Moving On To Summer

"Then followed that beautiful season, summer. Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow




I am ready to move on to a new season, and I think this is going to be a good summer. Alan and I have been really busy the last few days, getting the garden prepared for planting. He does the vegetables, fruits and gourds, and I tend to the flowers and herbs. It has been a couple years since I have felt like taking care of a garden, so it will take a little bit of work to get everything prepared, but I found some amazing miniature roses at Home Depot the other day, and they are all set and ready to go. :) I also bought some Cosmos seed and some multi-colored Four O' Clocks. I am hoping to encourage some butterflies to pay me a visit this autumn. I haven't had many in the yard the last few years. Since I have been too tired this year to do much traveling with the camera, I hoping the garden will bring me some good opportunities. :)

We also got some bird seed for the feeder, to encourage our Wrens, California song birds, and Robins to come by for a visit. A garden filled with happy sounds in summer is a good thing, in fact, it should be just what the doctor ordered. :) We have set up the canopy, so I will have some shade in the middle of the day. I like to go outside with the sketch book, if it isn't too hot. The last couple days have been really warm, but we will be cooling off by the weekend, time to play with Elvis outdoors I think. I am thinking about hanging some colored lights from the canopy, to create a nice mood. We'll see. I love setting a nice table, especially when Alan cooks. He is amazing with the BBQ, I am so lucky to have found a guy who likes to cook as much as I do. I can't wait for the vegetables later this summer, a nice veggie kabob, with either his favorite Raspberry Chipotle sauce or a Balsamic Vinegrette, is a nice low maintenance dinner on a hot summer evening. Summer begins in just 7 days... yikes... I better get busy! :) More pictures to come as the garden progresses.

-OndineMonet
"A New Mini Rose"
Berkeley, California
June 12, 2007
Early Evening