Apples

It's a strange year for apples around here. We had that freeze in April which did a number on the blossoms. But enough blossoms survived for some apples to form. The big tree in our yard is dropping apples already, but they're not big enough for me to have to pick them up before cutting the grass, thankfully. That will likely change.

A little apple.

This apple is on a neighbor's tree. The crop is not large, but there are apples nonetheless. We'll see later this summer and into the fall what there is to harvest.

Thorns

This acacia sapling is lined with sharp thorns, likely the plant's defense against would-be nibblers. As the tree ages, the thorns become woody, but fewer, as most of the tree rises high above the reach of hungry wildlife. Except for giraffes, maybe, but they live on the other side of town--at the zoo.

Thorns on an acacia.

I got out this morning before 06h30 to water the vegetable garden. Tasha was bouncing off the walls in the house, so I got her outside to chase the tennis ball in between trips to the rain barrels with the watering cans. We're expecting another very hot day, so if I'm going to cut grass it will have to be this morning.

Sweet pea or not

I don't know what this plant is called. It reminds me of a sweet pea in the way it grows and the flowers it produces, but I really don't know what it is. It grows just outside our back gate in a patch of ground between the pond and the vineyard. There was a huge yard waste pile there when we moved in. Not long after, the town removed the pile and told us surrounding homeowners to take our yard waste to the dump. The plant comes back every year and still I can't remember what the fruit looks like.

A wild pea? A garden escapee? Something completely different?

The next heat wave is under way. We got up over 80ºF on Tuesday and are expecting to approach 90ºF over the next few days. The vegetable garden will like that. I harvested our first zucchini yesterday and there might be another one ready today. They'll get sliced and grilled as part of today's lunch.

Tasha Tuesday

With Bert. This never happened with Bert and Callie.

Nap time under the coffee table with Bert and Tasha.

Bert and Tasha get along well. Tasha can get a little aggressive with her play, but it's nothing the cat can't handle. This is the first time I've seen them sitting so close. We just had to take pictures.

Not thistles

Not much to say today. The Tour de France is under way. Wimbledon is starting. So there's stuff to watch on television. We're both going to the dentist this week. And the weather is supposed to be better. I'm looking forward to shorts and t-shirts again.

Nice purple flowers.

We're certainly still in puppy mode with Tasha. But overall, it's going well. We have our moments. She barks a lot. She bites a lot (playful, not agressive). I remember this stage with Callie. I thought I was going to have to kill her, but I didn't. We'll get through this and all will be well.

Arty chokes

Our artichokes are getting ready to open. I can see traces of the deep blue flowers poking through. Only one of our two remaining plants has produced chokes this year. Earlier in the spring they were both attacked by aphids. I used some soap to get rid of them and it worked, but the smaller plant didn't recover very well from the insect damage.

I took this picture before the blue started to show.

This past week has been, as I've been saying, chilly and wet. No fun at all, although we needed the rain. The central heat actually came on Saturday morning, which means that the indoor temperature got below 65ºF. Ugh. Our American guests were very lucky to be in France during the June heat wave. Nothing puts the damper on a summer vacation like rain and cold temperatures. But there is hope for us: the weather people are predicting another warm up this coming week. I hope they're right!

Raindrops on oak leaves

And whiskers on puppies. The wet landscape is pretty, but the rain and chilly weather means the dog is cooped up with us in the house. And she still wants needs to play. Knotted ropes, old socks, nylabones, rawhide chews, anything that can be slid across the floor, she will chase. And she always brings it right back for another go. She also really loves the tricky treat ball, but I have to worry about over feeding her.

This oak sapling has red leaves. I wonder if that's normal?

I think she's entering her teething stage. Not that she hasn't been chewing for the past two months, but it hasn't let up. Her favorite thing to chew is my hand. And her little puppy teeth are sharp. She's drawn blood on more than one occasion. She also likes to nip at my ankles when I walk from one room to another. But I'll get my revenge. She gets spayed in August.