While on vacation in Mexico in January we were deep in Mayan territory. I am far behind in my ABC-Along, so I thought M would suit for Mayan. This imposing warrior’s face is from the Temple of the Frescoes in Tulum.

Mid-June to early July is Lily Time in New Jersey. Not only do I have a proliferation of these beautiful flowers in my own yard, but they line the roadsides everywhere you go. You can’t drive down a road without seeing their orangey splashes of color. I call them daylilies, but people around here call them tiger lilies (not to be confused with the oriental variety of tiger lily).

I just love how they seem to throw themselves open with wild abandon, seemingly taking in everything they can get from the world around them.

They seem to love the somewhat rocky, sunny flower bed next to the pool. They share the space with lush ferns.

Along our driveway at the edge of a patch of woods this lily grows. It never opens further than this and has different leaves than the other lilies. I don’t know if it’s a hybrid, a mistake, or just its own kind.

Soon their flowering season will be over. I’ll miss them but know that they will return again next year to brighten up my yard and the highways and byways of New Jersey.

Two days after Memorial Day work began on our kitchen remodel. Cabinets came out and we were left with a big empty space. A dirty, somewhat messy big empty space. Here are some photos of before and during. Things to notice in the following three photos are
1) lovely BLUE formica countertops
2) outdated sink
3) large microwave on countertop
4) wooden hood over cooktop
5) old wall ovens on their last legs
6) hanging pot rack over island
7) large overhang on center island meant to be an eating place but not enough room to do so
8) ceiling fan / light combination

These are things you won’t see in the new kitchen!!

During photos: the cabinets come out.

During photos: the new cabinets go back in.

Our new countertop still in the warehouse:

Granite close-up:

Hopefully the countertops will go in just before we leave next week. If not, I guess we’ll have to wait to see our completed kitchen after we return from vacation. Can’t wait!

It’s a jungle out there! Parts of my back yard become a jungle at this time of year. It’s a bit boggy because we have a small trickle of a stream that bisects our four acres. Skunk cabbage grows green and lush until August.

Vines wander.

Ferns abound.

And little black monkeys climb in the trees.

Yes, it’s true. Myrtle and the Fantastic Five visited the back yard yesterday morning. They figured out how to come over the fence. BUT, not only did they use my yard as as a jungle gym, Myrtle and one of the cubs were up on my deck! Too close for comfort—especially since only a screen door was between them and the furiously barking Alex and Hailey. In her defense, I did have a bird feeder hanging from the railing of the deck, which she knocked off into the yard below. So, no more feeding the birds from the deck.

P.S. Myrtle is much bigger when you are right up next to her rather than just seeing her in the yard. yikes. 

In my yard ...

These are like little “pygmy” iris. They are tiny.

The yellow iris I “borrowed” from a neighbor at the end of the street.