And Just Like That

Summer arrived today.  

I stood outside on Saturday, without a hat, for more than two hours, holding a sign, and I was never too hot.  I was wearing two layers on top.  I was glad I wore a sweater over a cotton blouse on Sunday.

Today, I barely lasted an hour outside in Grandma's Garden.  From now on, I do my outside stuff before 9 am.

The humans aren't the only ones altering their patterns.  Those look like javelina tracks along the front of our property.  They haven't done that there since the last time it was hot.

My bearded iris are loving the heat,

and the store bought petunia starts are equally delighted.  

Mostly, it's the yellow season that announces the arrival of warmer temperatures.  This tree was bare and green a week ago.  Now it's providing yellow pollen to annoy the entire neighborhood.

It hasn't rained in a while, but, surprisingly, the ocotillo are blooming.

This is an ocotillo flower up close.

The succulent that volunteered several years ago has given birth to many pups (see the babies around her base?) and this year, for the first time, she's showing her floral stuff.

The wildflowers are starting to get into the act, too.

It's time to move the flannel shirts into the totes and take out the rest of the tank tops.  Just like that, summer has arrived.