To borrow from my blogging friend Carol Ann Siciliano of Fashioned for Joy, this weekend was filled with many delights.
On Friday night, we went to Absolem Cider Company, which has become one of my favorite places to go in Winthrop. Along with having a great atmosphere and great drinks, it’s only six miles away from our home. Another bonus: Friday was one of the few sunny days we’ve had in June, which has been cool and rainy, reminding me of the Junes of my youth.
At Absolem, we met our friend Judy, and we spent several beautiful hours at a picnic table on the deck. We drank wine, beer, and cocktails, which we had with hand-cut fries and chips and salsa. I only thought to take pictures at the very end, but they do give a sense of this wonderful place, where the open sky stretches above the cider company, and you can watch the moon rise.
On Saturday night, our friends Dawna and Jim came over for dinner. We had planned to eat on the patio, where Clif could make his legendary grilled bread. Alas, the weather did not cooperate. After one sunny day, the rain came again, and we had to eat inside, having garlic bread, which is good enough but can’t compare with grilled bread. Dawna, who loves being outside as much as I do, kept looking longingly out the dining room window at the backyard and the patio.
“We’ll invite you another time,” I assured her, “when the weather is better.”
As it turned out, the weather was better the next day. As my blogging friend Tootlepedal often points out, the weather gods do like to have their little jokes. Out I went with my wee camera to get photos of my gardens, which are starting show colors other than green.
And what did I spy?
In the front yard, daisies among the ferns and hostas.
Astilbes growing in front of Minerva.
In the backyard, yellow primroses and orange lilies are abloom.
Here’s a closer look at the evening primroses.
I caught a glimpse of one of our resident chipmunks.
And the cat from across the street came for a visit. The cat, whose name we don’t know, has coloring very much like our own dear Little Miss, who died in March. This cat has a very sweet personality, just like Little Miss, and is most welcome in our yard.
So here we are at the end of what has been a rainy June, and the forecast is for rain for the rest of the week. While I’m fine with cool rainy days, there comes a point where enough is enough.
I’ll have to speak to those weather gods. But I have a funny feeling that they are unlikely to listen to my request for at least a few sunny days.
Weather gods are like that.
Notes From the Hinterland 
It seems a good weekend despite the quirky gods
On the days I’m praying for rain, I’ll email you and ask you to send some my way, Laurie. Over the last ten days we’ve had a little bit, but late May/June have been dreadfully dry (leaves falling off the trees dry)! My water bill will be painful, no doubt.
Your flowers are looking pretty and cheerful 😊. I grow those yellow evening primroses, too, plus the pink ones. Your ferns are gorgeous.
The weather gods need to get their act together and spread the weather around more equitably. Or maybe not. I don’t want tornadoes or hurricanes! I’d better be careful what I wish for, huh?
I adore your plant pics, but I might be a tad prejudiced. In my garden now: Japanese fern, daisies, hosta, evening primrose, Asiatic lilies….. Do I see woodruff there in back of Minerva? Wish I had that! Can’t tell what the plainer green fern is, but it doesn’t look like the Badminton Fern the grows at the edge of our woodsy property…
Cheers,
Julie
Your garden sounds an awful lot like my garden. Yes, that is sweet woodruff. Loves my garden. How pretty it is in the spring when it is full of white blossoms. Not sure what the ferns are. My mother-in-law bought them ages ago.
We cram so much of the social in our long days this time of year!
We certainly do. In northern New England, we have a lot of dark and cold.
And dance by the light of the moon!
The evening primroses are beautiful, and I find chipmunks to be clever and interesting. Pretty cat, with its white-spotted nose. I’m glad you were able to get together with friends, despite the weather. How about sending US some of your rain? We could sure use it!!
Many thanks! I wish I could send you some rain. I know that drought is absolutely no fun.
We have to keep reminding ourselves that the rain keeps everything green! And this year it’s also helping keep the wildfire smokestack bay!!
Absolutely!
The evening primroses are startlingly beautiful.
Such a burst of yellow!
