We've had so much rain here in the past couple of weeks that the ground is soggy. That translates into dogs with muddy paws, which, due to Gimpy's semi-confinement, hasn't been as big a problem as it might have been.

It's been a good time for me to stay indoors, too. The genealogy project I've been working on was completed just this morning, so I probably would have been at the computer even if the weather had been nice.

If the forecasters are right, there'll be plenty of sunshine to enjoy in the next seven days--although those high temperatures predicted next Sunday and Monday are scary. Today is only the first day of summer, and I wouldn't have expected 100-degree temperatures until at least next month. Still, I'll take my book and my dog-boys outside as often as I can.

The beautiful sunflower that grew under my bird feeder last month has gone from looking like this. . .

. . .to looking like this:

It's still pretty in a different, weird kind of way, don't you think?

My gardenia bush doesn't have nearly as many blooms on it as it did a couple months ago, either. Thank goodness there are pretty things to see in the neighbors' yards. A neighbor on one side has this gorgeous crape myrtle:

The neighbor behind me grows beautiful canna lilies:

And the vibrant greens of another neighbor's pecan tree shade the dogs' favorite corner of the back yard:

For shade on my patio, I rely mostly on a big umbrella. Wait. . .what's that dark spot I'm seeing, and why is Levi watching it so closely?

Hmm. Let me zoom in really close. . .

Oh, it's one of those little guys. If you don't have tree frogs in your part of the country, let me introduce you to one of the tiny creatures that share my back yard. I adore them.

Wish you could sit out there with me. We'd drink something cool and really get to know each other.