Drought Broken!

Hibiscus by the garage door, revived after a night of rain.

These sunflowers grew up from last summer's seed which fell here where J, pushed up a rubble of stones and dirt. Mr. Rogers, the former owner, built a stone-walled raised bed in this spot.  I used it last year for sunflowers, finding it very awkward--too deep to reach into for weeding.

This is where the greenhouse is eventually supposed to be constucted.

A closer shot of the sunflowers.

Indoors, the cats have been cranky and lethargic with the on-going heat.

[I am likewise, although not sprawling on the floor!]

Willow usually spends nights outdoors, rushes in for breakfast and collapses.

Here she is in J.'s recliner.  The pose is very characteristic.

I was outside by 7 this morning, the better to enjoy a world refreshed by rain.

The unsquelchable Willis capered at my heels, then went on a hunting mission in the field beyond the

 lower garden.

His efforts were almost immediately successful.

I finally found the tag for the small tomatoes--Early Treat.

Its a shame that most of the seedlings which survived potting on were of this variety--not of the maincrop types which succumbed to a poor quality of potting soil.

These have made a good early nibble but they are not canning size or quality.

Yesterday we put 2 pails full of them through the juicer and bottled and processed the resulting 8 1/2 qts.

Hot, steamy work!

Rain came on Sundy evening accompanied by a thunder storm.

We sat on the front porch in the dark enjoying the sound of rain, the freshening smell of the yard, the welcome cooling of the air while Wills the Cat milled about, unaccustomed to the edge of the

porch being wet.

The rain continued gently for about 2 hours.

Monday morning we set 15 t omato plants into soft moist earth.

Back in the garden after some erannds in town.

Green beans, beets, Swiss chard, have all been tucked into available spaces.

Rain caught us as we worked, happily drenched.

Tuesday morning moist and mizzling, a few cucumber and squash seeds tucked into the upper garden.

It is growing more humid as the sun peeks through, but we'll deal with that.

The enthusiams of the dedicated garden are bubbling with hopeful plans--again!