flame to them.
The deer ticks are worse, as they are much tinier. You can barely see them...and its a special trick to do so for a gardener of the freckled variety, which I am. But Lyme Disease sounds pretty nasty, so I'm as diligent as can be.

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Out in the robin's nest, it's hard to see just what's going on. The dining room window doesn't offer the best perspective to see down inside, so I've been unable to confirm the presence of eggs. But there seems to almost always be a robin sitting in there...unless they feel we are too close in the window.
A few primroses in shadier areas around the house are still blooming merrily.

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The first irises have come into bloom outside the Old Jailhouse Tavern this weekend.

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As the afternoon rolled on, the weather began to take a turn, with lots of clouds, some of them dark and ominous, rolling in on us. Someone mentioned a doom-and-gloom forecast for strong storms, with possible hail tonight.


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Above, looking east over First Encounter Marsh.
Even with the occasional light showers around dusk, the clouds made for a lovely sunset of a different variety.


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Looking west over Cape Cod Bay, from First Encounter Beach, Eastham, MA. Around 7:00 p.m.