🌻 Is June always this hot?

I'd like a popsicle and a cold shower, please.

Why, hello there! It’s been a lovely busy two weeks. Unfortunately, garden fans, it’s been kind of too hot to function in the out-of-doors. Here’s what’s been happening in (and outside of) the Funkyard.

• Andy got older and we went to a casino. HBD, Andy.

We didn’t gamble, just walked around and enjoyed the silly scenery.

• We played pickleball for the first time. Apparently it’s A Thing in Kansas City? It’s like tennis meets ping bong with a wiffle ball.

Pickleball not pictured.

• I got a real life in-person haircut from a professional for the first time since early 2020. Andy is still rocking the Anna-DIY cut, which I’ve gotten a little better at, but still looks kind of doofy (sorry, Andy).

The haircut is just OK, so instead please enjoy this work of art.

• It’s been so, so, so hot. Last week the highs were all over 90, and the week before all over 85. It’s been really killing my gardening motivation. After many many days off, I finally got out there and pulled some weeds for a few minutes — and afterward thought I might truly die.

Plains Coreopsis, Coreopsis tinctora

• Probably related: I’m sad to report some of our veggies and herbs are officially a lost cause. Radishes, basil, and cilantro have now all bolted, and our peas are totally dead (again!!!). I promise we’re watering regularly, it’s just so so hot, all day every day. We’re going to try transplanting some of the herbs into pots where they can get moved a little into the shade to cool off.

At least we might finally get some lettuce? (Thanks, bunny-proof fence.)

• Samson is growing out of some puppy habits (like peeing in the house) and into some others (like realizing he’s tall enough to reach the countertops, or can grab the edge of the toilet paper roll and run out of the room). As my mother says, “they’re cute for a reason.”

You’re looking at 38 lbs of “can we play right now PLEASE?”

• Our little buddy also had some surprise medical troubles. What we were told was a scar (from the umbilical hernia surgery he had before we got him) grew and grew until it, erm, burst (ew). It turned out to be an infection. He’s all better now after some antibiotics.

• Young dude’s got TRICKS. We’re still working on making “come” happen all the time and not just when he’s paying attention and we’ve got treats. But “high five” (the more-fun version of “paw”/“shake”) is coming along surprisingly well.

Not bad for two straight weeks of death heat!

• We’re deep in the throes of trip planning, despite our shared desire to just sit in the Funkyard with some Kirkland wine and watch the dog frolic like a doofus. Alas, looks like we won’t be home for 6 of the next 8 weekends. I love all the people and places we’ll be seeing, but, jeez!

• I went to an a-u-d-i-t-i-o-n if you can believe it, which was traumatic, because auditions are traumatic. Please congratulate me… for making the worship team at church. (I think they only turn you away if you’re REALLY bad. Ha!)

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Next up we need to get rid of the poison ivy that’s popped up in our back corner, and might spread some straw (left behind by the previous owners) over our beds to help with moisture retention. Did I mention it’s hot out there?

Funkyard species count: 162. New arrivals: blooms on our orange daylilies, Indian Blanket, and plains Coreopsis. A couple different species of jumping spider. A BROWN THRASHER that’s started coming to the feeders. (Shout out to Andy for spotting it first, and being like, “by the way I think I saw a bird I haven’t seen before.”) And a great crested flycatcher, which I believe was also an Andy sighting. Looks like I have successfully created a bird nerd. (Click here to peruse all the Funkyard’s species on iNaturalist!)

Brown thrasher, Toxostoma rufum

We’re playing Dungeons and Dragons, as usual. We also did a one-off session of the Star Wars role-playing game — so fun!! (Thanks, P.R.!!) Our soccer league starts this week, and I’m only slightly terrified. Someone on our team sent a group text the other day asking us all to introduce ourselves and share “what positions we play.” Ummmmmmm.

It’s OK, Andy is teaching me to play. Here’s our new favorite practice spot at the local high school. Not a bad view, eh?

We’re watching MOVIES. After we got done with our Star Wars RPG we immediately watched A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Then added some classics I had never seen, like Stargate (1994) — HOW HAD NO ONE EVER MADE ME WATCH THIS MOVIE, I don’t even want to comment on it, since the surprise of THE WHOLE PREMISE was such a joy — and the original Mad Max (1979), which was enjoyable but disappointingly not like Fury Road (2015), one of my all-time favorite movies. Sure, there were car chases and crazy-talking bad guys, but the setting is a still-very-70’s near-future that made it seem like just a car movie, not at all sci-fi/fantasy.

Samson likes watching movies, too. If you squint you can see C-3PO wandering around on Tatooine after calling R2-D2 a “near-sighted scrap pile.”

I’m listening to all your rad music recommendations from last time. I’ll give a full review after I’ve given them all their due time.

We’re eating in restaurants. Restaurants! Can you believe it! Happy 2021.

This week I wrote mostly marketing content — websites and blog posts for companies in the health, nutrition, and home improvement sectors. It’s maybe not as fun or flashy as journalism, but let’s just say it will make my next trip to the native plant nursery come much sooner. 😇

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OK team, that’s all for today. Have a great week! Go watch Stargate if you haven’t seen it and then tell me how much you loved it.
Take care please,
XOXO,
A

P.S.

Byeeeee.

✌ 💖🌻

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