Wasn't it nice to have another cooler day!? I actually got some work done in my flower beds. Found a few surprises - HUGE thistles, my lavender was overwhelmed by ferns, and there were several tiny evergreens doing very nicely in the cool, moist shade of the bigger plants. I always hesitate to pull them up - each one is a potential big fragrant spruce or fir and good for the environment, right? I know from past experience trees pop up in the darndest places and for a while can be a wonderful source of enjoyment. But they get bigger and then it's really, really hard to move them or cut them down. Besides, these were way too close to the house. Already I have maples and cherry trees that I left where they sprouted that are beginning to block out the view from our deck. It's a dilemma, though because although I love the view, I also appreciate the shade, especially of the cherry that took up residence at the east corner of the deck. It makes sitting on the deck akin to hanging out in a cool, shady tree house. Someday it will probably have to come down - Fred has his eye on it for wood, I think - but it will be a hard choice. So unless I find something worth transplanting to a better location, I pluck these little intruders out of my garden right away.

Someone recently chided me for complaining about the heat, indicating that Vermont doesn't get THAT hot - and I suppose that's correct. Although, I've always thought we Vermonters have to adjust from the cold spells to these hot spells rather abruptly sometimes, so it's not the same as for folks who live in oven-like climates year around with little fluctuation. Anyway, I decided to see just how hot we have been in the past. According to the National Weather Service, three consecutive days above 90 degrees constitutes a heat wave. I was surprised at how many times in the past this has happened in Vermont. Take a look: Heat Waves These figures were for Burlington, Vermont, which is generally a bit warmer than we are here at Joe's Pond, but it is still interesting.

Don't forget that the Baked Bean Supper is tomorrow night. Yesterday Hastings Store still had a few tickets, so perhaps you can still get one.