O.K. So I've changed some pictures, and now I'll start posting.

I wish everyone a Patriotic Memorial Day. I plan to start posting updates on my stitching and other ventures that I may embark on this summer.

Hot, Hot Weather and Some Birds

The weather here in the Chicago area is very hot, in the nineties. Checking on the flowers and gardens often to make sure they're not wilting in the sun. The cool air-conditioning is too welcoming. I love to have my doors and windows open because I love to hear the birds chirping outside. We have so many birds. I hate the closed-in quietness of the air-conditioning, but I hate the hot, humid weather more. I do love summer, but summer does have a tendency to get just way too hot. I did see two small birds outside of my kitchen yesterday morning. I had the wrong lens on my camera, and I didn't get the close-up I wanted, but I was afraid if I went to get the lens, the birds would fly away. After I took this picture, I did go get my other lens, but, alas, one bird flew away, and the other bird showed me his back.

Fresh Yellow Squash

I love fresh yellow squash from the garden. It's especially nice when you get just a few, and they're small and sweet. This is the first squash I picked from my garden.

This was so yummy. I put salt and pepper, parsley flakes, and parmesan cheese on the squash, and then my son grilled it. I love summer.

August Flowers

This has been an extremely wet summer. I think it has had an effect on my flowers. They look fine, but they don't have that flourish that they usually have at this time of the summer. The grass looks fine blowing in the wind. The last two pictures are of wiry seed pods from my clematis vines. I didn't know what they were, but I saw a posting on Vicki Lane's blog, Vicki Lane's Mysteries. Thanks Vicki for posting your picture which was so beautiful with the rain on the seed pod.

Before and After

This has been a very rainy summer. Some of my flowers are doing fine, and some are getting too much water. In addition, a very small bunny has taken a fancy to my wave petunias, planted, not in the containers. I don't think I will replace them at this point, just hope that the ones I have left will flourish.