Summer sultry

My approach to summer yard work is slow and easy. That is the exact opposite of the weed growth philosophy, however, which is more like fast and furious. With the amount of rain that we've had around here lately, the weeds quickly get ahead. I head out around the yard with my mower pulling the yard cart and carrying a few tools. I want to get the pokeweed dug, killed, or at least chopped down before it blooms and goes to seed. The same with those lemon drop weeds. I go around the yard digging, cutting, pulling, and/or spraying until I've got a respectable load in the card that merits a trip down to the brush pile. If I get even one cartload a day I can keep on top of it, although there's still a few big clearing projects to be done when time and weather permit. 

Summer Solstice is almost upon us so the evenings are long even if it never really cools off. The dogs were out with me so they had a good run, followed by flea/tick and heartworm preventatives this evening. Kilo ran and played with Maya and Della and then I put him in with the puppies for a while because they love him and Kilo sucks at yard work.  

Here a few pictures taken while doing some weeding and clean up chores around on recent evenings.

I don't know what this flower is. This is the first year I've had one. 

I've got it in a hanging basket. Very pretty I think.

A door opening video

These are pictures of a magnolia blossom taken after dark, using a flashlight.

Maya in the tall grass of the pasture.

That's Kilo. He really enjoys running out there.

Della and Kilo were playing, but I didn't get to see much of it because of the grass.

After running in the pasture, Kilo decided to cool off in my garden pond.

I haven't planted it yet, or even cleaned it out but he didn't mind.

I put in this pond at the low edge of a round garden bed. The pond expands when it rains like it has lately and forms a larger pool of standing water. The things that were in this bed to start with have mostly died and now there is poison ivy. I think I'm just going to clear it all out and start anew. A native hackberry tree has grown up in the middle and I think that's the only thing I'll save from there, other than the pond. The poison ivy absolutely must go even if everything else has to go along with it.