The heat of summer has finally arrived. The leaves of some will wilt under the sun’s glare.
The dried up shells of locusts litter the ground and some still cling with might, though their essence and pulse are long gone.
As I sit outside I feel engulfed by an unwanted embrace. I pray for the relief of a cool breeze, even though I know that prayers are not intended to serve our every need.
The swelter and sweat can build character. Some perish, and others break ground to try and claim this land. We all know the land will outlive us, and win in the end. We still play this game.
As I sit on my deck under the small relief of a ceiling fan, I see a young praying mantis lounging on a leaf of the Schip Laurel hedge. It seems content to bask in the sun. I leave it alone.
I hear a crow screeching behind the trees. Then silence. A desolate interlude is broken by the mewing of a catbird. A few minutes later the silence returns.
I look up to see fluffy wisps of clouds held together in the loose form of a mermaid blowing foam in the sky. It quickly breaks apart as if it suddenly realizes I can see it.
Some thrive in this heat. I look off into the garden section near the flute boy fountain, and I see the refreshing lavender color of three open six-petaled clematis flowers. The mother plant is named Silver Star and she was a Mother’s Day present to myself. There is a towering Dahlia cluster growing next to her. I believe its height will break some sort of record. The flowers are still forming. The multiple shades of pink Echinacea flowers are beginning to show their full faces.
Next to the pond I have two robust groups of yellow and orange Kniphofia. All their torches stand tall and proud. My garden is mostly a summer garden, and as the summer swelter rolls out, more and more blooms will thrive.
So, although it takes awhile to get accustomed to the summer heat, I say : Bring it on!
movingforwardslowly 