So Glad

It's Friday. It's not too hot. Maybe I'll have time to do some fun stuff this weekend.

Twining

I need to plant my new passion fruit vine. I have the perfect spot for it. Just need the time.

Lantana

Usually this plant is a magnet for skipper butterflies and hummingbirds. Not today. I don't care because it was totally glorious outside anyway.

A Little Shady

Love the mottling on leaves of shade tolerant plants. There are so many shades of green. Cooler today and if it feels like my brain is melting and running out my ears, well, that's not because of the weather.

Moon Shot

Too hot to be out photographing. Picking tomatoes (because they couldn't wait another day) just about made me melt. End result: a blurry moon shot.

Agapanthus

It's back to being hot again but I was productive. Farmer's market early and then chores. No need to be out in the heat of the day.

Hitchhiker

Or, I could call this "Self Portrait with Black Soldier Fly Taken While Performing Contortions". Anyway, this is a very good bug to have in the garden--especially if there's a compost pile. It was quite content sitting on the front pocket of my skirt and I, being odd, was quite content to take its picture.

Lying in Wait

I have a feeling the spider that made this web is rather large. The delta breeze kept the day comfortable. So glad it's Friday.

Damsel(fly) Not Distressed

I know this is a female damselfly. Just spent hours trying to figure out which species. Still not sure.

Flames

Barely functioning on less than three hours of sleep. The world is different from this perspective. I can see the flames without squinting.

Zea mays

Fresh corn on the cob. What a lovely summer treat. Get out the dental floss.

Billions upon Billions

There are so many yellow and orange cosmos that there's almost a jungle aesthetic in one part of the garden. Quite popular flowers with the pollinators. We did not have a seventh straight day of 100+ temperatures, thank goodness.

106 in the Shade

This just in: the sound of running water makes one feel one to two degrees cooler. After six days over 100 degrees, I could really go for a break. Spent a good portion of the weekend keeping my potted plants hydrated (such excitement!).

Variegated Meadowhawk

There were dragonflies landing all over the place. It's still blooming hot. Picked the first ripe tomatoes today.

Naptime

There's something wrong when 97 degrees feels cool. But it does after the temps from earlier today. I'm sleepy like the ducks.

Bird Bait

Salvia greggii in lipstick. The hummers and carpenter bees go nuts for it. It can cope when I get lazy on the watering because it's too hot to be outside.

Serration

My potted aloe vera was not the only Pot-ter(y) thing I saw today. All the plants on the deck are looking weary from the heat. I stayed inside with the air conditioning.

Mantis

I didn't see this one until it started scurrying away from the hose spray. Scurried from my camera too. Over 100 degrees out which the mantis did seem to enjoy.

Which Came First?

A vegetable (fruit, actually) that looks like its name. We harvested our first purple eggplant. And some of our tomatoes are decidedly orange today.

Wee Bee

The garden looks lush today--must be the weird humidity. The tomatoes are showing the faintest blush. Can't wait 'til they're ripe.

Summer on the River

It's warmer today but still pleasant beside the river. I was chasing dragonflies but they're wily. Lots of bees on the skin-slashing star thistles.

The Bloomin' Thing

When I wasn't paying attention, a nasturtium started blooming. It's grand that the blossom is red rather than the typical orange. I wonder what will pop up tomorrow?

Not Key

My lemon tree has had a new friend for a week now: a Bearss Seedless lime. It's hard to tell if it's happy in its new home. But, it's not dead yet.

Ruffles

These roses are pretty but completely lacking in scent. I like the highly perfumed varieties and antique and heritage roses. And I like rose names: Mr. Lincoln, Bewitched, Tropicana, Peace, Circus, Chrysler Imperial...to name just a few (mostly hybrid teas) that I grew up with.

Orange You Glad?

Today should be a lucky day (7/7), right? Cooler than average weather floats my boat. And, the garden's doing well.

Fibonacci Folded

I was not ready for another Monday. Picture me with a little black cloud over my head. Good thing the garden is a cheer-inducing place.

Cynipid Summer

These don't look quite right to be any of the oak galls I'm familiar with. They're midrib (almost) and on the top rather than the back of the leaf. So, what are they?

Before the Fireworks

It cooled off by the time the fireworks started. Pretty good show this year. Happy Independence Day.

Stars

Didn't notice any additional holes in the tomato leaves when I got home. Maybe we're out of the woods. Can't remember what these blue-flowering herbs are but I'm sure the name will come to me.

Confetti

Fourteen beet armyworms on my poor deck tomato. Hopefully there are no more. I got my revenge after snapping some mugshots.

Marauder

I think this is a male Anthidium bee. He was attacking honeybees and knocking them off their flowers. Then he'd hover around like he was looking for trouble (that's not why I think he's male).