July So Far

It's interesting to me how wildflowers vary from year to year. This year some of our road ditches are lined with what appear to be thick plantings of Queen Anne's Lace, and these Brown-Eyed Susans are everywhere. This photo and the one below were taken just west of our house.  

Doesn't it look as though a professional landscaper carefully planned these plantings?

We have an ancient red leaf plumb tree in our yard that has perhaps cross-pollinated with the wild plums that grow in thickets along the roadsides. The fruit from our tree has become nearly inedible over the years because it is so sour--but it makes pretty, pleasantly tart jelly.

I often wonder whether other families make such an occasion of birthdays as we do.
Around here birthdays call for a special dinner, decorations, gifts, and of course a cake! This year we have several celebrations planned as four family members will celebrate milestone birthdays--our son will turn 30, our son-in-law will be 40, and the handsome gentlemen below have just turned 50 and 65 respectively.   

Singing "Happy Birthday" to these two was easy since they share the same name, "John!"  Don't you like Farmer John's very appropriate tee-shirt caption?  I gave him a mug that states "It's a crime to look this good at 65!"  And it is.  Makes my normal aging alongside him somewhat of a challenge at times.