It is HOT. And? Humid. That's all I really have to say about today. Yesterday, I spent about 4 hours doing yard work, and probably sweat about 5 lbs. off. (Also, I got several mosquito bites, including 2 on my face, despite using spray; and strange sunburn stripes in little odd places that I missed with sunscreen. Plus, I discovered that spiderwort at this stage in its life (slightly past peak bloom) seems to have a deep blue sap, which is actually beautiful but stains clothes and skin. So I looked pretty beat up at the end of yesterday. This morning, we went strawberry picking with some friends, and despite the fact that we were done before 10 am, I still sweated buckets. Oy.

This picture, taken from the car window, shows some early coneflowers. None in my yard are blooming at all. They are close, but not that close.

Juneberries (Serviceberries)... will they be ready

in June?

Some are reddening, but they need to be deep purple

before they should be harvested.

Almost-flowers on basswood/linden tree.

Also noted but not photographed:

• thistles are blooming (have been since about Saturday).
• wild indigo is blooming, but not in my yard, as I can never get it to take very well, and it comes back, but small and stunted...
• a lot of almosts right now... almost false sunflowers, almost coneflowers in my yard, almost milkweed, almost queen of the prairie...

Stay cool!!!!