NOW IT'S SUMMER -- NOW IT'S NOT

I had to tease Mike and Ken. The one day of real summer we've had this year -- 96 degrees on Wednesday -- and they went to get wood. "It was summer," I told them, "and you guys chose that day to get wood." It wasn't as hot in the woods, but it was plenty warm for them while they unloaded -- half to Ken's house and the other half to ours.

Wednesday evening a thunder storm went through and cooled things right down again. And the forecast is for more daytime temps in the 60s and 70s here at Gilbert. Tonight's low is supposed to be 42. The sun is warm, but the air feels as though it's being cooled over the snow. I traded back my cotton nightie for my pajamas.

The picture of the town house is an attempt to show the riot of color from our xeriscape. Six years it took for our plantings to develop into a mature landscape. In the fall we will trim back, pull out, and re-arrange the plantings.

And so today it was back to the farm. I packed up all my sewing stuff -- the machine, the embroidery module, embroidery thread, sewing case, sewing case, sewing case, tote bag, doll in laundry basket and overlooked items in my purse. Mike said he'd never hauled so much stuff, but I think he's forgetting about that Christmas when we didn't have room for anything more -- not even the coffee pot! I look forward to setting up the "vintage sewing room" and getting to work.

And when we drove in, I noticed a wild rose blooming beside the old woodshed. Perhaps it's there in tribute to Ina, who loved them, but this is a work area where Mike splits wood and the garbage can sits.

Mike hit a rock with the lawn mower last week, so we picked up a part in town and once we had settled in he fixed it. It's always something, you know. And I baked cookies, updating an old-fashioned oatmeal raisin recipe with white chips and dried cranberries.

Grandma Ina's old spirea bush is in need of some  T-L-C. The rodents have gotten into the roots and it needs some radical pruning. Hopefully we can save it, but there's no dearth of these bushes here if we have to start over. And see how the poppies have bloomed. They are also leftover from a bygone era. And in amongst that grouping is a lilac that bloomed -- just one bloom -- for the first time this year. Success! I would like to make this area into a defined flower bed so that I can more easily care for the plantings. Maybe people will come from Seattle to help.

And here are the iris I transplanted from the "Wright place" when a neighbor tore the house down a couple of years ago. They have really multiplied and will have to be thinned in July. The soil here is so hard! It won't be easy.

So, we're here for a while. It always feels like a step back in time -- a step back in time with creature comforts, thank goodness! KW