trees of life

A black and white version of a short tunnel we went through. Had to remember not to look at the end of it or I would be blinded

she is so expressive

subject of our cooking class: vinaigrettes

and marinades or using low fat seasonings to avoid fattier ones Salads were good

George Washington had Sweet Williams too

foxglove

my garden grew so much while I was gone even though I took out about 20 swiss chard plants. I will harvest the romaine and more of the chard tomorrow for our Father's Day bbq

Asiatic lilies finally in bloom

my favorite bird is back now that we have service berries

Cedar waxwings. All fruit diet whereas orioles supplement theirs with insects and seeds

Half way point of the C&O canal a week after we would have been on it. Well at least some of the path is visible

I surveyed my gardens 8 days after I had left for my bicycle adventure. How things had grown including the weeds. The ripening service berries (I have a tree in front and in back) have attracted flocks of cedar waxwings and robins. I see the chipmunks, catbirds, orioles, wood peckers and even the grosbeaks eating them too. Yes I still have orioles, around 5 of them so I have been diligent about giving them grape jelly. Usually they are gone by now but maybe they will next nearby. What hasn't come back are my wrens. I have 3 houses and they are usually full. Wrens are little plain birds but they sing so nicely and eat the beetles in my garden.

It's been hot and humid, hard for running but OK for biking as long as I am out early. Will I do another bike ride this summer? Still deciding. Just don't want to be by myself. I am sort of at loose ends as I have nothing planned. But if I decide to go, I will be in shape.

I have found stuff to amuse me: Happy hour with the Moms where I had too much of a prickly pear grande margarita: visit to the dentist (no cavities, yay!) cooking class, resale shop while I tend to home improvement projects. Naomi has started a new career as a line cook. Fortunately she is good with her hands and is a quick learner. The pay is much better than her old job who cut her hours because they did not want to accommodate Maya's school schedule, Boo on them.

And school is out for summer.