August 2, 2026

What?  It's already August 2, 2026?  Well, yes, it's been a week since the last Blog.  Let's see what the universe has to show for it!  

These pretty yellow flowers are getting themselves going - will someone remind me what they are called?  Next, a bee dives into the delicious center of one of the plentiful Dame's Rocket blossoms.   

Last summer when I saw a plant similar to this one, I thought it must be a Poison Ivy plant that had caught itself!  But this one doesn't even look like Poison Ivy and those bits of debris seem to have fallen off of something else.  Any clues?

It has been such a busy last couple of weeks here in Albion - a number of organizations seem to be converging on this date to renew old friendships from last year.  Many of these meetings have centered on friends who have recently left the planet.  If there is an upside to this phenomenon, it is how many people appeared from the past - and how many remembered each other from last year's meetings.  (I mentioned to a couple of old friends that I had been describing their contributions to my life in my blogs, and was relieved when they said that they were aware of this habit (and didn't seem to mind it!)  When I mentioned this to one of them, he said, "Oh, you're talking about what you said in your obit, right?"  I guess the fact that I've been working on the obit is out.   Well, I figure if you want your obit to say the right stuff, you have got to get a version out there that you could live with (figure of speech, right?)  

Wow, I guess it really is out now...  Is this an Astilbe?  Is THIS an Asiatic Day flower?  Is THIS a thistle?  (Of course it is, but which?)  They are starting to come out in (small) numbers this week.  

What is this?  (An Astilbe, one given me by Betty Beese so long ago!)

Well, friends, this is about it as goes new things out there.  I think we are in a sort of lull as goes new things appearing regularly, but don't worry.  Things will pick up!   Meanwhile, I'm spending some time making new duds out of all that fabric I couldn't not buy a couple of weeks ago!   Wish me luck!

Have a wonderful week!  I don't have anything big planned and so hope to have more time to take cool pictures of things popping up outside!  Love, Martha