Tuesday's Morning with Monday's Photos

So, here's the rest of the photos Blogger wouldn't let me upload last night. Nothing especially new and spectacular, just a few shots of yesterday's morning in the garden. That's the red dianthus, above, making an August return following deadheading.

To the right is the agastache I showed you a few weeks ago, with the licorice-y flowers and leaves. It's become a tidy little plant this summer, but I wonder just how tall it will become before we wrap for the season.

In the distance there, you can see the pale purple thistle flowers. I've mentioned before how I dug the seedling of this wildflower out of a railroad right-of-way...but I'm pleased with it in the garden. It's populating an area of poor soil other things might fail in and I just love those little flowers. Plus, it's turning out to be a good trellace for errant morning glories.

(Actually, apologies are offered...now that I'm looking at this post on a properly-colored monitor, I can see it's not that good a photo...you should see it in just blue, yellow and black...)

I've had lots of compliments and kind words from the neighbors on Not Wisteria Lane this summer. You can imagine they are mostly happy to have the colorful show on what was previously a bare split-rail fence. But the other night, one of our neighbors - in his 80s, we believe - walked over and grabbed hold of one of the branches of this wild thistle and said "What the hell is this?" (yelling more because of deafness than anger, I think...) I replied it was wild thistle. "You planted this? It's a weed!!" I tried to explain about a plant out of place, but that generation knows a weed must be eradicated. He shook his head in something like disgust and walked away.

Ah well, you can't make everyone happy.

It's a beautiful day this morning. There's bright sunshine from a brilliantly blue sky, with an assortment of white puffy clouds here and there overhead. The temperature is an even 70 degrees, but there's not a hint on humidity in the air.

In fact, it feels a little like September.

Brilliant Colors

Sunday already. And as an extra surprise, it's suddenly almost August. Darn, that happens every July. Wasn't it just the Fourth? Anyway...it started out as a lovely day, bright and sunny, not too warm, almost no humidity. On the whole, t'was very nice. And since I'd gotten a very healthy night's sleep (I seem to be dreaming about all you other bloggers lately, if the last couple of nights are an indication. Nice of you to drop in that way, at least!)

I just loved this combination of thistle and morning glory. I briefly considered the portulaca shot just below as the header image...but then I considered the purple shading in the throat of that morning glory, and how it seemed to completely pick up the purples of the thistle and well, polls closed.

Still, the way the sun was playing on these yellow portulacas, you can see where it might not be an easy call.

I was surprised to discover that it is still awards season. I'd thought the Tonys really were the last ones 'til next year...but then I was surprised this past week with an honor I'm a little belated about accepting, in the form of the Brillante Award.

The award was presented to me by Curt, over at Walking With Duncan, a blog which is most definitely high on my Daily Reads list. Every day, Curt and Duncan go walking and while Duncan tends to doggy business, Curt examines the world around him...sometimes at a distance, other times right up close.

That is, when he and Dunc aren't wrestling in the grass...or bunny-hunting...or just watching the sun set over the Rocky Mountains. Most times, reading Walking With Duncan is as heart-warming and soothing as sitting in that patch of daisies in Bloom County used to be back in the Eighties. For a start, let me recommend "Dear Ken", a recent post that doubled as love letter to his absent partner.

Curt is, as they say, made of teh Awesome.

I must say, the Brillante is one of the more stunning-looking awards, very tasteful and elegant. I can see it now, on a simple pedestal, refracting the sunlight in all directions in the garden, tho possibly also setting off a brushfire or two in the process.

I wouldn't have it without my own audience of blog readers, though, you who inspire me with your visits and your own writing to keep finding even better pictures and more interesting or amusing things to say about it all for you...so thanks, everybody. (Yawn...) Hey, who yawned? Joe, it was you, wasn't it?

Now the rules are as follows (because with these awards, it's not just about basking in the limelight, taking a couple bows and catching a few bouquets chucked in your general direction): In accepting, I must now:

1) Put the logo on my blog.

2) Add a link to the person who awarded me (even tho he's already in my blogroll...but he's a W, so who knows how often you get around to scrolling down that far--the blogroll has just swelled with terrific reads of late, it seems).

3) Nominate at least seven other blogs. (The "at least" part isn't hard...it's the limiting to only seven blogs that'd be harder. But since the orchestra's already starting to play in low under me, I'll just direct you to scan the blogroll--there's loads of great blogs to enjoy there!)

4) Include links to those blogs here.

