Two Rocks

I am often struck by the perfect shape of this rock on the shore of Spring Lake. I decided to take its picture even though I didn't really have to right lens. The sky really was that color blue. There were lots of swimmers, walkers, dogs, kids, picnickers and cyclists out enjoying the perfect morning, and we were a bit later than usual because we are having to watch the British Open at Carnoustie and The Tour de France, both rather lengthy affairs. Since they are in Scotland and France they are both live on television here at  4am. OilMan was watching the Open when I got up this morning (I doubt if even he he was up at 4am) but we recorded the Tour to watch at a more civilized hour.

I spent the day deadheading dahlias, picking green beans and tomatoes and trying to figure out how to tame the Cana lilies which come up from nothing taller and more widespread every year. They seem to grow like bamboo from an underground root or rhizome that spreads....

OilMan is on the warpath trying to do something about the ground squirrels* who are also beginning to colonize and wreak havoc everywhere. I threw rocks at them last evening, but they clearly understood that I threw like a girl and have bad aim because they barely moved. I was actually kind of insulted....

They're definitely not cute when they start rattling around outside the bedroom door in the middle of the night or devouring entire plants, leaving nothing but a stem devoid of any sort of growth. They even nibble on the succulents which are in pots to keep the gophers from eating their roots!  It's hard to believe that there's any dirt left underground with all the rodents that live under there. I picture the entire house slowly subsiding into the labyrinth of tunnels slowly collapsing under its weight.

Life in the country certainly does present a whole new set of challenges, but we are having Salade Niçoise for dinner with home grown tomatoes and beans. So far the ground squirrels don't seem to be eating them...

*extra