Urban bliss

After an early rise, a walk in the woods with Mr. M and the pooches, neighbor and I settled in to the local coffee shop for a good, old- fashioned catch-up. Fueled by iced-coffee and a chocolate muffin, we started out very peppy on the annual walking tour of our neighborhood's gardens and gradually lost our pep as the morning got a bit hotter and stickier.

People's gardening ingenuity, creativity and hard work never ceases to amaze me. What one can do with a tiny city lot is very inspiring. Gardeners pass on divided plants to other gardeners on their street and they co-garden in order to obliterate property lines, making spaces look larger than they really are.

Not bliss was the sauna-like weather and clammy skin but we stopped at all the houses on the list. Now home, inspired and downing a gallon of cold water while scheming about more yard work, to commence as soon as cooler temps arrive.