Dry, oh so Dry

I’ve heard now that it’s the driest it’s ever been in our state’s history and I sure do believe it.  We’ve had many fires from the high ‘n mostly dry storms that pass with high winds and deadly lightning.  It’s been a struggle even to keep our flowers and few vegetables from drying out.  I like to have a fresh bouquet every once in a while and the pansies have been allowing this to happen in spite of the heat.  I’m not sure why some of them are one tone while others (my personal favorite) are like this.  Outside of our garden only the hardy plants survive…even the puff balls seem a more sturdy variety than the norm but maybe that’s just me.  I’ve also noticed that the grasshopper population is coming along nicely though I surely don’t know how.  There have been plenty of treats for our salamander in this I guess we’re blessed.  Mosquitoes have seemed non existent fortunately.  The field in the back of our house is about as brown as brown can be at this point but that doesn’t seem to bother the thistles.  Most everything else is brown…it reminds me of a wheat field about ready for harvest.  I still don’t know what these flowers are…though their glory is fading they are still rather spectacular.  The puff balls are preparing to launch their seeds to the great unknown…I wonder if they will grow this year.  Well, I hope some of you are getting some heat relief if you’ve been struggling with it.  For now the heat here is as prickly as the thistles