warren peace (?)

When we were experiencing drought-like conditions, I tried to fend off rabbits with Liquid Fence.  It seemed to help in some places.  But then we had two (much-needed) days of rain, and when I checked my sunflower patch, every single sunflower seedling had been eaten down to the ground.  Over 200 sunflowers, over 20 varieties, all gone.  Rabbits.  

Every time I look outside...rabbits.

I've joked to Todd that we don't have a whole pack of snarling, ravenous rabbits...just one demented one named Warren who's eating my entire garden down, all by himself.  The irony is that I like rabbits, although my wallpaper...

...and rabbit artwork...

...seems to mock me now.  Well, what's done is done.  I will have to mow down four garden rows that now only contain weeds and wait until next year to try sunflowers again.

In other words, we do have a bounty of flowers right now.

one tiny sunflower in the front garden, seed dropped by a bird!

Lisianthus, the slow-growing flower that looks like a rose/carnation hybrid, is popping like crazy.  It's a bit too fussy, though.  I won't grow these again.

Two of my favorites...a kitten in the window and a big bouquet of flowers on the porch!

Pumpkins are popping.  I have 53 vines...15 varieties!

I made some 4th of July tartlets to celebrate the holiday...finally nailing the homemade graham cracker!

We also took in a Fleetwood Mac cover band this week.

Rabbits aside, it's shaping up to be a nice July.

Have a great week!

end-of-day silflay

Our first 4th of July in our new hometown and I felt very, very happy to see political/environmental activism well represented at the local parade!  The current "state of the union" has felt completely grim, repellent, abhorrent, and any other similar adjective can be inserted here...so it's really heart-warming to see like-minded people who are getting involved and making their voices heard.  I'm definitely looking into some of these groups after we get settled in. 

Now that the 4th is past, we've entered into that short stretch of the year that is probably the most uncomfortable for me.  Summer is my least favorite season, and July/August in Indiana is pretty tough.  It's been hot, dry, and humid for the past week.  But I'm taking a lot of pleasure in my new garden, which needs this kind of weather to thrive.  Considering that I started with what was basically a 10' x 60' blank canvas, the color is really popping right now!

The plants are really crammed in, but next spring I'll be able to spread them around and add in some nice annuals.  I can't wait to see what it looks like in a year!

The weather may be keeping us in, but we're still seeing a lot of wildlife.  Lots of rabbits coming out to "silflay" at dusk (I can't think of it in any other terms...any other lovers of Watership Down will understand!):

Wild turkeys...and their BABIES!...visiting the barnyard in the early morning (pic taken through a screen)...

...and, of course, the cacophony of birds at our feeders.

Frogs in the grass...

...and berries ripening along the fence!

These are our "dog days" of summer.

Have a great week! 

spirals, spheres, and turtle ears

A lovely Fourth of July here, and the highlight was a trip to the Botanical Gardens.  It's not exactly a "hike," but it's nicely shaded, has lots of walking trails, and exposes me to plants I most likely wouldn't see on a typical trail hike:

As a Midwesterner, I haven't had much contact with these big tropical plants and their giant leaves, but I've definitely developed an appreciation for them.  I especially love the juxtaposition of deep purple and chartreuse.

I love their big, bold patterns.

And, of course, I love how they gather water in their basins.

I always talk about repeating patterns in nature, but once you start noticing them, they're hard to ignore.  Spirals are everywhere.

Spheres...

Bowed-out curves...

Spikes...

Echoes.

I love the unexpected, like the bright blue of a jay.  This one has recently died, but his feathers have lost none of their luster.

Coming upon a group of water fowl, hungry for handouts...

A warm spread of black-eyed Susans, picturesquely bordering a fence...

A painted turtle, surveying his domain:

Of course, everywhere there was a buzz of insects...

...but I'll have to add most of those pictures to the next entry.  All in all, a very nice stroll.  We've got some exciting coastal trips planned over the next few months, so I'll be glad to stretch out a little and photograph some different subject matters!  Until then...have a great week!