lazy and green

It rained most of Friday, making the ground soft enough to easily weed. I did a lot of weeding in the vegetable garden on Saturday, realizing that the summer growing season is almost over. My hope is to keep weeds from flowering, spreading their seeds. The tall sunflowers that have proudly lorded over the garden are now beginning to droop and brown. Many of the pumpkin leaves have lost their deep green color, and enough pumpkins have started to become ripe enough to pick (these are small pie pumpkins, not the huge kind).

I finally staked my hollyhocks as well as a few japanese anemones. I did not mow this weekend (which means I'll have to do this on a weeknight). This was less an act of rebellion than just being caught up in the gentle laziness of this place -- Central Indiana is as green and full as it should be this time of year.

Temps remained moderate all weekend -- the air conditioner has been off for days. At one point, we looked out in the backyard and two greyhounds, the next-door wolf hound puppies, and the Airedale were running around the backyard. Franklin joined the group, bouncing and running in his arcs, with his shaggy eyebrows pushed back, with only a feint hint of white around his eyes.

Walking in the townlet has been easy -- we inspected the on-going construction (really remaking) of a white brick Georgian, and did extra loops each time to build up our strength for vacation. Another house ("the Frank Lloyd Wright house, as it is called because supposedly one of his students designed it in the 1950s) is also being restored.

Usually my head is full of planting ideas, but frankly, I've let myself relax a bit, enjoying what's here, reminding myself that next group of chores is thinning and transplanting, not adding. The large white flowering hostas have a lovely orange scent. I've promised divisions to a few folk (hope I don't forget to whom).