Holllaaaaahhhh!

First and foremost, I must wish an official Happy Birthday to my oldest and dearest of friends over there at Bye, Bye Pie!

June is a riot in real life. She's even funnier in real life than on her blog, if that's even imaginable! We have known each other since we were three and the level of our conversation has not changed drastically lo 40-odd years of being friends! We still giggle at the mention of the word "poop" and she was recently quite envious when I called her to brag that I had a baby bird in my kitchen. We no longer dress alike, but we share a very bizarro, twisted sense of humor that defies time! We can go 3 or 4 months without talking on the phone, and then suddenly I'll get a phone call from her and it is truly as if no time has passed since our last silly conversation.

She, my friends, is a hoot and a wonderful gal. So, again? Happy Birthday to JUNE!

Now, onto more earthy subjects...(She would not be offended. She says that Miss Piggy is more down-to-earth than she is!)

My phloxes have all started really blooming! Yippeee! Back yard:

And this one is from the side yard:

All of the whitish-pink phlox is from a small bunch that my husband's step-mother gave to me. I have divided it several times and now have it in the back yard and in several places in the side yard. Gotta love free plants that multiply!

The yarrow is now in full bloom with tons more flowers on their way:I read a thing recently where this plant is considered a weed! What? But why?

Here's a close-up of the angelonia in the planter by the back door:I love angelonia. It's similar to snap-dragons, but is so much more delicate!

My thyme is blooming:Cute little pink fleurs!

And the grape tomato plant is about to give me my first taste of its yummy goodness! This tomato is just about ready to jump into my mouth!It's been ripening for a few days now and is a beautiful shade of red today!

I waited until almost 6pm to post this, as it has been about 5 billion degrees out and SO humid that you just cannot do a thing outside without melting. As it is, the sweat was just pouring down my face when I went out to photograph these goodies. Worst part is that tomorrow is supposed to be much worse. Oy vay. Be prepared for MUCH complaining! I can feel a rant coming on! : )

Backyard beauties!

I'm SOOOOOO excited!

My tomato plant has its first red tomato!!!Cause for celebration, no?

I'm utterly insane! This seriously caused me to squeal with glee when I saw this tomato! Maybe it's because I've never been too successful with the vegetables. I have grown them in containers most of the time because I don't really have garden beds that can be kept away from the dogs. Dogs, of course = copious amounts of pee. Which means no vegetables in the garden beds except for this little tiny plot in between the two benches in the back yard where this tomato is this year. In past years, I've always tried tomatoes in containers, but they just never produced like I'd wanted them to. This plant has a bazillion tomatoes on it already and more flowers are coming all the time!

OK. Enough on the dumb tomato plant! Jeez!

Here is a yarrow that planted itself in that same little garden bed:
It used to be in another area of the yard by the grill, but I guess it decided it didn't like it there and it re-seeded over here!

I also have two phlox plants in there. One is pink:And one is a very light pink-white color:SOOOO pretty! And these phlox, as I mentioned yesterday, have the most wonderful fragrance. Yumm.

And the last of the beauties for today is my adorable cousin who is here visiting from Georgia; she's with Sadie, of course, who cannot let me out of her sight for more than 3.22 microseconds. I've measured it!Unfortunately, my cousin leaves today...Always a sad occasion, as we don't get to see each other much more than maybe twice a year. She and I look exactly like our grandmother. It skipped a generation - my mom and her sister don't look like us at all! So, we are sort of these soul sisters separated by 25 years! People always think she's my daughter when we're together. Which I would not have minded at all! She's smart, beautiful, and has a great sense of humor! What's not to like?!!!

Hope you all have a great Thursday!

I'm going to go watch the tomatoes turn red. And Sadie will be there with me. I lead an exciting life. What can I say?! : )

Extreme slackitude

Sorry I've been so terrible about posting new things over here. It's not my fault! I was in Michigan for a memorial service - got home Saturday evening. Then Sunday my lovely, 20 year-old cousin arrived for her yearly visit! I've been busy with her since then doing important things like eating and shopping and lounging on the boat. See? I've been really, really busy!

Today we plan on getting our ears pierced and then maybe see a movie. It's tough. Harrowing.

In any case, I got a chance to take some photos of the pretties that have developed in the yard while I was off in la-la land doing fun things! Here is the top of one of the papyrus plants I have. I am very fond of its frilliness!


Phlox getting ready to bloom:If you live anywhere that tall phlox thrives, do yourself a huge favor and go get some and plant it. The aroma that these flowers give is just intoxicating!

Strange news? My mum is blooming. This is a mum I planted literally 8 years ago in the fall, and it comes back every year. I have to whack it back, too - it just keeps spreading!

Nasturtiums climbing up the juniper bush!

Echinacea blooming amongst the not-so-obedient obedient plants:

And last, but hardly least, the flower boxes in all their grassy glory! I have been getting comments daily on the prettiness of the papyrus and pony-tail grasses this year! They have completely overtaken the flower boxes!

That's all for today. I have to get myself prepared for the long, hard day ahead. Hee hee! : )