Tuesday, June 26, 2007

I'm sweaty. And it's humid. And I don't like it.

It was hot and humid and I didn't leave the house today except to flush out the brown sludge that has developed in the fountain.
I kept busy by repotting house plants, doing laundry, cleaning anything I could find, just to keep from going outside.
The girls are pretty good at amusing themselves, but...
This is what happens when you let them pick out their own clothes.

When you let them dress themselves
Plaid, stripes and polka-dots. Oh, dear.
And sine the birds were hot, too, there was very little activity at the feeders, so I was taking pictures of random things in the house:
IMG_4728
I started collecting cobalt glass a few years ago, but as so many things do, it sort of fell by the wayside...and this is all I have.
But I cleaned the shelves!
And I hand-painted those stars, I might add. The kitchen is sunny yellow, with royal blue accents. Happy, happy!

Pitcher, hyacinth bean, and fake sunflowers
On top of the pantry:
An aluminum pitcher that belonged to my Grandma, a piece of pottery from the in-laws holding a hyacinth bean plant, and some fake sunflowers in a rattan vase. The hyacinth bean is a really interesting plant, and the vine can climb to 10 feet. But since I don't want it outside, I will have to continue to build larger and larger trellises to keep up with it.

Fish chimes
Whenever Mom goes on a trip and we watch her dog, she brings back a wind chime as a thank-you. This is one of many.
The poinsettia is still alive
The poinsettia that I bought last Christmas is still alive! I can't believe it. I jazzed up the pot with stones and shells, just for kicks.

When it finally cooled off enough this evening, I went out to check on the plants...
Wide variety of wildflowers
The patch of wildflowers the girls and I planted is really taking off, even though the rain has been lacking. All that I can recognize so far is marigolds, cosmos...and that's it. There are some broad-leafed things, and some soft, lamb's-ear-looking things, too. And some stuff that is tall and thin and frosted.

Bunny with a white forehead spot
We have a bunny hanging around that has a little white spot on his/her forehead...awww.
Finally got some bee balm
Finally! The bee balm is blooming!
Wet beetle
And the Japanese beetles are eating like it's going out of style.
See how it's holding up its legs? That's a defense pose. Ugly little buggers.
Did you know that they were first seen in the country, in NEW JERSEY, in 1916?
Whatever it is, it's finally blooming
Laura thought this might be coral honeysuckle, but I compared it to some photos, and I don't think that's it. It finally opened up, and the flowers are star-shaped. The leaf veins are red, if that helps anyone. And it's not a vine, but an upright, woody plant. I wish I had the list of flowers I got that day...
Well, anyway. It's blooming and it's pretty.

10 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

This weather makes me moody- crabby. Hate it. We're supposed to have major storms tonight as some somewhat cooler Canadian air streams down. Hope so.
Our baby bunnies had white spots on their foreheads too! We called the "Spot" and "Dot". Clever huh??
I don't think I've seen those ugly Japanese beetles up here- TG!!
I love your yellow and cobalt- I have those colors in my kitchen too!
Stay cool as you can!

Julie Zickefoose said...

I feel the same way about the weather. After Maine, it's yuccchy.
Your plant is Fuchsia "Gartenmeister Bonstedt," one of my very very favorites, and one I can't get around here any more. I used to be able to get it at K-mart when they carried Marth Stewart's plant line. Annual, tropical, tremendous growth potential and hummer appeal! Likes mostly shade,lots of moisture, a little morning sun. Oh, I love to see hummers working the blossom clusters on this wonderful plant! Enjoy it!

Susan Gets Native said...

Lynne:
Send that cool, dry Canadian air down here, will ya?

Julie:
One can always count on you to know.
Thanks for the name of the plant. I planted it in a basket, so I could bring it in when it gets cold. Ahh....cold....
And thanks for the opinion about the weird call...it was the WEIRDEST thing Kathi and I both have ever heard!
I was going to send it to you, but you are just so busy, I didn't want to bother you.

LostRoses said...

But all the colors she picked out go together, don't they? Come on, Mom!

Yellow and cobalt, yummy. And I'm impressed that you cleaned the shelves!

Anonymous said...

Grandpa thinks any outfit The Girls pick out looks great on them. Besides, they are so cute; who notices the clothes anyway?

Mary said...

Susan, I understand your disgust with the heat. I don't go outside anymore until after 7pm but then it's not light enough for photos! Darn! I just can't take heat close to 100 or more.

I love the colors in your kitchen. Your house is bright and beautiful, as I would expect knowing you.

Mary C said...

Well, now I'll get all of you to hate me for where I live -- temps have been perfect around here, and I have been enjoying. And now, that said, we'll probably get the same hot, yucky weather and temps all of you have been suffering from. Susan, I'm envious of your poinsettia plant - here I am in California and can't get any potted poinsettias to survive! And your bee balm - I want so bad to get some to survive so I can get more hummingbirds into my yard... And those awful Japanese beetles! Boy, am I glad we don't have those out here! I noticed that JZ named your "honeysuckle" plant -- I thought it was a fuchsia -- it sure looks like one. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Another great first for New Jersey- Japanese beetles! ;-) I like your bunny with the spot. For reasons I don't understand bunnies are all over the place here in the heart of Chicago. Every little tiny garden patch in front of these brick townhouses has a bunny nibbling away. And the gardens at Oz Park have lots of babies, too.

That's a kind of fuschia. (I'm scrolling up to read the comments- I'm sure everyone else already said that.)

Anonymous said...

uggg, this weather has been soo hot! I don't even want to get outside when it gets this way!

Kathi said...

If you don't like hot and humid, you should be glad you weren't birding with me this morning! I did my weekly field survey at CNC (Lookout Trail) and decided to get an early start (8am) due to the weather.

First, I got rained on (wet) then when it stopped raining it was steamy/muggy/humid (sweat = more wet) then I walked through a lot of weeds and bushes and my jeans got soaked from the knees down (even more wetterer.)

I was a mess - good thing I had planned enough time for a shower at Mom's before work. Even a vet's office couldn't have tolerated my stink!

Very birdy - M&F B. orioles, many Indigo Buntings, a pair of Common Yellowthroats (F carrying a caterpillar) 3 flycatcher spp (Phoebe, E. Kingbird, and an Empid. sp that I still can't ID), juv. Blue-winged Warblers - lots and lots of things. And a doe and fawn pair that I saw 3 different times. A good morning.

~Kathi