Hello there & happy Friday!
I thought I'd pop in for a short visit with some sunny summer petals.
I can't believe some brights are popping in on these hottest days.
The big yellow dahlias finally popped open.
Leave it to nature to inspire paint colors galore.
My garden is really happy in late summer and fall.
Everything grows so tall in summer, and then blooms madly as days get cooler.
Although, the days have not been cooler at all yet.
We're still melting.
I'm so grateful for the blooms that grace us in this ridiculous heat.
I adoooore when the marigolds, in their ruffled yellow, turn up.
The wisteria is giving another wave of blooms.
The hollyhocks have kept up all summer.
The California giant zinnias have started blooming after growing ever so tall.
It's all so much fun.
So, I thought I'd wish you a happy Friday...
With a smattering of color inspiration from nature.
Paint, yarn, fabric, pencils...
For some reason the colors of the petals inspire all sorts of artistic whims in me.
As I take my photos Miles wades in his pool while take big sloshy gulps of water.
He had a giant pool, but for some reason they prefer the little one.
I went hiking this week.
What a huge adventure.
It was really hard at some point.
Mostly because the air was so thin and the sun was so bright.
But the low area heading up to 9,000+ feet and the trek back down through the forest...
Oh my, talk about inspiring.
Streams, butterflies, toadstools.
You name it, the forest had it.
It was beyond fairy tale goodness in ways I can't even describe.
Well, you know what I mean if you have a forest.
I squealed and swooned the whole way.
Getting to the top seemed like the biggest task ever at about 3.5 miles uphill.
It got so hot and sunny as we left the dense forest headed to the top.
We had to go 4 miles uphill.
So my friend and I did a total of 9 miles in the end, it was great.
I try to do about 5 miles a day with hills, so it was a great challenge to tackle this hike.
Definitely not for the faint of heart, but the view from the top...
Totally worth it.
Did you know that at the top of the Santa Catalina mountains (which you see from Tucson) is a wonderful place called Mt. Lemmon?
And did you know, it's a forest?
Yep, a forest right smack in the middle of the desert.
Such a gem.
What a great week.
And now, I'll put my petals in proper vases, and perhaps pick up the yellow paint.
You can peek in on my instagram account to see more pics and videos of the forest.
The forest really is a magical place, isn't it?
I feel inspired and delighted with all I saw.
I should go up there more often.
How are you out in your neck of the woods?
Happy weekend!!
Love, V
