We’ve had high temperatures, high humidity, and a heat index around 100 for too many days. It’s hot. It’s dry. It is really dry as you can see from the lack of water flowing over the Cocheco Falls. Geez, there’s grass and weeds growing on it.
I finished my wall hanging for the porch. I used the same material that I used on my cushions and pillows. It is a simple one, but I like it.
I made four Garden Block squares, added a white sashing, and machine quilted it.
I finished it with Susie’s Easy 
Binding that I learned from Mary at Stitchingrandma.
It looks like a flange, but it is easier, and the entire thing is done on the machine.
I have a 38 year-old plant on my porch that sits in a very large
black pot. I’ve lightened it up by making it a skirt with a little white quilted fabric and some velcro and now it blends in better with the other white planters.
We took a day trip to Portland and got some computer help at the Apple Genius Bar and then treated ourselves to lunch at Salvage Barbecue. The food was good for barbecue in New England, but if you’ve had a lot of Kansas City barbecue it wasn’t quite up to those standards.
The heat continues this week so there will be a bumper crop of tomatoes and berries. My freezer is almost full to the brim. I have a MG Propagation Class at the UNH Greenhouse this week so we can get some expert advice on planning for our 2017 Annual Plant Sale. If propagating plants is of interest to you, let me know and I’ll post the cliff notes.
Right now color in the perennial beds is coming from the Black-eyed Susans, Phlox, Knockout roses, Rudbeckia, Coreopsis, and the Butterfly Bushes.
I read James Patterson’s “Bullseye” and enjoyed the ninth book about his character, Michael Bennett. Other than that, I’ll work around the hazy days of mid August and keep smiling because I’m not shoveling anything white. 🙂
What’s going on in your part of the world?
Nice job with the wall hanging. It really suits the room. Your quilting looks great! Thanks for the link back! I love that method and the way it makes that little extra pop of color along the edge of the quilt. Your plantings are beautiful. I like the look of those rocks exposed where the falls should be sending water rushing over. It won’t be long before we will be complaining about the cold. We are getting “enough” rain to keep the grass & weeds growing here!
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I will never be able to thank you enough, Mary, for all your help while I venture forth on my quilting journey. You are truly an inspiration. 🙂
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How kind. You are welcome!
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Love that wall hanging – It looks like a window!
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Hello from California! It’s been real hot and dry here too. Lots of fires. I too love Patterson and the Micheal Bennett character. I’m just starting the Private series. Really enjoyed the first book. I’ve been staying cool in the air conditioning and making cards for Meals on Wheels recipients. I love making cards and especially for people who may not get many cards. Stay cool!
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Hi Cheryl – I’m so sorry you guys have to fight those massive wild fires. I’m sure I have no idea what it is like. I’ve read the Private series and enjoyed them as well. If you like a strong character like Jack Reacher, you might try Ben Coes. He has written three books, and they are real page turners. What a nice thing for you to do making cards for the Meals on Wheels recipients. I can only imagine how extra special that makes their meal delivery to think that someone besides the driver is saying ‘hello’ and caring about them. Applause to you, friend. 🙂
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Thx! I’ll look for the Ben Coes books 😊
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It is hot and humid here! Unlike you, I’m craving cooler weather and looking forward to fall. The wall hanging looks perfect…almost like a window. I like the stiching that outlines the pattern.
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I didn’t think about it looking like a window until I hung it up and then I thought the same thing. Glad you liked it. 🙂
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I love the wall hanging and the plant pot cover, Judi. Nice job! The Cocheco Falls looks very sad at the moment. I hope you get some rain soon.
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Busy but productive time for you. Love to hear you are filling your freezer with garden goods. I am shocked at the photo of Cocheco Falls. Have you ever seen the falls bone dry in the past? The Exeter River is down to a trickle. Scary!
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I have never seen it bone dry like that. It is truly scary. We need rain. Yes, the freezer will keep us smiling all winter long with garden grown tomatoes and berries.
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The wall hanging is beautiful, Judy. You certainly made good use of the hot weather we’ve been having. I can’t get over the waterfall with the absence of water. That really makes a stark point about how dry it has been.
I love the garden pictures and I think it;s funny that I just this morning asked John over at A Northest Ohio Garden what flower was in the background. It turned out to be Rudbeckia, which I had never heard of. Not quite Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, given the seasonal nature of flowers, but interesting that you should also mention it 🙂
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Dan, that waterfall is scary looking. A fellow MG posted a shot, and I had to go down for myself and see it. This time of year those little plants just shine. 🙂
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My husband is with you. He’ll deal with any level of heat, as long as there’s no white stuff on the ground. Me? I vote for perpetual October.
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Garry and I have a good thing going here. October means nice weather, but I have to rake leaves all month. 🙂
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I hear you about the high temperatures and high humidity! But I liked your last line 🙂
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What a clever idea to make a cover for the black pot. I love that! Here, we are into the last couple of weeks of winter. Usually August is our coldest month, but it’s been beautiful with warm days around 19 degrees (60 for you) and cold nights. There’s sure to be one last cold blast though. It’s dry here too and everything has that winter brown colour.
