End of the Rainbow

I finally found the end of a rainbow and right on my back porch. So I looked for the pot of gold and there she was!!!! Our nest may be empty now, but we are finding more and more things to do together around the house and elsewhere. I really love her and am enjoying our new found time together. She is my red-headed leprechaun.

HOT!

I really dislike this time of year with its constant heat and humidity. The ground simply becomes baked and hard as a rock. Few plants can thrive under such conditions. The only plants left in my backyard are the sweet potato vines, lantana, morning glories (which retreat by 9:00), and crape myrtles. It is really sad. Amazingly though, the bluebirds don't seem to mind the heat; they are on their 3rd clutch this year. I will try to make a few more boxes for next year.

Volunteer Army

These are my backyard volunteers. The birdseed I put out not only feed my birds but fill our backyard with dozens of these bright single & multi-headed sunflowers. Notice the ring of flowers around the tree stump (counted 61 flowers). These all came up because I used the stump for a feeder for a couple of weeks. The bumble bees just love these sunflowers as do we. Debbie and I harvest the heads to use as birdseed for this winter; all except those I cut for flower arrangements (see blog below). So it is a win-win situation.

Too Cheap to Buy Flowers

I have tried to keep Debbie and my mom supplied with bouquets of flowers this summer from my garden. Here are a few of my more recent cuttings. Sorry about the arrangements, but I just don't know much about that kind of stuff.

Annoying Little Chore

Well, it is 4:00am and I am awaiting sunrise (~5:30am). A normal night's sleep is no more than 5 or 6 hours (back problems), but I enjoy my early morning walks in the garden. However, what awaits me today is no stroll through the roses, but rather some hand digging through 2 feet of dirt baked so hard by the sun that shovels recoil in fear at the sight (or site). No, I don't own a pick, but oh how I wished I owned a pick (or dynamite)!

You see my pressure regulator is out and the water pressure in the house has been sporadic to say the least. So, I must dig down a couple of feet to find the water pipe and then begin the search for the annoying little (bleep), which could be anywhere between the meter and the cutoff valve to my house (a distance of only 30 measly, little ole yards). And as an added bonus, all this work will be done in full sun (not a single tree in sight) during July in Arkansas.

For those not familiar with Arkansas weather, an Arkansan can tell what month it is by how many times we have to change our clothes each day. July is a definite 2x/day-month or 3x/day-month if you work outside. Also, it is this time of year when the phrase "wringing wet" is heard repeatedly, but it has nothing to do with falling into the lake or getting caught in the rain. Oh well, the sun is rising and I must prepare myself for the challenge before me and the backache to follow.