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This is the bounty from one of the potato barrels. Not what you'd call enough to last the winter -- more along the cute side.
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A perfect rose graces the old bush that refuses to quit. |
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Trumpet vine continues to flourish
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Nasturtiums will cheerfully grow anywhere without making demands. |
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Rogue sunflower likes it here.
The drought was hard on the plants but always a few will struggle though and provide joy to us green-thumbers.
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The shed was always a sore thumb in the back garden and it deserved better.
in an "aha" monent I planted a trumpet vine a couple of seasons ago, coaxed it up one side and finally, over the top and across..
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Now you've got it, fella. Another season or two and it will be like a large bouquet, with occasional haircuts.
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Mr. Hawk took a good look around my garden before he flew off to resume his search for passing field mice.
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After a long drought a few days of rain have been welcome. The fishpond was getting so low that the fish were considering hiring a dowser to locate a nearby spring to tap into. |
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How great is that? A wet deck. |
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A full rain barrel
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Poor sunflower couldn't wait and gave up. The rain had been so discriminating that a block away, gardens might be flooding while my area resembled the Gobi desert, minus the camels. Right now we're happy. |
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Well, hello there, you beauties. Two peaches have fought their way to adulthood almost ready for the taste test, well sheltered in their netting cocoon.
You can see a couple of others that gave up early.
This tree deserves a horticultural medal for braving the obstacles that mother nature and I placed in the way.
I double-task as grade A furniture and vegetation-shuffling junkie; if furniture or plants and trees don't seem to like their location then they get moved around until we're both satisfied. Okay, so they don't get a vote.
A couple of summers ago I dug the tree in near the back fence but the ripening fruit was a magnet for passing birds and squirrels so I dug it up and hauled it over near the house where I reasoned the birds might miss it.
Just to be sure, the netting was added and as far as I can tell, it's there for good. It clings as though it's fighting against quicksand.
The tree was in the right location but new problems arose; first came the false spring-- a couple of weeks of heat wave and blossoms popping out early and then winter returned and froze the blossoms,
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Something like five little peaches decided to go for it and two came to the finish line.
What troopers--stick with me baby and I promise never to move you again.
Can't promise about the crazy weather, though.
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For the first time ever I went to the slots. Picture this--a vast dark room with flashing lights, everywhere you look slot machines and virtually everyone in my age group. Like, old. Walkers, wheel chairs and a variety of expressions-- wistful, grim, excited, the whole schmeer.
By checking the players on each side of me, I could see that one dollar wouldn't do, so I inserted a five dollar bill in the one cent machine and played. I have no idea what constituted a win but I piled up (sort of) nickels and dimes until I was a dollar ahead.
Good enough. I punched out to collect my six dollars and was ready to leave. Fifteen minutes had gone by since we entered. It seemed longer.
My companions were not in party-pooper mode and happily continued on in their fashion.
Each put in twenty dollars and kept playing until they were out of money; Mind you there are "wins" along the way, but stay at it long enough and the money is gone.
They urged me to
It's abundantly clear that I am not of the gambling persuasion. Perhaps in another life I had been a thrifty social worker or, god forbid, a money lender.
Anyway, I'm wired to be a saver. I guess a trip to Vegas isn't in my future. |