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I kept looking at that black pot thinking I’ve got to do something so I just started cutting and hemming and I chuckle every time I look at it. 🙂 You’ll have to post warm photos all winter so I can enjoy your summer. 🙂
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I’ll see what I can do!
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Very nice decor and quilting projects! It looks so fresh and spring-like! Your garden is doing great! As an MG (not going to meetings lately, however), I just enrolled in a fall semester at Redlands CC here in El Reno. I’ll be busy with school, so the gardening will have to be let go quite a bit; but I hope to get back to it full speed ahead after school’s out. It has been up to 100 degrees plus here in El Reno, Oklahoma, but today it was only 92. A day or two ago it was in the upper 80s, which was a welcome reprieve. It is slowly starting to go down. No rain lately here, either, although we were “predicted” to get some this past weekend. Another fail by the weathermen. 🙂 I’ll have to do some hand watering. The hummers fly by my window going back and forth to feeders and peeking in on me once in a while. They seem to know I’m the source of their sugar water. 🙂 I need to go change it out just about now. It has been sitting in a covered pan off the stove since yesterday afternoon. I make it 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, boil it for a minute or more, then cool it. It’s supposed to be better for them than the red stuff from the store. You have a lovely garden!
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Glad it is cooling off a little for you, and I am so happy that you have visiting hummers because there is nothing like seeing them flitting around. I didn’t get lucky this year but will be optimistic and try again next year. One thing about gardening projects – they are always waiting for you. 🙂 So, what are you taking at school?
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For what heat you are experiencing, I must say that visiting your blog is visually soothing, and neat to hear that your inspiration continues regardless of what the temp is..
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How nice of you to say that. You made my day. 🙂
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Very beautiful wall art! Fits right in.
It has been dry! Sadly, I feel the word is not getting out because the media is full of other topics. Our clients have been extra prissy about their lawns and the water restrictions. They don’t think we’re in a drought tho. Gaaa!
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You can drive by the big businesses and the beautiful subdivisions and the sprinklers are going. I guess they’ll keep going until it is gone. 😦
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You exhaust me! And I would feel terrible for your heat, except that we have endured 100+ since June. Your garden does not look like it is suffering too much! Beautiful. September is around the corner…yeah!
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Hi, Judy! I’ve looked very attentively your wall hanging work. It seems to me very hard to do, the pattern is such interesting! I also love the color combination, it’s so monochrome. Enjoy your summer time in hot days, here we often have rains.
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I love your wall hanging, it looks quite simple but I know from experience I’m just not very talented in this area, I’m the one at the markets who loves buying someone’s homemade sewing and quilting bits and pieces.
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hello Judy,
Lovely wall hanging…very sharp! I have a quilt I really need to finish. Somehow quilting, which is not my area of comfort, gets pushed to the back burner quite often. Maybe with the studio built, I can really finish it! The gardens here are very dry as well, no rain, but perhaps this evening and into tomorrow. Let’s hope! So what are we doing? Continuing to water a nursery full of potted plants, cutting and stacking this year’s firewood ( all dry and ready!), making great ambitious lists to try and accomplish every last task before the snow flies! Oh, my! Happy day to you, Judy!
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Denise, this seems like a inappropriate question when you are dealing with a drought, but it came to mind to ask. Do you utilize any type of rain collection system? For many years we used rain barrels but it got to be too labor intensive without a pump system so we don’t even have them in place right now.
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Did you get rain? We got some over the weekend and it really felt good–I hope it moved your way. Those photos of the waterfalls are really shocking! You’re finding very positive ways of using your time, though–the wall hanging is delightful!
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We got a few sprinkles. So few, you could see the drops on the driveway. We’re still hoping.
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judy I love that wall hanging ; so pretty and the flower beds are beautiful We’ve gotten quite a bit of rain over the last two days ; hope it moves your way. This morning as I type is just a miserable and sticky-feeling as every recent morning, though !
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I can’t wrap my mind around your photo of the Cocheco Falls and the images we see on TV of the devastation of floods in LA. Mother Nature is certainly a force to contend with. Either she is bi-polar and goes on and off her meds, or she has terminal PMS. Here in the Hudson Valley we too are having brutally hot, humid weather. But we are getting storms as well. Hope your area sees substantial rainfall soon.
I am in love with your “window’ quilt….and the cleverly covered planter. You are one talented gal.
Only had two Hummers until recently. Made me sad. Now there’s 14-16!! 😃
And thanks for suggesting author Ben Coes to one of your readers. Going to library today and will definitely look him up. I’m still on Waiting List for Bullseye!!!!
