Summer don't leave!

Morning glories can turn quickly into invasive weeds. I permitted just a few to live. Some how, dark purple doesn't come out. The one behind is  pink.

Cosmos with black-eyed Susans in the background

We've had this cactus forever. It gets to live outside n the summer

Pretty church on my bike ride yesterday

Today is the official end of summer. Yeah, I know the calendar says something about 9-21 being the start of fall but kids will be going to school tomorrow, the pools will shut down today, the population of our town has suddenly increased dramatically with UM starting up this week... Did I pack in enough fun this summer? So much I had planned on but didn't get around to.

Despite all the rain, we haven't had problems with mosquitoes so sitting on on the patio is pleasant in the evening. A friend joined me the other night as we drank our margaritas and watched the humming bird wars. We have a male hummingbird too but he is too timid to fight for his rights at the feeder. We sat outside until all my solar lights came on and then, movie night. (This weekend I have watched Blue Jasmine and American Hustle).

Rain was supposed to come early yesterday so I got out early to do my bike ride. I couldn't go my usual way as a church festival would add so much traffic so I headed east. The cloudiness (bordering on fog so I wore bright yellow) meant I wouldn't have sun in my eyes and in the eyes of the drivers behind me.  Lots of little farms with their  pretty horses. What is growing wild? Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes), red clover and goldenrod (aka ragweed). The hay fields are golden, the horse corn still not harvested so all is pretty. I was on a fairly deserted county road and suddenly a state trooper appeared in the opposite direction lights flashing, sirens blaring. I have no idea what he was chasing as I had seen no cars for at least 10 minutes. Usually the state troopers patrol the expressways and occasionally state routes.

As soon as I came home, the sun was out. So much for the rain by 10. As it is Labor Day Weekend, I thought I would get a break from house hunting, but no, Steve found an Open House. In some ways, this house fit a lot of my requirements. It is on my Scenic Road that I love to run on (though I haven't run as far down as this house is), a beautiful kitchen, dining room and living room, a solarium with an indoor hot tub, lots of decks and patios, its own lake, within 10 minutes of both Naomi and Shanna. Downside, the Scenic Road becomes the ice sheet of death in  the winter, the house is very expensive and no one could give us a straight answer on how it is heated (since it is too deep in the woods to be near a gas line and we could see no propane tank, I am suspecting it is oil heat.)

I do love this kitchen with its Amish handmade cabinets. Not obvious is its pretty backsplash with ornate stainless steel tiles

living room. Back wall  is a glass solarium with a spiral staircase leading to the lower level. At least I'd have a good place to winter my plants

Here's a video showing the house: http://beta.veewme.com/ub/610
Shanna and her family visited when we came back and then a good friend stopped by.

This weekend, I finally got around to doing a lot of neglected work. I tackled getting rid of these hideous wild blackberry vines that have been suffocating my hostas. Evil things,. Note to self, don't wear white pants when there is a possibility of getting stabbed by thorns. Today it is supposed to rain yet again but I did find some time for a run and then a short bike ride. I should do some trip planning today.