To the rescue

I got to see my municipal tax dollars at work today. I came home from work and there was smoke and a pile of something burning on the neighbor's driveway. I thought to myself, I wonder if they got a permit to burn their yard waste. I went in the house and a few minutes later the fire truck and squad cars showed up. Everyone from the neighborhood started congregating around my driveway. I went out to see what was up. Donna told me the contractors must have disposed of something in the trash can, and it caught fire. Her son was riding by on his bike and asked her to phone it in.

I took these pictures after the event was mostly over. If you zoom in you can see the partially melted recycle bin and the ashes of the former garbage bin. It's very lucky that the pine tree did not catch fire, especially considering how dry everything is. It's also very lucky they had the garbage bins outside on the concrete driveway instead of inside next to a gas can or something. The whole newly remodeled house could have gone up in smoke. The owners were not home. In fact, there's some speculation as to whether they even live there anymore.

Another new toy

I bought myself a rowing machine. I've wanted one for quite a while. It's called the Stamina Body Trac Glider. It's very smooth.

I just pop in a DVD and row myself all the way to the Caribbean.

My new toy

I got a new toy for my birthday. It's called iRobot Looj. It's a remote control gutter cleaner.

First, get the paddles spinning. Then you can drive it forward to throw the debris out. When you get to the end, you put it in reverse and drive it backwards.

Unfortunately, some of my cross braces are too low and it won't run under them. Still, it's pretty cool!

Nice specimens

My wildflower garden isn't quite as spectacular as last year, but I do have some nice individual flowers in the midst of the mess. For instance, there's a white coneflower in the foreground.

I think my memory is failing. This is balloon flower. But last year I swear it was a single (this one is a double), and I remember it being about twenty feet from where this one is blooming.

This is a yellow ratibida, also known as Mexican Hat or prairie coneflower.

This is red ratibita. I used to have this in my garden in Jefferson.

Is this Chinese Lantern? Or a weed? I guess I'll wait to see if they turn red. It's really loving the wet area under the water spigot.

This looks like Forget-Me-Not, but I thought that only blooms in the spring...?

Speaking of specimens, guess which one is the Dwarf Sugar Gray and which one is the Oregon Giant.

Summer time

It's very definitely summer time. The heat is on and the rains have stopped.

Shasta Daisy. From last year's seed packets.

Black-eyed susans. From last year's wildflower seeds.

One of the few broccoli plants that didn't get trampled or eaten by the deer. I'll be lucky if I can revive the remaining cauliflower plant.

Wouldn't you like to grow a pepper, too?

The great pumpkin. It's about 10 feet long now.

Early flower on the pumpkin, probably male.

The cucumbers are loving all this sunshine. I swear they grow several inches a day. They're thirsty, too.

Peekaboo cardinal.

What do you think of this brick pattern? It's a strong contender for my patio project.