...as you may have heard, we managed to wish the rains away - I think I personally sent June's torrential rains to California... and it's been a pretty dry and brutal July so far. We are into that period of summertime when the weather channel is just a repeat of "sunny and hot" and we have entered that routine of 100 degree days. OH well...

BUT - did I tell you about how nice the evenings are??

There's a deck out back and the house sits high in the neighborhood... so the winds blow across the deck and through the trees. One tree in particular has my attention. It's this pretty live oak tree that bends ever so obligingly over my deck... I added some lights to it early June - so now in the evenings for a few hours, the lights dance as the tree sways in the breeze - I love the visual. When I sit out there and enjoy the peaceful evenings - Life is SURELY good.

Last year I finally got the elevated bed in the retaining wall under control... I planted those black eyed Susans... their presence last year was meager... but they're the star of the show this year. I love that from sitting on the deck I can enjoy the view of the flowers over there. Most of what I planted is draught resistant and a perennial - so, it's nice to add to it, knowing they'll be back, even stronger next year.

I confess - I've never lived anywhere long enough to enjoy watching a tree grow... but when we moved in July of 09, my son Andrew gave me a little stick of a 'survivor' from Glassdaddy's compost pile - it was a peach tree. Hard to believe it's almost 15' tall now - I don't care if it ever produces peaches - it's just nice to watch it grow. Actually, it's been nice watching everything grow - including my youngest son. He announced yesterday that he leaves for college in eighteen days... I didn't know he was on the count down... : (
It's all good, it just seems life speeds up as you age.
smiles, Jill