5) Finally, I must then leave messages on the blogs of those nominated, so they can have their moment of glory, as well. Formal attire, folks, is not required.

[A note: I understand many of my favorite bloggers are busy folks, so I mean to thrust no obligation on you. I just think you're terrific, that's all, and this seemed like a fun way to say so!]


And so, with no further adieu, I'll let the blogging hijinks begin with the links portion of the show. In no particular order, I present to you:

Strelitzia: Birdie is relatively new to blogging, but set up shop just in time to chronicle an amazing journey of growth and discovery she and her family experienced this spring. A self-described beach bum (among assorted other hats) she writes with warmth, humor and compassion on a variety of subjects. The world is only just discovering how lucky it is to have someone like Birdie in it. Plus she's got excellent taste in music.

Lost in the Landscape: James is an artist/gardener who chronicles his adventures in nature as he gardens year-round on the edge of the desert in San Diego and explores the world around him. He's all about examining and contemplating the natural world and our place within the larger scheme of it. His writing is simple and photographs are delightful...he even has a bog garden...so you can forgive his distaste for most yellow flowers. And now that the state of California has smartened up, he's also a newlywed!!

Tiger By the Tale: Tigeryogiji is, well, how can I put this? Just fab-ulous! Formerly the Ashram at Pooh Corner, Tiger presents a day-brightening array of music video and still photos. But it's not all Pet Shop Boys, ABBA and Bollywood Hunks. You'll also find an amusing and thoughtful assortment of comments on current and personal events, including the latest adventures of the newly arrived, and highly adorable Teddyji.

My Life, Or Something Like It: What to say about Java? A friend to gay people everywhere, she writes with honesty and heart about the business and pleasure of riding herd on a houseful of kids and a husband named Superman. Hopefully, the air conditioning is finally fixed for the summer! I said to Java recently, "my computer wants me to upgrade to a new version of you, but I like you just the way you are."


Loose Ends: Patrick is not just your typical mid-western hunk-turned-actor come to seek his fortune in Manhattan. With good humor and a heart the size of Central Park, his blog reveals to us the city's best side with his regular sojourns in search of wild peacefulness in Gotham's green spaces. And he's my favorite blogger who makes a living showing his best side. His recent "music video" is not to be missed!

Sticky Crows: Another daily pleasure for me. You never know quite what will spill from the mind of our beloved Tornwordo as he enjoys his morning bagel. There's on-foot explorations of Montreal, married life, the always lovely Sara, the whole HNT business...or if we're very lucky, something about poop. I'm sure he'd tell us he could quit Tootsie Pops anytime he wanted, and I certainly appreciate his support and cheerleading about staying smoke free myself (8 fantastic days now!). There's some bonus crows down below, too!

Center of Gravitas: I'm sure GayProf has a whole closet full of these little statues, or he would, if he wasn't continually declining such honors as a means of making political statements against the state of Texas and idiots in general. Of course, we can't know that for sure. It's entirely possible he's been waiting for just such an occasion to break out that Wonder Woman outfit and lasso himself a shiny statuette with his golden Lariat of Truth. Hey, don't laugh--this is serious. Remember: gravitas.

So, there you have it, that's seven. Like I said, there's a world of great blogs out there, though, so surf on over to one of 'em soon...but not til you finish reading here, buddy!

Whew...so, with that delightful honor out of the way (I'll send out notifications when I'm through!), I turn your attention to the Garden. It's what you all come here for anyway, right?

As you can see, things are delightfully out of hand as summer reaches it's mid-point. I know, it's not Mid-Summer...but as July prepares to fade into August, it's suddenly clear the days are getting just a smidge shorter already (say it ain't so!) and before too long, it'll be time to worry about heating costs again.

But for now, there's beauty spilling out everywhere you look in the garden.

While the daisies are making what is probably their last stand, the thistle has only just begun, the bachelor's buttons are blooming more profusely with each day (and when it's not windy, I'll try photographing them some more!), and the curly grass is sneaking it's way into everyone's class photos.

This week looks like it will include the start of the long-anticipated cosmos and I noticed this morning that the Casa Blanca lily--my absolute favorite of the oriental varieties--should be bursting into glorious, perfumed bloom before long.



Crows just amaze me. I love to watch the way they walk and hop around. I love the sound of their voices - all their different voices - and the way they call back and forth across a territory to one another. It's cool they all come to one another's aid when one of the bigger predatory birds makes the scene with an idea about nest raiding.

