azalea after the rain
cherry blossoms
Have you ever seen a dogwood so full of blooms?
Geese- everywhere I go, still! What do you suppose it means?
Our big excitement this year was that my husband got bees!
They're already making honey- what amazing creatures! They pollinate our fruits and vegetables, so we need them, if we want to eat. And I, for one, like to eat...
... especially when the food comes from our backyard garden.
In recent years, I've seen no honeybees at all in this area, and the lack of honeybees is a global concern. To read a short article on Colony Collapse Disorder, click here.
The rest of the summer so far has been HOT- just humid, steamy, sweaty, nasty, and uncomfortable...
... which makes it seem like not such a bad thing to be stuck inside! I hope you are all having a great summer. I'm going to get back to work now, so I can show you the progress on the Book of Dreams.
un joyeux été ... mais aussi une belle inspiration pour un nouveau livre!
ReplyDeleteHi Elfi- I find inspiration in nature, and yes, it does feed into my work; it's all a big circle of connections, n'est pas? thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThese photos are spectacular! Your home and yard look like a true sanctuary...room enough to grow all that you might need and now bees to help! Your husband is well outfitted! Enjoy your summer days and thank you for the Emerson quote. Each day I have been filling a bowl of water and at the end of the day I toss the water out into the yard. For me it helps represent the blessing, the gift of a day and yes, at the end, let it go, let the day be over...Pema Chodran suggested this exercise to help understand living each day and letting go! Looking forward to your photos of the book of dreams!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Ann. Yes, "sanctuary" is one way to put it; "LOTS of work" is another! We do like growing our own food, and there's plenty of room for the dogs to run around.
DeleteI like your daily ritual of the water bowl. I often can't "let things go", and this seems like a lovely practice.
Ruffly loveliness, Shar - the second photo is stunning - love the composition. I have never seen a real Magnolia.
ReplyDeleteYour little dog is so sweet, collapsed in the heat...
The Emerson quote is such a positive way to begin this new day. Best, sus
Hi Sus, thanks for the compliment on the photo. The magnolia in our front yard is probably close to 100 years old; parts of it are completely hollow, yet it just keeps going. When the petals fall off, the yard looks as if it's covered in a soft pink carpet.
DeleteAll of my dogs hate the heat, but this one- Arlo- actually stands on top of the air conditioning vent when he comes inside on a hot day.
That is a good quote, isn't it? glad you liked it.
hope you are healing quickly and getting around better. hooray for bees... my cousins have a bee business and yes they are wonderful... it has been so bloody hot hasn't it, miserable here in MI and praying for rain... I don't mind warm summers, but the forests are so very, scary dry... and what a sweet baby doglet you have!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cat, I'm much improved, and have started physical therapy, so should be walking normally pretty soon.
DeleteIt is scary, the heat and the drought; if this is the beginning of a climatic trend, we are in big trouble. The huge ash trees in my yard don't look too well, and I can't lose them.
Arlo is a cutie, and he definitely knows it!
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ReplyDeleteBees and dogs and unprecedented weather...let's throw in a glass of wine and call it an evening! Thanks for commenting on my blog, and I'm now following yours. Looking forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura; so glad to have you along! I look forward to seeing more of your wonderful collages, too.
DeleteYour husband got bees? Is it as itchy as getting chicken pox?! I love those gorgeous colours in your flower pix. The quote is so true and very inspiring. I shared it with my mother who greatly appreciated it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the summer: get outside as much as you can!
Haha! that does sound kind of funny, doesn't it? like getting fleas, or lice... yuk! But it doesn't itch, it stings! I'm trying to get outside as much as possible, now that I can walk better. I hope you're enjoying your summer as well!
DeleteThese are gorgeous pictures. And the honeybee crisis is truly sad. So cool about your bees. I have been way behind! I didn't know about Book of Dreams. Must catch up!
ReplyDeleteHi Chris, it's great to hear from you. Don't feel bad about being behind; I have given up trying to read everyone's blogs. I just do the best I can. Thanks so much for visiting!
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