It's the Midwest, Sista!!!

At this very moment, I am feeling a tad overwhelmed by Mother Nature.

I keep repeating the mantra .... it's the Midwest, sista!!!

We have gotten a lot of rain. 

Not Minnesota-like rain.  You know ... The Land of a Million Lakes!

But I weed .... and the row looks beautiful ... and I mulch .... and the weeds grow through the mulch at eye-popping speed. 

Seriously .... faster than corn in July in Iowa!!

And that is fast!!!

So I weed.  And I weed.  And I weed. 

And that section of the garden looks .......... beautiful.

Then .... I look and see the section that looked beautiful last week ........ is overwhelmed with grass, pigweed and lamb's quarters! 

YIKES!!!!

My jeans are muddy and torn.  My feet look like they were in a mud bath.  And my nails ..... I can't even describe my fingernails. 

We still have piles of branches from the storm damage. 

The willow tree .............. it will have to go.  I am getting bids on removing it.  I'm afraid if we do it ... we will lose the cutting garden, the corn-zebo or the little gazebo.

Or all three.

More willow damage.

This wood is way too soft to burn in our woodstove.  So hopefully, any tree trimmer will grind it into mulch for me.

We do have a nice pile of ash and apricot for the woodstove next year.  A little seasoning will do it good!

And this is "branches-we-found-around-the-yard" pile.  It has dropped by half due to the kindness and big trailer that my BIL owns.

So with all this debris .... I have to search for the beauty.

It is there with the shimmering rain drops on this beautiful pink lily.

It is there with the crisp contrast of the pure white and the deep green foliage

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And it is there with the delicate curve of this dusty lilac verbascum.

It is the Midwest, Sista!!!

And beauty surrounds us.