Today, these guys were foraging around the grounds of the restaurant, where we've recently had a little treework done. I was happy they didn't fly off as quickly as they usually do, because I just can't get enough of a good close look at 'em.


Yesterday's weather was glorious, sunny and warm with n'ary a hint of the humidity we'd seen earlier in the week.

A beautiful blue sky backed everything, punctuated with some dramatic and delightful cotton puffs of white cloud.

Today, the ride to work wasn't quite so thrilling, as the skies behind those white clouds began filling in with more clouds, covering over that brilliant blue that makes my soul feel all happy and calm.

As one month draws to a close and another stands poised to begin, there was plenty for me to do in the office today, so I bought no disappointment about the weather. Especially since there was a good possibility I might not need to water the garden again tomorrow, if everything went well.

By the end of the afternoon, the skies were looking like this.

And also like this.

It grew darker and more cloudy as I headed for home and naturally, I was still not quite home when the first giant raindrops began to pelt, splattering large on the car windshield, as the first rumbles of thunder began to sound over the music on the radio.

By the time I'd parked, the sky was raining down fresh buckets of water and there was nothing to do but go inside and watch from the window, all the while explaining to Em that there'd be a slight delay on the evening's walk and she should just calm down a little. : )

Fortunately, the first downpour didn't last all that long, about fifteen minutes, and the radar map showed an even bigger business heading our way in a little while, so Em and I didn't even wait for the rain to stop entirely, heading out for our nightly tour of Not Wisteria Lane.

On the way out, I spotted this creature on the flagstone path and managed to get Em to stop while I had a closer look.

Until such time as I hear back from the identification experts over at BugGuide.net, I'm officially christening this the Big Horny Bug, as a sort of fun contrast to the whole church-y business of this morning. As always, I'll update this when more information comes my way!

[EDIT: 7/28/08: This, I am told, is the Broad-Necked Root Borer, also known as P. latticollis. If you click here, you'll learn that Java may have been right in her assessment to kill them as grubs: they essentially eat trees from the inside out. I wonder where this one had come to the path from.]
Apologies to those of you who are now hyperventilating at the sight of this creature, which was about two inches long. He was pretty mellow though, clambering easily onto a piece of wood I held out in front of him, but thankfully not creeping me out by approaching any closer across what was a small piece of wood as I transported him out of the pathway and into the rainy grass.

Here, take a look at these pretties instead:

Bachelors Blue

Wow...the color on this bachelor's button just sort of knocked my socks off this morning. Somehow, it's both invigorating and calming all at the same time, and look how it plays so nicely with the yellow coreopsis and the orange marigolds!

Every summer, there's this moment where I feel I've lost a little control of the garden, like that's anything more than an illusion. Usually it's as it was this week: with rain a semi-regular occurrence, there was less need to water, which usually involves a nice close examination of things. Being July, there's also usually something else going on to distract me and well, there was a little of that this past week, too.

I have discovered now that the morning glories have completely escaped any illusion I had of being in charge and are now running wild. Really, considering we're talking about morning glories, it's not that much of a bad thing. But it does appear that there'll be less of the whole thing of flags flapping in breezes if they have their way.

I spotted this moth chilling on a nice big sunflower leaf in the sun this morning. I don't know the species, but I'll send a copy to BugGuide.net and see if anyone there can identify it for me. I'll edit here later with anything I learn.

[EDIT: 7/27/08: Seems this is actually a butterfly, possibly of the sulphur variety. They are distinguished from moths, apparently, by the clubs at the ends of their antennae. Who knew?]

[An additional update: the good folks at Bugguide.net have enlightened me further. This is a Small White butterfly--I know, it sounds so simple--couldn't I have guessed that?! But that's its actual common name, also known as the small cabbage butterfly. It's official name is Pieris rapae, and you can learn more about them here.]

Down below, in front of that sunflower, the harebell has wasted not a day more since being discovered yesterday to begin the inflation of its delicate blue flowers.

I hadn't recognized this plant at first. I only grew them from seed just last season before the move, so I hadn't really had much time to get to know them very well before having to start making Sophie's choices about who would be coming along and who'd stay behind.

To be honest, I can't recall if it was a conscious decision. I know there's a columbine seedling down there nearby. I wonder if some of the seeds were just in the soil and have taken advantage of the sunny location.

Here's what the moon looked like when it rose very late last night...technically early this morning.

