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| Buddleia |
People have been lighting fireworks in my neighborhood for the past several days, but, today, there's been at least one going off every second since about 6:00 p.m. Listening to the sounds, one wouldn't know that fire works are actually illegal in Los Angeles and there is supposed to be a fine if people light them. I guess the message didn't quite register with those lighting them and there's no one enforcing the fireworks ban. Poor Dancer doesn't like the noise and he's been hiding under my bed, coming out, occasionally to look at me, as if to ask what is going on, Mummy? Neighbor T called to say her dog is shivering and scared, even after she gave him something the vet had given to calm him down.
I've had a relaxed day, today. I slept in, chatted on the phone with various people, practiced the piano, and watered the back garden. My buddleia (butterfly bush) is coming along nicely - there's a flower stalk at the end of almost each branch! This is its first year in my garden (it was planted in November), and I am hoping that it will continue to grow well, year after year.
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| Baby Praying Mantis |
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| Female Cantaloupe Flowers |
Today was a warm day. It went up to 82F inside the family room (it was probably 92F or 94F, outside) and I wore a skirt and a short sleeved blouse and no socks! In contrast to yesterday, when it was 76F inside the family room and, as I told Susan, I was in jeans and a cotton sweater and socks! LOL. I even turned on the ceiling fan, this afternoon!
Once again, I went off the meal plan and had a hot dog with some potato salad for brunch, today. Followed by a banana. In the evening, I tried a slice of the banana bread I had defrosted.
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| Banana Nut Bread |
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| Banana Nut Bread |
The bread was good, if a little dry. I spread a little butter on my slice and it was very good. I called cousin P because I know she likes banana bread and I took about one third of the loaf of bread to her. I called neighbor S to offer her some, too, but, she said one of her daughter had had a fever recently, and, although she was fine now, S didn't want me to get exposed to any germs. I appreciate her consideration, very much.
Dinner was a container of peach yogurt and some cheese snack crackers as I wasn't really hungry for a regular meal.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A relaxed, restful day
- Fireworks!
- Being able to share some of my banana nut bread with cousin P
- Phone calls with family and friends
- Video chatting with my daughter
Plans for tomorrow include sewing the quilt (which I didn't do, today), watering the front garden, and practicing the piano.
How was your Saturday? What are your plans for Sunday?
Your buddleia looks good - I like the colour of the flowers. Good luck with the cantaloupes - let's hope you get some fruit this year.
ReplyDeleteJuly 4th isn't such a big celebration over here though there's normally something arranged but this year there was nothing in this area, so no fireworks to enjoy. The pubs re-opening was the highlight for a lot of people but I heard this morning that there were some problems and three local pubs were closed down by the police because they weren't following social distancing rules. I hope that doesn't cause problems with infection in the area.
Thank you, Eileen. The buddleia is coming along nicely. We shall see what happens with the canteloupe. I'm just happy to have some green plants growing. :)
DeleteYes, a lot of dine-in restaurants and bars had to close here, in my area; only about a third of them were complying with the requirements and the spread of the disease spiked soon after things opened up. Continue to stay home and stay safe!
I love banana bread, such a good dessert or snack! Have a lovely day ☺
ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalia. I've two more ripe bananas to be made into something - I might freeze them for now, though, as my freezer is too full to store another loaf of bread. Hope all is well with you and your loved ones and you are enjoying your summer.
DeleteThey said on the BBC that the traditional big 4th July displays (eh Macy's) had been cancelled but lots of small groups were defying the law and letting off fireworks anyway. Here the pubs and bars have been crowded. Bob had to go out last night & said the two nearest our home appeared to be absolutely full with no distancing. I'm sure this will speed up the "2nd wave" of the virus. I'm thankful for my sensible family who are working hard not to put themselves, or others, at risk. Having a quiet Sunday, church this morning and maybe a walk in the country later.
