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Three-foot weeds and some as tall as trees overrun the garden............

......but among those weeds the resilient butterfly bushes thrive showing their deep magenta blooms, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.  I go down to the garden and pull weeds for about 15-20 minutes whenever it's not raining.  Much more than that some days causes wrist pain.  If the weeds ever dry, Cliff will weed-whack those not near my garden. 

In early spring I broadcast a packet of shade-loving wildflowers seeds in hopes that they would germinate and the voles would leave them alone. The seeds didn't disappoint me. 

Thai holy basil reseeds itself and shows up each summer.  Makes a wonderful tea. The flowers and leaves will be harvested to dry and be stored for tea all winter.  Thai holy basil is an adaptogen providing the body with a plethora (I love that word) of health benefits that can treat a variety of ailments.

Mark just returned from his six-week training course in Texas for his new job in Florida.

He scored a 101 on his final exam and is ready to take on his new position.  Jen and his two greyhounds and black cat are happy to have him home again.

Cliff is having cataract surgery on his left eye on August 2 and on his right eye on August 16.  The doctor prescribed two Rxs to be started days before the surgery and the other to be used after the surgery. The cost of the three Rxs........well over $600! After he put his eyeballs back into their sockets and caught his breath, he told the pharmacist to put the Rxs back on the shelf.  The next day she spoke to the ophthalmologist and got him to prescribe generic meds that cost $53 for all three. It's a shame that some doctors are paid by pharmaceutical companies to push their drugs. 

It's been an unusual rainy spring into summer but we love how lush and green everything appears.  The other night we had 2+ inches of rain and many afternoons we have pop-up thunder showers.  Daytime temperatures have been running in the mid-eighties with some morning temperatures as low as 59 or 60.  Today riding through the Ocoee Gorge on our way to Chattanooga, we noticed all three of the dams flowing water into the river.  Normally, the dams are only opened over the weekend for the rafters.