Lazy Dog Days of Summer

Monday, August 2, 2021

With the heat that we've been having here in the northwest, it makes you understand why the heat of summer is often referred to the "dog days of summer".  Because really, the heat just makes you tired! I love the cool mornings and evenings, and tend to seek out the cooler air in my home during the heat of the day.  But despite the hot days we've continually had for months now, we are finding ways to get out and enjoy the beautiful world around us.  Finally too, my garden has adjusted to the heat and abundant sunshine, and now things that love heat and sun are growing in abundance... come along with me and see what's happening in my world these days... :) 

Sunset in the garden with a beautiful moonrise.


Petunias hanging out with my plate glass flower


Drying lavender... what an incredibly delightful smell! 

Harvesting my turnip

Our favorite way to eat turnip is roasted with other veggies in some olive oil. 

Guess who loved the turnip greens? 

Early morning walks when it is a bit cooler. 

One morning the clouds worked really hard, and we got some rain!
It wasn't much, but it appreciated so much! 

Smoky skies create really amazing photo opportunities with the sun! 

We went camping for a couple of nights close by home. No fires allowed! 

We enjoyed sitting outside and listening to the creek. 
The stars were hidden under the smoky layers. 

Percolated coffee is the best! 

We missed having a campfire, but having the propane cook stove was a great substitute. 

The little creek we camped beside. 

Exploring all around our campsite, and crossing nature's bridge :) 

We took the dogs down to where the creek had a bit of a dam,
and enjoyed wading in the cold waters. 

Huckleberries! 

We found a great huckleberry patch, and Annie decided it was a good place to take a nap! 
Our huckleberry treasures! I'd say we picked about a gallon of them. 

Both Annie and Riley decided they liked huckleberries,
and we taught them how to pick them for themselves! 

We found some wild elderberries that were ripe too. I left those for the birds. 

It's always fun to drive on the old logging trails. 

Cooked steaks, fried potatoes, corn on the cob and fresh avocado for dinner.
Campfire meals are the best, but the propane stove did a great job too. 


When we got home... fresh huckleberries with vanilla ice cream... what a treat!



In my garden at sunset... the loveliest time of the day! 

My knockout rosebush is loving the heat!



My sunflowers are growing wildly too... and seem quite happy with the heat as well. 

Front row seats to the best sunset show in town... via my garden :) 

The sunset was so enrapturing to watch... but this sweet sunflower standing head and shoulders above the rest, seems to give the sunset a bit of a challenge, don't you think? 

As sunsets do... this one gave its best and brightest at the very end...
oh it was truly magnificent to see! It was as if the skies were on fire! 





The garden is growing by leaps and bounds. Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, squash, corn, potatoes and beans are getting closer to harvesttime.  Usually, we don't begin to see much of a harvest until late August, but things are quite early this year, thanks to the heat we are having, and so the next few weeks will be exciting as we begin to harvest goodies from the garden.  There is no rain in our forecast at all, and the world around us is quite crispy brown and dried up. I am thankful that we still have no fires nearby, and for the amazing work the firefighters are doing to keep the fires contained. Most of the smoke we get is from other places. I've heard that smoke has been reaching clear across to the east side of the United States, and I am sorry that other people are having to deal with the smoke also. For the last few days, the smoke has lifted, and we have had clearer skies, for which I'm very thankful. 


Update: I was about to publish this post last Thursday afternoon, when my husband called and said he had seen a plume of smoke in the mountains, not far from us.  Soon after, we began hearing planes flying overhead, and it turned into everyone's worst nightmare. The fire began in a steep ridge not easy to gain access to, and early responders were unable to get a handle on the fire, and air support was immediately called in.  Soon, evacuations were being sent out, but thankfully, the fire began to move north and east of us.  We are going to be okay, and will not have to evacuate, but so many of our friends were in evacuation zones. Thankfully the amazing air support we received for this fire was astounding, and homes and structures are not in danger, at the present time, from this fire. Of course, we know all that can change with any weather incidents, so we remain with our bags packed and ready to go, if need be, but for now, we are just so very thankful that we have some of the best firefighting teams in the world here protecting us. I appreciate your prayers for this area, and that we would get some much needed rain! Blessings to all :) 

19 comments

  1. I just love your garden so much!! To sit and sip tea with you would be amazing. If not here on earth, then in heaven!! :-)

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  2. The wildfire situation is dreadful in so many states and provinces. Here in the south of BC we get the smoke from the fires more northerly and it's often hard to breathe. We also need a good drenching rain. That would solve many problems.
    I've never tasted a huckleberry but they look good ( esp. on ice cream).
    The sunset pictures are truly awe inspiring.

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  3. Wildfire smoke does make for beautiful sunsets, but is awful for the forests and for air quality. Rain would be so welcome. Camping beside a little creek looks lovely, and camping food tastes so good out in the open air. So glad the fire didn't affect you. Enjoy these August days.

