I was too busy to ramble much Friday, so I'll do a Saturday ramble. The DH is off on one of his little excursions today, so my doggie, the cats and I are holding the house down. The sky is darkening, and I hear a boom of thunder now and again on the horizon. At times like this, I think of blue body paint, and old times at the GW and the rain dance. We need it badly. I just finished off a leisurely brunch. The simple repast as John used to say. I cracked an egg I gathered yesterday into a ten inch cast iron griddle, and it filled the whole bottom. I had to fold it over to fit the spatula under it and put it on the plate. Doubtless left by one of the old biddie hens, who is smart enough to know that the pullet's legs are banded this year. That means it's culling time at the henhouse and she's smart enough to know an egg the size of a tennis ball buys her a presidential pardon. LOL. I made a potato pattie to go with the egg, and toasted a couple of slices of the bread I baked yesterday, sopped them in real butter, and drowned them in homemade strawberry jam. It doesn't get much simpler than that, but it also doesn't get much better. Last night, we had the first veggie soup from the garden. Cabbage, green beans, celery, baby carrots, tomatoes and probably a few things I've forgotten, simmered all day in the broth from a big beef knuckle and served with a loaf of bread so hot from the oven, you couldn't even slice it. The DH and I had a ceremony early last week, honoring the first ripe tomato. It was cleaved in half, still warm, and served up with the salt shaker. You have to grow tomatoes to appreciate what I mean. I still haven't been fishing or swimming yet. It's coming down the pike. Hopefully I can scoop up a g'kid or two for the occasion. I asked myself last night is my vanity worth giving up swimming? I said no. I hope that never changes as when I was a young woman, I used to really feel sorry for the older crowd who sat by the beaches, never bringing their swim gear, and having that 'look' in their eyes. It's a positively wonderful experience for an older person. Such gentle exercise, almost weightless. I starting to see some butterflies, finally......but not the wild orgy of them I used to see before the industrial park went in nearby. The dragonflies are abundant and venture away from the pond regularly. The crawdads are burrowed deep into the stream bed and the first good rain in months should bring them back out. Summer.

Blue Grass Music and Wild Horses are my favorites. I don't have BGM so I always like the one I don't have, the best!...Ellie

Thanks Debra! American Doll is blooming today again and it made me realize that light colored ruffly daylilies are my favorite. Thanks Kate! My Cosmic Struggle has many scapes but also many splotchy blooms, oh well, it can be beautiful sometimes. Maybe i should move it. Thanks Kay, I love those Horses, especially with multiples.

Lovely group. I have Carnival In Brazil which hasn't started opening yet and tends to be around late July/early August. Man of Sorrows looks wonderful in a clump. I noticed several of Emmerichs intro not doing well here than in previous years when we had more rain and more substantial winter snow. But then I could say that about several others that are not Emmerichs.