Sultry Summerness

I've been waking up early the last few mornings....usually around 5:46 a.m.  It's often foggy out, or at least I'm pretty sure that's what it is, as the windows are totally steamy, covered in the dew that attaches itself to me the moment I walk out the back door. The steam-bath that is our backyard has its own special nuance this time of year--consider: it's not everywhere that you work up a sweat just in the act of lifting your coffee mug!

View of the backyard garden shed as I drink my coffee in the morning.

I've been a busy bee lately....(more on that at a later date--let's just say, for the time being, it involves a lot of travel and furniture, excitement and exhaustion).

I'm not the only one who enjoys our hostas!

I'm hardly the only one, or thing, that's been busy. Witness, our garden: everything is just so...ample!  All the flowers get so exuberant this time of year--putting on their best show--it's now or....next year! Ah, July!, you are my favorite, most favorite month of all!

More backyard.

Somebody was hungry...

And further up the backyard....

Blanket Flowers

Coneflowers

And on a side note...thoughts while drinking my morning coffee:

Trumpet Vines in the side yard.

Mr. Pocketts and I recently were away for the weekend to attend a wedding.  Our daughter was the Matron of Honor--thus officially entering her "matronly stage."  The bride is a lovely, intelligent, fun girl we've known since she was a tiny first grader.  This weekend she was a beautiful, tiny bride!  And something of a bigger Bridezilla!  I never cease to be amazed at the whole wedding spell that comes over the most sane individuals, causing them to act out in ways they would hardly recognize or believe if confronted with said behavior. I still have confidence that our bride will come out from under the spell she cast upon herself.  The wedding was beautiful and a grand success, despite that too-many-pearly-thingies-in-the-bridal-bouquets meltdown!

Ode to Eros
Where weddings begin?

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;

and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.

Tiger Lilies on the other side.

Hmmm.... I shall ponder a bit more...I'm going to have more coffee and enjoy my verdant surroundings, before I get back to that furniture and exhaustion stuff I hinted at earlier! 

Yikes, it's been a while!

John Lennon said life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.  Couldn't agree more at this particular time. Good grief, it's been a while--I have been AWOL!

The month of May is something of a blur for me, as I spent a lot of it with a sprained lower back--I've had backaches before, but this one was a doozy.  When you have a backache, your world becomes very small.  I mean very small!  Distances are redefined: reaching for something 3 feet away becomes an insurmountable task. And sneezing---who knew your lower back muscles come into play when you sneeze?!  All this required medical intervention.  Let's just say I got to know my Physical Therapist far better than I ever planned!  (And if you know of any young, single women who would like to meet a 33 year old golfing fanatic with a sense of humor and some ex-fiance issues--just let me know!)

I'm happy & relieved to be able to say I am better now.  FYI: stretching exercises are worth the time & effort!

Since returning from Mexico, besides being flat on my back, I've been to San Diego (via car one way, airplane home), St. Louis, and in a couple days we'll be off to Colorado to attend a wedding, then off to San Diego via car (again). Phew! Here's some photos of happy days in the backyard....

This guy was grey when he was on the fencepost!

Mr. Toad of the side porch.

Mr. Toad of the pond.

Mr. Toad, kickin' back on a hot day.

Ms. Robin

I HEART U

The other Ms. Robin, she's a bit of a slattern,
if her housekeeping skills are indicative of other personality traits!

Bi-polar Tulip

Tree Trimming

This time of year in Mexico, everyone is getting ready for Semana Santa (Saint Week....at Easter).  And even though it will be quite late this year, preparations have started.  That includes trimming the dying fronds off the coconut trees, along with any sizable coconuts--reminds me of that statistic about the number of people dying from coconuts every year verses whatever....

Which then reminds me that this nearly happened to Mr. P and I this year!  We were innocently walking along in a little beach cove town, along a sort of promenade lined with very tall palms.  Frighteningly, we nearly learned the hard way that they don't bother to trim their palm trees down there, as a huge, ripe coconut came crashing down right beside us!  Neither of us saw or heard it coming until it whizzed by our heads!

They needed to hire this guy:

He waved to me on the way up!

 Or maybe this guy:

They made quite a team!

Watch as he scampers up this tree, safety gear optional!

Up....

and up, until he can start shredding the first dead bits.

Then the chopping begins in earnest:

One year we happened to be packing up to leave when this fellow was literally outside my window.  He glanced in and saw my suitcases as I looked out and saw him.  We exchanged waves and smiles.  It was a bit like The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy, flying through the tornado, looks out the window of her careening house and waves to that little knitting granny! Just like that...except for the tornado part! Haha!

Done & down!  Bring on Easter!