I really had no business being up to see it, but since I was, I didn't hesitate to snap a photo or two to share with you all. I won't be waiting to see it again tonight. It's my suspicion that I could really use some extra Z's.

Hope you all had a great Saturday and that you enjoyed some low humidity sunshine like we did here.

Discoveries, Some Unpleasant

Morning came a little suddenly this morning. It was a day off and an overcast one at that, so I had designs on staying a-bed a little later this morning, enjoying the cool feeling of the pillow against my face as I dozed a little longer. But there were dreams bizarre (Years ago I kept a notebook beside the bed and would write down all I remembered the moment my eyes flicked open. It was always amazing to re-read them later on, when the thin memories would be gone like morning mist. I always recognized my handwriting when I'd read back that night, but the dreams recorded were brand new to me by then. I must start doing this again.) and an over-eager neighbor's car horn, which conspired together to have me awake by 7:14. Sigh.

Fortunately, there was one of those blue morning glories I like so to greet me out on the fence.

Here's another glimpse of these pretty purple flower stalks known alternately as gay feather or blazing star (liatris spicata).

This was a plant which pre-existed us here. I haven't grown this before, but I do like what it's doing so I think I'll make an effort to always have some in the future.

Plus, gay feather? Between that and the purplyness, clearly, it belongs in my garden. It is, by the way, related to the sunflower, 'though you might never guess.

After a little watering and the usual review of the garden, I had an enjoyable long distance "cawfee tawk" call with Mom, in which we discussed the house she and Dad are buying in Connecticut and what new gardening possibilities it may bring, among other things.

While we were chatting, a hummingbird made a quick visit to the lantana hanging overhead on the porch. But the camera was deep in my pocket, so that'll be an image for another day.

Our corn stalks are all growing steadily. A few of them shot up their tall flower tassels last week, and this morning, the first wild spray of silk appeared lower on the first of those cornstalks.

It's always such a cool sight, but I'm not sure I've seen reddish-pink silks like this before. I just love the chaotic beauty of it, all these different varieties of plant sex to admire. : )

Owen's got a vegetable patch going strong on the side of Mount Dump-it. I've been remiss in sharing photos of it, but there are wonders to be seen. The Roma Tomatoes are pacing the still-green Early Girls in the front garden. Squash and zucchini vines (nursery purchases) have already begun producing fruit and the eggplants are starting to do the same.

Most remarkable, however, are the watermelon vines, where already three or four golf-ball sized fruit have appeared.

Here's that morning glory vine that escaped from the fence post and is rambling its way through the garden. It's made a nice trellace of a pair of shasta daisies, but it will be disappointed when these flowers are dead-headed before long.

Down at the "wild end" of the border, where more native species are planted, the first of many delicate thistle blossoms opened this morning.

Aren't they lovely?



As I mentioned yesterday, the dianthus are returning for another round of flowering in the lower front edges of the fence garden. I just love this pink flower. At a distance, it doesn't look so remarkable, but when you get up close and look at the detailed pattern, it's just a little amazing.




Of course, I think that about these red guys, too.

Down below is my tiny agastache plant. It's actually a side shoot rescued from a much older plant, now deceased(we bow our heads), which I bought about eight years ago.

These guys are related to mint, I believe, though share none of that plant's aggressive nature. The leaves and flowers are scented of licorice and the bees just love them.

When this plant's ancestor was fresh from the nursery, it grew to an astounding and unexpected height of about eight feet. I don't think I have to worry about such from this young-in for another year or so. But I'm pleased to see it doing so well.


I enjoyed the day off, getting to spend a little extra time tending to the garden and some house chores, as well as just relaxing and reading a little more.

It was, by the way, Day Five of the no cigarettes thing...and while I had an urge or two, they were easily pushed aside and it was another good day in that respect.

A sign of the time of the year, there was still plenty of dead-heading to be done today. I cut out about a third of the daisies, which had passed their prime, among assorted other things.

But it was careful work, since I was getting to do so around mid-afternoon, when I am usually at work, and the garden was just swarming with pollinators of all shapes and sizes. I think that's a wasp on the daisy there, but I'm not entirely sure from the angle.

This pair of flirty frittelaries fluttered a pas de deux all along the fence and through the breeze-bouncing blossoms there.

I saw a monarch butterfly, but he didn't stay very long, perhaps because of the breeze...but it could be he was just casing the neighborhood for the first time, too. I imagine he'll be back on a less breezy day.