Your garden is just beautiful. A reflection of the hard work that is required to maintain it. I surely do appreciate the photos you share so we can see the fruits of your labor. 😄
Stay cool. Think rain!! ☔️☔️☔️
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Bi-polar Mother Nature – that is a great description of the weather across this Country of ours. It started to rain this weekend, I got out of the chair to look out the window, could see the drops on the driveway, and it stopped. You have a hummingbird paradise and need to give the rest of us some tips because I’ve batted a bit fat zero this summer. Finding good books to read when you’ve been reading mysteries for as long as I have is always a challenge so I’m always willing to share info. If you are on Goodreads, look me up and they send emails when a friend reads a new book so new titles pop up periodically plus once a month they send an email telling you if authors you read have new books being published. Then I go check the library directory to reserve them or ask them to buy them. I do love my library. 🙂
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Seeing the river makes me sad. We’ve had lots of rain here as well as heat and humidity. Thankfully, it’s only in the 80’s now. 😉
Love your hanging and porch!
janet
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Hummingbird paradise is right!! They fascinate me. Better than watching TV!
As one of your other readers pointed out, I too use 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. Boil water, add sugar, stir until dissolved. I let pot cool on stove and then refrigerate for a couple of hours. NO RED DYE!!!
In these temperatures, I empty feeders at least every other day. Sometimes if they’re on a feeding frenzy, daily. I wash them thoroughly with white vinegar, then simply refill and hang them outside. Hummers practically sit on my head while I’m hanging up fresh filled feeders!
Some of my neighbors are complaining that they aren’t getting any hummer traffic. But I notice most of them still have the feeder with the original solution in it. Ewwwww!! Must be so moldy. They think it’s wasteful to throw out the solution. But you have to maintain clean feeders filled with fresh sugar/water solution. At least this is what works for me.
I’m gonna go out and talk to mine…maybe I can convince them to take a trip your way before they have to head south for the winter!! Lol!
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Okay, you just enlightened me because I’ve changed the feeder out numerous times this year but not daily. So I’m guessing I need to have a whole different process next year to see if I can attract a family. Thank you for that advice. Yes, tell them to take the winter off, head my way, and I’ll try to set up a smorgasbord that is close to yours. 🙂
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We are finally getting some rain and I hope you are too … enough of it but not so much that it causes new problems. It’s both sad and scary to see the falls so dry!!
I’m going to echo what everyone else said. You are one very talented lady! I’m loving the look of your porch – I’m guessing it’s a closed-in porch? The colour is so cool and relaxing 🙂
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Glad you are getting rain. We are still hoping for some but nothing yet. Yes, the porch is closed in with one wall of windows. We can enjoy it all year long, and we love it and the new lighter color.
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VERY clever with the skirt for your pot. Quite inspiring, I say.
It’s not hitting anywhere near 90 this week, and plenty of rain is forecasted, so I’m pretty happy about it.
I planted more basil and more tomatoes Sunday. I hope I get a second crop. I’m considering doing another run of carrots as this summer’s been so hot and so dry, what little yield I’ve had is all fat babies.
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I would be interested in the cliff notes of the propagation class! It’s something I haven’t done yet, and would like to learn more about. Hope you are well despite the heat. 😉
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I will try to take good notes and will gladly share. We are doing well as we cope with the heat and hope for rain. Hope your new gardens are all doing well for you. 🙂
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Here in Indiana we’ve had the brutal heat and humidity; people and plants have drooped and withered. Then came days of rain, just tapering off. Did the rain cool the air and freshen our spirits? Of course not. The humidity continued oppressive. Plants look perkier; people, not so much. I think next time I need to cool off, I’ll visit your icy blue and white room, Judy; it is the perfect summer refuge!
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I’m glad you like it because we really do like how it turned out. We sit out there and chat, enjoy a cold drink, or read with the AC on and the ceiling fan slowly turning. 🙂 When I got up this morning, it was 74 degrees and 84% humidity – like a swamp. When we moved here about 13 years ago, there was virtually zero humidity and now it seems like it gets closer to the Midwest every year. I don’t want to argue with anyone about global warming but something is sure changing every year. 🙂
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100 heat index…Mainiacs must be melting. Wow.
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Wow – those water levels remind me of here. How strange has gotten that some people are under water while other parts of the county are having a drought. But you know there is no global warming! Just a cycle. LOVE LOVE LOVE your wall hanging! I reminds me of a little window at first glance.
It is a bit cooler here today. I am afraid to log on and see what our next month’s project electric bill will be. Ouch. Hope things are cooler for you, too!
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Yes, it is strange with the weather all over the place. I like that little hanging too. Yes, the electric bill here was higher than usual but I’m sure not turning the AC off. And, yes, the humidity has dropped off quite a bit so the high 80’s is tolerable. Hope those fires aren’t anywhere near you.
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Other than the relentless heat now and the mountains of snow in winter, you have a very charmed existence in that picturesque setting of yours – inside AND out! Your porch looks like such a happy place to sit – and the 38 year old plant doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere any time soon! Did she join the family while you were in Kansas?
I know first hand how meticulous your craftsmanship is when you quilt. The colors and pattern you chose are perfect for the lighthearted atmosphere of the porch. It must be fun to sit there and look out at the beauty you work so hard to nurture in the garden!
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Relentless heat and mountains of snow – laughing myself silly here. 🙂 The 38 year old plant was given to Dennis in Kansas when his Dad died. His family have very strong hearts and live long lives so every time I think about giving it the heave ho, he laughs and says we should just see how long it lives. At this point, I’m guessing it will outlive both of us. 🙂
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