Red, White, and Blue-ish

Ok, Ok. . maybe not quite red, white, and blue. . but they are all close on the color wheel!!  Here are some of the new blooms this week.  Can you believe that below is a SUNFLOWER blooming already??  It was blooming before July 1.  It's name is Red Sun--and it was a cheap pack at Walmart!  I direct seeded these ladies in my new corner bed-and am not going to be disappointed by them!!

The whites in my garden right now are the daisies that I showed ya'll a few weeks ago--they are still just blooming and blooming!! I also tried some plain white zinnias, which are just OK.  This is really the first year I have ever tried planting them--and I chose a few plain colors--white, hot pink and purple.  They are sure filling in things nicely for $2.00 for the lot of them!!

And the bluish. . actually purple--I really like the purple zinnias. . but my favorite purple right now??

The Zuni crapemyrtle in the far back below!!

This picture was taken right after sunrise the other morning after my walk--so it looks a little pink above--the purple directly in front is a periennial phlox given to me by my friend Jen after my grandpa died a couple summers ago. 

Here's a close up of the purple Zuni. We saw so many crapemyrtle blooming on our fall trip to Dallas a number of years ago, that I started researching them when I got home and found this beautiful purple variety.  Low and behold, Brady nursery in Wichita is where I found them about 3 years ago--they seem to be doing well here, though I wonder if they will ever quit dying back completely in the winter.

Two daylilies showing their faces this week.  For the life of me, I can't find my little tags to remember which they are--and I don't remember where I ordered them from.  One has "strawberry" in its name, but dunno which one it is!! Anyway, as the clumps are growing, I'm getting excited about the splashes of color!! The lily above is SOOO bright--It really stands out!

Picked up the boys from camp yesterday! They both loved it. . even Grant!! I'm so glad that he stuck it out--I had no doubt that he would love it, if he just gave it a chance!! Dev didn't get to go, because about 5 minutes before we left, I noticed smoke rolling through the back of my house, only to discover that he had lit a smoke ball. . in the BATHROOM while he was taking a crap!! I ABSOLUTELY swear, that if I have any hair left on my head when these darn boys leave my house. . .it will only be by the grace of GOD!!  So after I beat him, he spent the rest of the day sitting on a stool in his dad's shop. He was sure glad to see his brothers come home too! Someday we may be able to laugh about all these stories!!  So in the last day and a half we have been finishing up geology boxes, and trying out recipes for the fair.  The house finally has had someone in it long enough to be cleaned and look like someone should be living in it, instead of looking like it should be quarantined and burnt to the ground!!

Speaking of burning things to the ground. . .We are all firecracker nuts around here!! So after the sangrias were mixed to merry their flavors in anticipation of party guests tomorrow, and the red, white, and blue jello salad was started. .we drove 100 yards in the dark to the field to preview a few of our fire works. 

We weren't disappointed. . and now more ready than ever for the displays tomorrow night!!  Wishing everyone yummy food, good company, no burnt fingers, no food borne illness from your BBQ (sorry, just always thinking "health") and a set of goosebumps while you watch the "bombs bursting in air" remembering the men and women who made our holiday possible--yesterday AND today!!

God bless America!!!