I fired up the grill as usual, but it was hard to tell if it was any hotter than the air around it.  We’re in a 90s streak this week, which means it feels closer to 100°.  Still, better than freezing.

I believe I’m secretly a misplaced Californian.  Or more accurately, Mediterranean.  Tropical flowers, citrus and olive trees, cheeses, vineyards, and ocean.  I think I took a wrong turn somewhere.  But it’s okay.  If wildlife can adapt to disturbed areas, so can I.

The pods are partridge pea (a native wildflower) pods.

Misu finally has her very own cat tower from which to oversee her queendom from on high!  (Highly reduced in price for clearance as well, so we couldn’t deny her majesty.)  Here she is getting high!

Outside, the extreme heat is not discouraging all the pollinators, butterflies, hummers, goldfinches, etc. from their feeding frenzy.  I caught a squirrel in the act of hanging from the sunflowers and carrying off a whole one in its mouth.  The raven mobsters instantly clean up all my BBQ carnage.  We observe new varieties of birds each day, attracted by my bird feeders and more diversity of plants.  Every morning I find remnants of my so-called corn crop scattered everywhere.  Everybody seems to have the munchies!

My son spent the night and erev with us, in between trips to other cities.  It’s always nice to catch a glimpse.  Good excuse to barbecue chicken on the grill.  Any excuse to play with fire!  Misu was pleased to see her “boy” again, as was I.  As he was on “her” bed, she moved into her “office” with the computer on the washer.

Some new and repeat flowers are blooming, including a red and gold gaillardia (I think).  There was a hummingbird moth on the butterfly bushes.  Also what I believe was a tiger swallowtail butterfly (yellow and black), but it didn’t want its picture taken.

I saw the odd white squirrel again the other day.  I don’t know, maybe it’s a mystical sign that justice will prevail over hate. A White Karma Squirrel!  OK, not a buffalo, but I’ll take hope wherever I can get it.

Here are some pretty flowers of color [FOC].  How boring and bleak this world would be without colors.

Here’s our new hi-tech multi-functional BBQ grill!  Improv by E.  Misu approves of her new gazebo.  Did I mention I’m a pyro?  FI-UH!

Too bad my eggplants and squash did mostly zilch this year, or I’d be grilling them.  I can’t even grow a cucumber.  These tiny sugar baby watermelons are making a valiant effort.  I do manage to harvest tomatoes, banana peppers, and okra out the wazoo daily.

On the other hand, the invasive honeysuckle vines (established before we moved here) are out of control, but they still do smell sweet.

The orange butterfly may or may not be a monarch, but I’m still happy to see more species being attracted by my flowers.  I’m not sure if the brown spotted one is a moth or butterfly.  The bees are having a feeding frenzy.  It’s a pollinator paradise out there.

I’m pretty speechless, and it’s all been said elsewhere anyway.  A mass shooting per day is one too many, but I’ll just say this one in Dayton, Ohio comes closer to home–E’s home for decades, and mine for years.  We have friends there.  You have to be cold and stupid not to see our racist gun culture has been allowed to go too far, with Trump and his mob fanning the flames of violence.  I’ll just leave it there.

It seems thoughtless to post mundane life-as-usual photos when the world is disintegrating around you, but here and there life does go on.  Today I installed a better boardwalk down the middle of the meadow, snaking around wildflowers and trees.  I think I saw a monarch, finally!  Then E mowed.  It was none too soon, because suddenly the sky opened up with thunder and heavy sheets of rain.  The field is now like a wetland.

The good news is, I was able to grow some corn this year.  The less good news is, all the immature ears are getting eaten by critters before we can try any. The varmints actually have the audacity to set them on E’s bench and have a picnic, practically under our noses!  I’m glad I can provide free corn to the ‘hood.  Apparently it was delicious.

On the other hand, nobody seems to want all the okra I seem to be able to grow.  The stuff can’t be stopped!  I turn my back for a minute and it’s huge.  It must be happy to see me.  Whereas the easiest thing in the world to grow, zucchini and other squash, won’t produce this year.  It flowers profusely, then nothing.  This soil must be toxic.  I have to work on that.

Still, there are always flowers.  And I get tomatoes every day.  Even an occasional pepper.  All things considered, not too shabby.

While looking at pretty coneflowers and balloon flowers, I noticed these adorable lanterns on the poisonous deadly nightshade plant.  These are related to ground cherries and tomatillo, which are edible.  Likewise, the attractive dark berries of pokeweed are toxic to us, but not to some birds.  On the other hand, E’s fabulous savory pie is quite edible.

Beyond a certain point, the Dem debates start to seem funny to me, to the point where I made up silly names to tell the candidates apart, no disrespect intended, such as: Delooney, Chickenpooper, Wonkysuck, Buttock, O’Dork, Butto’jokes, and so on.  I know, pretty juvenile!  Also I thought up a drinking game for each time Warren said “suck”.  Fortunately I didn’t actually do shots, or I would have been trashed.  I should mention, I have a lot of regard for some of the above candidates, but others just crack me up.  I won’t mention any names.  😀

Meanwhile it seems the world is burning or flooding or both.  Roads in Europe are melting!  Of course, like an evil machine conspiracy, that’s when AC units decide to die.  Weirdly, both my son’s and ours did it simultaneously yesterday.  His was much more serious and expensive, unfortunately, and coincided with sending the kids off to return to PA.  Ours was less extreme, but still a big setback for us.  But we made the most of it, watching the AC technician dissect, repair, and clean our unit (apparently for the first time since before we moved here), and learning all about AC parts.  That’s how boring our life is!  AC restored.

The heat doesn’t deter flowers, however.  Here are some basking in the sauna.

Misu is getting more used to being a house cat.  Here she is being a gargoyle in my office as I type this.

Well, back to debate-baiting.