Bless The Day

This is the latest sunflower to bloom from the mixed seed packet.. It is over 7 feet tall and the flower is five inches across!

These blooms are droopy from all the weight and they don't last long as cut flowers.

I'm afraid the heirloom runner bean plant is not going to make it in this hot weather! It's showing dryness and stress as the temperatures rise.

The bees sure like to gather pollen from this deformed flower! Later in the morning a swarm flew around, waiting their turn to get at this unusual bloom!

The Mexican Olive has continued to bloom and is now higher than the six foot block wall. I understand why the nurseryman said it was one of his favorite plants.

The Sacred Datura is forming spiked seed pods. It still blooms every night and has spread to over four feet across and is growing up into the Orange Jubilee. This is a highly toxic plant so I will remove the pods before they ripen. Turr Tull hasn't eaten any toxic Oleanders, and I told him not to try the beautiful Datura blooms, leaves or any part of it. The plant is dangerous if consumed! Luckily, Turr Tull is spoiled enough that he waits for his daily plate of goodies and grazes only on the Bermuda grass lawn.

Best news of all, Hubby is in remission!! Still have six more weeks of chemo--just to be sure--and also a bone marrow biopsy, but blood test show no cancer now. Even though everything sounds positive we still have to find out about a possible bone marrow transplant because the cancer will come back! Chemo and or a transplant is not a cure, it just buys time. The Doctor did give us a time-line, but we have decided not to focus on that. Life is uncertain even when someone is healthy, so we are not going to waste time thinking about this disease all of the time. I asked Hubby if he wanted travel or do something special, he thought for a moment and said, "I am happy with my life the way it is. I don't have a list of things I want to do. I'm satisfied with my boring life. Let's just go on with living and leave ourselves to the winds of fate". Good words to live by under the circumstances.

I'm waiting for a pair of glasses that I ordered off the Internet! My daughter and a lot of her co-workers have had positive results with their purchases and the price. I have been blessed with great eyesight and I didn't have to wear reading glasses until I was 54. After ten years of having my glasses hanging from a chain around my neck I decided to get a pair of transition + progressive lens glasses that would stay on my face! My first pair cost $560. I loved the freedom of not having my glasses hanging from my neck, but it did take awhile to adjust to them. Six months later on the day we found out about Hubby's cancer, my blood pressure shot up and I was unable to see clearly. I took off my glasses and never saw them again! They were my only pair and not insured so another pair was ordered. To lower the cost I took off the anti-glare and found a much cheaper frame. I saved $200! My recent bike accident destroyed that pair. On the Internet purchase, even with all the upgrades that I got on my very first pair, I paid only $194!! If I lose these, I will just go back to the chain!

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Fate laughs at probabilities.

~E.G. Bulwer-Lytton

Enjoying Blue Skies From The Inside

Vincas are planted! Just in time for the 100+ degree days of summer. Today it is 110 degrees.

The air is crystal clear and the sky is beautiful but we are experiencing a high ozone-heat alert. Strong sunlight and hot weather cause ground-level ozone to form in harmful concentrations. We've been advised locally to stay inside! I'm enjoying the view from inside sitting on my swivel-rocker chair pushed close to the window.

Our summers here are only for dreaming of our fall gardens...and dreaming of getting to the cool country! Changing my garden plans a million times over in my mind keeps me in a smiley mood.

Getting lots of green peppers. One plant is plenty for us and I still have a few left to share.

I planted a cantaloupe in the bed before the sprinkler hoses were buried so that means we have another fall project added to my ever-growing list.The longer the list the more cheerful I am, as opposed to my hubby's "enough already!" attitude.

I haven't had a good juicy ripe watermelon for at least three years! I keep buying and tossing!! Have you noticed that most of our grocery-bought fruit --in fact most of our food is just not very good anymore. It's not because I am losing taste in my old age, it's just a fact! It's like everything else has become...just not good anymore!! Hopefully as I become a more experienced gardener I will produce the tasty foods of the past. Not sure what to do about everything else!

This bed will remain empty until fall. The heirloom runner bean is still alive and producing flowers. Just like the package said--the beans won't set until fall! A few random seedlings are sprouting but they won't last through this heat.

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"I am spending delightful afternoons in my garden, watching everything living around me. As I grow older, I feel everything departing, and I love everything with more passion."

- Emile Zola

Weight Going Up, Swelling Going Down

I ordered some fade-resistant, water repellent, mildew resistant curtains for my outdoor living space! These will definitely help block out the HOT south sun this summer, as well as the balcony patio of the house next door.

I really love these sunflowers....

"Giant Sungold" is the full-size version of dwarf Sunflowers called "Teddy Bear", which gets about three feet tall. The Giant Sungold gets six to seven feet high, and mine kind of split the difference, so I don't know which they are.

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I am healing fast from by bike accident. I haven't experienced any soreness except for my sprained finger. It is NOT broken! I will have the stitches removed Saturday, just in time for a night out with the family. Army Grandson has a 4-day pass! He will be flying in from Kentucky, and he wants a steak dinner as soon as the plane lands! His menu is already planned for his four day leave. Indian Fry Bread--his Mom's specialty and a family favorite for Sunday, then spaghetti at his aunt's on Monday, and of course, Mexican food in between!! All this food plus Hubby's insatiable appetite after chemo, and a daughter-in-law who sabotaged me with (sorry you had an accident) cookies--how I'm I suppose to ever lose weight? My sis says the answer is "Just say NO! No one is making you eat it just because it's there." And tell myself that all the extra padding is what saved me from sustaining more serious injuries from my bike accident. Maybe I should get a job in Washington. Good spinmeister!

