Raindrops on Roses

It's raining in Seattle. Some of you might say, "So, what's new?", but honestly, it really doesn't rain like this here in August. Last week we had a Seattle heat wave, which means it was mid-80s or higher for five days, over 90 for three days. After our family visitors left Tuesday, we opted out of yard work due to the heat and steam cleaned the carpets instead. It was good drying out weather.

This week were going to devote to gardening, getting to tasks we had been putting off. Monday we dodged showers. Tuesday we got rained on once but stuck it out and got a lot done. The result was a good portion of the yard is weeded, snipped and clipped and groomed for late summer. The old raspberry canes have been cut, ground and composted and the new canes tied up. The compost bins are piled high with the "debris" from my slashing through the perennials.

We were both tired and stiff and sore, and I am coping with a swollen, itchy hand and wrist from a bee sting. I inadvertently found a yellow jacket's nest in the ground while pulling aphid laden nasturtiums. Bugs and beasties have their own ideas about whose garden it is. For example, the squirrels think the zucchini are for them to chew on. The moles love our green lawn with its supply of juicy worms. Why is it that when a trap is placed in a mole hill, the mole pops up somewhere else, evading our attempts at its destruction? Survival of the fittest, I guess.

In the last 24 hours we have had nearly in inch of rain. I got out for a while this morning during a break in the precipitation to take a few photos of the H2O jewels adorning the flora.

So for now we'll be entertaining ourselves indoors, while the outdoors refreshes. There's always the Olympics, where apparently it's raining, too!