Last Days of Summer

I look forward to summer every year. The warm nights, planting my garden, the cookouts, the fantastic summer fruits and veggies, the beach, flip-flops, long nights by the fire pit, the sounds of the kids playing in the yard. I really do love the summer, but I have to admit, I'm never sorry to see it go.

By the time August is coming to an end I'm already dreaming of my warm jammies and my comfy socks. Thoughts of diving into the cedar chest and pulling out my favorite cozy sweaters fill my head. I'm all about Autumn.

There are a few die hards still hanging on in the garden, the nights are getting a little chillier, and the kids are back in school, it's getting dark right after supper now, so it looks like it's time to say "so long summer" yet again. It was fun while you were here, see ya next year and oh yeah, one last thing, next year, you can just forgot all about that nasty friend of yours Mr. Humidity.

Some last images of my summer.

A few daisies still blooming.

My friends the bees taking care of the sedum.

My fig Phineas (look how big he's gotten!)



I'm still harvesting Italian eggplant...

and green tomatoes.

I can't tell you how many green tomatoes, wait yes I can, too many!

It was the summer with almost a straight month of rain and my poor tomatoes suffered so.

Green.

All sizes of green tomatoes. Grrrrrr.



Oh well, at least another green item in my yard doubled in size.

My beautiful fern.

Coleus in my window box. Just look at this color.



The Ornamental Oregano that I first found last year and fell in love with, sadly it's almost done for the season.

My absolute most favorite flower of all, my gorgeous hydrangeas.

I still have a few new blooms.

I think it's cause I talk to it all the time and tell it how much I love it. See it really works!

Another beauty still holding on.
This is the center of my Mandevilla plant.
I just love the intense color.



Moose the ferocious Chinese Crested.
He stands watch on the deck, growling at everyone that passes by.
He's so scary isn't he?



That growling takes a lot out of him.
He has to take a rest and chill for a bit after all that excitment.

Just as he gets nice and relaxed, Evan comes out with a treat to torment him.
"Moose, wanna cookie?
"Sit"
"Sit"



"I'm warning you, you have to stay sitting or no cookie"



Finally after the poor dog starts whimpering, he gives in and gives him the damn cookie!



We spent a lot of nights in the gazebo.
I have lots of candle holders and hanging lights in the gazebo.
These are my favorites.
I'll be sad when I pack them away in the shed for another year.



One of the other things I'll miss about summer is all the kids.
We always seem to have a yard full of them.
Sometimes serious discussion arise.
Like what's your most favorite candy,
or what vegetable you hate the most?



I know this is what they were talking about cause I snuck up on them to take these pictures and all I heard was "oh my god, beets are the like the most disgusting of all the vegetables" and "I would eat a million Snickers if I could".
"I would eat Snickers for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks"
Serious stuff.



Then they grew tired of their so serious discussion
and decided to play Simon Says.
First they argued amoungst themselves, questioning whether or not they were too old to play it. Then they decided they weren't, at least not just yet.

I'm happy they decided they weren't too old yet.

Mama wants to hold on to these little moments of childhood as long as she can.