It seems you did the best you could with the rainy days. Your plants look great. I’ve always loved astilbe. Tried planting them once years ago, and it was a complete failure. But they are such cool feathery plants.
I, too, love astilbe. However, it will only grow in a few places in my garden. It likes a lot of moisture.
Yes, the weather gods are enjoying a few pranks of late. I like a bit of rain, it’s the humidity that gets to me!
A bit of rain is a good thing. We are getting a good deal more than a bit. 😉
Same weather here. Rain forecasted for part of the day every day this week. I will say I appreciate not watering. 🙂 Your flowers look beautiful, and your outing and dinner sound like fun. Lots of good times in June as we head to the big 4th of July weekend.
June, so empty when we first made plans to get together, filled right in. July looks as though it is following the same path.
The weather gods had some fun with me today. They are always amusing!
Yes, yes!
Things are looking beautiful, and you have a new friend. Gotta love that!
You bet! Such a nice cat.
I’ll happily trade our triple digits (and fear the Texas grid won’t cope) for your cool and rainy June. Even my xeriscaped yard is needing some moisture!
Wish I could send some your way!
Pity you couldn’t enjoy sunshine with your friends…but the sun must surely come soon. I was naturally drawn to your new visitor…what a gorgeous looking creature.
Right? But we did have a good time anyway. That cat is a beauty.
At least you have a fine looking cat to distract you from the capriciousness of the weather gods. If you manage to make contact with them, please put in a good word for the UK…the heat’s been driving us crazy!
Such a cute cat. So very sorry to read that the heat is driving you crazy. Not like the good old days, is it? I will be sure to put in good word for the UK if I manage to make contact with the weather gods.
Eating at a picnic table sounds good to me. I still don’t eat indoors at restaurants because of Covid fears, and I am thrilled it’s eat-outside weather again. (Beautiful pictures, as usual.)
Many thanks! Great to eat outside for many reasons, including watching the moon rise.
Glad you are able to enjoy your garden even though those weather gods are not playing nicely, it is looking so pretty – we need rain over here
Thanks, Sandra! Hope you get rain soon. Odd to think of not enough rain in England.
Your chipmunks are darling, and that is a pretty cat. Your weather sounds pretty darned good to me, too — despite its effect on your plans. I’ll confess I was amused this morning when I read the latest post from my favorite meteorologist; it simply said, “This week’s weather brought to you by Dante.” Point made! A little of your sort of variability would be welcome — but how fun to find so many flowers abloom in your garden!
Chipmunks are indeed darling little rodents. And, best of all, they never try to come inside the house. Phew! “Weather brought to you by Dante.” Wish we could send some rain your way.
Lovely to see the picnic area where you and Judy spent time chatting and eating and drinking. One of life’s great pleasures.
It is so good to have a place like Absolem Cider Company not far from home..
That little cat looks SO much like Little Miss! Cute as….
,,,a button! Wonderful to have a place to have Absolem Cider just down the road. Wonderful to have it in a town as small as Winthrop, population circa 6,000.
Yes, I guess I must be getting old, I like nice places close to home. Winthrop population is about right..
Same! And Winthrop is a good size. Big enough to have a grocery store, a good library, and an excellent Cider Company.
Perfect!
I suppose rain is better than what some parts of the country is enduring, though I’m with you, Laurie, that summers are supposed to be lived outside in beautiful weather! Your garden looks awesome. I hope July brings you lovely days on the patio.
Indeed it is. And I must admit that I am a fan of cool, rainy weather. Still, the vegetables need sun and warmth, which they are certainly not getting. Yes, here’s hoping to a sunnier July.
🙂
I’m sorry to hear about all that rain, especially since your meals outdoors are limited to a few months of the year. I know you’ll raincheck with your friend. If garlic bread is a poor substitute for the BBQ version, it must be out of this world.
That’s a great shot of the chipmunk. It’s easy to see why they featured in cartoons many years ago. It’s nice to have a visiting feline, allowing you to get some of the benefits of companionship without the responsibility. I hope she’ll continue her visits, or as we like to say around here, “Look who graced us with their presence.” Cats do what they want to do, making it all the more delightful when they choose us.
