Finding Beauty in Hot & Soggy

We are caught in that weather pattern where hot, humid weather attracts thunderstorms--and then more heat and humidity, and then more thunderstorms.

It's too wet to mow and weed. So instead of sulking, which I've done, I captured some images from mid-June.

The first crop of strawberries is winding down.

The red raspberries are preparing to take over. Shhhh... don't tell the birds.

And, while mowing a bit of pasture--before another pop-up storm--I found a few wild raspberries and ate them.

In the garden, the weeds are growing, as is the dill.

As is the radish cover crop. Last week I said enough with planting and seeded the remaining garden space in cover crop. It's my first attempt at this, so we'll see how it goes.

It's my first attempt at growing popcorn, too.

I've grown garlic before--but had never eaten the scapes. I sauteed them in olive oil and butter, added some more fresh herbs and tossed it with linguine. It was so tasty, I might have to plant my garden in garlic next year.

Meanwhile, in the chicken yard, the chicks continue to capture my attention. The chicks are almost four weeks old. Buckeyes are a slow-maturing breed--but very hardy and great foragers.

The lambs, especially the Katahdin-Dorper crosses, are growing fast. These two aren't quite 3 months old.

In the flowerbed, the first daylily of the season bloomed today.

And the lilies are so beautiful, I want to bring them inside.

But I won't. Louise the cat ate the lilies last year.

My favorites, though, may be the alliums--wild, carefree and a peaceful blue.

Louie Ate Lily. I am now growing grass.

The lilies are blooming.

But I'll just be enjoying them in the flowerbeds.

Last week, in a moment of domesticity, I cut several and brought them indoors.

Louie, the indoor cat, ate them.

Lilies are toxic to cats.

While he threw up lots of lily leaves, I had no way of knowing if he regurgitated all of them.

So off to the vet we go.

He is fine.

I am now growing grass.

The indoor/outdoor dogs and cats leave the lilies alone. They have a smorgasbord of green (and other unmentionables), so they have no need to eat lilies.

Louie doesn't have an opportunity to eat greens.

So, I researched what is in the "cat grass" that is sold in pet catalogs and found it was a combo of rye, oats and wheat.

So, I pulled out an old litter pan, filled it with potting soil, and planted some landscape mix (50% rye grass) and threw in some oats from the chicken's scratch grain. The wheat will have to wait a few weeks... as it's ripening in the field.

Louie's little plot of grass is germinating on the back porch. In a few weeks, I'll bring it indoors. And, I'm hoping he'll find it more palatable than lilies.