"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rose-buds while ye may." Robert Herrick

Hello Friends!

Friends, Romans, countrymen...y'all. Foodies, gardeners, artists and collectors - let's gather together to share and possibly learn a thing or two in the mix.

Donna Baker

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Dew Drop In


I got nothing.  Except these.  I've told you about my slight aversion to large, tropical flowers.  I don't know why.  The hibiscus are coming out next year.  They simply take up all the room in the little garden outside of my bedroom.  They do not delight me.  I am thinking of replacing them with miniature roses.  
This plant is growing on me.  Each flower is striking in its color scheme.  I think I'll let it stay.


We are in the hot and dry part of summer.  Haven't had rain for a long time.  With it too hot to enjoy being outside during the day, I am surprised to see dew in the mornings.  The dew point makes it hotter during the day.


Still fighting the rats.  They will not touch the poison in the locked feeders.  I have just about given up.  One has crawled up into my raised planter and tunneled around.  Just about killed all of my vegetables.  It has even been eating my teeny tomatoes.  I set a trap in it, but it didn't take the bait.
But the days march on.  Summer is flying by and the grands are not happy about having four more weeks before school starts.  Son moved back last week and is nearby.  We found out they are having a little boy near Christmas.  I think they are shocked as they were sure it was another little girl. Nevertheless, they will be thrilled when he gets here.

Hope your summer is going swimmingly.


33 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

My Summer is completely coloured by waiting to move into my bungalow and off the farm. I can do nothing about the wait but I am impatient to get completely settled before winter. Incidentally your flowers are just exquisite. I am sorry about the rat problem - they are such clever animals that it is hard to catch them.

donna baker said...

I hope you can move soon too. It is hard waiting when it's out there looming. I can't wait to see pictures of your new bungalow. Is that like a cottage? The rats have bested me.

Down by the sea said...

The dew looks beautiful. Those rats are really testing you, you will need to get a cat to see them off! Sarah x

A Brit in Tennessee said...

The flowers are stunning, what a beautiful combination of colors.
Congratulations on the news of a new grandbaby on the way, your family keeps growing :)
Those sodding rats, get a blow torch !
Stay cool.
Hugs,
~Jo

Joanne Noragon said...

For all the "School's out! School's out!" cheers, I think kids are glad to see the summer come round to the discipline of school again.

Elephant's Child said...

Your bright beauty looks like a canna to me.
Love the dew on that purple leaf.
And am so grateful that our summer is still quite a way off.

angryparsnip said...

The RATS ! BAD BAD RATS !
It is si hot here and with the dew point higher we have had sweltering days. YIKES !
Some many of our schools are open already. So your Grands are doing better than Tucson Students

cheers, parsnip

donna baker said...

Yes Sarah. They have bested me.

donna baker said...

Thank you Jo. This will probably be the last grand baby. I am tired of those dirty rats.

donna baker said...

I sure didn't, but I think you are right. I can remember going to get all the school supplies and that was exciting.

donna baker said...

It is a canna, a flower I never liked. It is taller than I am, but I will leave them be. Enjoy winter. I bet your summers are hot.

donna baker said...

Wow, Gayle. It is too hot for kids to be in school already. Their air-conditioning bills must be huge. Yes, hot and steamy. I wish I still had a pool as I'd spend the summer in it.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

That flower is beautiful. I'm glad you are letting it stay. Ughhh, those rats! Any chance you would break down and hire an exterminator? Congratulations on the upcoming new baby boy! -Jenn

Bea said...

A couple things: the dew almost look like glass beads. I called health services regarding the elderly woman I'd met last week. The agency opened up a case file on her behalf, so that if anything should happen, her name will already be in the system.

ellen abbott said...

I'd take the hibiscus if I was close. hot and dry here too.

donna baker said...

Thank you Jenn. I guess that will be the last straw. At least I've not seen them all over the place since I quit feeding the birds, but that has been the worst part.

donna baker said...

