Summer Days

 Now that the glare and heat of the direct sun is off the patio, it's time to move back outside.Tom is reading his book on his Samsung tablet.  I decided it was time to check in with a post, so I grabbed my Nikon and took a few photos for you. 

After a busy weekend - we made a trip up to the Whidbey cabin on Sunday to help clean and spruce the place up. We rent it out one week a summer to help with expenses, and we needed to get it in spic-and-span condition - I am now falling into a routine here at home.  

We are not early risers, so getting going in the morning means getting up about 7:30.  I catch up on email and Facebook and glance at the newspaper, then do my 45 minutes of physical therapy exercises.  Then I'm ready for the morning's work.  With the temps into the 80's, I do my gardening in the mornings.  In the afternoon I run errands, shop, and today I got a haircut.  I made it back home in time to watch the second half of the Germany/Brazil World Cup match, but alas, there was very little excitement with the score already 5-0 in favor of Germany at the half.  I sort of watched as I used my lap top to watch videos of the goals from the first half.  

In the afternoons I bake.  I am stockpiling goodies in the freezer for my birthday party next week.  So far I have made Russian tea cakes, lemon bars, and zucchini bread.  Yesterday morning we picked the raspberries and I made freezer jam in the afternoon for the scones I plan to serve. 

I'm also making time to sit and read for a while.  I've got to slow down these lovely days some how.  They will pass all too quickly.

Summer flowers are blooming now - phlox and daisies here.

 I have been snipping and grooming all of the beds, cleaning out all of the spring bloomers that have gone to seed.

 The crocosmia Lucifer has come into bloom in the last two days.  I'm sure the hummingbirds will find it.

 The first sweet peas finally bloomed today, along with the first zinnias.

 Our vegetable raised beds are as much flowers for cutting as food to eat any more.  Marigolds are in bloom.

 The first sunflowers are nodding up there above the dahlias.

 The raspberry patch is still producing.  I noticed the first of the fruit fly worms yesterday when I picked them.  Hopefully we can get a few more pickings before we lose the crop to the buggers.

 Green salad is on the menu every evening!

 It's the season for hydrangeas and clematis.  I love the colors!

 We have a sprinkler going to augment the system in the hot spots.  I caught the last rays of the sun through the spray just before the sun hid itself behind the neighboring fir trees. 

The forecast is for many more warm, maybe even hot, summer days. I may have to pace myself!