Summer Settings

I'm posting some summer photos before Fall approaches. If I manage to awaken before my 5 year old, I sit here with a cup of coffee and a decorating magazine. As I sip and flip I waive at joggers and dog walkers. It's the best time to chat with neighbors. We have the nicest neighbors! This is my view from the front porch. Impatiens do well in our north-facing front yard. My hydrangeas are blooming, but not as well as last year when we had cooler weather at the beginning of summer. This year, the blazing sun burns my blooms, so I have an umbrella shading them (not pictured.) I bought this bird bath in Mexico many years ago. It refreshes the blue jays and humming birds nesting above in our strawberry tree.I don't sit much on these 3 benches. I found them one day abandoned and lonely. They're a bit rickety and need of some tightening, but they have character! For now, they surround the base of our strawberry tree. Our fountain, flanked by more hydrangeas, makes the most relaxing sound at our front door. On the other side of the fountain is a little succulent garden. Really, it consists of only one succulent, but it's the most exquisite succulent ever! A friend gave it to me from her garden almost 1 year ago (Thank you, again, Christiane!)I also have a few more succulents peeking out of a rusty metal planter. Just a little bloom at the front door where I place my outgoing mail. Thanks for stopping by!