HIGH SUMMER

Some Summer music from Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate "Kaira" from 2005 album In The Heart of the Moon.

Click and read.

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While so much of the country has been baking with extreme heat, we've had a pleasant couple of weeks. 70's and 80's during the days, good sleeping weather at night. The cicadas have begun to sing although with the cooler temps, their call has been intermittent. We've had a wet couple of months: June 1.70" above normal and July is looking to be at least 2" above normal. We're still mowing the grass once a week and everything is green and lush. We had a strong shower earlier in the week. I took a shot of the shed and thought I would try to digitally mimic the classic Japanese woodcut prints that depict rain with parallel slanted lines.

We've lived here for 14 summers and up to now, I had not encountered poison ivy. This year, I found it in 3 locations, one of which was a major growth twined amongst a dying Japanese willow. I wasn't 100% sure until 4 days after trimming I had a major rash mainly on my right arm. A week later, it has calmed down but still present.

With the pool project is done, we're looking forward for our first pool day. 87° tomorrow!

The chucks have left the peonies and coneflowers alone now that I have the plants fenced.

The first tomatoes have arrived-as usual, it's the cherry variety.

The East garden is glorious and the Cup Plants have gotten huge!

While I was working, I was visited by one of these: Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.

 Today, I saw these two:

Black Swallowtail

And this little guy, barely an inch wide:

Pearl Crescent

 

At the Diner, a couple of redheads, Messrs. Redbird and Purple finch were having a bite.

Typically, when we get home after picking C up from her office in the afternoon, she'll putter around online before her deck yoga session. Bud will hang out with me while I surf YT.

Ear strokes

Chest and belly massage

Impossibly cute and graceful

Fearless Liza looking for some peanuts

She is not afraid of Bud and he generally won't hassle her as he goes out ahead of C for deck yoga.

C and I teased Bud, who has had pretty good relations with the squirrels but Liza seems a bit too friendly:

Buddy: "Don't leave me out here alone!"

C: "Oh dear, Buddy-it's ok"

J: (using his Buddy voice) "Don't leave me out here with that hussy!"

Liza: "We both have tails!"

B: "I'm not into that inter-species stuff!"

C: "And you know those girlie squirrelies-it's all about their tails, all that swinging and switching!" (chuckling)

J: "Just ignore her, Bud"

B: "She's so persistent!"

J: "Ayup"
 

The little scamp came up on the raised bed to lobby for some peanuts during a yoga session and perhaps to attract some male attention from his Lordship:

C notices Liza's tail, Bud is too busy enjoying a belly rub

Bud spots her

I stepped out and tossed some peanuts for her to keep the peace and yoga resumed.

We went in to prepare supper and Buddy chilled on a chair.

We had a nice supper of Mexican food and beer. I made a vegan peach crisp for dessert with vegan vanilla ice cream.

It was so pleasant on the deck, it felt like mid-September. As we chatted and sipped, the avian solo was by a Mourning Dove. I was reminded of where I grew up, our house had a screened breezeway which ran between the garage and the house. On early Summer evenings, we would hear the Doves cooing.

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C is a tawny Watergirl this Summer:

And me, with my usual farmer tan: