Head down, battling to catch up, I had a lapse of attention yesterday afternoon. Luckily I was alerted to…
…that very moment I had just written about, when people in Vermont might be looking our way, at our hills all lit up while they for once were dark.
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So completely discombobulated was I yesterday that I totally forgot the afternoon cat medications.
Any other day, Willow would have reminded me. Seriously. She does.
But I read that there have been significant solar flares recently, so I’m putting everything down to them.
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Once again we were spared from really dreadful weather nearby.
Syracuse, 165 miles west of Cambridge got 7 inches of rain in a single day.
We enjoyed decorative clouds.
What do you see in this one?
(I have something very specific in mind)
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One thing I did remember yesterday was to check on the progress of this plant which has been growing out of the side of the house all summer.
It was harmless-looking so I allowed it to remain and last week it produced buds.
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Lo and behold, another Mallow.
The tiny blue one above, has been growing everywhere this year, another invader but quite pretty.
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Mallow is related to Hibiscus and Rose of Sharon and this appears to be their year as they are all flourishing everywhere.
Last year it was wild strawberries which overtook the hill and flowerbeds. This year, they have retreated, hardly visible. A relief, as they choke everything else.
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This morning, a new surprise.
Not one of the better ones.
On the way out to get some groceries, Grant steered off the driveway to check on the Rose of Sharon.
The blooms don’t last long, but the bush was full of buds.
Only now it isn’t. Someone had removed all the flowers and the buds.
Rage!
We assume it was deer though we haven’t seen them around much lately.
Presumably they come under cover of darkness.
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If this had happened to my mother’s flowers, she would have been out there with a shot gun.
But I could never begrudge a wild animal a meal since we have taken so much from them.
At least we enjoyed blooms this year.
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There are plenty of other pretty sights.
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A particularly misty morning
was quite impressive.
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I thought I’d heard a buzz!
Hummingbirds like the Buddleia.
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Somewhere, surely there must be an army of spiders, just going off duty?
How do they produce so much silk overnight?
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We see these webs on misty mornings as light catches water drops.
But are there always so many webs?
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It’s just as well I’ve mostly overcome my fear of spiders.
Otherwise, this would be seriously creepy.
Thank you, Carolyn, for the spiders masterpieces! I love and respect spiders and their intelligence.
Joanna
Oh, your cloud photos are stunning – amazing that not one photo looks the same! That cloud: It looks like a girl tossing her hair forward (or backwards) … I definitely see her pretty eye, nose and mouth. And I love your pink mallow – it looks so perfect … and so do the cobwebs (but I’m still afraid of spiders).
I see a poodle!
I knew you’d get it Pete! A poodle driving an open car with it’s ears blowing back! Great minds, you know!
I can even see the joy on her face!
Those cobwebs are impressive!
You must have a lot of spiders over there!
Summer came back to tease us today. 27c and bright sunshine. After so many weeks of dismal damp and chilly weather, it felt as if I was walking Ollie in Death Valley. We have fans running in the house today, where last week we were stitting under microfleece blankets.
Crazy!
Best wishes, Pete.