Greetings from the Heat Dome. Yikes, it’s hot out there! We watered everything twice yesterday. We’ll do the same today. With temps reaching 97 degrees here with a heat index of over 107 degrees, we are happily inside the house for the day. Well, until about 3 pm, when we have to get on the road. We’re going to a concert in NJ, not far from Manhattan. Yes, we’re driving in these temps! But it’s a one-night only appearance. So off we’ll go. (It’s a concert by Australian Tommy Emmanuel, an incredible guitar player. His mentor was Chet Atkins. He’s charming and funny and it will be a lot of fun, especially for Don who is a huge fan.)
Thankfully, all this heat will be gone by tomorrow. The high will be 77.
I watched this monarch go from coneflower to coneflower yesterday. Since there are about 100 blooms on the property, he hung around for a long time!
My dear friend Donna messaged me on FB today. She was a member of the cast of what she reminds me was “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” the musical we were doing scenes from 50 years ago yesterday. She remembers “running over to the TVs on every break from the stage to see how they were doing and finally seeing Neil Armstrong step on the surface.” I was assistant director on that production. Donna, by the way, has a gorgeous singing voice and is beautiful inside and out. We were in plays and musicals together, both in the summer and in high school. We also were in choir and vocal ensemble together. She was and is a good friend. So good to hear her thoughts! I read them and was immediately back there at Camp Dearborn with her and the rest of the cast.
I’m still waiting for the newest Kate Atkinson to arrive in my local library. I finished Case Histories last night, and I’ve started on Chris Pavone’s latest, The Paris Diversion. You get a lot of reading done in weather like this.
Happy Sunday.
The first photograph in this post is gorgeous, Claudia! It looks 3 dimensional, as though I could reach out and touch those flowers. Beautiful
Thank you, Karen!
That’s for sure about reading! And it’s a good thing. Yesterday was rain all day and it’s cooled off tremendously so hopefully heading your way. Enjoy Tommy Emmanuel — I have a couple of his CDs but never seen him in concert. Sounds great!
We’re looking forward to it!
Our heat broke yesterday…it’s been a glorious morning here. That’s your preview for tomorrow. In the meantime….enjoy the concert! ;)
Thank you!
Isn’t it fun watching the monarchs? After seeing your picture yesterday, I went out to our milkweed plants and found monarch eggs too. Now will be watching that area of the yard even closer.
While we were at the lighting store yesterday afternoon, huge storms blew through. We were lucky in the SE area because they had tornadoes and power outages in NCentral WI. After it poured for a long time, what had been totally oppressive humidity when we walked in was gone and we walked out into low 70’s temps. While in there though it was scary hearing that rain just pounding on the warehouse roof. Today it is so pleasant. So hang in there, relief is on the way!
Astonishingly enough (to me), we both rather quickly agreed on island pendants, powder room and front hall lighting fixtures. Miracles can happen. ;-)
I think the trick is to check out that area every day. I’ve been doing that this summer, so I’m seeing more than I usually do.
Glad shopping went well!
Your photographs are beautiful!
Thank you!
I grew up listening to Chet Atkins records…loved him. Have fun at the concert!
We did!
Have a safe trip and enjoy the concert. Thank goodness it will be much cooler tomorrow. I can’t wait. I hate the hot weather.
Marilyn
I certainly don’t like it when it’s in the high nineties and humid!
Enjoy the concert, Claudia. Hope the drive will be comfortable. Low 70’s here, so very manageable. My daughter was in a kid’s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”. She played Linus and now has a great fondness for him.
Hope you had a nice weekend with your daughter, Wendy!
Oh, I just love the shot of the monarch on the cone flower! My favorite color combo—well, one of them—pink and orange!
Soooo hotttttttt!
Pink and orange is a great combo!
You will feel the happiness tomorrow when our weather finally reaches you. The last 5 or 6 days of over 90* were horrible. Today is a delight. And the next several days look lovely as well.
Love your pics! We have had many butterflies this year, so many more than the past several years. Makes me quite happy, indeed.
Just finishing The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. I love the way she writes. Next up is a re-read of The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. I read it many many years ago, and I find her writing to be quite soothing. Excited for that!!
Enjoy your morning tomorrow, you will be so very happy with the weather! Hope you had fun at the concert.
Love Pilcher and have read many of her boos. I’ve seen mentions of the other book you reference and I’ll have to check that one out!
LOVELY flower photos today; sorry you’re so HOT.
Thanks, Vicki!
I am also watching monarchs, and a happy robin family eating berries, and even a hummingbird on the honeysuckle! Apparently I accidentally surprised them all when I went to take the annual pix of all of OUR daylilies, oops, happy they all flew right back! Watching them all and listening to the incredible bird songs have got to be one of life’s greatest pleasures.
Love your gorgeous photos. Seems our gardens are quite similar :)
It is one of my favorite things to do – watching birds and bees!
Thanks!