SUDDENLY SUMMER!

The rain stopped.  The clouds lifted.  The sun came out.   ...and it was full-blown SUMMER!

Of course we missed just about a month of the lovely May and early June weather which is my absolute favorite time of the year. But the world looks magnificent!  Another plus: the water bill has been negligent.

Though the moisture was hailed by most, the farmers have had a tough go of the land around here.  Their fields have been flooded, so they couldn't plant crops.  Animals, if they had any, were sloshing around in mud baths in their barnyards.  And the growing season has been marching right along making a shortened season with fields of corn and hay probably not growing to maturity.  Lost crops. Lost money.

In addition there are still trees and bushes in nearly every yard that were shocked into dormancy during the below freezing temps the beginning of May.  Experts say that it might be the end of July before that foliage will recover--if at all.  I surely hope so.  That one "dead" tree in our back yard leaves a huge gap where there was plentiful shade last summer.  Plus, the neighbors tore out all the trees that bordered their yard along the walkway, and now there is a humongous area where there will be no shade at all.  That was one of the perks of last summer's back yard paradise at Sweetbriar:  shade, and an abundance of it.

I haven't taken the lawn furniture out of the garage yet.  Though it is supposed to be "waterproof", the kind of heavy rain we have had would definitely have penetrated the fabric and made it really difficult to dry out.  So, I am biding my time.

Hopefully this will be the last summer that I have to "share" with United.  I think I'm ready for a little full-time backyard R & R.