Long, long days of June

It is after 9pm, and the sky is still light behind the silhouette of the trees. In another 3 weeks we will have the longest day of the year. Up here, if it is clear that week, it won't get completely dark until nearly 10pm. And then the days will start getting shorter. My son-in-law, who is from Honduras, couldn't comprehend this concept at all because down there, a day in December is just as hot and has just as many hours of daylight as a day in June. I like the long days, even if it means that the sky begins to get light shortly after 4 am. I really like the short days when I can come home at 5pm and put my pajamas on because it feels like it is almost time for bed right after dinner.

The rains have let up, for now. We have had the snowiest winter on record, with 128.4 inches. And the rainiest spring with 24.78 inches so far for the year. And that is compared to 12.63 inches normal for the whole year. Talk about green EVERYWHERE! Our little babbling brook still continues to flow several gallons per hour, and everyone who sees it says they have never seen anything like it.

Yesterday was nice. After 3 days of very warm, humid weather, it cooled off dramatically, with lows into the 40's and the high of only about 68. It was perfect for heading up to the local nursery and buying some flowers to plant in our large barrels. And while looking for the best flowers to plant, I came across some called "Elfin Mix Impatiens" and just had to buy them to plant near my Elf door that my brother-in-law made a few years ago. Here is what is now looks like:

There are 6 impatiens plants in the mulch. I love this area because I can see it from the kitchen window when I am doing the dishes or cooking. Hopefully the little garden takes, and the flowers spread. Maybe the elves will help with the weeding!

My youngest daughter and her two little girls will be here in just over 2 weeks. We are looking forward to some special time with our granddaughters who are almost 7 months and almost 2 1/2 years old. It should be fun having them all here for a few days. I hope the weather is fairly good, and the bugs aren't too bad. I have a multitude of tiny no-see-um bites that are very itchy right now. The little buggers should hopefully have died off for the year before they get here. Of course, about the time they are gone, the pesty deer flies start dive bombing us as we walk the dogs, and right behind them will be the swarms of blood-thirsty mosquitoes. Ahhhh, summer life in the country!