To The Surbiton Manor Born

 Summer proper is upon us. Today was absolutely perfect. Sunny with some passing puffy clouds. High '80's & humid.  Celebrating the new Juneteenth holiday by staying at home and basically working on the garden all day. It's work, yes. But it is fun. We're trying various methods to eradicate the creeping Charlie that overran the top of the hill. Now I'm a tolerant fellow. Generally speaking, if it is green and can be cut to 3" or so, I'm on board with it living in the yard. In this case, however, I feel differently. I'm not sure why. Is it the repulsive smell? Is it the sense that the vines are tentacles weaving around and choking out everything in their path like the vile creature in the pool before the gates of Moria in the Lord of the Rings? Is it that it chokes out everything - including my precious clover? Whatever it is, I want it gone.  I believe I've noted already the attempt to burn it out with the propane torch. Satisfying as it was at

  Summer is here and the garden is producing. It happens fast around here. Just a couple of weeks ago I was deeply worried about tiny plants just starting out. Today, just about everything is up. We've got four different kinds of squash up. We have lettuce that's ready to eat. We had almost no chance to eat the rocket before it bolted. The beets are up. There are onions coming and the garlic needed a rescue as it had all fallen down while seeking the sun. The itsy bitsy tomato & pepper plants are now big enough to ease the worry.  It is dry. We had a nice downpour yesterday that refilled the rain barrels, but we've had to use the hose pipe more than I would like. And it looks like another week without a drop in the forecast as far out as it goes.  We have been engaged in a pogrom against creeping Charlie. The stuff is one green thing in the lawn that I really don't want, because it is totally invasive and wrecks everything else that I do  want in the lawn. We've