There were bumblebees everywhere. They are quite fond of the sunflowers, and there seems always to be at least one of them on each of the current flowers.

At one point, a large sphinx moth flew up from the grass near my feet and zig-zagged his way through the fence, landing briefly on a sunflower before darting off into the sky.



This wasp (or is it a hornet?) was eager to taste some of the cone flower's wares, but seemed to know that the bumble had been there first and it's always polite to wait your turn.

And then, as I bet over to trim a few faded pansies, I heard it.

It's funny, you don't realize how well you know a particular sound until you haven't heard it in a while...but my ear keyed in on the different sound right away and I was quite happy to spot what turns out to be the first honeybee I've seen in this garden, who was happily drinking of these tiny wild mustard flowers.

The Queen Anne's lace, as I mentioned last night, has really come into its own this week, with new flowers appearing daily on plants that grow fuller each day.

Their delicate-looking flowers are always a great addition to my chaotic border, being so different from everything else there. If you want some, they are easy to welcome--just cut a few of the challis-shaped fading flowerheads from roadside plants and drop them into the bed where you'd like them.

It's really that easy.


"...so the Mole drew his arm through Toad's, led him out into the open air, shoved him into a wicker chair and made him tell him all his adventures from beginning to end, which Toad was only too willing to do. The Mole was a good listener, and Toad, with no one to check his statements or to criticize in an unfriendly spirit, rather let himself go. Indeed, much that he related belonged more properly to the category of what-might-have-happened-had-I -only-thought-of-it-in-time-instead-of-ten-minutes-afterward. Those are always the best and the raciest of adventures; and why should they not be truly ours, as much as the somewhat inadequate things that really come off?"

--Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, copyright 1908, 1999.
Tonight, I feel like I need to offer a disclaimer. When I started this blog, I really didn't know much about "blogging" or exactly what I was hoping to do. I knew I wanted it to be about my garden...and so I started there. Back then, any personal content was minimal, since I'm not a plant and so didn't quite fit my own initial criteria for blog-inclusion.

But to think that a blog about the Garden wasn't also about the Gardener was really sort of silly, I've discovered...and as little bits of me have crept into the narrative, I find it's become more enjoyable to write. And so you know plenty of assorted things about me and my life (although only one of you has ever noticed or at least mentioned that I failed to include a #26 in my Hot 100 List!).

But I also still believe you come here for the garden and so I try not to wear you down with too many of the assorted less-than-rosey things Life tosses my way (as it does to each of us). After all, we all have our own reasons for what draws us to the Garden. I spend a bit of time "developing" the pictures, to make sure you get the best photos...and the garden provides the rest of the good stuff.

But no one's life is all rose-scented air and fluttering daisies, and like Mr. Toad, I may sometimes exaggerate a little for the sake of entertainment, or occasionally gloss over (or omit out of hand) the annoying or unhappy bits.

But I can assure you that all I have presented is more or less accurate. These are pictures from today, not last year...and not someone else's blog. The morning glory is really blue, the lightning really was purple. The sun truly was a fleeting visitor today.

I was sadly informed by a fellow blogger this evening that "Nicky Cooper" of the blogs Cooper's Corridor and more recently Nico's Niche, has been plagiarizing content of another blogger...and boy, is she pissed about it. And understandably so.

I will admit there were times, reading both of Nicky's blogs, that the whole business felt "too good to be true" somehow, and I found myself involuntarily wondering if it wasn't all a fiction. And you know, if it had all been entirely made up, I'd have been okay with that. I'm all for creative writing. But there are few things I find more heinous than stealing another writer's ideas and words...and photographs...and claiming them as your own. Anyone who comes by them honestly knows how difficult and precious it can be to tease just the right ones from one's mind...and to do so before you've managed to miss an entire night's sleep for blogging.

But you see, more than angry for being played the Fool (along with others), I'm a little sad, because Cooper's Corridor was a gateway for me to a host of wonderful bloggers who feel to me at times like some sort of extended family...and I think I wasn't alone in feeling like Cooper was the hub of our wagon wheel. The optimist in me believes that the internet has the potential to make our Big Bad World a smaller and friendly place...and getting to know so many of these people bears that out.

And I'm sad because I think (tho I also concede that in light of all this, "Nicky Cooper" may, too, be a fiction) at the heart of the re-constituted material was a real guy, with real heart who loves trees and the natural world...who didn't realize that we might've loved him for who he was, and for what he chose to write about from his own life.

