The June Swoon

It's Summer Time with the June Swoon

 

Cindy and I just returned from a visit to our son in Colorado Springs and mother in Wyoming. Every where we went the high temperatures followed, mid 90's in Colorado and Wyoming. And of course when we finally got home the temps have been in the 100's for 8 straight days. Summertime. The living is easy, and the fish are jumping according to Louie and Aretha. Maybe they are right about the fish jumping, but the easy living part I would have to question. 

First stop was the Springs and a west exposure hillside home without air conditioning. Three young bachelors living together without a live-in maid. Get the picture? Cindy spent all day cleaning, of course the son and I had to catch up on things. Our time together was very special and I enjoyed the fellowship a lot.

Then the fun began: three nights with no sleep, Mollie our border collie cut her rear legs and had to go in for a 600.00 vet visit. Got home at 1 a.m. to be followed by the Wyoming trip the next morning. As I was leaving I was having shortness of breath. Thought it was the altitude. Arrived in Wyoming for two days and enjoyed visits to the natural beauty I used to think was downright ugly as a child. Grudgingly, I was still struggling with breathing and occasional fever. On the day we were leaving, my temperature was 102. My mother made me go to the ER. Thank God she was right, I had viral pneumonia. We stayed an extra day and drove back home 900 miles the next day. Now I'm in two modes of recovery, from the virus and my shoulder surgery. But it's not so bad. It's summertime, and the fish are jumping. And the garden is on a June Swoon.

I used to have the title of golf course superintendent, which means I love to play golf, supposedly. You know, make your hobby your job. Well there was a time of the year where you game reached it's level of diminishing returns. We called it the October Swoon.

When I got home early this morning I was trying to catch up on bloggerville and came across Susan in the Pink Hat post on  the blog Ink and Penstemon. The subject matter was about how this time of the year can be depressing. You work all winter and spring and enjoy the fruits of your labor in the spring and then the June Swoon comes. Heat, wind, humidity in my case, and the conception we need to have continuous color. As the garden sulks and shrinks our winter dreams begin to wade or I should say melt. It is depressing. The June Swoon.

 Even the hell strip has shown levels of stress as you can see. I think its time for me to look at different choices or levels of perfection. Such as more heat/drought tolerant native species which I saw while on my visit.

Sphaeralcea coccinea (Scarlet Globemallow) growing in asphalt.

Sedum and blackfoot daisy?

 

calochortus gunnisonii (Sego Lily)?

Greetings from Wyoming

More news from the front range in the next post.