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...
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And the wet day lilies in the bed to the west of the porch...
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And of course, I can never resist the entirety...
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The young Minnesota couple is staying at the farmhouse and this gives us a few idle minutes together on the porch...
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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.
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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.
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A game of "who will wear these sunglasses" begins.
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Mostly, Snowdrop is just so happy to have everyone there with her. I so understand her swells of total joy.
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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.
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What if you wear your sunglasses upside down? Wouldn't that be funny? Wouldn't it??
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See you soon, spirited, lovable Snowdrop.
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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.
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Ed brings in a treat: the first ripe tomato from our patch!
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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...
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And then we head out onto that place of all places -- the porch.
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Where the girl eats as if she hadn't seen food for weeks.
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One last walk with the cheepers -- offering the rare photo that is not from around the table.
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I do hope that you were able to lose yourselves just a little in the thick of this midsummer's magic.