You are so right about meals outside being limited to a few months of the year. Clif’s grilled bread is so good that it has been called “legendary.”
Those little chipmunk’s are adorable, and best of all, they never try to come inside.
We do enjoy the feline visit. A really sweet cat, friendly but not pesty.
I agree with you about the rain. A few folks I know are starting to whine that “it is going to rain FOREVER” 😒
It certainly has been a rainy, rainy month.
Your yard looks fabulous and love your backyard visitors and photos!!🙂 I would love to have my favorite cider company so close to the house and it sounds like it was an absolutely wonderful weekend of food, friends and drinks even if the weather forced a change. Please have a very serious talk with the weather gods, over the last week we have had fog, heat, humidity, storms, lost power and now have an air quality alert from the smoke. It actually looked like heavy fog today, but it was the smoke. We looked outside this morning after another day of rain and cooler temps and wondered if it was April.🙂
Many thanks! I will indeed have a serious talk with those weather gods, but they just don’t seem to listen. Sounds like quite the weather week for you. And, oh, that smoke! Hope it goes away soon.
I have wanted to have my own words with the weather gods, but they also have ignored my suggestions. I often wish we could influence the weather and send rain to those areas that need it, and keep it from those with too much. Those aloof weather gods don’t seem interested in what we have to say.
You are so right. Those weather gods are aloof and seldom seem to be interested in what we have to say.
Hi, Laurie – Your recent days certainly do sound like they were full of delights despite the rain. Perhaps your weather hasn’t realized that it is now summer. Our Vancouver Island weather was very cool right up until June 21 and then presto-chango it has suddenly been hot!
Still rain in Maine. Hope it’s not too hot on Vancouver Island.
I understand your joy in having a favorite — beautiful! — cider company so close by, especially when you might run into friends! And I feel your disappointment in missing outdoor dining (and Clif’s grilled bread!), but your company sounds warm and loving. And oh, your garden! Rain makes us love it, even when we don’t want to…
Finally, thank you for mentioning me! Such a kind “welcome back” to your beautiful world.
There is something about the sound of rain. So beautiful even when there has been a bit too much.
My pleasure for mentioning you.
Nothing beats lingering over drinks and chips with good friends. Catching the moon rising is almost too good ☺️
You bet! That rising moon was the icing on the cake.
We have had a glorious summer so far in the U.K. but, knowing how those weather gods like to mess with us, I made sure I had sunhat and sunglasses plus rainproof poncho to hand when we went to an open air concert on Tuesday evening. In the event we needed neither but it’s best to be ahead of the game as far as weather is concerned.
Always best to be prepared when it comes to the weather.
Your garden looks beautiful Laurie and I especially love the evening primrose 💛 So sweet you have a feline visitor, she looks as if she could be related to your Little Miss 💖
Many thanks! Yes, our feline visitor looks a lot like Little Miss.
The variegated fern is lovely and I’m glad you have a visiting cat and chipmunk. I hope the weather gods grant you a perfect weekend. Our pie walk took us through drizzle this lunchtime, but we persuaded ourselves it was the refreshing kind.
The weather this weekend looks as though it will be a mixed bag. Ah, well
The weather gods certainly like to taunt us. We were promised some much-needed rain yesterday but it went south of us.
So disappointing when you need rain and you don’t get it.
Your garden got some colours Laurie. Enjoy July. I shall request weather God to give you some excellent days 🤗
Oh, I hope they listen.
Your gardens are beautiful, Laurie! Seems Miss Watson, from wherever she is. has sent an emissary in her likeness.
What a lovely way to think about that cat!
I am glad that the weather permitted all the lovely captures of your verdant garden – so nice to see Minerva again this season! and what fun to have a visit from Little Kitty.
Hopefully you will have your friends return for another happy gathering when you all can sit out on the patio!
Thanks, Ju-Lyn. Hope my friends can come back on a sunny day, which seems to be a rarity this sunny. Rain, rain, rain. And, yes, you can have too much of a good thing. 😉