It's here!

The heat, that is! The infernal Texas heat that will be us until late October! That humid, sweat through your panties kind of heat that makes you think, just briefly, that Texas may NOT be heaven on earth! I know it gets warm everywhere, but honey, if you've never been hot in Texas, you've never REALLY been hot!

Once it gets hot, everything southern kicks into bloom, and in addition to jasmines that fill the air with fragrance, it time for the quintessential among all things southern, the magnolias. Miss Ginger noticed the buds a couple of days ago, and this is one of the first of the huge, creamy flowers that will open over the next few month! This tree was here when Miss G bought the house, and it is HUGE! This bloom is a good 12-15 inches across! Whoever planted this tree really put it way too close to the structure, but it is so gorgeous and healthy that Miss G just puts up with the mess. Ya see, as pretty as magnolias are, they drop SOMETHING just about 24 months of the year! Each bud (and there are hundreds) is covered in a velvety brown sheath, and as the bud bursts open, the sheaths fall to the ground to be swept up. As each bud gives way to a flower, they eventually turn brown and fall for another big cleanup! Then, a cone forms where each flower bloomed, and produces red seeds that fall to the ground in the fall. After the seeds fall, then come the cones! And then, winter storms blow down the weakest branches and leaves, and the whole process starts again next spring! I guess the belles of the old south had the field hand to clean the stuff up. Luckily, Miss G has an OCD lesbian to take care of the mess her tree makes!

Speaking of OCD, Miss Ginger had a Marie Osmond meets Martha Stewart kinda day, as she prepared her groceries for another week on Nutrisystem®. Miss G knows herself well enough to know if she gives herself the chance to cheat, she will, so she repackages everything in the correct portion size as soon as she gets it home.

Now, back to gardening. Remember the hanging garden that Miss G planted a few weeks back? Can you believe there is a baby tomato on there already?! Those plants have really grown! I guess I'm gonna have to get some overalls and a funny hat like Weezer Boudreaux!