Summer 2024 Part 2

Nick, Colbie, and Ali's visit filled up the rest of July through my birthday. 

On July 29th they headed back for Texas and right about the time they left the state, news began coming in that there was a fire just up the road from Loveland, right along the route we'd driven on Saturday up to Estes Park. The rest of that week was filled up with news of the Adam's Mountain fire's progress which largely was moving away from us and to the north and west through the rugged mountainous area. and swelled to nearly 10,000 acres. 

 

 

 

August also saw the sunflower patch, which was exponentially larger this year collapse under its own weight. 

For reference, here was the "patch" August 2023 at full growth far left along the fence:

same corner August 2024

  

  

in the heat of the day, Aidan loved hanging out in the shade of his sunflower fort

After clearing away most of the collapsed stuff

less hearty summer growth was the tomato plant experiment

I'd purchased a number of different varieties from a local tomato guru who sold heirloom seed plants from his home back in May. None of them seemed to like the container planting, despite making sure the soil was as optimum as possible. The fruit is tiny and oddly deformed on all of them that are producing anything

 

  

although the September growth seems to be slightly better, I don't foresee any tomato sandwiches in my future from these homegrown franken-matoes

 

 

one of the red throated hummingbirds that came to visit 

Got to see Marci one day this month when she came for the Art in the Park weekend 

she bought some artwork for me to hang in the guest bath: meet the Socktopus

also, I got us both matching pieces of yard art 

And some matchy hair thingees too!

 

Late summer scenes around Benson Sculpture Park 

Full moon in August

Another regular sunrise walk area the pups have enjoyed this summer was at Mehaffey Park about the same distance (less than a mile) from the house, just the other direction. There are a couple of enclosed dog park areas to chase the ball that no one else is using at that time of day. 

Miss Colbie starting big kids class at school

And a fun adventure with Amber in August -- we checked out Top Golf which is halfway between her house and mine in Thornton.

and, of course, more Remi pics, my sweet gray face shadow