My Favorite Spot, August 18th

My garden, too, looks like August crap. Some of it is my own fault. I’m doing major surgery on the sun bed, so it is looking rather bare. I’ve got new beds started with newspaper and straw in both the front and back yards, so my garden looks and smells like the county fair. This week, I’m appreciating the hardscape, instead of the flora. My favorite spot is our outdoor dining set, on the back deck.

It’s my favorite spot, but I’m not spending much time there. The mosquitoes, perhaps sensing that the end is near, are so voracious that we cannot eat outside without coating ourselves in DEET. Unfortunately, the scent of bug spray does not blend well with food. Not that we’ve had any food all week, because we went almost 2 weeks without a visit to the grocery store. To make a long story short, I view my favorite spot from the dining room window.

I love to watch the light play through the umbrella and illuminate the capiz shells. When the shell chime clatters in the breeze, I can almost pretend that the wind is fresh and cool, instead of sticky and warm. My houseplants, freed from the sunroom (which is pending renovations), have never looked better. They enjoy the filtered light and moist air. I prefer the cool, dark house, and gazing out the window at my favorite spot.