It is SO HOT

this native eryngium in my garden is called Rattlesnake Master. feels appropriate.

It is so hot that I am withered version of myself. No meat left on the bone, I said to a friend this morning. I know it’s that end-of-summer feeling, the dog days or whatever you like to call it, and every year it rolls through my friends circle, looking like a wave of depression, or illness, or general disintegration and frazzledness. The heat in Oklahoma is stupid, sweltering and aggressive. My gardening shifts max out at about two hours as I try to get home before the heat index soars toward 106°.  I hardly feel human, more like a rung-out rag. A rag that has been thrown over some lumpy thing and dried and now I am some weird, crunchy shape and can no longer relax or absorb water- just rigid and crusty and ragged. At least every other day, I slam right into a door frame, or stub my toe, somehow misjudging my gait as I try to navigate my own home. 

Yesterday, I said that my brain felt like scrambled eggs. 

a Bordered Patch butterfly on my Golden Crownbeard!

This is the part of the newsletter where I turn it around and spin it into some sort of lovely life lesson about spending time in the details and enjoying the journey, but I haven’t got it in me. I’m just counting down the days until the weather changes and breathes new life into all of us feeling stranded in this desolate, emotionally bleak place. 

Zinnias don’t care, as long as I water them!

I know that fall will bring cooler weather, I know that the biennials will sprout, and I know that my empty bank account will slowly refill as I carry on toward the busy holiday months. And so for now, I will find something to eat that doesn’t involve running the burners or stove and just wait. 

My long awaited Black Swallowtail stretching it’s wings! I had lots of caterpillars, but only caught one emerging butterfly.

There is travel in my future! There will be hiking and a long delayed return to Germany with my mother to chart new paths in our old world. A huge gift will be walking a portion of the Southwest Coastal Path in England, later in September. I’m so grateful to get to spend this time with my mom, it’s been a long time coming. 

And then it will be fall and life will begin again! I will be coming at you with calendars for 2025 (hope you like stones and shells) as well as new Oklahoma t-shirts and totes in the near future, cards, and maybe even a fall wreath workshop or two. I bought some flowers to dry in preparation today! 

I never ran out of stones and shells in twelve months worth of paintings- I sure enjoyed myself!

If you need a new print or a new pair of earrings act fast as I will be shutting my shop down next Monday until October 1st. I’ve got Tahoma shirts and sweatshirts on sale!

 

Thank you to all of you whose friendship buoys me (even when I’ve dropped off the face of the planet), who’s lovely laughter cheers me, and as always, thank you for your support; in reading, sponsoring, shopping and commenting. I appreciate you all so much! 

Somebody take a cold swim in some salt water for me and I’ll see you in a fresh breeze next time. 

Roshni

big ol’ cicada