But first -- the garden. It's a stormy morning and a buggy one too and in my dash to let the cheepers out I hardly pause at all.
But I do admire the phlox in last year's new bed...
And the wet day lilies in the bed to the west of the porch...
And of course, I can never resist the entirety...
The young Minnesota couple is staying at the farmhouse and this gives us a few idle minutes together on the porch...
I think about how wonderful it is to have that chance to just sit and bring out the details of their plans, and my plans for the months ahead.
And then we all gather (at Julep) for a family brunch. Ed unfortunately must stay home and continue his tireless work on his machine project, but the rest of us are there, outside, having this one last meal together.
A game of "who will wear these sunglasses" begins.
Mostly, Snowdrop is just so happy to have everyone there with her. I so understand her swells of total joy.
But the time does come for us to say good bye.
I have another game we can play and another and another.
Good bye, Snowdrop.
What if you wear your sunglasses upside down? Wouldn't that be funny? Wouldn't it??
See you soon, spirited, lovable Snowdrop.
At the farmette, the flowers are brilliant still, but they seems a touch less forceful now that two grand admirers who were, after all, married in their midst, have left to return to Minnesota.
Ed brings in a treat: the first ripe tomato from our patch!
And eventually I roll up the sleeves and work on tonight's dinner.
Snowdrop comes with her parents, and she finds Ed and they do their wonderful romp together...
And then we head out onto that place of all places -- the porch.
Where the girl eats as if she hadn't seen food for weeks.
One last walk with the cheepers -- offering the rare photo that is not from around the table.
I do hope that you were able to lose yourselves just a little in the thick of this midsummer's magic.