A Mid-Summer’s Morning’s Stroll

I have a best friend who lives in the interior southern Central Valley of California. She has been complaining of the triple digit heat, the dust and poor air quality, the dryness of the draught-stricken landscape, even in people’s yards, where the parched green grass now grows crunchy under her feet. So for all of you who may be yearning for a spot of green as a salve to eyes tired of muted browns, here ya go. 

In an attempt to lighten the mood given that this time of year is about the only few weeks or months I get to lord it over her in relationship to our climate versus hers, I snapped some pictures upon my walk around Amherst this morning.

It is a dewy morning out; which produces pungent earthy smells of all the verdant rampant growth and it glistens on all the leaves and grass. Although last month was the height of wildflower season, they still grow profusely all about, producing colors of white, purples, yellows and golds. Orange and red berries hang from several different kinds of bushes and various vines are seen twining up both trees and structures. The intensity of the Colorado blue spruce is indeed blue against a backdrop of such greens.

Besides the natural vegetation, I love paying attention to the extraordinarily ambient spots folks have created in their yards to enjoy the outdoor season. Spots to linger, spots to gather, spots to eat and spots to watch the world pass by.

The best by far is the Amherst Inn, the old 1800’s B&B whose gardens are just a joy to behold. Their perfume follows my footsteps on down the street….

I'd love a garden like these one day, so it's nice to know that Wisconsin's moist climate will allow it without the water police coming to call.