things about the house

back to the point: here's evidence of summer around our house.

one of the not-so-great things about homeownership: recently we had to take out our only old-growth tree. poor thing was dying from the top down and, though we tried to deny it, our neighbors complained ("we can't sleep at night for fear it will fall on our bedroom") and then finally called for their own estimate to have it taken down. we took the hint (we are bad neighbors!) and paid 500 bucks to have it turned into mulch. where there once was tall, healthy jeff (when you have only one old tree, you give it a name!), now there is only a big empty hole. it was a sad, sad day.





any suggestions for what we should replace it with? we're thinking deciduous, definitely a mimosa (tho most consider them weeds, i love them!) and maybe a tulip poplar?





















fortunately, other things continue to thrive.

this is what we started with this spring...














and this is what we have out front now! those bushes (variety of st. johns wort) are almost as tall as i am, and the lambs ear started out as just a sprig from tracy's parents' yard.














the passion flower is even producing fruit. anyone know anything about passionfruit jam?


















and this thing - we don't know what it is? - is going crazy. we get one of these WOW flowers every day. a flower per day - a nice way to measure the passage of summer.