Day:  86-degrees  |  Night:  60-degrees
The Fall Lettuce is starting to look pretty good here in the Carondelet Garden on this last Humpday of August.  Can you believe that tomorrow will be September? This year has flown by. My dad always told me that the older you get the faster time flies. He was so correct! It will be Fall before we know it and you know what happens after that.  It is so crazy to even think about.  

The time is flying by and that is what reminds me to try to slow down a bit and enjoy the little things.  Things like growing Romaine from seed and watching it mature.  Enjoying a fresh salad on a Summer's Day.  Little things do mean a lot. What's that old saying? Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.  Not so sure that is entirely true, but I do get the sentiment. Life is so busy. It's a blessing to be older and able to take a bit of time to slow down and enjoy the little things from time to time.  

Today is the perfect day to slow down and enjoy the amazing weather.  Beautiful sunshine and low humidity as we stepped outside into the Garden this morning.  Absolutely gorgeous this morning.  It should be sunny throughout the day with winds light and variable. Try to take a moment to just sit down and enjoy this amazing day. You deserve a bit of a break. We all do! Be good to yourself.  Have a great Wednesday Humpday Gardening Friends!

Day:  88-degrees  |  Night:  59-degrees
It's a turnover Tuesday kind of day here in the Carondelet Garden.  I've lost a few of my Lavender plants so they need to be removed.  All of my Broccoli and Cauliflower were destroyed by pests, so they will be pulled today.  It's getting so close to Sweet Potato harvest time that I'm sitting on my hands trying not to start!  

It's a beautiful morning here in South Saint Louis.  The Doodle Dog and I just returned from our morning ritual around the neighborhood, and it was a bit more pleasant.  We can expect abundant sunshine today with winds out of the NW at 10 to 15 MPH.  A great day for gardening.  Here's to a beautiful day.  Be good to yourself.  Be good and kind to those you may meet. As they say, smile, it makes people wonder what you are up to.  Have a great Tuesday Gardening Friends!

Day:  92-degrees  |  Night:  68-degrees
Oh, my goodness, the humidity is back with a vengeance this morning here in the Carondelet Garden. Holy Moly it's already warm and the day is just starting.  The good news is the Squash is coming along quite nicely.  We've already had Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto and it was amazing.  Can't wait to try more recipes in the coming days and weeks.  I'm ready for Fall, ya'll.

After several busy weeks around here, things are beginning to settle down and return to whatever normal is these days.  The kiddos are back in school, and the sports schedules are just now coming in so it appears it will be a very busy Fall for this old guy.  Soccer, Volleyball and Fall Basketball leagues.  Always fun!  

We have beautiful bright sunshine right now in the Garden, but the weather folks say it will become partly to mostly cloudy later with a stray shower or thunderstorm possible.  Sounds a lot like yesterday.  The winds are out of the SW at 10 to 15 MPH. It's a new week and almost a new month.  Fall is almost here. It's a good day. Be good and kind to yourself today.  You deserve it all!  Have a great Monday Gardening Friends!

Day:  93-degrees  |  Night:  75-degrees
The sun is shining bright out in the Carondelet Garden this morning.  The humidity is also on the rise. It's pretty sticky out there already.  The watering continues as the rain is yet to come.  The Habanero Peppers are starting to come in.  They do seem to love this heat.  Soon it will be time to make the hot sauce!

It's a sunshine Sunday but the clouds are expected to move with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon.  There's an even better chance for rain overnight.  The winds are out of the South at 5 to 10 MPH.  Let's hope for a gentle rain and not a gully-washer.  Gentle rains upon the ground. 

Day:  90-degrees  |  Night:  70-degrees
It's a Sunny Saturday here in the Carondelet Garden.  It's been very dry the past few days, so we are back to our watering regime.  We still have Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Fall Lettuce and Carrots growing in the garden as well as our lovely flowers.  Watering has now become our morning priority.

It's a beautiful Sunny morning with some clouds moving in this afternoon.  Winds will be out of the SE at 5 to 10 MPH.  It's a great day to get out and enjoy the weather. Fall is less than a month away! Be good to yourself this Saturday.  Be good and kind to others you may meet along the way.  Happy Sunny Saturday Gardening Friends!

Day:  88-degrees  |  Night:  64-degrees
The pollinators certainly love our Allium in flower garden.  Pretty excited we were able to capture this bee doing her thing. Always fun watching these guys do their job.  Efficiency in motion. What great design to have something feed themselves and spread pollen in order to feed others as well.  So incredible!

Today is a bit of a Funky Find Friday.  We are heading back out on our Antique Quest. I'm a bit of an antique myself so it's kind of like going home.  Love looking at the stuff that is out there and checking out another man's junk that just might be a treasure.  Looking for some old cookbooks and whatever else we may find.  Wish us luck!

It's going to be a beautiful day to be out and about.  Mostly sunny skies with winds out of the North at 5 to 10 MPH.  The perfect Funky Find Friday to explore the Saint Louis Antique Mall.  Be good and kind to yourself and others as you head out the door into this crazy world. Have a Fun Friday Gardening Friends!

