A Day Of Peace And Sweetness

This is what the sky looked like today with wisteria jewelry resting on its bosom. It did finally get a little cooler last night, down below 60 and that made all the difference in the world when it comes to my attitude. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do this summer. Now I see why so many Floridians flee to the mountains in summer. The heat has become intolerable for me, and Mr. Moon is finding it so as well. But today was not only slightly cooler but also drier and that's another thing- I always used to laugh about the overused trope of "It's not the heat, it's the humidity," thinking, "It's both of them, asshole," which it is but my god, the humidity makes a huge difference in the way it feels. 
But today, for this day, I was grateful for the sweetness of living without the constant heaviness of heat.

Shall we discuss the mosquitoes now? That hard freeze we had this winter seems to encouraged their growth and number, and honey- they are hungry. 
Oh, Florida.

Last night I really felt like I was getting sick. Maybe with whatever August has. I did see him on Thursday, too. When I woke up I was congested but not achy or tender and I feel grateful for that too. I worked a short while in the yard in the area of the old kitchen, pulling the demon Glory Bower, which yes, sounds like the most desired plant in the world but no. It is not. In fact, it's another GEE DEE invasive in this area and although the blossoms are lovely, the plant stinks and it will overtake an entire area before your cat can sneeze. It's fairly easy to pull but there's no way you can get to the entire root system which I am sure is like a hidden network covering my entire yard. I also pulled some oxalis which I do like in theory but again, it spreads. I left the native phlox which does also spread, but in a civil manner and it brings me great joy. 

And guess what? 

Yes! It is time to start kicking the bamboo. That eager sprout was at least a foot tall. For those of you who may be new here, we have huge amounts of bamboo and desperately try to keep them in one contained area which we call the bamboo forest because it is a bamboo forest. Talk about a plant that will spread. 
So what we have to do this time every year, is diligently search for the shooting sprouts and kick them over which guarantees that that particular sprout will not grow. I find them especially in the part of the yard between the bamboo forest and the railroad tracks but they grow up on the side yard, in the old kitchen garden, in the area that parallels the railroad tracks, and even in the chicken coop. Nothing deters them and if you don't kick those suckers over in a timely manner, you could find yourself suddenly walled in, surrounded by a bamboo prison. And of course they grow inches a day. Many inches. 

So I need to put that on the to-do list.  

Mr. Moon went back to the Wacissa to fish again this morning. He is loving that so very, very much. Today was an all catch-and-release day as we still have some bream in the freezer. Last night we ate a bass that he'd caught a few weeks ago that I'd thawed out and it was delicious. Fried bass, coleslaw, and cornbread with onions, peppers, jalapeños, and cheese. Just about the perfect meal. 

Tonight's supper will be another good one. Clam spaghetti with focaccia that we'll top with baby greens and basil salad. I picked the first bit of tiny tender lettuces and arugula with a little bit of the still-good older greens. This, my friends, is going to be good. Here's a picture of Maurice investigating the rising focaccia dough. 

Speaking of cats, yesterday there was a huge battle between the two ferals who seem to live in the yard- the black one and the spotted one. The green-eyed black cat got the better of the other one and fur was shed. Mr. Moon witnessed the fight and said that the black cat had the other cat's head in his jaws and seemed to be trying to crush it like a lion would. Or, I suppose, a panther. I have not seen either one today. I have, however, seen the crow that seems to want to get my attention. Every day he perches on a limb right outside the back porch and caws at me a few times. It seems like he is very deliberately speaking to me and I feel honored. Corvids fascinate me. I actually put a small piece of aluminum foil on a chair in the backyard as a gift because I know they do love shiny things, and also two roasted peanuts. After the crow caws his greeting, I have started answering in turn, shouting, "Hello! Hello!" trying to match his tone but in human-speak. I mourn the loss of my chickens every day and if a crow became my friend, I think it would ease my soul a little. 

Here's what the spirea blooms look like now. 

They, too, lift my soul. 

Love...Ms. Moon