Face Meets Road

I had a terrible accident yesterday while riding my bike. I started to change gears while going uphill, and in a moment's inattention, I lost my balance and my bike and I went down an embankment and I spilled out onto a main road. I hit face first onto the pavement and it felt like I shattered my skull. I assessed my injuries and it seemed I didn't have any broken bones, no dizziness, eyesight good and no pain, so I slowly sat up and then noticed I was covered in blood.



I didn't panic. I actually tried to calm all the people who stopped to help. I found out today I do have a broken finger, as well as 12 stitches over my eye, scraped up legs, arm and shoulder. Didn't have any broken teeth, or head injury. But, I feel blessed because it could have been a lot worse. I could have been run over, had brain damage or a major bone break, so these injuries seem slight compared to what could have happened. Eveyone tells me I'll feel the real pain, soreness and stiffness two days after the accident, so I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.




This was a life-changing event for me. It was my first fall--old age I guess. Until now, I thought I was immune to balance problems. I always had such good balance. Five years ago I would have been able to control that bike. Well, at least I think I could have. Depressing thoughts--but I know I'm through with bike riding! Eveyone tells me I'll feel the real pain, soreness and stiffness two days after the accident, so I'm not looking forward to Wednesday.

The Brugmansia bloomed today and it smells as good as it looks!

I'm not sure of its blooming habits but there aren't any more buds on either plant, Maybe it only produces flowers one time a season. I'll keep checking every hour. LOL!

My Veggies are Legal!

I only bought one eggplant and the lone eggplant is about 3" long. The plant has had a lot of blooms but they aren't setting yet.

I love the blossoms on the zucchini. I found a receipt for squash blossom soup but I need more plants before I can try it-it sounds good! I don't know why I haven't grown veggies all my life! It's really fun watching them grow and develop.

The Candy Cane Zinnia is not very healthy looking. The package said the Zinnia flowers should be big and bold, but they are only an inch across.

This can't be a sunflower! But, maybe it is some form. The planting mix was various sunflowers, but this is so different than the sunflowers I'm used to. I like it, though.

The stalks are loaded with buds so I should have a good crop soon. These are the only two that have bloomed and I can't wait for the show!

This is planted in the wrong place, but I just had to have it and I will have to prune it to keep it in the space. It is a Mexican olive (Cordia Boissieri) and it will have lots of attractive blooms year round.

We are in the middle of another redo!! In fact, we are in the middle of about three--replacing the entire sprinkler system, doing my secret garden and tiling the pony wall in front.

Hubby had a small boat, not used, and traded the boat for the labor and materials for the sprinkler system. After a couple of mistakes it looks like it will be finished this weekend--just in time to plant the Vincas! I have been buying a few flowers vines and shrubs and planting them in pots. I don't have any room for them but that doesn't stop me--just have to have them! You would think at my age I would have more control. I hope I live long enough to correct all my bad habits!

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Glad you asked...the AZ SB1070 law is only 16 pages and mirrors the Federal law. Do you wonder as I do, what is going on in America? No one seems to think it's important to read the law, only listen to what others who haven't read the law say about it. Lest we forget--Illegal is not a race--it is a crime! My hope is for DIVINE INTERVENTION, as obviously nothing else will work.

Garden Tower Yard Art

I saw a Garden Tower in a magazine and I just loved it. I quickly found items around the house and put it all together with epoxy. Pretty cute, don't you think? Next I will make a stand to hang gourd birdhouses that I spotted on another page of the magazine. The gourds hang en masse on the horizontal part of a cross setup.

Little Surprises Make My Day

Turr Tull just finished his brunch and instead of going into his newly built house he has been sleeping on the patio. After all our hard work, he hates it! It is the same area he went to after his return home, and we decided that it was the best place to build his home.

We used building blocks and covered the top and sides with about 6-8 inches of dirt. Not sure what the problem could be. He lived at the neighbor's home under bushes and ate only what they had in their small back yard. I wonder if he enjoys being treated like a king, having food delivered once daily? Could it kill him to show a little gratitude and move into his new home that was built with love, and located in a secret garden? What more could he ask for? What an ingrate!

I am growing an artichoke plant for the flower rather than the artichoke, so the largest one will stay on the plant. I will harvest the others when ready. Ummmm!

This was on the clearance table at Lowe's. Can't find the tag but it is a hibiscus and the flowers should be orange. It will be a small plant and a good container plant.

In the side yard in a neat row, Silver Puffs (I think), grew without any supplemental watering, and they are now in full bloom. The seeds were planted three years ago in a flower bed and they never came up! I love that my garden is full of surprises each season, and I am still amazed that seeds can come alive without any help from me!!!

Gazania

For Flowers that bloom about our feet,Father, we thank Thee;
For tender grass so fresh and sweet,
Father we thank Thee.
For the song of bird and hum of bee,
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

Ralph Waldo Emerson