It's another hot one in the zinnia patch today. Our weather guy posted this map yesterday showing us in the top 1% of the world for highest heat index of near 110-115. (Hint: We are not in the Sahara. :~/ )
%20(1).png)
Millie and I walked the trail early. It was eerily quiet this morning. A doe was in no hurry to leave her cedar thicket just off the path. Somewhere the summer tanagers were hiding in the thick branches above us. They were quiet as were the mockingbirds and other songbirds that usually sing their early morning songs.
%20(1).jpg)
.jpg)
A couple of black swallowtail butterflies seemed undaunted, however, flitting from flower to flower.
There were more poppies to admire. My grandmother and Georgia O'Keefe would have loved this bright red one. I did too.
In last year's journal, I had written about these two fabulous women. Of Georgia O'Keefe I had scribbled, "She kept the tails of rattlesnakes she killed in a tin box. She picked bones from the desert in lieu of flowers. To me they are as beautiful as anything I know." In her new desert home in New Mexico, she never looked back and the red poppy was no more....
.jpg)
My grandmother's home surrounded by red flowers.
Then, dearer to me, were these notes I had written about my grandmother.
My grandmother....
💗 loved the color red ~ red dahlias and verbena. And, Santa Claus. Her Christmas cards always had pictures of Santa Claus on them.
💗 enjoyed taking visitors on a walk-about to look at her flowers, gardens and orchards.
💗 took pride in raising large juicy deep red Black Diamond watermelons.
💗 tended a large flock of prized brown leghorn hens (and a rooster or two that was up crowing at the crack of dawn.)
💗 cooked on a wood-burning cookstove until she replaced it with an electric one later on.
💗 set up make-shift racks from metal roofing for drying fruits, apples and peaches from the orchard.
💗 lit a kerosene lamp at night for light until they got electricity.
💗 taught me how to make doll house furniture from light-weight cardboard, and flowers from crepe paper ~ red, of course.
💗 took me to the corner drug store for ice cream served in clear glass dishes. We sat in a booth and talked.
21 comments:
What a delightful tribute to your grandmother. It was described so eloquently that I could see it in my mind.
Happy holiday weekend to you and Millie as you do your walkabouts.
Love the zinnia photos, they are fabulous!!!
Wow that is hot. I've never been in such hot temperatures!!!
Was only in the 60's here today.
Your zinnias - and your photographic capture of them - are breathtaking. I have a small patch of zinnia out back of the garage but they have never thrived for some reason. I love your memories of your grandmother. She sounds like a woman after my own heart. ~Robin~
Beautiful photos!
Beautiful memories, and lovely memories she sounds allot like my Grandma hugs
Your Zinnias are lovely. I'm anxiously waiting for mine to grow taller and start to show buds. It's hot here too, but not as hot as what you're experiencing.
You have such sweet memories of your grandmother. My grandmother was a sweet lady but her English wasn't very good so conversations with her were difficult. Also I didn't get to see her very often.
Gorgeous zinnias, but the heat sounds horrendous.
My mother loved field poppies
I liked the extract from your journal and your lovely memories of your grandmother.
Oh so beautiful are your zinnias! This memory trip with your grandmother was captivating. Love the memories you share.
What lovely memories of your grandmother and I love your drawing abilities. Such a beautiful entry in your journal.
Happy 4th of July. Hugs,
Julia
Lovely memories. I never met any of my grandparents, such a shame.
Very interesting read about your grandmother. Oh those zinnias are just awesome. We have been under a smoke advisory for the past 4 days from the Canadian forest fires. Yikes on it being so hot by you. Janice
What a lovely post. Beautiful zinnias.
Such a lovely tribute to your grandmother. My mother was a huge fan of zinnias and had them (and poppies) all over her garden. She would save the poppy seeds and would visit the neighbours gardens after dark and scatter seeds when they weren't looking. They didn't seem to mind.
My zinnia's are only about 4 inches tall cannot wait until they bloom like yours. We are rainy and not much sun. Grandmother's I adored mine. I hope to leave my grand with memories too.
Cathy
Those watermelon sound amazing! So does your grandmother. Such beautiful memories! Your zinnias look so sharp. I planted some, but I don't think they came up. I enjoyed your post. Especially your memories of your grandmother.
Oh, the old drugstore booths! Very appealing. (we may be ahead of you with fireflies, but you beat us with the zinnias)
My maternal grandmother died when my mother was a few months shy of her 10th birthday; We visited my Dad's mother [a widow] a few times a year--Sunday afternoon visits that sometimes seemed rather awkward. I was blessed with a surrogate grandmother who lived a mile away. I was often in that home and felt cherished there.
Zinnias: the row I usually plant in the veg garden didn't really flourish last year, but I've found self sown plants at the edge of the garden and springing up in the nearby grass. Of course I've rescued them and stuck them in various places. I'm waiting for a variety called 'mini zinnies' to bloom from seed.
Oh how I loved reading about your grandmother!
My zinnias didn't germinate this year, so I'm enjoying yours!
So nice to read about her. Love it.
Looks like you have at least two zinnia patches -- that's the kind of wealth I envy! If my zinnias had your kind of heat, they might be big by now, but they only had two days... and now they are waiting again.
I'm so glad you were driven indoors by the weather and took the opportunity to send us beautiful messages in word and pictures.
Your zinnia patch is beautiful! Zinnias are such vibrantly painted and cheery flowers. My goodness, it's scorching there! Some watermelon like your grandmother grew would be good.Loved reading your words about your grandmother. Such beautiful memories.
Post a Comment