ReplyDeleteYes, most of the usual organized displays of fireworks and parades, etc. were canceled due to public health concerns. Our bars and some dine-in restaurants in my area were closed due to the recent spike in the infection numbers. I've exchanged words with others about the need to wear masks, etc., and been called a sheep and told that people who wear masks are "sheeple". *shrug* I do what I can to protect myself and not harm others.
DeleteI do hope you have a lovely Sunday, Angela. Get plenty of rest for what is sure to be a busy week ahead with Rosie. :)
These are a few of my favourite things.......buddleia, cantaloupe and praying mantis. Do you have that song stuck in your head now? I am wondering now if I can grow a butterfly bush up here. I always had a rough time trying to get my plants to come back after winter. Some years they would; other years, not so much. But even if I had to plant it as an annual, they are gorgeous flowers.
ReplyDeleteI think potato salad and hotdogs are a perfect summer meal. There are days when it is too hot to cook, let alone eat a hot meal. On Friday, after my groceries arrived, I made up a plate with sliced cheese, cucumber spears, kielbasa slices and cottage cheese. Mmm-mmmm. A picnic meal.
Ha, ha, thanks Susan for the song! :D According to what I've read, the buddleia is hardy up to zone 5 in the US. I don't know if your zones correspond (I read somewhere that US zone 4 is the equivalent of Canadian zone 5, so our zone 5 might be your zone 6?) If not, you might be able to grow them as an annual and just replant every spring! I've read that the buddleia can be propagated by cuttings taken of the growing tips before they flower, but, I haven't tried doing that, yet. But, if you grow one as an annual, you might be able to take cuttings and root them for the following year.
DeletePotato salad and hot dogs made a fitting meal for 4th of July, I thought. July is supposed to be National Hot Dog Month, anyway. I spread a little of my homemade tomato chutney on my hot dogs and that makes them just right for me. :) I like your picnic plate, too, but, no cottage cheese for me, please.
I hate fireworks - there, I've said it! They are noisy, bad for the environment and dangerous for those who mess with them, and they are basically burning vast sums of money. The public displays with music are impressive but I've seen lovely fountain displays synchronized with music and coloured lights and they are so much nicer.
ReplyDeleteYour praying mantis is cute, I've never seen a little one. I don't think we have any here but I can boast of a wolf spider in the compost bin and today I spotted a baby wolf spider as well, an identical miniature version. I wonder how many there are in there? Yikes!
I do like to watch fireworks, but, they are very noisy, pollute the air, and can cause a lot of damage if they set off a fire in our dry climate. One of my friends who called me to complain about the fireworks said the same thing about burning money when lighting fireworks. But, as my mother would have said, it is supporting those who manufacture the fireworks and keeping them employed. :) That's what she told me, once, when I said something about buying flowers being a waste of money because the flowers fade after a few days - she pointed out that it kept the florists and the flower growers and distributors in business and provided them with a livelihood.
DeleteIf you see one baby wolf spider, then chances are there are a lot of its siblings running around, too! I don't think I've seen any wolf spiders, here. I have black widow spiders in the garage and in various corners of the outside of the house, though!
I enjoy firework displays but they can be such a nuisance, especially for animals. I used to have a dog who was absolutely terrified of them and would somehow find his way around the back of the washing machine to hide whenever he heard any. I hope Dancer wasn't too upset.
ReplyDeleteThere's not much chance of warm temperatures here at the moment. It has been very windy today and it felt quite autumnal. We've just experienced ten minutes of hail! X
I like to watch the fireworks, but, the noise was deafening! Dancer received an extra helping of tuna when things quietened down a bit, for being such a brave kitty, so he was happy! :D
DeleteOh, my! Hail! Hope your plants weren't damaged by it. Hope things warm up, soon, and you enjoy a nice, long summer. :)
Hi Bless, Your butterfly bush looks lovely. The banana bread sounds delicious, too. Glad that you are staying healthy. There were no fireworks up at the cabin in the mountains, which I appreciated. It makes me so nervous to hear them with all of the fire danger.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephenie. I am trying to stay healthy. I've been told I am a sheep and a sheeple for wearing a mask, but, I don't mind! If taking the steps recommended by our public health professional helps to keep me safe, then, I'm happy to be a sheep! :) Glad to hear that there were no fireworks at the cabin. I've been hearing that there have been several fires due to the fireworks.