If he is a real person, then real, original and sincere apologies are owed(even tho it must be assumed that some if not many will question that sincerity)...first and foremost to Kate at Sweet/Salty, but then also to the many loyal readers who regularly clicked in to visit his world and so vehemently defended him in the face of faux bullying last winter. And one last apology is due, to Joe.My.God, for letting him believe that a post on his blog had been responsible for the cancelling of Cooper's Corridor.

With all this on my mind, I found myself at First Encounter Beach this evening, hoping for perspective as I walked the shore in the burning rays of the setting sun. Ah, well. It's a beautiful a spot even on an overcast evening. If you "embiggen" this, you might be able to find the one tiny patch of orange light in a sky of gray.

Turkeys in the 'Hood

Last night's storms (I'm told a second wave of them crashed through around 4:00 a.m., but I slept soundly through those) weren't of the variety that alleviate a summer heat wave.

These, in fact, seems to usher in a real tropical feeling to the day, as temps climbed quickly into the high 80s, with a 76% humidity level. In fact, today saw the formation of Tropical Storm Christobal off the southeast coast. Something to keep an eye on these next few days.

Wee...

It wasn't as misty as the above photograph suggests, though. That happened as I climbed into the car and unrolled the windows. As I did that I spotted the angle on the garden I liked, but the wave of heat rushing out of the car temporary fogged over my camera lens to, I think, great effect.

I didn't really mention anything much about the garden yesterday, as the nicotine thing took center stage for me.

Although I've been planning to leap from the back of this horse for a while, I only decided it was going to be Friday on Thursday night.

As it turned out, I didn't use any kind of nicotine-substitution support for the first day. I sort of wanted to use my anger at not wanting to suffer the addiction for another minute to launch me...which was sort of empowering, but also pretty tiring.

I did have one small nicotine patch left over from the last attempt a while back and I was happy to put that on this morning to get through the workday. I picked up a new supply of them tonight; there's no reason not to use something so helpful...but I'm kind of glad I just took sword in hand against the beast (the doodle really did help me to visualize it nicely; thanks, Claire!) to get things going.

Yesterday saw the harvesting of the first cherry tomato, which was... frankly ...not quite as sweet and tasty as I might've hoped. I wish I had made note of the variety I grew last year for comparison.

But I suppose one attaches an extra bit of hype to something when it's The First. It's also entirely possible my mouth was a little peeved it wasn't a cigarette.

The second tomato, which I had this morning, was lovely.


The first of the multi-colored bachelor's buttons bloomed today. Fittingly, it was a great purple hue. There's a few other shots of the morning I'll let speak for themselves.




It was hot as day turned to evening and I wandered out into the garden after a cool shower to catch a breeze and see what was going on. I almost didn't notice them at first. I think I saw them reflected behind me in the lens of my glasses, as I turned and looked up, knowing it was a flock of birds, but not seeing them in the air.

And then I brought my eyes down level with the street and there they were, the Turkeys of Not Wisteria Lane whom I'd heard of from some of the neighbors.

There was a momma turkey and six children. They were each too big to be called babies anymore, but they were still a family group of awkward youngins, taking direction and guidance from their mom.

She quickly herded them across the street as I tried to snap a few photos of them. But I didn't capture the whole family all at once until I followed them down the street, where they regrouped in our next door neighbors yard, before vanishing into the hedge in their back yard and the neighborhood beyond.




Now that I've seen them, I'll be paying more attention for the sound of them, which others had reported hearing recently.

With all this in mind, I suppose "Turkey in the Straw" is not a particularly inappropriate tune for the ice cream truck to be playing (though I'm sorry to say she didn't turn up this hot evening, but I'd feel a little silly giving her a ring just for a pair of Strawberry Shortcake bars, right...?).

By the way, thanks to Butch for sending along the original lyrics to the tune, which I'm not sure I'd heard before...or at least not recently.

The version that most often sticks in my head, though not well enough yet to perform myself, is this:





Another one of these tropical looking snapdragons has come into beautiful bloom along the fence. Look at the way that curly grass is beginning to do it's thing!

My sincere thanks to all of you who've offered your words of support and encouragement as regards the Not Smoking Thing. It's true that this is the kind of thing that you have to do on your own terms, but it sure feels a shade easier when you hear a cheer go up from the sidelines.

I love you all!

The moon is just past full but still rich with the color of the day's heat as it rises this evening.

It's kind of the same color as the coneflower rudbeckias on the fence, isn't it?