Time Flies When You're Having...Fun?

The excruciating heat has made being outside unbearable and we kept putting off some major chores whilst waiting for cooler weather--that never comes--until suddenly realization hit that it was almost the end of August and the Summer work had barely been started.

Last week we decided we couldn't wait any longer, regardless of heat, Hell or high water.  Now we're not only sanding/painting the very large back deck, but also digging a 30" deep by 20' long trench for our new bamboo privacy screening, and preparing a section of terracing for two new trees that need to get planted before too much more time goes zipping by.  And all this in temperatures that fry my brain, melt my resolve and cook my motivation.

Today I have some time before the zucchini bread comes out of the oven, so rather than tax my addled wits, I'm just gonna post a few photos and call it good...

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Last month when I got my birthday Buddha for the garden, I planted a sweet little Coleus next to it.  It was about the same size as Buddha and I thought it would probably take until next Summer to fill in the spot, but no.  The other day I noticed it was almost a foot above the statue and even large enough to give Buddha some shade from the unrelenting heat...


Today is Zucchini bread #9.  Seriously, the most prolific and versatile vegetable to ever grow in a garden!  I absolutely love my morning slice, toasted and yummy.  Benny practically drools waiting for his little bits.  Thankfully, my neighbors are now converts so I'm not wasting any or trying to find a dozen recipes to use it up.  I generally give them every other loaf that I bake, and although I thought I was pretty close to being done, this morning I found four more little ones hiding under the big green leaves, so guess I'm not done quite yet...


The garden is winding down now and frankly, though I'm always a bit sad, I'm also glad when the season ends.  It's constant work for months, and even with the great reward of having fresh, organic food I still get weary of taking care of everything.  All I have left now are zucchini, tomatoes and carrots and that's just about right.  I love the smell of a garden-grown tomato, the crunch of a slightly dirt-flavored carrot just pulled from the soil...


Yesterday was International Dog Day, so I think it's only fitting that I post a few photos of Benny.  Those ears...and now that he's 3 years old, his chest hairs have turned curly!  What a handsome fellow...though I don't know what that front paw is doing.  I think he was just stepping toward me when I took the photo...


There was a really strong breeze last Sunday and though you'd think that would be refreshing on a 95* day, au contraire...it was like a scirocco wind off the Sahara, hot and gritty.  With Benny's long ears, he had a very trendy windblown Fabio look...


I'll leave you with this one last photo...a little reminder that no matter what's going on around us, the sun rises and sets and the world keeps turning, sometimes in a most colorful way...


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That's about it for me.  The bread's out of the oven, the house smells heavenly, and I need to take a nap...(oh, if only...)

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