AUTUMN OR HELL??

On Tuesday, I drove to North Arkansas via a very scenic route to reconnect with a friend of mine from Florida who is visiting family in Mountain Home.  I was quite stunned to see splashes of color along the drive.   Pale yellows and browns dotted the mountains and road side.

Thanks to the wonders of climate control, it is not always easy to tell the  season  merely by looking out a window. Just looking at the browning trees and grass  while in cool comfort,  one could mistakenly think autumn is here.

Or, if you look at the blistered leaves of my Liriope at home, you might think frost has come and done its damage.

 But these things are being seen from the comfort of air conditioning.  They have nothing to do with Fall. It has to do with this. That was yesterday's temp.  We have been consistently over 100 for about two weeks.
   

Along with the blistering heat, we are also in serious drought conditions. 

Most all of us around the country are feeling the burn of the sun these days. Those of you in the Northwest, just enjoy your paradise and know you are envied.

The rest of us, like the bull below, are looking for a shady spot and a cool drink.  Sure would hate to be wearing his black leather coat in this heat.

That poor bull is all alone these days. My neighbor had to sell off his herd except for the bull. No grass and little hay available made the sell off necessary. Beef should be cheap in the short run with the glut, then likely will be very expensive later. Luckily I eat very little beef.

I am losing most of my new plantings for this year. I really went gung-ho with new shrubs to line my fence and put in lots of annuals this spring which I am now regretting. Hindsight is so intelligent.

In an effort to conserve water,  I am trying to only seriously water  food plants. My poor pretties are suffering from neglect. In this blistering heat, skimpy watering of my eye candy has done little good.  Taps will sound any day now.

Thankfully with careful water management, my cantaloupe, malibar spinach, onions and sweet potatoes are hanging in.  They have gotten the most attention.  We will still eat and eat well.

 As bleak as our landscape looks to me right now, I feel so fortunate.  The A/C still works, water is still available and so far, few fires in Arkansas.  This too shall pass.  

Those unfortunates in the West whose homes are being leveled by fires  and those in the East who are still in the sweltering dark of damaged homes, and those who suffered flood damage in the South, all have my attention and compassion. 

Hoping the rest of you are cool, comfortable, hydrated and had a fun, safe 4th of July.