Dwight awakens with one wary eye open--anticipating what horrors his wife may have planned for him to do this morning....
But, he is delighted to find out that the majority of the day is to be spent outside enjoying the garden....
Including the final blue blossoms of the delphinium...
And a garden entrance that has been well watered by recent rains...
Apollo enjoys mid-summer blossoms despite the annoyance of being decapitated....

Snapdragons, pansies and nasturtiums share a crowded bed....
The stately Solange inspects her domain....
The Painted Lady Hibiscus is in full color--along with a companion petunia that weathered last winter indoors. This plant was a gift from a student in my old teaching days and is especially precious to me--like Dwight is to Dr. Walgi.....
A Lipstick Lilly--any wonder that the lilly is called "the queen of the garden"?
This newly planted deciduous Redwood tree was the only specimen in the garden that fared very badly when the usual gardeners were absent at the hospital for such a long period in early summer. The gallant little tree is battling back however--it has shed it's old needles and is getting some fresh new needles....

The garden fountain has however, gotten a little temperamental about running regularly...
As the day gets hot, the canines retreat inside for a cooler nap....
The ever serene, Diana....
This is the stuff of our mid-winter reveries--the golden days of summer....
A happy couple on a happy day..........