An American finch building a nest in our antique pump.
Summer has already gotten hot here in the South. We are either flooding, as in Arkansas, or sweltering, as in Evergreen, La. The heat index hits 100 degrees like it’s the end of July. Of course, hurricane season has begun. Those facts really bring out the best in us, if honeriness were a virtue. Mostly, we’re complaining about the heat. We’re still able to go out during the day and not outright die. Of course, I have to find a smidge of shade if I’m outside. Sun bearing down on me does nothing good; I wilt like a picked flower in a child’s sweaty hand.
One of the little horses gave birth to a black mini-mule this week.And a second small horse had a mini-mule. This one has a white blaze on her face.
Now that I’ve gotten all the whining out of the way, there’s a bit of good happening, also. There’s a new flower bed with milkweed waiting for the monarchs to come fluttering in. We’ve seen one already. She found the milkweed but chose to nibble at the roses. All of the plants are happy as can be, especially since Richard waters everything every day. I do help with the watering, but it’s a hit-and-miss kind of help. It all depends on what’s transpiring in the sewing studio.
Begonias love this southern heat!
My house plants love the patio, and the kitchen garden is producing enough lettuce for two households. That’s a good thing since Jenny likes the bitter greens. Her salads are much prettier than mine with their greens and pinks and reds, but I love the garden cucumbers and tomatoes added to my little pile of butter lettuce.
The best thing to do in this summer heat is to stay indoors. For me, that means sewing. I made a shirtdress for myself to test a pattern I want to use. I’ll write a quick post about that later. I’ve also been building houses. This next house is very different from the pattern. That’s what happens when you don’t read the directions. Nevertheless, this one will go into the quilt. The house on the left is what I first made, but it was 16″ square and I need 12″. Therefore, I cut it down by removing the grass and the tree and a bit of the house. I saved the tree (spooky isn’t it?) for use somewhere in the quilt. The house on the right? Oh, yes, that’s the pattern. My joke is that I added a sewing room to the red house. I’m still building houses in EQ8, which is helpful, but I have to remember to correct the block size. (Another hit-and-miss situation.)
And I’ll wish you a wonderful week. Take care of yourself in whatever season you’re in. Enjoy the outdoors; a few minutes on a swing can fight depression. Drink lots of water, especially if you live in the Earth’s hottest places. And socialize with someone in person. Online can be helpful, but real people need you as much as you need them. Nothing surpasses an in-person visit.
