Almost September

 It's beginning to feel like summer is almost gone.  Kids are back in school.  The Garden is showing signs of quitting and this morning I filled a big blue garbage can with stuff that didn't belong in the garden anymore.  It was all the tired plants that said I did my best and now I'm done.  When this time of the year comes I try to fill two big blue cans at the road for the garbage truck each week..  That's the goal which will clear the garden eventually leading to the end of this year with space ready for next year.  Slow and steady just as the turtle gets the clean-up job finished.  

So sad but it's just another passing the torch to another year.  This fall brings something different.  We had bad hail damage with one of the summer storms.  That means that a new roof is coming along with new siding which was damaged and new spouting and shutters.   So what that means is that all of the blooming perennials that are around the house will come down first so that the workers can get to the house without a lot of trouble. The clean-up will happen around the house first.  I have gorgeous blue garbage cans when the yellow Blackeyed Susans are stuffed into them waiting at the road for a pickup.  There will be pictures.  

 

T

 

This morning was another Monarch morning.  This time there were two seeming to have a great time chasing each other all over the garden.  The best flying pattern was back and forth over the Black-Eyed Susans.  This Monarch landed on one of those plants that ended up in the garbage bin.  It's an over-the-hill cup plant.  One of those natives that have been around for many, many, years. This butterfly is a female with thickening black lines.    

Still no rain but a huge tease of thunder this afternoon.  But NO rain.  It would do so much good if we could have a day of hurricane rain.  Some years we do but not so far this year.  

So many thanksgivings for a garden that once again this summer of 2021 has been a gift in so many ways.  A gift of distraction, a gift of needing me.   The ability to plant and replant zinnias with determination,  knowing that butterflies and birds would find their way to those colorful flowers.   A summer that brought many pictures from my camera that I could share with you all.  Doug often was found roaming the yard with his camera taking pictures of bugs. That's his passion.     And most of all with thanksgiving a body that could continue to bring joy to those who walked by the yard.  As I often feel and say.....Blessings abound.  My cup overflows.