in the heat of the day

I feel like the person who goes to her cardiologist, gets a good reading on some heart performance test, and returns home to a steak and french fries. With mayo. And ice cream for dessert.

My calendar tells me I have an early morning appointment with my skin doc. These days I wouldn't have made it for that hour, on the other side of town no less, but it was booked at another time, when I lived at another address, with another dog, who possibly could have been left at home. Well, no matter. Millie never protests an early wake up. 

Despite the dictates of my schedule, we have a leisurely time on the porch, over breakfast. I feel the heat. She feels the heat. We linger anyway.

And soon after, I drop her off at doggie daycare. My doc is into gardening, so we talk plants while she examines every spot on my body under a magnifying glass. She's exuberant about finding nothing of note, possibly because on my last appointment I had had something of note. But she is a skin person so I feel the need to apologize for my deeply brown arms -- the result of spending so much time outdoors. She suggests more protective clothing. I suggest a good source for buying bubs on line for fall planting. We part friends. 

And then I zip through my list of errands (UPS, Walgreens, boring...) so that I can return to my "steak and fries." Meaning -- I spend the day in the blazing hot sun gardening. 

I move out the incredibly short lived and very non-cottagy lilies put in by the person who lifted out my sod back in May. I move in a lovely combo of yellow and blue -- a double cone flower next to a pincushion. Perennial growers are very particular about what flowers should grace their gardens. I take out some more sod to plant another rose later in the week. I put in some daisies. I mulch bare spots. And I water. Everything.

Inside again, I drink a gallon of water. It's hot out there! 

 

(a million day lilies are in full bloom at the farmette right now; here -- I take what I can get this year!)

 

 

And then I'm back at it, all the way until it's time to get Millie. A very tired Millie. Eat and slide under the couch. Millie, I know exactly how you feel! 

with so much love...