While I have been thoroughly enjoying everyone else's blog posts, my muse seems to have taken the summer off. The Yap has gone out of my Giddyap. The light's on, but no one has been home.
I blame it on the weeds. No matter how many times I have groveled around in my raised beds and flower beds, yoinking great heaps of the offending greenery out by the wheelbarrow-ful, they have come back with a vengeance. I have not seen the likes of this since I have cultivated this plot. It doesn't help that my energy level has been running on low - I come from cold weather people - and as soon as the temperatures rise over 80, with matching levels of humidity, I'm a goner. Even my whining has gone damp.
We have also been blessed/cursed with non-ending monsoon-like rains with accompanying thunder and lightning. This, coupled with the unending heat and humidity, has created a steroidal effect on my weeds. Quite perversely, while being banished to the inside by the weather, I have started plans for next year's garden. I mean, we have to have hope, right?
|
Slimmie wants summer to stop. Please
note small fang. |
|
My morning sausage. Or is that ham? |
The only upside of this godforsaken weather is that the tomatoes are ripening! Marianne has been keeping me in Black Krim tomatoes
|
This summer's fav |
and my next favorite, Green Zebras. I would show you a photo of them, but I have eaten every single one as soon as they appear. I eat them like an apple. OMG.
Having a countertop full of ripe produce means that I can indulge in one of my favorite seasonal foods - gazpacho!
|
Best served in my bee mug and inhaled within
moments. |
I have been combing my Moosewood Collective Collection and have a flurry of Post-it notes on all of the recipes I want to try.
My sister and I made our annual pilgrimage to the League of NH Craftsmen's Fair in Sunapee, NH, and it was as wonderful as ever. It was a rather hectic trip - I ran a little late because I picked up birthday Iced Maple Lattes for us. Apparently, there are three shots of espresso in each one, so we really didn't need the car. We could have rocketed there on caffeine power. It was oppressively hot and humid and I really felt for the vendors. At least the tents were white, but there was little breeze, so the heat and humidity stayed trapped under the canopies. We didn't have a lot of time - which was a blessing, given the weather - as Connie had to get back to pick up her other client (other than our parents). I made a beeline for the one
artist I always buy from and picked up a couple of lovely items from a new one. Ann Eldridge's etchings are very popular, so I usually email her prior to our trip, to see what she still has. Lucky for me I did, as the cat print below, "Repose", was her only one.
|
I love this turkey - my favorite
bird. |
|
Sorry for the blurry photo - it's behind
glass |
I've already started to save towards next year. She focuses on nature and animals and I love her work. Last year I got a small print of a porcupine and I bought a raven print for my sister.
New this year were some stained glass pieces:
Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the craftsman's name. Both are exquisitely made and now I have to figure out where to hang them. My sister bought a beautiful print of a New England wood in fall. As is always the case, we had occasion to laugh so hard we cried. This time, the impetus was a pickup topped with a homemade, poorly balanced camper top that was proportionately wrong for the vehicle. BUT, as he was apparently doing his part in Making America Great Again, we just kept a safe distance, squealing in terror every time he tried to negotiate a curve in the road - which was constantly. I don't think we took a breath from Brattleboro to Bennington. It was such a relief to part company with this disaster on wheels.
Meanwhile, work has been unseasonably busy, which makes me cranky. We are used to and proud of being the outpost office - never visited by the nobs in HQ. So far this summer, we've had three partners camp out. Fortunately, this last one is a gem.