summer summary

post #353
     Is summary another way to say "this or that?"  Well, in case it is, I've made an effort to give this post some shape and form.... Thus I begin with GARDENS. The first photo is a reminder of what a vegetable looks like in early summer:

And then what a vibrant "End of Summer" plant looks like in someone else's garden than mine. Thank you, Margie and George. A neighbor told me that name many years ago, and it has stayed with me:

As for wild flowers, here are three fairly showy ones at this time. First to come and mostly go is the JOE-PYE WEED, which butterflies love as do I:

By now we are having what I'd call brassy IRON WEED everywhere, including in the meadow near my house.  This plant can be a favorite in real gardens as well -- stalky but intense:

The third plant today is a favorite of mine, since I followed several of them for an entire twelve months a few years ago. Of course they are also well known for being essential to the monarch butterflies:  MILKWEED

I was so excited when I came across this patch of milkweed, with pods, two weeks ago, including an early pod sending out its seeds to float to who knows where. 

I took my granddaughter by to visit them. She already knew all about their butterfly connection. I love her plant matching glasses with which she often adorns herself these days:

For the devoted among you, here are two more photos of her, the first one during Cousin Camp, out by the pond:

The second one is of her first time soccer team, which is a very end of summer happening. Go team!! Clever eyes might be able to figure out which person is her dad and a coach:

  Well, truth be told, another late summer activity around here is helicopters out and about, looking for a forbidden crop. I wasn't using my 300 mm lens for that photo. The thing was just close, and loud. I don't know what they found, if anything. I haven't had time yet to ask my neighbors what the real scoop is.

Last but not least, another photo of my gallery, since three weeks ago I forgot to include the phone number to call to make an appointment to come out.  606 738 6119   I'm not that close to anything else, so I'd hate for someone to drive all the way out here only to find that I'm not there. Thanks.

If you are very lucky when you come, the pond here might have mist and birds and maybe even deer.  In case it doesn't, here is a recent photo from my house to your house to feed the imagination:

Next week: a friend's poem, with a couple of my photos....