Will They Ever Ripen?

    Loads of tomatoes, cherry, grape and full size but they have been at this stage for a couple of weeks now. I am hoping to be able to eat some next week if only they can hurry up and turn red!

   The following week I will be away most days, volunteering at the tennis tournament, so won't be eating at home. Sod's Law that is when they will all ripen!

I should at least be able to use up most off this plant as they seem to be close to being ready.

   Finished another puzzle yesterday while a storm blew through. It's been on the go for almost a month but was proving quite a challenge. However, I like a challenge and kept plugging away at it. It's borrowed from a friend and she forgot to mention how tricky it was, some very odd shaped pieces!

Another Trip Around My Garden

 The slightly cooler weather has worked wonders with my perennials which are all doing well. Here are a few samples:

 

My insect garden, Echinacea and Bee Balm (Monarda)

Two different shades of Phlox and some more Bee Balm.

And, finally fixed, the pool leak, nicely patched up. Only took six weeks to get it done! At least my next water bill will be more reasonable. The last one (for 4 months) was $300 +.

First Bowl of Raspberries

 ....and there are still lots ripening. I will have them for dessert tonight with yogurt.

I decided to try a zucchini loaf this afternoon and it turned out well. It has cranberries in it for a bit of zing. There's still some of the original zucchini left and there are two more almost ready to be harvested so I will have to come up with some more ways of using them.

My First Zucchini!

 .......and it's a whopper! I have been checking the plants regularly and could see a few small ones. But then, all of a sudden, there was this humungous specimen! I'm just glad I didn't miss it entirely as I wouldn't want it to get any bigger.

I think I may make some zucchini fritters tonight although I found some decent recipes that would be worth trying.

Break In The Weather

    It was extremely hot and humid again this morning, getting up to 31C, but some cooler weather rolled in this afternoon along with some rain. It's now 23C but still quite humid. Much more bearable, however. I should be able to sleep well tonight.

    I was in the pool twice today for a much needed cooling off, once after tennis and again after doing a bit of gardening. I don't think I could work in the garden without being able to take a dip afterwards. The flowers are doing well but the weeds are going crazy!

My clematis has finally decided to bloom. It had no flowers last year at all as it had to be moved when the back fence was rebuilt so I wasn't sure I would get anything this year again. However, some fresh compost and some TLC seem to have done the trick.

    

After spending the winter indoors, it always takes a while for this plant to get going. I counted five more buds on the way. It gets full sun for the afternoon and early evening.

Temperatures Rising

 Too hot today (32C) to sit outside or work in the garden. I tried this afternoon after my second swim but was very quickly scorched. So all I did was give the plants a good soaking and fill the bird bath before retiring indoors. I have less shade in the back yard since the Blue Spruce came down last summer so it can be blisteringly hot.

    My first swim was after tennis, around 11:00 a.m. and it was SO refreshing! The water was just under 80F and gained a couple of degrees by the afternoon. No need for the heater today. So I spent the afternoon indoors reading and working on my latest jigsaw puzzle with the AC humming away. This is just the second really hot humid spell we have had here this summer so we can count ourselves lucky to have avoided the extremes that have afflicted other parts of the continent.

Canada Day

     I was a little late putting up the flag today but, never mind, I was out all morning at the tennis courts for a round robin and lunch. It was very hot and humid and I only managed one set. In fact I felt quite nauseous after I came off the court and had to sit in the air conditioned lounge to recover, maybe a combination of the heat and the smoky conditions. I was amazed that people managed to stay out there for over an hour!

     We were served a lovely lunch of BBQ chicken and pork kebabs, potato and green salad and a special Canada Day cake. We all dressed in some combination of red and white, our national colours, and there were drills for those energetic enough to prolong their stay outdoors. Finally, some lucky draws but I didn't win anything this time.

    There was thunder rumbling around by the time I got home and a spattering of rain but not enough to soak the garden. At least it stayed away until after the festivities were over! I expect there will be fireworks this evening but I hope not too many as it would only add to the poor air quality. Our new normal, I guess.