It tried to rain today, but I could spit harder than that. After the little cell moved through there wasn't even a perceptible change in the temperature. Don't get me wrong......last week I was carping about how we haven't had a real ice tea drinking, hot summer night yet and I wanted one. Boy, be careful what you wish for! LOL

It's that time of year I love the most. The cicadas are buzzing, a few lightening bugs are still around and I'll bet the glow worms get to looking better each night at closing time. (Country Western Music joke)

Most summer days I don't even have a clue to the date, and often the day. No need to and I like it like that. Summer unfolds in the same sequence each year, though no two are ever exactly alike. My mind pigeon holes the degree of summer by what is getting ripe.

You've heard of Hell's Kitchen? Well, right now it feels cool as I type away but I just looked and it's 86 degrees in mine. The cats are pressed to the floor like pancakes, stretched out to the max to cool off. I have to laugh, as I used to do that in my Mama's kitchen when I was a kid and she as always falling over me.

The plum are ripening overnight and I made the first run of jam two days ago. Tomorrow, they need picked again or they'll go dead sweet ripe. So what do you do with a couple hundred plums but cook everything you can't eat. BTW, prunes come from plums and you think twice about eating them to abandon.

Two years ago we had a banner apple year. This year looks to put that one to shame. I have ancient trees bearing I've never seen fruit on before. But, blackberries are upon us now, and I'm trying to juggle my time around so as not to let them go bad, but still buy me some time before I oblige myself to kick on the stove again. Then the early peaches, and the grapes ........pretty much in that order.

The garden has been a challenge. I have some of the most beautiful corn I've ever grown ripening. All of the stalks have two ears, and many three. I've already relocated a racoon, then the deer got into it. I spray the periphery with repellent, and now something else is into it, and into the tomatoes. I have found ground hog tracks. sigh. I'm not talking a few ears. I'm talking the whole first planting. Dozens upon dozens of ears. I take the half eaten ones and husk them and feed them to the chickens. I'm glad somebody is enjoying it.

Speaking of which, the hens are still broody. My arms look like I've been in the ring from bruises where the hens peck me as I'm gathering eggs. I also had a rooster attack me for the first time since I was a kid. I made the mistake of trying to outcrow him. I think I won and he got peeved. I had a five gallon pail of water in one hand and he got baptised.

Some teeny tiny birds are nesting in a little birdhouse next to my back door. They're not wrens, and I have no clue what they are since most of my birding is done in winter. Many of the birds are on their second broods now and the teenager robins sit in the grass clueless, not yet afraid of the fat and lazy tomcat.

And next year, I'm planting more zinnias. {{gwi:4450}}