Welp I spoke too soon about it being relatively quiet here.  Starting yesterday evening and lasting well into the night, we were literally surrounded on all sides by deafening fireworks explosions, bombs, artillery, and thick noxious smoke filling the air.  We went outside to watch for a while, and it was pretty spectacular, but soon we were choking on the smoke and going deaf, so we went inside to watch much quieter shooting on tv.

Maybe it’s my age, but I felt a bit nervous.  I’m sure it’s nothing compared to a real war zone, but it has to be stressful and triggering for military survivors, not to mention dogs, who were out there howling in distress.  Even Misu, safe inside, looked a little on edge.

I’d much rather celebrate the day after the fourth, my son’s birthday, though sadly I can’t be with him.  New flowers blooming are more my speed, and to me much more exciting and vibrant.  Some common standbys like zinnias (one with a small butterfly) and gladioli (a lovely lavender one is blooming now) are spectacular bursts of color.

Others are much more subtle but just as striking.  Just today, as if on cue, some newcomers were blooming for the first time in the cutting garden, including a lacy white Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella), deep red cockscomb (Celosia), a pale yellow okra flower, and delicate blue borage.  Others are getting ready to show.

Even lowly pole beans and zucchini are exploding.  And more green passionfruit keep appearing.  Maybe I’ll even get to see them ripen.