Sometimes I wish I could get a transcript of all the crazy shit that passes through my mind when I'm trying to fall asleep and when I'm wakeful in the night. Sometimes when I'm wakeful I'll try to bore myself to sleep by mentally reciting a list. Lately, it's been the sequence of yoga poses for the next time Abby asks me to lead the class. Usually I get four or five down the list before my mind starts to wander and I have to drag it back, sometimes just the very first seated meditation position and off I go. Eventually I do fall asleep.
I have another very long essay I'm going to post about feminism, the rise of mass murder by young men, and the eternal male identity crisis. Instead of having two long posts back to back I'm posting this frivolous little piece.
It is still just horribly hot and dry with no relief in sight. The next three days the highs are 100˚, the next 12 days 95˚ - 99˚ and no rain. The oak trees are dropping their baby acorns by the bucket full
but the pecans seem to be holding on. I've only seen a couple on the ground. I guess it helps that those three trees are on the edges of the septic system drain field. One good thing I guess is that with this extreme heat the fire ants are deep underground. I did unintentionally roust out this toad from his shady hiding place.
For today's 'what's blooming in the yard', the theme is white.
white orchid tree in a pot
cone flower lily/ginger
spider lily
sword leaf
bridal bouquet plumeria
I'm really surprised to see your spider lilies still in bloom. Of course, I've not been out and about recently, so they might be blooming in the wild, too -- but they seemed to have disappeared from the ditches the last time I passed through their usual territory. On the other hand, there are a lot of what you call sword leaf blooming at the refuges. I learned it as Lance-leaf arrowhead, but it's clearly the same plant (Sagittaria lancifolia) and very pretty. There's nothing like some white flowers to sort of cool the landscape during days like these. My favorite of this group is the plumeria: gorgeous.
ReplyDeletemy sister has some that already bloomed but mine are always this late. I'll have to check the big clump over at the shop yard. I think they might just not be sending up bloom stalks.
Deletesword leaf, lance-leaf arrowhead, and other marshy/water plants produce the same flower. I think the lance leaf arrowhead has different shaped leaves. I dug this out of the San Marcus or the Guad or maybe Armand Bayou. I grew it to feed Big Mama but now she's gone so it just grows. I may or may not keep it or probably I'll move it from the small kidney shaped pond into the big turtle pond.
37paddington: I can usually fall asleep but then I wake in the middle of the night and lie awake till morning, mind roaming. I should try your strategy.
ReplyDeleteit doesn't always work. sometimes if I'm really awake I'll have to play solitaire or read until my eyes get droopy.
DeleteI have the other challenge -- getting into bed before I fall asleep. I rarely lie awake. I think I'm in a lucky few.
ReplyDeleteI love that spider lily. I don't think I've ever seen them here.
My spider lily woke like Sleeping Beauty as well, after not budging for two years. It was beautiful but has wilted despite being pampered with long drinks. The white roses bloomed in unison after a generous sprinkling. The crepe myrtle was putting on a show until yesterday. Birds have practically stripped the neighbor’s golden fig tree. Fruit litters the ground on our side of the fence and yes, all ants have gone down under.
ReplyDeleteI had to rescue another toad that found its way into the deep bird watering pan then could not exit on its own.
Looking forward to hearing what’s on your mind, girl. Be well.
Your white flowers are beautiful, all of them. Poor oak trees, will any of those tiny acorns sprout? My grandmother used to have a pecan tree. She had a Texas Inertial Nut Cracker, and would shell them by the bag full and send them to us. Home grown pecans ruin a person for the store bought ones in little plastic bags.
ReplyDeleteno baby oak trees this year
DeleteThat heat really sounds dreadful, Ellen. I hope the toad was able to get deep into the foliage for a little relief. How did people ever live there before air conditioning?
ReplyDeletefor one thing, it didn't get this hot until August usually but not always triple digits. but yeah, with the heat and humidity and mosquitos (though when it's this dry mosquitos aren't a problem) I don't see how they did it either.
DeleteI sometimes list my morning routine in detail when I can't sleep. I usually don't make it past brush my teeth before I drop off.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how the flowers bloom by color?
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are looking good, despite the heat! I hope the toad found another shady retreat.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for your heat. I lived six degrees above the equator for 7 years and later two years in tropical Indonesia...but cannot handle that heat any more . I keep dreaming of moving to Canada. Some nights I also have trouble drifting off to sleep.
ReplyDeleteOur weather remains mild, very mild in comparison to the rest of the country. Makes me thankful and guilty all at the same time! It got up to 85 degrees today!
ReplyDelete