I love these long hot summer days. It’s nearing fair time, the vegetables in the garden are starting to fill my freezer and adding lots of flavors to our meals. For us, it’s a little break in the middle of summer when the cattle are all contentedly grazing in the pastures, the hay is cut and baled and all the winter feed is planted and growing. Of course, there’s always lots to do – the grass & weeds seem to need constant attention, equipment needs to be readied for fall harvest, and vegetables require daily harvesting. The evenings are long and refreshing after the bright, hot sun of the day. Lightening bugs add little sparkles to the yard and, if you can keep the mosquitoes at bay, it’s a nice time to sit on the porch and unwind from the busy day.

The bright fresh spring flowers have given way to the tougher, heat tolerant flowers of summer. My favorite, of course – being from Kansas- is the sunflower. Bright and bold, it will soon brighten the roadsides and ditches with it’s perky bright yellow flowers. Last year, the neighbor planted large fields of those great big crop sunflowers and I spent days taking pictures of their beautiful blooms. I was disappointed when I noticed that he had planted other crops in those fields this year.

I love this bright, bold ornament! I’ve hand crocheted a bright yellow sunflower to add to the side and it adds a pretty bright splash of color wherever you put it. This winter when all the other flowers have faded and gone, this ornament will keep a little bit of summer going year round in your home!