Sweet Summer Breeze

It's almost 7 pm and, though the sun is low in the western sky and casting long shadows across the front yard, it's still bright and warm and breezy. The wind is blustery so that the temp feels cooler than the upper 70s that it is.

I’m rocking on the front porch with my Chromebook on my lap watching the farmer next door hauling freshly-baled hay rounds back to his barn. Glad I got out there earlier to capture some photographs with the mountains in the background because he has already hauled those bales away. He started mowing two days ago, then raking until long after dark last night, and today he baled. Long hours and hard work but he is finished before tomorrow's possible afternoon thunderstorms in our area.

Earlier this afternoon I walked over and took photos across the field as the breeze stirred up the sweet smell of freshly mowed hay. Between that and the warm sun shining down, it was a perfect early summer day. I wish I could insert the smell of fresh hay right here for all to enjoy….

My niece gave us a packet of wildflowers from Asheville so we planted them in a sunny spot out front. They have sprouted and, hopefully, will survive the birds and critters long enough to provide some showoff blossoms in the heat of summer. There is absolutely nothing like fresh flowers to cut for indoor vases.

Irises in a variety of colors have finished blooming but the red hot pokers are now a brilliant red. Abundant Coreopsis plants are full of buds just waiting to pop open in their bright yellow blooms.

Deep pink coral bells continue blooming at the front door – delicate and showy. Peonies are still budding and blooming but slowing down while my step-dad's climber rose is showing off on the white fence with its bright red and extremely fragrant blooms. He would be so proud.

I see a wasp in the top corner of the porch so I’m sure he's building shelter. That won't be able to stay there … too close to a busy front door. The sound of a neighbor's chainsaw across the way means firewood for winter.

Time to take a stroll over to the field and see if all the hay bales are gone, and to linger with a last look at the mountains as the sun prepares to set behind the Alleghenies. It's hazy along the ridges, possibly smoke from Canada since we’ve had lots of that the past couple of weeks.

It's a pleasant early summer evening in my corner of the world….

Lynn Mitchell is Editor-in-Chief of Bearing Drift.