FINALLY!

 It was two weeks late but our first monsoon storm of the season arrived yesterday afternoon.

As I remarked, it's as if it was making up for lost time.

It rained, blew and hailed for three solid hours, sometimes lightly and at other times torrentially.

If you turn your audio on you can hear it pattering down.

In this later video, where it was raining harder, you can hear the water pouring down from the flooded eavestrough over the front entrance.

After it had finally stopped, Judy checked our rain guage in the tomato barrel and said we'd gotten nearly an inch and a half.

The cooler air felt good for a change although our summer heat hasn't broken for good and the season is only about halfway through.

HEAT

 

CHILL

 

Guess what today is.

Oh yes, just in time.

It's National Ice Cream Day!

So take the edge off of that heat and get yourself a cone.

Or a dish.

Or a batch.

Whatever your choice, cool off with some ice cream today.

FOLIAGE

Part of Judy's Coleus Forest, trying to take over the patio.

(There are more in the house) 

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Vive la France!

Yes, it's France's National Day also known as Bastille Day!

So let's eat lots of snails!

Or you could celebrate another day today: It's National Nude Day!

A day when nudists around the world go au naturel.

But if you plan on celebrating it, probably better put off that trip to the store.

Here in Arizona the mercury is threatening to pass the 100 degree mark so let's begin, as we did last Friday, with something to cool you off.

You know what that means.

The fun is (mostly) over.

Now, non-alliteratively, I would like you to enjoy a remarkable weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

( . . . ooooohhh, I know that feeling . . . )

LAKE VISIT

With summer's scorching temperatures recently we had been pretty much confined to our home.

It is supposed to surpass the 100 degree mark this weekend.

So late yesterday afternoon I suggested we visit nearby Yavapai Lake and watch the ducks for awhile.

It's a small lake, more of a pond really, but catching it in the right light with the fountain going in the center can provide some nice views.

And gazing at that water, one can actually feel cooler.

The duck population has severely diminished as many may have migrated north seeking cooler weather.

But there were enough to amuse us.

These two swam back and forth constantly staying in close proximity to each other.

We watched and conjured up fantasies about their relationship.

First date, maybe?

Many people were walking and some even jogging on the path alongside the lake.

We, however, remained in the car with the air conditioning running.

With advancing age comes loss of energy and mobility but growing wisdom, I like to think.

We are fortunate to have this little lake only a few minutes away.

A LITTLE GARDENING

 We don't have a huge area for gardening where we live.

The yard around our duplex is covered in gravel and rocks.

And weeds with which we do battle.

But we have a nice covered patio which is home to our minimal gardening, most of it in pots.

As always, a mint plant is the star of the show and the leaves make our evening cocktails smell so nice.

Next to it is a basil plant that seems to be frowning a bit by comparison to its neighbor.

Hot tip: a few years ago we had a basil plant that we harvested, used to make pesto and froze in an ice cube tray.

Then we forgot it until recently when I uncovered it and it made a nice sauce for some pasta.

Our chives seem to be suffering from not enough watering, too much watering, the incessant heat or maybe just neglect.

But the green tops still make a nice topping for dishes from the Master Chef (not me) when snipped.

Now our tomato barrel has a couple of plants that Judy describes as "leggy".

Still we have harvested two beauties.

The first one was green when I accidentally dislodged it from its vine and Judy said she didn't think it would ripen.

But it did and was delicious.

We've only managed one of the small plum or cherry tomatoes but we shared it and it too was just like in that old John Denver song: "only two things money can't buy, that's true love and home grown tomatoes."

I'm not sure if the birds get to them or they just shrivel and die but if luck and your gardeners pay attention we might get a few more.

Meantime, the sun faces watch on with apparent bemusement.