It’s August, The Peak and Twilight of Summer!
Dear ones…August has arrived here in SW Florida and it is definitely the peak of the season…as the sweet Georgia peaches are almost gone from our local Farmer;s Markets, which saddens me a bit because I know that the twilight of Summer is upon us. Autumn is just around the corner and that signifies harvest, Thanksgiving and then the Winter season with Christmas bells a-ringing. It is just moving all too fast. I am sure it is age related because as a child, the days and months took leisurely strolls with some months taking their time, often pausing along the way.
I love the term Twilight of Summer because it beings to mind the Twilight of the day …you know the blue hour, that transitional period from the bright sunny day to the evening shadows and finally darkness. Here in the South, (Southwest Florida to be exact), the heat lessens a bit and the evenings enjoy the ocean breezes from the Gulf. I love that time of early evening but I also love the early morning.
Just before and after sunrise, brings the soft coastal sea breezes and I love to have my cuppa tea and my quiet time either under the pergola or on the seating area under the triple umbrellas, which by the way are working out nicely…so far.
Of course later in the day it is hot, usually accompanied by high humidity, so those two time periods are the times to enjoy the outdoors here in SW Florida.
I love to sit out here and listen to the birdsong. So peaceful and quiet.
I have struggled to keep my zinnias wet and happy, so I try to give them a good long drink when I venture out..
I would rather Mr. Squirrel would find another place to perch other than the top of the pergola, especially when I walk out in the early morning to have my quiet time. He kinda gives me a start…I open the French doors and there he is…staring at me.
On the other hand, I adore the little geckos who are so kind as to keep the mosquito, spider, cricket, and fly population at bay in the Secret Garden. They are not scary and if I walk out to the Secret Garden, he will disappear into the bushes. They are very small about 5-7 inches including tail.
This one is actually busy trying to attract a female as he inflates and deflates his dewlap…Most people call these common small backyard lizards “geckos“, but they are actually anoles (such as the Green Anole or Brown anole) Males flare out the red skin and bob their heads to scare away other male rivals or to get the attention of mates.
I absolutely love the fragrance of the evening jasmine, which wafts gently in early evenings and the blooms seem to ‘glow’ when it gets dark. They remind me of a Moonlight Garden flower.
Also in the Secret Garden is the purple crepe myrtle, which as many of you know I call ‘my purple lilacs’…I have even convinced myself that they smell like lilacs. 🥰
Bougainvillea blooms all summer long down here and into the Fall. We (meaning the Captain) moves the potted ones from time to time depending on the sun and shade under the pergola, though they are very hardy.
I’ve changed the Govee lights to a pale purple for these lingering summer days….don’t know why, but purple seemed appropriate. I love that I can control them with my IPhone. I can also make them chasing or fading or sequential string lights. I’ll change them to harvest colors probably in September or October.
Twilight or Blue Hour
You’ll remember I had red white and blue for July and the photo above shows off my favorite time of day…the ‘blue hour’.
Blessings Always and enjoy this twilight transition from Summer to Fall, ….before you know it we will be feeling the cold, frosty, snowy, Wintry days, and dreaming about Summer. Maybe??? 🥰☀️🌴🤗☃️🤷🏼♀️💕
Isaiah 40:8. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.”
It’s been so hot and steamy here in Chicagoland, I can’t imagine living in Florida in the summer. Your photos are gorgeous though, so colorful and lush. Thanks for sharing, Sandi
Kari’s secret garden is idyllic. And especially at the Blue Hour. Oh my — it’s so very beautiful. Your flowers, the table, the comfy chairs. I can see why you would be out there as often as possible. The year is really flying, isn’t it? I’m not ready to see Halloween in stores yet. I want to savor every remaining second of summer! Have a wonderful rest of the week. I’ll envision you in your secret garden!
