Black-Eyed Susans

 Yellow is the color that epitomizes this week, which has been searingly hot and sunny. More delicate flowers wilt and droop, but the sturdy black-eyed susans happily raise their faces to the sun. Their countenance mirrors the same bright shades of yellow that a child would choose to draw the sun. They are a good example of radial symmetry, although, if you look closely, not all of the blooms are perfectly symmetrical. I resisted the urge to pull out the tendril of bindweed that was curling up through the flowers. It’s such a graceful complement that it can remain for now.  

Packing Material

 Last week, we received delivery of a very heavy package, double boxed. The outer box was filled with these tent-like cardboard gizmos. They did their job, in spite of the box itself arriving somewhat mashed. Who invented them? This is the sort of project often assigned to industrial design students in college. We now have thousands of these little guys in the house, waiting to be recycled. Before that, I am contemplating saving a few. Taken apart, they have possibilities for stenciling, collaging or reconfiguring in some way. But I don’t need thousands.

July Means Fireworks

 Independence Day may be over but opportunities to enjoy fireworks continue. The city of Alexandria celebrates its founding on the Saturday after the Fourth. Fire and police boats herd all the other boats into an area a safe distance from the barge filled with the fireworks. Eventually the sun goes down and the orchestra the 1812 Overture starts. As the cannons boom, the first fireworks shoot up into the sky, white, red, violet and gold. The colors reflect in the Potomac and fizzle down into the water. I just happened to snap one that never made it up into the air---a reminder that there is a reason why we watch the show from a distance!

A Meadow In The Yard

 More people are ditching their lawns and opting for a meadow. As the seasons progress, short grasses and clover give way to taller plants. In this yard, coneflowers add pops of color. Queen Anne's lace sways in the too-hot breeze. Seed heads are forming and I know that birds are waiting to come and feast on them. Some neighbors may be taken aback to see a tidy green lawn disappear, but the birds, bees and butterflies are happier.