Rain is continuing on and off.  The garden is very happy.

For RH second evening I made bread pudding, a raw veg platter, leftover sweet potatoes with added pineapple, and leftover brisket with rice.

Avdi collapsed on the sofa and slept a while, which he needed.  I’ve been sleeping a lot and dreaming intense, dark labyrinthian dreams which leave me exhausted and bewildered.  The stuff I watch streaming pales by comparison.

For erev Rosh Hashanah, I decided to make round cinnabun challot, to add sweetness to the coming year.  Avdi made a delicious apple cider brisket.  I also made sweet potatoes with fruits, pecans, and obligatory marshmallows on top, and other sides.  We had Y and K (E was at the usual rehearsals).

Conveniently, it has been raining on and off for a few days, so the garden is extra happy.  All the fall native flowers, finally revived, are putting on a show of white, yellow, and lavender/blue.

The B&B got off to a slow start.  Then it suddenly poured down rain.  Then it cleared up and people trickled in.  K had more friends downstairs than we had outside.  Then the few of us just chilled until it seemed like we’d have to start cleaning up.  Then suddenly, people appeared.  Then all the kids joined us.  It was like shifts changing.  Then we had a really nice time as it got dark and all my fairy lights came on.  There were pizzas.  I had a good time listening and talking to everyone.  I think it was very beneficial for Avdi.  Then he went out for the night and I stayed over and actually slept, but had very tragic loss dreams.  GF.

Today Avdi got to read out on the patio, while I decided to plant the rest of the veg garden.  The whole yard was looking so relieved after the rain, with all the fall native flowers blooming.  I planted all kinds of cold-hardy lettuces, greens, leeks, assorted beets, and carrots.  It looks like a real garden again.  I discovered this butterfly chrysalis on the swamp milkweed!

Behold!!  I tricked my cataractic camera into getting this butterfly in focus!  If only I could perform the same miracle on myself!

No time to ramble on…gotta go help set up a B&B, before it–rains?!  If only all world problems were that insignificant.

I worked my ass off yesterday, and definitely earned my drink.

I cleaned up the little square bed that had been supposed to be poppies but ended up native weeds and volunteer tomatoes, and reseeded it with CA orange poppies and beautiful dark purple poppies.  Hopefully they can do their over-winter thing and bloom in spring.

Then I took on that beast of a veg garden.  I cleaned up the paths, finished weeding the peppers, and raked away all the dead stuff to reveal a clean space to plant the rest of my fall/winter seeds.  It actually looks like a garden again.  Meanwhile, all the seeds on the other side are germinating.  As are all the weeds, of course!  My work’s cut out.

I stayed later so Avdi could go to the Black Rep.  I was watching the radar map, because a big blob was slowly approaching from the west, and late last night it actually–wait for it– rained!!  It’s been what, a month or more?!  Now it’s supposed to cool off a little, yay.

Tomorrow we have our “false fall B&B”.

Still very hot and dry, no rain for weeks, to the point where it takes nothing to kick up a dust storm in the yard.  They say it’s been a lot worse.  Midwesterners may be bland and boring, but their weather is not!

Yesterday while watering, I realized it’s time to replant some natives along the woodsy edge, to stratify over winter.  So I raked and cleaned up that whole strip, and added native and wildflower seeds to whatever may still be in there waiting for next spring.  I also raked and cleaned up some other areas of the back yard.  Soon I’ll start throwing leaves in the veg garden to serve as compost and mulch.

Y has his new bed set up, along with the well-furnished expectant pet rats cage.  Between the two large nests, there’s not much floor space left to clutter, but we’ll see!

Just a quickie…my “new” phone and I have one thing in common–a permanent case of fog brain, or I should say, lenses.  We both can’t focus.  But we make do.

The little seedlings are parsley.  That is Avdi actually out on the patio having cosmos with me.

They call this season false fall.  FALLse.  It’s basically summer back with a vengeance, continuing drought, with slightly less humidity.  So, California-like.  I’ll take it.  I have to water the garden every day, because I have a whole new wave of succession plantings coming up.  It’s almost Sukkot.  The pool is back in action and being used.  It should be perfect summer weather for our next B&B on Sat.  How it’s done in MO.

Avdi took me to the Theatre Guild of Webster Groves to see their production of Hound of the Baskervilles.  It’s located in a very old house, and has been active since before the Depression, in various iterations and locations.  This house had no AC on a very hot night (old infrastructure and budget issues), but was packed with an obviously appreciative, loyal crowd.  The play and actors were very professional and incorporated humor into this version.  I enjoyed it, although I almost died of heat!  The house with all the lights was next door.

Then I spent the night, so Avdi could get out.  I actually slept.  Today he and E and Y went to the zoo, but I opted for home.  It’s too hot for me to garden or traipse around outside.  I’ve gotten too dependent on AC, here in the new deep south.

I apologize for the lower quality of photos.  My new (refurb) phone is apparently half-blind like me, and can’t focus.

As always, the lovely baked goods (pumpkin cheesecake and bread pudding) are by E.  The pool, after much labor, is back, and looking inviting.

Now I know why I stick to simple, inane subjects that I understand for the most part.

Just when I think the political underworld can’t be any more grotesque and surreal than it already is, I learn about groypers.  Charlie Kirk wasn’t fascist enough?!  Virtual war games are being re-enacted in real time, not only against the usual suspects (leftists and marginalized groups), but fellow-christian fascists who aren’t extreme enough.

I’m going back to the garden.

Erev was interesting.  It came down to just Avdi, Y, and me, because K was sick and E was out participating in school EC activities.  Y raised some very intelligent questions and points about political, societal, and coming-of-age issues, leading to a lively and relevant discussion.  I learned some things, too.  Kids are paying attention.  These are the times I feel privileged to be around for.