Day:  90-degrees  |  Night:  68-degrees
A little taste of summer is returning to the Southside of Saint Louis today as the heat begins to rise just a bit.  It's summer.  It's expected. It is what it is.  Still nothing compared to what we have already experienced.  No worries from the old man.

I'm in year 2 of my Asparagus growing experiment.  They are looking like a big old mess right now, but I've been told to just continue to leave them alone again this year and by next year I should be able to harvest come June or thereabout.  They are just a jungle right now.  It takes all of my willpower not to cut everything to make it look tidy. Can't do it, not prudent! Patience is key right now. I wait. I sit on my hands and stare at the mess of it all dreaming of the beautiful, fresh Asparagus of 2023.

It's a Tower Grove Farmers' Market Thursday at Rockwell Brewing Company in Francis Park this Thursday. If you are out and about you should stop by.  It's a beautiful setting and you can enjoy a lovely beverage as you stroll through the marketplace.  

Another beautiful, if a bit warm, Thursday today.  Sunshine this morning gives way to partly cloudy skies this afternoon.  Winds will be out of the WSW at 5 to 10 MPH.  Perfect Farmers' Market weather to be sure! Be good and be kind to yourself today.  You deserve it and so much more.  Enjoy this Thursday Gardening Friends!

Day:  86-degrees  |  Night:  62-degrees
It's a Wonderful Wednesday here in the Carondelet Garden in South Saint Louis.  I'm loving this weather and the garden is showing it.  The weeding is all done.  I've been able to get everything taken care of.  Added some new mulch to perk things up a bit in the front flower garden. It looks quite nice if I say so myself. It has been a simple pleasure to work in the garden these past few days.

It makes me remember to be grateful for the good days. Give thanks and appreciate the blessings. We all know that the good times don't last forever but that's okay. We just need to remember to enjoy them while they last. I've not always done that. I took things for granted and missed out on many amazing opportunities because I was "too busy." I'm trying to take a bit of the "busy-ness" out of my life and enjoy the good where I can find it. Maybe it's an age thing. Maybe it's because I have a bit more time and can enjoy the moment. It's easy to tell others to enjoy the little things but it can be so hard to do in the moment when everyone is pulling at you in a million directions. I hope you can take a moment to enjoy something small and amazing today.  If only for a moment.

This Wonderful Wednesday weather is amazing. Beautiful sunshine with light and variable winds. Low humidity and bright, blue skies with puffy, white clouds. Nothing could be finer! Have a bit of faith today, hold on to hope and spread a bit of love as you journey through this day.  Have a Wonderful Wednesday Gardening friends!

Day:  84-degrees  |  Night:  64-degrees
It's Squash Tuesday here in the Garden.  They've pretty much taken over.  Each morning it's a bit like watching Audrey II from "Little Shop of Horrors" get bigger and bigger.  The blossoms are beautiful and yesterday we harvested our first Butternut Squash of the season!  Soup, glorious soup! We also enjoy a lovely butternut ravioli with a light butter sauce.  YUM!  Have to give a shoutout to Lorenzo's on the Hill for that one.  It's amazing.

One lesson I've learned this year with the expanded Garden and growing vegetables is that there is a lot of work involved. A lot of ups and downs. Successes and failures. Worry, joy and desperation at times. A bit like life in general. Like life as well, the harder you work the better your rewards, most of the time.  Things don't always work out like you planned. We learn from the mistakes, try to fix the problems and move on.  The successes are what get you up and outside every morning.  Ups and downs. Hills and valleys. Joy and Sadness. You can't have one without the other. I had a friend who once told me he lived to make decisions better than half of the time.  He wanted his decision batting average to be .501.  You think just half? Can you imagine a professional baseball player who consistently hit .501? 

Today, I wish you more joy and success. You deserve it. The weather is certainly a joy and success.  Abundant sunshine with light and variable winds.  That's a good day by my standards.  It's a good for a good day. Go out and enjoy some sunshine. Have that second cup of coffee. Maybe call an old friend or visit with a neighbor for a couple of minutes. Have a great Squash Tuesday Gardening Friends!

Day:  83-degrees  |  Night:  62-degrees
Welcome to my Monday Moods.  Some people hate Mondays.  Just think of "Garfield, the Cat." There was a time that Mondays were not my favorite day of the week but lately I've looked forward to them.  A bit of a new beginning every week.  I usually do cleaning and de-cluttering on Mondays.  It just sets the tone for the week, and I get to get rid of some of the clutter around the house, my desk and my work areas.  I also try to de-clutter my mind a bit as well. Push out some of the stuff that just hangs around and doesn't really help and, hopefully, make room for the more positive moods to move in!  

The mood today is joy! The sunshine and blue skies are all over the Garden this morning.  The coffee is brewing, the newspapers arrived, there is some lovely classical music playing on the Smart Speaker.  Life is joy-full!  I wish you a joy-full day as well!

The weather is truly joyful this Monday in August.  Bright sunshine, clear skies and light and variable winds.  As the songwriter said, "who could ask for anything more?" It is a great day to smile a bit more, laugh a bit harder, love a little better, and be filled with just a bit more joy! We've all had enough of the other stuff! Have a great day Gardening Friends!