Chill.

First, the Moon was looking pretty cool yesterday evening. Moving on toward first quarter. Today, a lemonade ice bar was just the chill I needed. Icy, sweet, good. Mmm.

Already Wilted.

Please, Sol. Take a break. I think the high was over 100 F here in Topeka today, and all week promises to be nearly the same, with lows only going down into the mid-70s. Not really worth trying to turn off the AC and open the house to the night air. And so it goes.

Rain.

All My Little Green Friends

Yes, while I was gone, Ms. Monarda was busy blooming away. She's getting taller every year! Some year I may come out and find her taller than I am.
This nice green friend is the little pineapple sage plant I was given this spring. It likes it out here in my potted garden.
Some of the basils, including the Holy Basil I got most recently.
The Sungolds are starting to come in bit by bit. I guess I should pot up a few more plants of these next year. I'm always impatient to eat and eat them!
The lemon balm bloomed while I was gone, even though I'd asked it nicely not to. So it got a severe haircut, and... Now its essence has been captured and I have lovely lemon balm tea. My new favorite summer drink, and I obviously need a bigger patch of lemon balm, as well. Something to do for next year!

I Don't Know What-All

I'm about a week behind here. This was the Monarda on June 10, blooming herself silly. And there were bees working it; not bumblebees but these carpenter bees. They have really been loving it this year. Beezy. And were we going to get any weather? I dunno, but these were nice. From the movie theater hill looking west from Topeka. On June 13th, Rich and I flew to Pennsylvania. On June 16th, we were finally home, after driving his newly purchased car 1200 miles to home. It's good to see this sight coming over the bridge.

Show of Color

Ms. Monarda fistulosa has shown me her color as of a couple of days ago--June 7, the first bit of bloom is opening. Soon the whole patch will be full of color and scent, and bees and butterflies will happily gather again. This is two weeks and two days ahead of the date she bloomed last year. That's typically the way things have gone this Spring--everything is about two to four weeks early because of the warm winter and early heat. I wish that also meant Fall would be early, but probably not.

Sun Salad

This tiny salad has my first Sungold tomato of the season, and some of the basil I cut yesterday. It makes my tongue tingle with living energy to eat things so fresh and good!

Catching Up Again

My apologies, the formatting has changed and I'm not quite up to speed yet. Cricket, on 05-24-12. Cricket is one year old today (06-06-12). Happy Birthday, little girl. Meanwhile, out in the garden (05-30-12): Ms. Monarda is developing her blooms. Still not blooming as of today but it's getting there.

The sage, on the other hand, has pretty much finished blooming and has in fact developed little black seeds that you can clearly see in this picture from 05-30-12.

Then a series of striking-looking clouds from that same day, after we got out of the movies around 7 p.m. Good viewing from the back of the Hollywood 14 to the west. And back in the garden again, just yesterday: Two new basils join the crew out back. In the back of the pot, a cinnamon basil, and in front, a Holy Basil or Tulsi. I hope to get more of this one, it's very powerful medicinally. And look, we have a tomato! The Sungolds have started to arrive. This one that I pictured yesterday is joined by another not quite as ripe today, but definitely on its way. And I cut some regular basil yesterday to put in the salad to eat the tomato that Kris grew.