I don’t know why I’m sitting here trying to blog today. I am kind of in a funk and not really sure why. I have no reason to be. I feel like summer is passing me by and soon it will be gone and I won’t have done any of the things I intended to do. I had a goal of keeping my flower beds weed free and it all started out so well. Then the rains came and so did the weeds. I battled them for a while but now I just looked at them this weekend and said go ahead, clog my flower bed, see if I care! I’ve given up. Plus, I think that in my zeal to weed early on I must have pulled out my coneflowers since not one do I have now. Bummer.

It is still not really summer here. More like an extended spring. The pool temperature I think has topped out at 78 degrees on a good day. Yesterday three-quarters of an inch of cool rain fell over much of the day and I’m sure the pool temp will fall by a few degrees too. It’s just sad. I do like the cool nights for pleasant sleeping but I really could use a little more heat. I think we may have broken 80 degrees once or twice. My day lilies did not bloom as vigorously as years past and we’ve not had the dragonflies we normally do. They usually love the lilies. Neither have I seen my little buddies the hummingbird moths, and only a few butterflies so far. We still have a few hanger-on fireflies, still looking for love (most likely in all the wrong places), winking high in the treetops. And the cicadas? I am really not sure they will make an appearance this year. I’m afraid it may be too cool for them. I associate the sound of cicadas with hot weather and it’s not looking good!

There are so many things to blog about that I have just let pass me by.

Like the day we had two trees removed from our front side yard. It was fascinating to watch how quickly and easily the tree removal crew took them down. And how their super-charged shredding machine chewed up huge branches and limbs into mulch in a matter of seconds. We kept the wood from the trunks of the trees and will season it for use in a year or so. One tree was a black birch and when they cut it the smell of root beer, or to be more exact—birch beer—permeated the air for hours afterwards. I can still press my nose to the pieces of wood and smell that wonderful odor.

Like the two tea towels I finished.

Like the rest of the photos from our trip to San Miguel.

Like the somewhat upscale dinner we gave for a few friends of ours on Saturday night.

Like the great walk we took through the old Jungle Habitat with the dogs on Sunday. (Jungle Habitat is a story within itself! Another abandoned New Jersey attraction.)

All likely topics to blog about, but yet, I didn’t. Or haven’t. I need to get on with it here!

Watch this space ...

Edited on Wednesday afternoon to add:
Okay, so I lied. But not on purpose.
I went out to take some photos around noon today and these three things were different than my post above.
It was steamy and very warm. My camera lens even fogged up!
I heard a cicada!
I found one coneflower blooming and several others about to!
So, there you have the latest.
I’m thrilled about all three things above.
Well…maybe not so much the foggy camera lens ...

Lynne- I still check here everyday for new things going on! It sounds like you have a bunch of great new blogs and pictures and stories and I for one- cannot wait to begin!
I understand the lack of summer there getting you down. It’s so hot here there has been no escaping it- but time is flying by here to and my boys start school back in 4 weeks! So much for summer huh?
Looking forward to your next blog posts!

Too much rain is always depressing for me, too. And it has been a bizarre summer - so far. Today in DC is muggy and hot, a perfect day to jump in the pool. Hope it’s hot and miserable in NJ, too.

Love the image of the birch tree and root beer scent. I could smell it just by reading about it.

You’re not stuck, clearly. Sorry you’re feeling frustrated, though.

Jessica —Thank you! It’s readers like you that keep me going when I am out of inspiration. I finally got out in the yard and took some pics today, so maybe I’ll not so stuck after all!
Thanks for your continued readership. (Is that a word?)

Reya, bizarre, yes! I think we might just jump in the pool tonight. Thanks for thinking I’m not stuck! That helps, it really does.

This summer has gotten away from me, as well.  I love the top photo, though - really beautiful image.  I am behind on everything, even blog reading!  Maybe the fall will be more ‘productive’...

Hey Lynne - long time no comment from your knitting friend in NJ.  I have a tip for you on your weeds….. we lay layers of newspaper in all our gardens and then cover with mulch.  Very few weeds can get through this.  I try to walk through the gardens at least once a day and if I see a weed poking it’s nose up, I grab it fast while it’s still a baby.  In this way, we’ve pretty much assured ourselves of weed free gardens.  So many people look at our yard and comment about how much time we must spend weeding, but honestly, most of what I weed is volunteers that I transplant! 

Maggie-hey there! Long time, no hear! How are you doing? Problem is, the flowers are so thick it would be hard to lay down newspapers! It’s kind of a wild garden and has been since we moved in. And, there is Bella to consider. I can just see wet newspaper drug all over the other part of the yard after she goes through the mulch!