It’s been hot. Unseasonably warm for so early in the season and it’s not even officially summer yet. Yesterday someone told me they heard we were in for the hottest summer this area has seen in sixty years. Given our early spring and the hot weather we’ve been experiencing for the past couple of months I believe it.
We’ve been eating out of the garden for weeks now–spinach, peas, lettuce, radishes, scallions–and this week we enjoyed the first of the rainbow Swiss chard and beets. This evening we’ll have the first kale salad of the season. Most of the tomato plants have started to set fruit. I’ll be pulling out the peas in the next week or so to make room for the delicata squash to spread out.
Gardening has been done in the cool morning hours whenever possible. I’ve enjoyed a few afternoons in the lawn swing with my Kindle and a glass of cold tea. A couple of days ago we cut in the air conditioner for the first time. It’s summer, regardless of what the calendar says.
This morning I headed out early to water and harvest kale for dinner and the rest of the day has been quiet. I made a batch of Uncle Bill’s mustard using his no-longer-secret recipe; more to come on that. I did some essential oil research and made up a few roller bottles for various purposes.
This afternoon, I grabbed my camera and headed out to the yard looking for inspiration. This week’s assignment for the Be Still – Fifty Two class will take some preparation and planning and I’m not ready to start on it just yet. Instead, I took great pleasure in getting up close and personal with some of my geraniums. Using my macro lens forces me to slow down, to be still, and to see things I might otherwise miss.
I enjoy these geraniums as I tend them every day. They bring me even more pleasure when I sit down, really look at them, and capture a few images. This being still, I’m learning, one of the great benefits of photography.
Your pictures are simply exquisite.
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words, Marian. 🙂
Graham’s impressed with how you’ve taken on retirement with such gusto! We didn’t do a garden this year because of other issues we’re dealing with, but we do miss it. Our granddaughter is convinced she’ll be picking tomatoes with Papa later this year, so we may plant a few of those to keep her happy! 🙂 Your photos are just beautiful!
I think I was born to be a retired grandma, Carmen!! How much longer until Graham retires? I bet he’ll find it to be as wonderful as I have. I hope you plant at least a couple of tomatoes. It’s Kamloops . . . It’s kind of the law that you have to grow tomatoes, isn’t it?!
The photos are gorgeous, but I’m more impressed with your gardening abilities. I have a black thumb. I’d so love to have my own vegetable garden to harvest from.
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting, Karen. You say you have a black thumb. . . Well I have no singing ability as I know you do. We are all uniquely gifted and that makes this mosaic of life so beautiful!