Summer Photos

Even though it has been very hot here in the South for a few weeks,  Summertime did not officially begin  for us until this Sunday, June 21st.

It is so much fun for me to take my camera and try to capture some of life's moments with photos.  I also enjoy trying to capture some of the awesome beauty the good Lord has given all of us to enjoy.

I thought I would share some of the photos I have taken in the last couple of weeks as we enter into Summertime.  Often times when I walk around the yard I take my camera just in case I see something I want to remember ...

Our home in the early evening light.

I love ferns on the front porch, but our porch is so shaded I often have to take
the ferns and place them where they can get a little more sunlight.

I like the simplicity of this Dogwood blossom wreath with the pretty green bow.

The green paint on the door is called "Pine Green, " appropriately named because it is the color of pine tree leaves.  It is also the color of most of the green leaves of Summer.   All of the rocking chairs on the front porch and the back porch are all painted this color.

                                 Summertime makes everything so pretty and green.

 During the Summer months here in the South we often have to
water the grass, especially if we have a long dry spell.

If you look closely you can spot the fish pond all the way down the hill past the trees.

We planted this rose bush as seen in the below photo in the wrong place because it is a climber.  

We have to prune this Dr. Van Fleet Rose bush often or it would be everywhere.

Another blooming rose on the front fence.

   Mr. Blue jay often comes by for a visit and a bite to eat.  He usually brings lots of friends with him.

A pretty little wild rose growing in the front yard.

Yes, and this early Summer saw the graduation of two of our grandsons from 

high school, both at the same time. It was a fun "Congrats!" party.

Looking at these '2015' cookies makes me hungry ... 

Our daughter's friend made these for the party.

And, yes, we had another  graduation party for two of our grandchildren who live in South Florida.  They were graduating from 5th grade and going into middle school.  The local Publix Grocery Store made this very nice 'Congratulation' cake.

We visited with Grandson Connor who also lives in South Florida.  He too just 

graduated from High School this year.   This was his celebration cake.

These pretty roses were the centerpiece for the graduation party table.  It is amazing how two photos of the same arrangement can look so different.

The below photo shows up much lighter than the actual conditions.  It was late evening and I was trying to capture the lightening bugs that were flying around all over the place.  You really have to use your imagination to see them. 

And in the below photo I was walking down the same trail, again trying to get a good photo of the lightening bugs.  They were everywhere, but I only see a couple in this picture ... Do you see them?
Lightening bugs do always remind me of the joys of Summer.

I snapped this photo of the Angel hair fern which lives on the back porch.  I have had her for about 4 years and she always just barely survived.  Then I finally re-potted her to a much larger pot in the early Spring and now look how nicely she is doing.

Plants are like people I guess, they really need to be cared for in a kind and caring way.  I also give her a little Miracle Grow when I think she might need a little something extra.

She has tripled in size with just a little tender loving care.

Even though the raccoons get most of the corn each year I still planted the garden.  I do wonder how the real farmers are so successful and how they manage to keep the raccoons out of their corn.  Plus the other evening I saw Peter Rabbit hopping around the garden.  He too was looking for something good to eat.

The corn is just beginning to grow on the stalks ... always amazing to me how these miracles happen.

And another miracle as these tiny green peppers begin to grow.

And grow and grow.

And, the tomatoes too.

I planted the flat Italian green beans this year for the first time and they grow just as nicely as the regular green beans and they taste very good too.   We also have gotten a little squash from the garden.

I planted the mammoth sunflower seeds, but as you can see the flowers that are beginning to bloom down in the garden are not huge. 

To me there is nothing like a Sunflower in the Summertime!

As Mr. Kilmer said so nicely in his "Trees" poem, Only God can make a tree.  He could have added so many more things to that list,  including Sunflowers and vegetables in the garden.

True to Summertime it has been very warm here already, but we have had some nice rains to cool things off.  Hopefully those nice rains will be good for the garden as well.

I hope you are having a very nice Summertime also wherever you may be.