June Blooms

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.
~Rainer Maria Rilke

It's A Southern Thing

One of the things I love about Summer's in the South, is the food.

It's no secret that Southerner's love fried food, and fry most everything, including pickles !
Truthfully, if you've never eaten a batch of fried okra, or a mess of homegrown fried green tomatoes, you're missing out.
The first of the summer tomatoes are ripe for the picking and one of my favorite ways to enjoy them is the tomato sandwich.

It's a specialized concoction, you have to follow the rules, or it's not the genuine article.

First, it has to be made on white bread, not some wholesome whole wheat, or fancy grain.
Only bread with over processed white bleached flour, and no nutritional value is accepted.
Next, it has to have REAL mayonnaise, not lite or olive oil based....Real artery-clogging Duke's or Hellman's.
There are some folks who substitute with Miracle Whip, they're not considered loyalists.
Last but not least, homegrown, plump, vine ripe tomatoes; preferably still warm from the vine.

Spread both slices of white bread with mayonnaise, don't skimp, slather it on.
Next, layer slices of tomato on bottom slice and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Last, cover with top bread slice.
That's it, done !

It's pure heaven on a bread slice, ask any pure-blooded Southerner, or Englishman/woman.....

Bee-Utiful Day

The Bee

His labor is a chant,
His idleness a tune;
Oh, for the bee’s experience
Of clovers and of noon!
~Emily Dickinson

Heads Above The Rest

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.
It's what sunflowers do."
~ Helen Keller

Sailors Delight

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning”

The Bluebirds nested and laid their eggs in the barn wood box.
The squirrels stole them, not once but twice. I've decided to move the box elsewhere.

The Canna Lilies are in bloom, the Japanese Beetles seem to enjoy them as much as we do, it's a constant struggle to gain control.

The Sounds Of Summer

"The steady buzzzzzzz of the Katydid chorus,
the bass solo of the croaking Frog,
the steady woof-woof-woof a barking Dog
- a summer night's serenade."
~Michael P. Garofalo : Cuttings

Summertime Blues

We continue with daily downpours and lower than normal temperatures, a welcome respite in these first few days of Summer.
The grass is green, the flowers are flourishing.

A quiet sitting spot, surrounded by wild roses

Salvia Blue Night in bloom

Balloon Flowers and Sweat Bees

Butterfly Bush and Honey Bees

Friendship

Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

An Old Friend Returns

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Rose of Sharons are in bloom, a fitting entrance for this first day of Summer.
Hopefully, the hummingbirds will be right behind, they have been a scarce sighting around the feeder.

Simple Pleasures

click to enlarge

Oftentimes, it pays to wait.
The sweetest of the season are now ripe for the picking ........
June strawberries.

Morning Mist

The morning mists, quietly gather and gently wrap the rain-soaked earth.


Morning Mist

In the morning, skies so gray,
Before the sun lights up the day,
I chanced upon a morning mist
That left the leaves and grasstips kissed
With the aqua of the dew,
It left a feeling with me, too
Something old and something new;
Something that comes with the mist again,
Never what, but always when.

Respite From The Heat

We had rain today, a gentle-falling rain, the kind where you can use an umbrella without fear of it being turned inside out.
If you listened carefully you could hear the trees and flowers, heaving a big sigh of relief, their roots and foliage drinking in every last drop of moisture.

The temperatures fell, and for the first time in several weeks we enjoyed a tolerable 72 degrees.
Oh, how I love days such as this.

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."
~Author Unknown

A Slice Of Sunshine

If your looking for a quick, unassuming dessert one of my favorites is Frozen Lemonade Pie...
Refreshingly cool, and what could be simpler to make !


Prep Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

1 large graham cracker pie crust
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 6-ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 12 ounce container of Cool Whip, thawed
candied lemon peel for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Beat together condensed milk and lemonade; fold in Cool Whip.
Pour into pie crust. Freeze for at least 3-4 hours until firm.
Makes 8 servings
Enjoy !

Rain Dancing

We had rainfall late last night.
An ever so small rainfall, but we'll take what we can get after days of blistering heat and humidity.
I'm hoping we will get another late evening thunderstorm, the skies surely promise one.

The First Sergeant worked unfazed in the heat, dividing Iris and planting shrubs.
He deserves a medal, another one !
There are several more flowers in bloom, as others fade, the cycle of growing continues.


Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were -- Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.
They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big tree.
Beatrix Potter ~ The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Wild Queen Anne's Lace


Jacob's Ladder

Balloon Flower


Asta

June Blooms

We're just a few days into the month of June, and yet the weather is as hot as the month of July.
Very little rain, and so the flowers are being watered every day.
I'm busy doing a rain dance, would you care to join ?

What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.

~Jane Austen

Knee Deep In June

"Tell you what I like the best --
'Long about knee-deep in June,
'Bout the time strawberries melts
On the vine, -- some afternoon
Like to jes' git out and rest,
And not work at nothin' else!"

~ James Witcomb Riley : Knee Deep in June