Suddenly Dark

This is at about 7:15pm. Dark. Summer is over my friends.


I had the best day.


Monsoon until 1pm-ish. I sat in Beans next to the fake fire (warm!) with my notebook and a coffee, while the floodwaters broke over the curb onto the sidewalk. Absolute best Playing-Hooky-Morning this year (not counting the Playing-Hooky-Afternoon floating on air-mattresses at Lighthouse Park during the heatwave this summer--that's Lighthouse Park on the silhouetted peninsula, above)! After a morning like this, I think the writer-lifestyle suits me fine. All I need is a rainstorm and my cafe-hat, which instantly transforms me into Remote Intellectual Seeking Refuge. Oh yes, I also need focus. To write a book I mean.


Then the clouds broke and I rode over to Roswitha's and rescued her tomatoes (into the greenhouse with you!) because the runes say this weather's here to stay. We planted eight different varieties in pots and they are still loaded with fruit as green as beans so I'm hoping the somewhat remote and dilapidated greenhouse will finish the job. The hose reaches. The tomatoes are so good they make me weep. Some don't even taste like tomato. Like melon. I have forgotten the true taste of tomato. Save-On, how could you forsake me? (This is what happens when I spend a morning writing.)


Here's a few shots of the floral pots on the patio, in fond farewell to summer. I actually took them last week, noting that I am impressed with the performance of delphiniums in pots (see white delphs with white roses below). Delphiniums are decadent, and will flower twice if you cut back the first spent blooms. The cannas and tuberous begonias shown in the other pots are overwintered, so I'll wait a couple weeks before I pull them. Begonias are bodacious--I swear that pot came from a handful of shrapnel-bits I discovered in the garage a little later than I'd've liked.


So I'm also wearing my Plant-Hunter hat these days--sourcing for a few designy-type projects. Tomorrow, will be attending a gardener-soiree at a supplier's open house, so rain-or-shine I suspect the gumboot crowd will be out and about. It's so rare we're offered wine and cheese, we might even dress up. I'm sure I have a Garden Soiree hat here somewhere..