The saga continues as the sun rises and sets upon… Our Yarden

It is a beautiful morning and I couldn’t help feeling a hint of fall in the air (What the hay?!! It’s July!) as I squeezed behind our brand new (used) coach to see if some fabric I had gotten some time ago on a whim (okay, I had had coupon induced frenzy) would be just the thing to redecorate the valance. But then I saw them looming, nay looming and towering over my head like non scary jack-in-the-boxes with bright dispositions… The Sunflowers.

Yes, it was the attack of the cheery, vibrant Sunnies! We had only been gone for four days and there they were, a good foot or two taller and some of their stalks are now the size of my wrist. Eeee gads. (Something my grandmother used to say. I have no idea of its origin but it is an expression of astonishment that seemed to fit.) Happy, happy, joy, joy! I can not but feel good when I stare into the face of a gigantic yellow dinner plate sized flower waving about in the breeze. Yes, yes, I understand that we can eat the seeds too, but that is a bonus. They feed the soul with their charm and enthusiasm.

And then there will be the birds. The myriad of bouncing chipper birds who will sit in and hang on to the “Sunnies” swaying in the breeze, feasting and tossing the seed casings willy nilly. Beyond cute. Some of the varieties crinkle a bit or over turn with their own weight becoming enormous showerheads. When this occurs the birds sit on them and reach upside down to pluck the seedy goodness from their undersides, tidily depositing their empty shells on the topside as if letting them fall to the ground would be uncouth.

Yes, I like Sunnies. Always will. I don’t know much about them, how they grow, what they require. As a matter of fact when it comes to most of the plants in the Yarden that edict could be said to apply. But I especially like the fact that with the Sunnies my lack of knowledge does not faze them in the least. The only thing I need to do to enjoy them is to get in over my head…