Purple coneflower or echinacea purpurea. It is utterly amazing that they can grow in this jungle of a garden. There is Russian Sage just in the background, but everything else is basically WEEDS.

     I started the day by making my brown gravy mix and a large supply of my taco seasoning. I put 2 cups of dried kidney beans in the crockpot with 5 cups of water, and they have been cooking all day.  Today was sunny, breezy, and a little cooler than it has been, so I went outside and weeded until noon. I came in for a break....had lots of water, some lunch, and read some emails. Then I went out to cut grass until I ran out of steam, at 3 o'clock.  So I quit. I had a cold shower, washed my hair and called it a day.  The work will still be there tomorrow. I think the big difference this year is the veggie garden. I am spending a lot of time there because it is an investment that I don't want to lose. So my flower gardens, especially the ones in the back, are left to fend for themselves. I have a feeling that I shall be weeding and pruning and amending all the gardens well into the fall. So for now, I will go make supper and probably relax in front of the idiot box (TV) tonight while looking over the sales flyers for groceries that arrived in my driveway this afternoon.  I am sure I will sleep well tonight. Talk later.