Mulling over thoughts of summer heat

Summer Wildflowers

Summer Sky

Summer Fields

As weird as it may sound, since a kid, I’ve liked hot summers. Heat waves, however, I am not a fan. 

Hot ambient temperatures signal my brain that it is warm enough to be outdoors, be in nature, wear sandals, picnic time and know the scent of fresh air after a thunderstorm. There are wonderful elements of hot weather.

And, Air conditioning is number one. Relief from the heat is needed for safe healthy living. 

After that, when the sun doesn’t sting my thin elderly skin, it is therapeutic to me that sunshine rules the day. Feeling the heat from the sun, for a brief time with a thick layer of sunscreen on, is a connection to the universe, a science fiction moment, being one with the solar system. 

This summer I have pondered not having an air conditioner. So far, fans are cool enough. But, one day returning home, when I opened my front door, I felt a rush of hot air. Thoughts began fading from oh this summer will be cooler, no A/C needed. Yes, I do need air conditioning took over. 

Summer Flowers

A Midsummer’s Night Celebration

Day 2 of June, thinking about the summer solstice on 21 June 2026, I also think of how to celebrate one of my favorite special days, Midsummer’s Night, 19 June 2026.

🧚🧚🧚🧚🧚

🧚Make a crown with real flowers or faux blooms. The fabric one can be saved and hung later on a door hanger. Wear the crown during events. A selfie is a must.

🧚Fix a large platter of hors d’oeuvres paired with a delicate white wine.

🧚Watch the 1935 movie first, and then watch the 1968, 1999 or the 2016 film version of William Shakespeare’s, “Midsummer’s Night Dream. Or make it a marathon to watch all four.

🧚Read Shakespeare’s play aloud.

🧚Dance to one of the film’s sound tracks.

Invite friends, love ones, do a solo or with a partner. 

Self Portrait 2014
16 x 20 inch acrylic

Sunglasses & Gas

At the garden center, take off your sunglasses for a look around in order to see the flower’s true colors.

Three places I looked for blue lobelia. None to be found. I went back to Greenhaven Gardens on Route 7 in New Haven, Vermont. The hanging baskets there are stunning, best around. A woman had an outrageously beautiful full round hanging baskets of lobelia. I happen to lift up my sunglasses and to my surprise, the purple flowers are actually blue lobelia! 

Blue and red make purple, as the color wheel goes. My sunglasses are a tint of red-brown. Any blue flower will read purple when I have my sunglasses on. 

Gassed up at Champlain Valley Fuel on Exchange Street in Middlebury at a cheap $4.10/gallon. I stopped pumping at $35.00 US dollars. That is the highest amount of gas I have put into a vehicle ever in my life.   

Beautiful day here in Vermont, sunny, windy, nice ambient temperature, perfect for being outdoors. 

Have a wonderful week

Going for a red, white & blue 
America 250 theme

 

Reflection Monday June 2026

Being sure what something is be it a plant or what a person just said can be enjoyable or frustrating. 

The plant in the photo could be a self seeded might or might not be a sunflower. I think it is a sunflower based on last year’s blooms. 

I now have a photo to use for identification next year. 

Seeing the first bud will be nice. The wait adds a sprinkle of magic to the atmosphere.

What’s going or not going on lately

Spirea
aka Wedding Veil Shrub

 Well, it’s like this. A few heavy stresses appeared on the horizon. Happily, one has positive results with a great feeling of thank you Lord and relief. The other requires gathering up papers, documents, and a revisiting my expository writing skill. 

Weather and my energy are slowly aligning where I might be gardening this week. Tomato plants are back on my Summer container garden list. Parsley, basal, thyme, mint, oregano and Rosemary complete the list.  

What is not going on is the deck arrangement. Everything needed is there. Once flower pots are cleared away, the rest will fall into place. Going light is the theme this Summer.

Note under this blog’s banner is the horizontal space for pages. Since I decided to continue blogging, I feel that this blog should be as I planned in the beginning. Most of the Pages there will start posting in late June

Off Instagram again, I notice a decrease in my YouTube channel watching enthusiasm. Episodes aren’t always numbered or dated well. Creators may film weeks before posting the video. A video may publish between videos more current. 

For example, I just watched a cabin being painted. A video posted a week later as new content, has no paint. New video is about saying good bye to somebody going to Europe for three months. The next current video days later, shows the person barbecuing in the back yard, wearing the same tee shirt!

I feel encouraged to think about creating a balance between what I do versus watching what others do.