A Mother’s Journal

It is sweltering hot here.  The last few days it has been around 100 degrees, and that is with the North Carolina humidity, mind you.  There are days when we get announcements on the radio that it’s best to stay in because it’s dangerous for the young and the elderly to be outside. 

I sprayed the plants off this morning with a cool stream from the hose and watered everything I have for sale.  Doesn’t take long for pots to turn completely bone dry with the soil sucked in from the edges of the pot, all leaves pitifully wilted. 

I then went, in search of creatures, through the garden.  I think even most of the creatures are hiding in their leafy green houses because it’s just to hot to be out in the sun.  Except the mosquitoes, that is.  They are pesky and annoying and I wonder just what good they do.  They are creatures, after all, and I suppose they qualify as food for something out there, which gives them some credit, but I am hard pressed to find anything else endearing about the things.  They follow me in clouds around my legs.  Just a part of the North Carolina summer.

This is a tiny specimen of a jumping spider.  I almost didn’t see him.  We have some really huge jumping spiders in the garden, and I very much want to get you a picture of one this year.  They are even bigger than those I have seen in years past.

My little wild garden needs a bit of trimming.  I let it burst out of its boundaries until, well, about this time of year, then it requires some love so that people can walk through.  People other than me.  People who are not so excited about rubbing shoulders with creatures.  The poor mailman continues to cut his way through the Lady Banks that sweeps down into his hair and the pokeweed that’s now 8 feet tall and hanging in his way, and the mass of arugula, mint and rosemary that reaches for his legs when he comes up my sidewalk.  He homeschools, and he knows we do, so he presses on.

The sunflowers are starting to bloom, some tall, some short, and some taken down to the ground by aggressive cucumber and squash vines.  All is fair in love and war.  And gardening.

The bronze fennel has a gorgeous, dainty, lacy bloom.  This plant, if you’ve never grown it, is quite interesting.  It has an odd taste that I like but can’t take too much of, if you know what I mean.  It’s sort of a licorice taste to me.  Sort of.  Fennel is very good for you, however.  I put it in salads.

Now, this creature was smack dab in the middle of the vegetable garden, probably having just chewed a hole in something that I wanted to keep.  I did not kill him — may regret that later, but I carried him off to another place.  I don’t have time to ID him this morning and I’m not sure what he is.  Any ideas?  Any thoughts about what vegetable he’s out to destroy?

Not sure you can see the hummingbird.  This picture was taken yesterday from my work desk, through the office window actually.  This sweet little hummingbird hangs out around the bee balm and loves sitting on the little archway I’ve put out there for the cardinal vine to climb on.  When the hummingbird is not there, a couple of cardinals rest there. 

Not any clearer really, but a little closer up.

I do have to work today.  Sigh and double sigh.  It’s not easy but I try so hard not to complain.  There are so many things I’d love to do for an income — things that I’ve tried in the past and had success with, but for now we need the insurance that my job provides.  So I try to enjoy my work.  Some of it is actually quite interesting.  I’ve already done notes this year about snake bites!  Yes.  A bite from a snake, up close and personal, and requiring emergency care, antivenin and a hospital stay.  I am fascinated with snakes, I must say, but I don’t care anything about being bitten by one. 

So I’ll look for the good in things and keep doing what I have to do right now.  If I’ve learned anything at all in my 47 years, it’s that life certainly does pass by in seasons, and this season too shall pass.