I have to admit Jeanie, I do love it when I sit out there…and you have your lake to sit by, which is so beautiful. I agree with you, I am not ready for the Fall, even though it is a most beautiful time of year. I want to enjoy the Summer as long as I can…one never knows what tomorrow will bring. I think this year is going faster than previous years which I thought went by fast enough! Ha ha Do you feel older since your birthday on Tuesday? That is what is funny or odd for me…I don’t think I’m “older” as I am going about my business…it is only when I try to do something I used to be able to do handily, that I realize I am not as young as I think. The Captain is so sweet when he defends my endeavors by reminding me of my medication’s side affects which causes low energy levels and fatigue. But I won’t give up…I’ll just keep on keepin’ on. Thanks for stopping by my friend.🥰
Oh how I wish I could sit with you under your pergola or umbrellas and see all your beautiful flowers and plants. I’d especially love to smell the jasmine and see the bougainvilleas. We have geckos here, and of course squirrels love my trees. Your pretty lights on your home must make everyone happy to see them. What a beautiful touch in the evening! Happy week to you and your Captain! ❤️
Kitty, that jasmine is a gift that keeps on giving as it blooms pretty much all year long….so that wonderful fragrance is there to greet us as the afternoon transforms to the evening. An added bonus to the cooling off period of the day. The Govee lights are really versatile as I can dim them to be more subtle (as more of a softer lighting) or make them as bright as sunshine. Most of the time I like them bright and happy….though come Halloween night, I turn them to dimming colors of orange, yellow and black. Thanks for stopping by my friend.🥰💕🌴
Hi Kari, it would be a wonderful blessing to sit in your Secret Garden and smell the jasmine! We have an abundance of anoles. The green ones sit on my outside kitchen window sill while I am standing at my kitchen sink and attempt to attract a mate with their flared red skin. Your outside lighting is beautiful. Thank you for opening your garden for me to enjoy. I have been away on a short getaway and sorry I am late commenting! Have a wonderful rest of the week, my friend!
Don’t ya just the little lizards? I do as they can be quite comical. Thank you Pam, for your sweet comments on my Secret Garden…especially since your gardens are spectacular,… I am flattered. I could sit in your garden for hours and not see the same flowers twice.🥰🌻 The Captain and I enjoy those short getaways…they can really revive, refresh and renew us which is always a good thing. Plus, you don’t feel as if you have been gone from home forever, which means taking time in getting back in the groove of things. And as friends, one is never to late in making a connection. Hugs & blessings🥰💕
Kari, what a treat it would be to share some time with you in your secret garden under your new umbrellas. I can just imagine how delightful it would be to hear new song birds, smell the intoxicating jasmine, and see the little anoles. We enjoying sitting out back under our awning watching the animals and listening to the birds in the evenings. Now if the squirrels would just stop digging in my flower pots and burying their peanuts.
I would love to sit with you Jan in the Secret Garden…there is so much that we could talk about and share. By the way…do you drink sweet iced tea or unsweet? I only ask that because I grew up in Kansas as you know and my mother, grandmothers and Aunts only made iced tea in the summertime AND they always put the sugar bowl on the table and we added it by the teaspoon (I sometimes got a little much) LOL but over the years I started using less and less and now drink both the iced tea and the cup of hot tea with no sugar at all. Down here in Florida, most drink their iced tea sweet and put their sugar in the pitcher and say it dissolves better and tastes even better. Almost all my friends drink sweet tea. If I make tea at Bible Study, I have to make it sweet tea….they are not to crazy about sweetening each glass. LOL
Kari, I like my tea sweet and for only a short while drank it unsweetened. My ice tea is sweetened in the pitcher with sugar and for my morning cup of tea, I use Stevia or Splenda to sweeten it.
Hi Kari,
I just love your secret garden. I wish I had something like it. The geckos are wonderful little creatures.
Hugs,
Sandy
Sandy, the little anoles or geckos as most call them are so cute to watch. They are fast and once in a while they will forget I am there and come a little closer but then they realize what they have done and they scamper so fast the other way that it makes me laugh. We do love sitting in the Secret Garden and surprisingly there are usually no mosquitos thanks to these little creatures AND to a new canister mosquito repeller. thanks for stopping by.hugs to you and Ron🥰💕
Good Morning Kari, I enjoyed sitting with you in your secret garden. How kind of you to invite us over. I would love to see your Jasmin in my gardens but I don’t believe it would do well up here in the North. What lovliness you have right outside your door. Thanks for having us. Happy Tuesday!
Thanks for stopping by Nancy…I enjoyed your visit to my Secret Garden…I know you enjoy the early morning hours too. It is supposed to rain here again today, most people think that the rain cools it off (and sometimes it does) but most of the time it just makes it feel like a sauna afterwards…so I definitely get up early taking advantage of the early morning breezes. Thanks for stopping by my friend.