PORCH PONDERINGS

Perfect Summer Afternoon

I just have to write from the porch this afternoon. What a glorious day!!!! It's about 80 degrees, a slight breeze, no humidity, a few clouds in the sky. The robin is singing. A dove is cooing in the tree next door. A firecracker sometimes pops nearby.

Earlier I got ready for a bike ride. I wandered to the back door. But I stopped short and looked. A deer was lying in the yard near our only tree. Ahhh... so cute. As I opened the door, she skittered away. But she looks bad, ribs showing. Must've been a bad winter for her. Then I go to the garage, get my bike, go around to the alley and......Low life scummy deer left a big line of diarrhea across our concrete driveway. Ooooh ick pooh. Now when I get back I'll have to clean up that mess. So much for lovely little Bambi.

My bike ride took me down to the fairgrounds where people were still camping, leftovers from the rodeo yesterday. I petted a few horses. Biked on over to the thrift store where I volunteer, sorted a few boxes. I try to do that on Sunday mornings. Then I rode home and we had lunch on the porch. And wouldn't you know it, that same scamp of a deer is out munching on my wildflowers out front! Salad bar - she is thinking. So we shoo her away.
Then we see her again, this time with another doe and a small buck at the corner house up the street. This time I tell hubby, get out the bear spray, try that. So he gave them a spray. Now they are headed north to terrorize more neighbors and eat their flowers.

More firecrackers as I type. I am so over the noise of this. I pray the fireworks stand is closed now.

I checked the garden today. My corn is more than knee-high-by-the-4th-of-July rule. It is now thigh high. I have baby green tomatoes. Beets and carrots are doing well. Potatoes are blooming. My raspberry bush is growing well. I have some onion plants that wintered over, so we'll see how they do. I planted some melon seeds, but the plants aren't so good. It hasn't been hot enough yet. We have been eating fresh kale and spinach salads for a few months now. We love having a garden. In Gardiner, we could never get anything to grow, the season was so short.

Enjoy July! Summer is so fleeting here. So wherever you are, enjoy the sun while you can!