I'm having a birthday today- mine- but I am hoping for a quiet, noneventful day of gardening. The gardens are begging me to do some work in them. I was greeted today by two beautiful waterlilies that bloomed. The rose garden had plenty of roses for cutting for a party on Saturday-that was great. I also clipped off a large stalk of lavender and cream orchids and multiple sprays of stephanotis. The frequent rains lately have been a mixed blessing. I am noticing some black spot beginnings the roses, so I will need to get on that. The sunflower plants are getting bigger by the day. Some of the herbs in the herb garden need less water than they are getting, so more rain there will not help. I may need to dig a bed up and correct the soil mix with some additives that allows more moisture to drain away.

The butterfly emerged from it's pupa and was gone before I could get a picture of her drying her wings. I missed it! So I have been poking around looking for another, finding nothing yet. I don't even see the caterpillars today but the milkweed plants look ragged so they have been there.

I am cross stitching a "block" for a group project of a friendship quilt for a fellow stitcher that needs to be mailed this week. I also need to get caught up on some mystery stitching that I am signed up for with Chatelaine. So there's never a boring moment here!