A nice quiet weekend...

 The motorcycle rally is over, and the world is quiet again.  I think Mother Nature herself gets frustrated with the noise and chaos, because the last weekend of the rally always brings thunderstorms.  Like she is trying to wash it all away. 

I don't know why, but I have avoided weeding the butterfly bed all summer.  Mainly, I think, because without any moisture it is impossible to pull up any roots.  Finally, I broke down and pulled up all the grass and daisies.  It looks much better.  I found a couple of mouse nests in the thick grass.  Another reason to weed.  

It is sweetgrass season.  I went down to the pond and did some meditating Bonnie style.  To me meditation is picking berries, weeding, or harvesting sweetgrass.  I am able to sit, relax, keep my mind focused, and not ponder life.  Just one stem of sweetgrass at a time.  Meanwhile, the frogs and dragonflies kept me company.  

Do you see the tadpole?  The pond is still full of them. 

The trail down to the pond is like something from a storybook.  I enjoy hiking our little trails through the woods. 

I don't have many flowers left blooming.  The bees have to share. It wouldn't be so bad, but the deer ate most of the hollyhocks.  I'm slowly fencing more and more of my flower gardens.  

I have an August hummingbird hanging around.  I thought she would enjoy the phlox, but she just sticks to the feeders.  I enjoy watching her flit to and fro. 

Another weekend is over.  Summer is drawing to a close and soon it will be fall.  Sometimes if feels like time is slipping through my fingers.  How is your summer going?  Are you feeling fall in the air?

Late summer thoughts...

 I pulled up my carrots, sliced them, and roasted them.  Then I put them in the freezer so I can enjoy them this winter.  I am trying for a second set and I replanted the carrots, lettuce and bok choi.   I haven't tried that before.  We will see how that goes.

We have had fawns around.  I don't get as many pictures as I used to as Dollor makes sure they keep their distance.  

I don't have many flowers, but the ones I do have are wonderful.  This rose has bloomed off and on since spring.  It doesn't have a scent, yet is is very pretty.

This rose is scented and has also bloomed non-stop.  It really likes it on the deck.  The problem is it a zone 5, so I'm going to have to figure out how to overwinter it. 

Fencing has kept some of my hollyhocks from getting eaten by the deer.  I have some pink, purple, and deep red ones.  

Probably my favorite thing about the hollyhocks is that the bumblebees use them as hammocks.  I walk around in the morning with my cup of coffee and watch them wake up.  

The sunsets and sunrises have been very red from the fires around the U.S.  I am surprised we haven't had any fires as we haven't had much rain.  This is the Sturgis Rally week.  Not my favorite week.  Already there has been 12 motorcycle deaths the week before the rally.  

What do you have blooming as summer winds down?  Have you heard of the Sturgis Rally?  Have you ever gone to it?  I suppose it is more fun when you aren't trying to get to and from work.  

And then there was 3...

 If you have read my blog for long, you know I love berries and fruits.  That being said, when I saw apricot seedlings for our zone on Facebook Marketplace, I was all over it.  I bought four of the nicest little seedlings.  I like getting plants when they are small because they seem to acclimate better.  Getting plants is a crapshoot around here.  Everything is out to get them: deer, aphids, voles, chipmunks, mice, dogs, and who knows what else.  The little apricots are no different.  I bought fencing,

My husband and I fenced them, watered them, fertilized them, and covered them with hail netting.  The very next morning one was eaten by something during the night.  Drat.  Now I have plastic collars, and fine fencing around them, inside the other fencing and under the hail cover.  Argh.  

On a positive note, I made cherry maple turkey jerky.  It turned out amazing.  I am very happy with the results.  

My resident hawk has been super protective of her territory.  I went for a walk down by the pond and she scolded me from every tree.  On a smaller front, I have a different hummingbird hanging around.  A female red-throated, not the red rufus I had a few weekes ago.  

I am very happy about my chubby little sunflower.  He is a stout fella.  He is covered by hail netting and fenced from the deer.  On the deck is my scented rose.  It is really thriving. I love the smell. 

I was so happy this weekend, as Dollor found a friend.  Our neigbors come out a few times a year and this year they brought their dog Bella. She is about Dollor's age and they had a blast.  Despite the heat they chased each other around back and forth.  Then after a rousing game of tag they stopped for a drink.  It was so fun to see them enjoying themselves.  

I don't have much else.  What are some of your major pests? What do you think ate my apricot? It is still hot and dry here.  We had a couple of rains but could always use more.  

A little of this and a bit of that...

 Despite the heat, my woodvine is doing fine.

The herb planter is also thriving.  I am watering it every other day as the temps have been in the high 90s.

My rose on the deck is also thriving.  I think the pergola makes all of the difference. 

Dollor has been dealing with the heat quite well.  He has been better behaved and isn't chasing everything (except chipmunks).

There are turkey poults everywhere,  so I'm glad he is better behaved. 

The last of my lilies are blooming.   There is a bit of a dry spell before my phlox starts blooming. 

I put a fence around my clematis to keep the deer from eating it.

My sunflowers are enjoying the sunshine, and the bees are enjoying the sunflowers.

We haven't had squirrels for a long time.  This fellow has been hanging around so he can find something to drink.  Dollor isn't happy with this.  Here he is giving the squirrel an evil eye.  The squirrel doesn't look too worried.

The yard is starting to dry out.  We water the vegetables and flowers by the lawn is on its own.

The rose bed was looking pretty good last week.  The heat has since caught up with it.  Dollor keeps finding this grouse hen and her poults.  In case you can't tell she is quite disgusted with the inturruption to her day.

That is what has been going on here.  A little of this and a bit of that.  Too hot to get too excited about anything.