July 5th | Serendipity: Life is a Garden

Head’s up: There is a video treat at the end of this post thanks to one of my sons.

Lemon squash (center) with French radishes growing on either side

It poured all day yesterday. My 18-year-old son learned the term, “gully washer” from me. By the time Hurricane Arthur hit Connecticut is was a tropical storm.

I am not complaining. I didn’t have plans (except to watch a movie, which I didn’t watch). I didn’t lose power, though I learned that many residents in my small town did. We didn’t lose any trees or power lines. I was primarily oblivious to the storm as I just stayed on the computer watching Netflix and fiddling around. I did spend most of the morning reading and researching Lyme disease and some current events (such as the Hobby Lobby decision and the child immigrant crisis in Texas). It was a good day for such things.

Sadly, Hurricane Arthur was not so nice to those in North Carolina and other states as it made landfall and headed north.

But this morning, the sun is shining bright. I expected to step outside on the deck and be assaulted by hot, humid air as has been the case the last week.

Brown-eyed Susan, Evening Primrose and Bee Balm

Oh no, today is one of the days that we all live for here in New England: crisp, warm but not the least hint of hot, low humidity, the wind is blowing, the birds are celebrating their independence, and the butterflies have arrived.

There is no way to be grumpy on a day like today.

Mug of coffee in hand, I meandered through my garden spaces looking for newly emerging seedlings. A few spinach seeds are popping up, but the rest are waiting for a few hours of intense sunlight to signal that it is safe to emerge. Blueberries are turning red — time for the nets. Promises of wild and cultivated blueberries in muffins, yogurt, ice cream and, if there are enough, maybe syrups and preserves.

Amish deer tongue heirloom Romaine lettuce

While most parts of the country usher in summer in June, I think Connecticut should consider the 4th of July, or in this case, the 5th of July, as the true beginning of summer. I still marvel that the summers don’t get warmer as they move through July and August; the temperatures become cooler. We can get a heat wave or two during those months, but the days are getting shorter, and we are moving toward fall with every day that passes.