Summer has finally arrived with hot and humid weather. After waiting so long for summer-like weather, I have to keep reminding myself not to whine.

I really don’t like hot and humid. I don’t do humidity. With cool weather just around the corner, my mantra is embrace summer.

Signs of the blueberry harvest are synchronous with summer. Imagine pulling up next to one of these at the gas station. That’s the best picture I didn’t get this summer.

The greenhouse is looking positively lush. My Tumbling Toms in the hanging basket look a little worse for the wear given my erratic watering schedule.

If the abundance of blossoms are any sign, the eggplants appear to be loving the greenhouse.

Our very first baby eggplant. The plant is so full of blossoms that I had to stake it to keep it upright.

I pulled up a test garlic and found one (on the right) where I missed snipping the scape. While the flower is pretty, you can see how stunted the bulb is when the flower is not removed. Most years I’ve harvested the garlic by now, but it needs another week or so in the ground.

The colors of summer are so bright and pure.

We’ll be eating slicing tomatoes soon.

The hanging basket cucumbers are slowly working their way up the hanging trellis.

The sunflowers hiding behind the daisies are taller than I am, but still have a ways to go before they flower.

This weekend brought our first real harvest other than herbs and Swiss chard. The wild raspberries are such a treat. I love collecting them. It’s a careful dance among the briars to stretch, reach, and balance to snag the ripest berries that always seem to flourish in the thick of the plant. Picking berries may be one of my favorite summer-time activities. A bit of peace with the sound of bees and the rustling of the wind to keep me company.

I discovered a second round of baby Eastern Phoebes under the lean-to today. That’s at least five years running for this little nest. They are so darling.

Wanting to get a closer look, I climbed the ladder leaning against the wall. Just as I raised my iPhone to snap a photo, they fledglings burst out of the nest with a commotion, flying off. In surprise, I managed to hang onto the phone and the ladder.

Weekends like this are such a treasure that I wish there were more than 24 hours in the day.