Perfection

We were treated with the most perfect of summer weather today.
Temperatures in the low seventies, and little to no humidity. A rarity in the Southern states,  made even more so by it being the month of July, traditionally the hottest month of summer.

The bees stayed  busy, collecting pollen.

St. Francis of Assisi watched over the baby deers.

 

 

 

 

 

The last of the baby Mockingbirds leave the nest.

The flowers continue to make us smile.

Oliver continues to nap away the days.

 

I hope your Sunday was equally as perfect !

Summer's Gold

"Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne."

- Barry Cornwall

 

 

Summer Rain

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 are enjoying a tolerable 75 degrees.
How lovely is this....

 

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How beautiful is the rain!

After the dust and heat,

 In the broad and fiery street,

 In the narrow lane,

How beautiful is the rain!

How it clatters along the roofs,

 Like the tramp of hoofs,

 How it gushes and struggles out

 From the throat of the overflowing spout!

Across the window-pane

It pours and pours;

And swift and wide,

With a muddy tide,

Like a river down the gutter roars

The rain, the welcome rain!

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Snigs And Snails, And Puppy-Dogs' Tails

Prince William's wife, Kate, ( Duchess of Cambridge ) has given birth to a healthy baby boy , a child now third in line to the British throne.

 

The Royal heir was born Monday, after many Britons woke up to the news that Kate had gone into labor with the couple's first child.

The birth announcement, via a press release from Kensington Palace, said the boy was born at 4:24 p.m. weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces.

 

We share in the celebration and well-wishes, of this exciting news.

 

Serenity

"Don't let yourself get so busy that you miss those little but important extras in life ~
the beauty of a day...
the smile of a friend...
the serenity of a quiet moment alone.
For it is often life's smallest pleasures and gentlest joys that make the biggest and most lasting difference."

The Dog/Cat Days Of Summer

 

 

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."

~ Russell Baker

 

Tennessee Treasures

 

 

Rock walls, old hedgerows of trees, and fence rows are integral parts of the tapestry of Tennessee. Old rock walls, many dating to the 19th century, line roads and divide pasture land throughout the American mid-south states of Kentucky and Tennessee.

The material Limestone can be found just about anywhere in Tennessee. It is widely used in homes and buildings including the Tennessee State Capitol.
While it shares it's status as Tennessee's state rock with the Agate, we think there's no rock that could depict Tennessee any better than Limestone.

Over the past few days my husband has created a new limestone rock path leading to the potting shed.
The rocks were salvaged from my daughter's old property, and now continue their usefulness and charm for our enjoyment.
Moss and Creeping Thyme have been planted between the stones, hopefully when they have filled in the bare soil, the path will continue to add to the Tennessee tapestry.

 

 

 

Wandering Path

 

On top of the earth

where green touches the hills ~
in spring, in summer, with daffodils,
with dandelions scattered through untilled fields,
with waterfalls and ferny fronds
companioning winding creeks; and
grassy knolls surrounding sunlit ponds...

That is where my heart thrives ~
among dahlias, lilacs, and rosy thorns
scenting life with fragrant morns,
and gentle nights of rounded moons,
inhaling reminiscent blooms
of many lost, yet, joyful Junes...

Warming seasons created to
make lips smile, hearts leap,
feet dance to earthy song;
and earth's turning, ever-moving
old winter right along...

'Til spring emerges, and summer follows
into every nook, into every hollow,
with greening leaf and budding flower
bestowed by Mother Nature's power..

An overwhelming gift of rarest beauty,
a rejuvenation, a resurrection of life ~
when earth renews, when earth revives...
Yes, that is when my heart truly thrives.

~ Hazelmarie Elliott

And The Rains Came

Mother Nature sent rain for our holiday weekend.

Buckets full, with the odd peeking of the sun in between, enticing you into the garden with the hope of getting those much needed chores done.

 

Four days of continuous rain, for which we are grateful, even if her timing is a bit off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A break in the heat
away from the front
no thunder, no lightning,
just rain, warm rain
falling near dusk
falling on eager ground
steaming blacktop
hungry plants
thirsty
turning toward the clouds
cooling, soothing rain
splashing in sudden puddles
catching in open screens
that certain smell
of summer rain

~ Summer Rain : Raymond A Foss

Summer's Colors

"Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me, who could ask for more ?"

~Bev Adams, Mountain Gardening

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lazy, Hazy Days Of Summer

Warm Summer days, and cat naps galore, what could be more perfect.