The summer is just zipping by. Its been a pretty good summer weather-wise. This is likely the earliest (mid-July) that I have had ripe cherry tomatoes. They are ripening a few, every few days. The deer did eat the sunflower, as per usual, but I left the stalk and kept watering it and it now has a few small buds and leaves again.
The flower boxes are doing pretty well too. In the spring I planted a new shrub, a Clethra Ruby Spice. It is doing well and growing steadily, but isn't flowering yet, so I will wait to take a photo once it blooms.
My birthday was in July and Damon got me Roses and chocolates. The roses are pictured below. The lasted for almost 2 weeks fresh. I am now drying them.
Damon has been busy, during his July vacation he made pork jerky, bottle some home brewed beer and made cheese.
Wildlife is plentiful in the yard. We were visited by a baby groundhog for a few weeks and then in the last week of July this turtle wandered through the yard. It strolled between the fence and the gazebo, and then hung a left and headed for the brook. It is the first time I have seen a turtle in the yard, let alone on of this size.
