Independence of July

This July has been unusual.  Today the high was 87 but last week we had a high of 108.  And although we have a few grasshoppers, there are very few.  How it is possible that they went from plague proportions last year to barely any this year is confounding.  It just points out to me again that there are so many factors involved in nature that our small human brains can not know.  We are having a bumper crop of peaches and the golden plums are coming along.  They sure are late!  I am trying to keep up with the zuchinni since I planted one this year.  They are so much more vigorous than patty-pans.  I have been making dosas (Indian flat bread made with soaked fermented rice and lentils).  I love it.  

The chickens are doing very well.  All big and beautiful and reddish brown with black markings.  I can't really tell them apart so they are just "the chickens" which is probably better for my long term mental health.  There are clouds today which is nice.  Alfred has started work on the long delayed greenhouse.  I am very happy.  Only took 5 years.  Our grapes have some disease this year.  Poor fruit formation and lots of leaf drop.  Don't really know what's up with them.  I finally got a Baical Skullcap and it's doing so well.  Best anti-viral around apparently with beautiful blue and white flowers.  

This is a photo of what I think is Palo Verde.  I started it from seed.  It has super small leaves and its trunk is really green for photosynthesis.  The flowers are strangely shaped but pretty yellow and orange.  

This is pennyroyal.  Some farms around me on irrigation have a ton of this stuff.  But I had to import it.

We in the USA are going through some heavy stuff politically and socially.  We are having to face some terrible truths.  But come to think of it, it's pretty harsh in many countries right now (Bangladesh, Iraq, Turkey, all suffered attacks of late.) Many days I dread opening up my computer and logging on.  It's often so heart-breaking.  Through it all though, I find Nature a great restorative.  It doesn't erase but it does ease.