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  4. Your garden is definitely award-winning, Marilyn! And those sunsets? How I wish we could see such stunning shows here where we live; we are in a valley and the horizon is blocked by trees, and that makes it problematic.
    Sorry you all have had to endure so much unusual heat this summer, but it does seem your garden has flourished because of that. Happy canning/preserving!
    And thank you from the bottom of my heart for your beautiful sympathy card, my friend. Such comfort during this time of grief.
    Blessings!

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  5. Oh, I wish that I lived a little bit closer . . . I would be begging to visit. Your home and your adventures are so inviting . . . I feel blessed to be able to tag along through blogging :)
    God bless you and your lovely family,
    Connie :)

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  6. Thanks for the beautiful and relaxing post. Sunsets can be so lovely and obviously you have had some gorgeous ones. Praying that the fires stay away from your area.We are not in danger of fires, but the smoke from northern fires is filling our skies. All day we see an orangey glow, instead of seeing blue sky and sunshine.

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  7. Wow - what gorgeous photos! I so enjoyed going through each one, except the fire at the end. Praying for your area.

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  8. Your garden and camping trip look so inviting and peaceful. We aren't terribly far to your SW (I think) & fires all around. Rain would certainly be a blessing right now. Glad you are safe a well.

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  9. You make pthe most of the dry conditions and camp with safety in mind. Well done.

    Your garden looks lush and beautiful. Your harvest should be plentiful.

    We have had lots of rain this year. Potato growers are loving it. Wish we could share some of it with the western portion of the continent.

    Some of the smoke from western Canada was here last week. Fire season can’t be over soon enough!

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  10. Adding your corner to the prayer list for gentle rains to come and end this concern. I am glad that you did not have to evacuate.

    The pictures are gorgeous. My favorites are the one of the moon high over your home and garden. (Sounds just like a magazine.) And I really like the one of walking your dog down the road with the mountains in the distance.

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  11. Beautiful photos and amazing sunset. Campfire food is so tasty. Marilyn your garden is wonderful. I have missed having a veggie garden. So glad you are safe. Those wild fires are so scary. Hugs

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  12. Your pictures are beautiful as usual! Your camping trip sounds like a blast and the huckleberries with ice cream looks delicious!

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  13. I had huckleberries for the first time when we visited Montana. YUM!
    Praying for safety for all and RAIN.
    Love, Carla

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  14. I cannot imagine living where all those forest fires are and being summer and so dry and not being able to have a fire in your own yard. We do have some effects from your fires......VERY Difficult for some folks with allergies to breathe in the haze. It's so ugly...but.....it all blew away with our last thunderstorm last week and now we are enjoying the perfect summer weather here in the Northeast: NO more rain (july was one of our rainiest on record), NO more HAZE from folks in the west, and NO MORE HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY!! We are thankful for our 70s temps by day and our low 50s by night and CLEAR skies and sunshine. Hallelujah!! I have one more week after this to teach summer school and then VACATION For 3 blessed weeks.
    I've enjoyed all your garden and flower pictures. So pretty.

    ENjoy the rest of the week!!

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  15. Oh, your garden is just gorgeous! And those sunsets! I am so sorry to hear you are having to deal with the awful fires and trust the Lord they are all the way contained and away from you by now. Sending much love and hugs to you, sweet friend.

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  16. Oh these fires. I'm so looking forward to the end of fire season. I'm glad you were spared. It is hard to hear about all the people who have to evacuate. Your garden is amazing and your photos are all great. Your camp meal looks delicious. Yippee for fresh corn on the cob! Happy August to you.

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  17. Thank you for posting such a great article! It contains wonderful and helpful posts. Keep up the good work

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  18. Here in the UK we hear about the wildfire situation, it is not good.
    Prayers for all who have been affected.

    I enjoyed seeing your photographs, especially the sunsets.

    All the best Jan

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  19. Marilyn... I finally came over to read your last post! Somehow I missed it (for forgot to comment!).... what a wonderful and stunning post, so full of amazing photos.. you are a wonder with your camera! Your sunsets just beat any others I've seen, except maybe (just a wee little bit) when I lived in Sheridan, Wyoming... they were glorious there, but I think your lavender skies outdo most anything. I loved your camping pictures too.... it breaks my heart sometimes that we don't get up to the mountains more often, to languish by the cool mountain creeks and rivers... all that green and the wonderful smells of the damp earth are just beyond compare. Your are reminds me so much of where we lived in Washougal, WA when we would go up into the mountains. I used to ride my horse up there and it was wonderful. Your garden too has sure acclimated itself to the heat. I would love a post from you as to how you preserve all of your produce.. do you can it? freeze it or dry it??? Oh.. and the huckleberries looked delicious! My parents used to take us girls huckleberry picking in the mountains north of the Columbia River Gorge, high elevations there and I always thought it was quite an adventure! Take care sweet girl... hugs... MarilynJ

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