More flowers

Here's one of my favorite Knock out Roses and one of the perennial geraniums in full bloom.

Jim is off to Walmart before breakfast to load up on mulch. Today is customer appreciation day at the local bank - a charming, small town activity, where the bank brings in a band, has free hot dogs and drinks and gives away free tomato plants and other little goodies. Main street looks like an outdoor mall for a few hours - children joyfully running around, friends and neighbors meet, munch and laugh for a bit before heading home to plant their tomatoes or just get on with the rest of their day.

Jim and I will go out for breakfast when he gets back and after lunch I'll be back in the studio. I just have two more pots to glaze and then I can start wadding.

Friends are coming over for Friday night porch sitting, so I'll have to stop work around 5 to make margaritas and get some veggies prepped for dip (Marie's Ranch dressing makes a great dip for raw veggies), mix up some sour cream and chives to go with the potato skins and hot chicken wings (thanks to Friday's).

Sometimes our porch sitting gets a bit fancier, at least when I'm not deeply involved in getting ready for a firing; otherwise it becomes a simple affair like tonight.

The garden is 99.9% weeded and mulched and looks wonderful. Karen will be here this afternoon to finish weeding and and adding some extra mulch on the steep slope behind the house. I've already done some weeding there but she'll dig out the last couple of tough grass spots.