Good for you Bea. My husband has a case where the daughter of an elderly man has taken over his care and is spending all his money. Her sister got an injunction and the court has taken over his money. So sad as he has dementia and it won't get better. People, even family, take advantage of the elderly.

donna baker said...

I hate to kill a plant, but at the city house, every inch counts and they are just too big. Maybe my neighbor will want them. Same thing with the moon flower. It was huge.

La Table De Nana said...

A fun "nouvelle" ..the new bébé boy:)

OMG this summer is Jetson flying by..

We are the opposite..too much rain..last summer was idyllic this summer..psychedelic..:(
Still..grateful for gardens and growings and harvests and chickens:)

Hate your rats.I will send bad Karma to them:)

donna baker said...

I could use it Monique. As I said, after two weeks of not touching the poison feeders, I looked and they had also not touched it. Your garden still looks beautiful, even with too much rain. It has been a strange year in weather. I know you and the littles and family are enjoying your summer. :)

Sandra Cox said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sandra Cox said...

A new baby. How wonderful.
If I was closer I'd take your hibiscus off your hands. I love the tropical look.
I also loved the Dew Drop In. What a play on words. And what a gorgeous flower.
I'm sorry you are having to deal with rats:(
Discounting the little rodents, I hope your weekend is wondrous.

donna baker said...

It has cooled down and is gorgeous out. I don't know why I don't like giant tropical flowers/plants as I love the dinner plate dahlias. They don't overwinter here unless you dig them up so I don't have them anymore.

Ry @ Sotto Il Monte Vineyards said...

Congratulations on the newest little one! Summer speeds by so quickly. I've just arrived back at the "desert" house after being at our house in the Hill Country for a few weeks. No rain there - dry as toast. However, the monsoon season has come to the desert and all is green and in full bloom! I feel for you trying to deal with the pesky rats!

donna baker said...

Texas hill country? Love it there and at least has the rivers and lakes. I like desert too and the monsoons must be so welcome there in the dry terrain. I haven't seen the dirty rats like I was since I quit feeding the birds, but I know they are out there. I went to dinner with a friend the other night and she had a giant rat snake on her porch. I told her I wish she had saved it for me, but she is terrified of snakes. She called a critter getter and they couldn't find it, so now she is sleeping upstairs.

Ry @ Sotto Il Monte Vineyards said...

Yes - my beloved Texas Hill Country, where the water in the streams runs a beautiful green color over the moss on the limestone below. Which also makes for some of the hardest water I've ever seen come out of the tap. My hair looks like a wild haystack! I know they say that women from Texas (I am just an interloper) have big hair. Something about "The bigger the hair - the closer to God "
- nonsense - the real reason - hard water!

donna baker said...

We lived in Houston for eleven years and spent fun times near the Guadalupe and the lake outside Austin. Can't remember the name right now. Oh those bluebonnets. Nowhere compares with those. Just love Texas. I have hard water at the city house. I didn't even know that's what it was, but I had little round scale droplets all over the shower. After I got it all off, I now have to rub it all down with a towel and it works. I've been to Santa Fe and Taos, but never to southern NM or AZ. I am trying to plan a trip to the Tucson Gem and Mineral show and rent an RV. We'll see. I'll put out a warning notice before I get behind the wheel as I'd imagine I'll be all over the place.

Sandra Cox said...

I love the dew drops in the second picture:)

jerilanders said...

You know, I'm of the same mind, I do not really care for Tropical plants. A lily like that does nothing for me....but a lily of the valley does a lot...little roses, wonderful. I would give that plant to someone who wants it and replace for next year. Wish I had advice on the rat situation; we've had success with rat poisons in our barn...but ours were not Norway rats. New baby? YEAH!

donna baker said...

There is something in the small things that fascinate me.

donna baker said...

Norway rats must be brilliant. Some kind of phobia to new and unusual things. New baby and probably the last one. Sweet.

Sandra Cox said...

The summer is going swimmingly. It's also flying.

donna baker said...

I agree Sandra.