Spring Turns Into Summer

I've been hoping to post more this year, but once again, life has gotten busy! We're working hard, we're traveling, we're doing a few things around the house, and now all of a sudden it's the end of June.

So here is a short update, before any more time gets away from me!

The house thing we did this spring was new gutters and putting a silicone coating on the flat part of the roof, above the kitchen. The roofer sent me pictures...but I'll spare you. Nothing is more boring than pictures of gutters and a silicone coating.

Ok, one picture:

This is the roofer applying the silicone coating. This photo makes me happy because we won't have to think about that roof for another 20 years or more. Same with the gutters -- those should have at least 20 years on them, probably 30.

More house projects to come soon (if we can sit still long enough to do them). 

In the meantime, the back garden is going nuts after all the rain we had last winter...

The first California poppy of the spring, on May 2:

Here they are now, on June 25:

Giant hollyhocks growing in the middle of the Monster Rosemary:

The back neighbor's rambling roses (view from the kitchen):

View from the yard:

The succulents are blooming: 

Bumblebees love these. And Lorraine likes to chase the bumblebees.

The Mexican Sage is once again completely out of control:

Hummingbirds love these. Lorraine ignores the hummingbirds.

We had a volunteer Columbine pop up:

The unruly and impossible camellias managed to flower:

And our roses are exploding:

That's all for now! More to come soon!