DeleteFireworks are going on here even as I write this. I too think it’s a waste of money. The good thing is that I can sleep even if they light it right next to my bedroom window. LOL
ReplyDeleteI’m so frustrated with people who not only refuse to wear masks but also insult others who do. They just need to look in the mirror to see so called ‘sheeple’. They read something in social media, and all of a sudden become epidemiologists and experts in constitution. �� Meanwhile COVID cases are rising here, while most other countries are slowly opening up. Sigh.....
Stay safe, Bless. I hope your daughter is doing well.
It's good that you can sleep even with the noise of the fireworks, Nil. I remember how excited I used to get, as a child, when they lit fire crackers on New Year's Day, etc.
DeleteThank you, Nil. My daughter and I are keeping well. We will do what we feel we need to do to keep ourselves safe to the extent possible. :)
The banana bread looks delicious. It is truly the only way I will eat bananas!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. :)
DeleteGlad that you had a relaxing day! Years ago I enjoyed fireworks, now, no. They just never stop in our area, go on for hours! The night before the 4th and then the evening of the 4th. Some of them sound so close and it's legal here. Butterfly bushes are magnets for Monarchs on our property. Ours haven't bloomed yet. It would totally freak me out to have black widow spiders living in my garage!! 💖
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan. The fireworks in my area went on for hours, too. There were a few fireworks, tonight, as well!
DeleteTimes change. I remember how fireworks night with bonfires,in New Zealand, always started weeks early and finished months later. Now we all are more respectful of fire damage. Hope the fireworks end soon in your neighbourhood.
ReplyDeleteThere were a few random fireworks, tonight, too, but, nothing like last night. The news was full of fires started as a result of the fireworks, yesterday, including an apartment building that burned down when palm trees in front of it when up in flames from some fireworks.
DeleteHi Bless, Your Buddleia is sweet, I have one near my lounge window and in summer I have swarms of butterflies flitting about. A friend told me years ago her culture believed that butterflies carried the souls of long past loved ones who are watching over you, and even though I dont believe it I get a strong sense of my grandmother whenever a monarch butterfly floats past my window, so maybe I do believe it! By the way buddleias self seed and I am forever yanking out baby seedlings.
ReplyDeleteLove banana bread, must make some as my bananas are starting to get too ripe. Its very cold here and lots of rain, you are welcome to some of it, lol!
Hi Sharon! So nice to hear from you, again. I've been checking your usual blog, but, hadn't seen any new posts. Then, today, I found your food blog and saw that you had been cooking up some delicious sounding meals!
DeleteI've read that buddleia self seed and one needs to dead head the flower spikes before they set seed. Well, I actually don't mind if it does self seed; my usual neglectful watering in the summer usually kills everything except the hardiest of plants, anyway!
You can keep the cold, but, if you can send me some of the rain, that would be lovely! :D
I wonder also about the amount of fireworks that are around when they are illegal. I just don't know what people are thinking.
ReplyDeleteI guess people decided to make up for the lack of official fireworks displays, this year!
DeleteI don't like the fireworks in neighborhoods either.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbor was tossing into the middle of our road what sounded like M80's in a war zone!!!
It was so scary and jarring. I don't understand how anyone finds that enjoyable. And pets are so frightened.
I would imagine it's such a fire risk in California. I don't know why anyone would do something that risky in your area.
It is a big fire risk, here, Debra, but, I guess people don't want to take all that into consideration in their pursuit of their own enjoyment.
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