It's nice out there --

These days, whenever we have extra time in the cool of the day, you'll find us sitting here, watching the bees:

Bees are fun to watch.  They're so efficient and hard-working. Never still, always with a mission. Carrying nectar or pollen, feeding babies, building comb. We sit and watch them exit the hives and take off into the air, or return buzzing over our heads and land on their front porches, and crawl in.

The spinach is ready. Twice I've picked off a leaf and nibbled away. Very nice.

My rugosa roses are really such prizes. What a scent! I brought these old, fallen petals inside and put them in a tiny finger bowl. That was yesterday. Today they're more withered, but still just as fragrant. I may collect lots. The bowl is one of four that my grandmother gave to me many years ago -- probably 25 or 30 years. She used to work in the china department at the Diamond Department Store. I always thought that sounded so elegant. Everyone just called it "The Diamond."

This was scrumptious. I'm buying new beef these days: organic, no antibiotics, grass-fed, free-ranging, local.  It is so, so, so wonderful. I had a mad desire to grill up a burger with grilled onions and provolone cheese melted on top. The bread is a leftover dinner roll, toasted. Yum, yum good!!!