random glimpses of life around here

If I would check the okra every day, I'd be eating more of it than I toss in the compost pile. That long one in the picture is about 8". 

I wrote that a while back and since have got in the habit of picking every day. Usually I get about 6 a day, sometimes more, some days 10 or so.

the tallest plant is now taller than I am

I know where the bees that come to my yard go with their collected nectar and pollen. The side of my absent neighbor's house now supports a hive. I wonder how big it is inside the wall, how much honey. I'd call the beekeeper I buy my honey from for him to collect them but I like having the bees in my yard.

I'm picking up a gallon or more of green pecans a day. Big ones. I've picked up three 5 gallon size buckets' worth already. If this keeps up, between the squirrels and the no rain and the heat stress, we won't get any pecans this year. 

"You say that every year", Marc says. And he's right I do and every year I tell him that "yes, but this year is different". 

  

This would have been twins!

We did finally get a break in the heat and three good rains, too late for the pecans, but it did spur some growth for other things,

the next day they looked like this,

and these bloomed,

and these continue to bloom,

but now we are back to stifling heat with the south wind coming across the field behind us feeling like heat coming out of an oven, though this one, like the okra, likes the heat.

Buddha is overwhelmed.

And one more ray of hope...Bannon is gone!