Trance-inducing gardenias

My gardenia trees have been blooming and the scent is so rich and heavy I get weak in the knees every time I walk past them to my kitchen door. The flowers are creamy white and flawless- they look like they are made from butter cream icing. But it is the perfume they give off which is almost obscene in it's heavy deliciousness, the air is thick with it. You can almost see and feel it swirl around you as you walk by the trees. It reminds me of a cartoon showing the "smell cloud" slink around the corner and under someones nose to entice them.

Tractor lust

I saw this tractor for sale at the end of a driveway. My eyes glazed over and I instantly had a fantasy of driving it on my small gentleman's farm as happy chickens roamed free, goats played on rocks, I think there was a beehive back in the distance probably next to the heirloom vegetable garden with purple carrots and orange tomatoes and maybe some homemade soap was setting up in the summer kitchen. My brain was capable of creating this little fantasy in less than three seconds but I can stare at a blank screen for ages and not know what to write. My skill set is very narrow and rather useless.

Hello beautiful tractor. We would have been very 

happy together on my make-believe farm.

Basement woes

Remember that big rain? It all ended up in my basement. It whooshed in from the outside basement stairs and two spots in the foundation. 

The gutters are not hung right and all the water cascades down the outside basement door and also floods the ground right next to the basement wall until it is so saturated it pours in through my 109 year old stone foundation.

I just stood on the steps and watched it flow across the floor. When it stopped raining I swept (uphill) as much water as I could into the drain and I've been running 2 dehumidifiers since. And it sorta smells.

No photo, it was too depressing. 

I contacted someone today to come out and look at it. I'll keep you updated. Sigh.

Best street address EVER!

Apparently he traded in the cave for a farm. 

Batman road winds through corn fields.

4th of July

Decorations:
flag banner
patriotic center piece
red white and blue table cloth

Check, check, check.

Entertainment:

badminton net

bean bag toss

pool games

Check, check, check.

Food:

gazpacho

grilled shrimp

grilled steak sandwiches

corn on the cob

pasta salad

lemonade

cold beer

peach pie

flag cake

laughter

Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check.

Party lights:

Ooooh! Check.

Backyard fireworks and fireflies:

(a very big firefly!)

Check, check!

Best 4th of July ever. Check.

Happy Independence day America

Past, present and future

amazing photo taken by Sarah

3rd of July fireworks

My mother's friend's husband creates incredible firework shows that are timed to music. This year was a breath-taking, heart-pounding, all-american, gasp-inducing show.

A massive flag hung from the fire truck ladder

 I am a terrible fireworks photo-taker

but trust me,

they were gorgeous!

Everyone loved them!

... And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

The people leaving through the settling smoke created a beautiful light show.