Here are some views of our yard right now.  It’s summer flower madness!  Also, I sighted hummers making the rounds this morning.  All of us neighbors have nectar feeders lined up, on top of all the flowers.  One day I’ll manage to photograph one.

Here are F-day flowers, for those distinctive, rare men such as my son who appreciate such things.  And for anyone who has lost a father.

Here are some more flowers and plants around our house.  The big potted plant is the jasmine tree my neighbor gave me.  It’s getting mighty colorful around here.

Hiking through Clifton Gorge, we stopped to observe all kinds of aquatic life at the Blue Hole–large  leatherback turtles, some swimming with young on their backs, a huge water snake (moccasin?) speeding through the water, large and small fish, probably carp, little birds swooping in to catch a water meal, and one big goose serenely floating right past us.  It was fascinating to pause to watch the water show.

We, being the stuffed animal freaks that we are, have acquired a few more family members from our kindly neighbor.  At least they’re cleaner and quieter than millions of cats!  We have a llama(?), fox/wolf(?), elephant, koala, and doggie.  They join countless others in greeting you.  It’s like a zoo around here.

Of course the Skullies still preside over the Shabbat table.

More later, you can be sure.

Our neighbor’s garage sale has been doing…ok.  It’s good for being not the weekend.  We may extend it.  I’m the bartender and grillmaster.  I made a big batch of homemade from scratch icy  margaritas for everyone, and then grilled lunch for us.  I love my job.  It’s fun just hanging out with some friendly people under the trees.  Need I mention we bought a “few” items ourselves?  Well,  back out I go.

Here’s a poppy I finally grew!!

It’s getting ‘berry’ flowery around here!

Tomorrow is the big yard sale for our neighbor.  I shall be grillmaster and margarita-maker for the crew.  She and her daughter have made a lot of progress sorting and processing both tangible and intangible baggage, but it’s a work in progress.  It keeps us all busy and out of trouble!

We’re off to our monthly Equitas meeting in Dayton, to continue the project of making healthcare and doctors more accessible to the LGBT community.  It’s one small way we can leave this place a little better than we found it.

You know what’s f—ed up?  When you have to plan your whole life around where it’s safe for you to simply live and pursue normal activities, due to the danger of fanatical bigots (of any religious persuasion) wielding guns and hate.  When any routine activity is subject to insecurity, scrutiny, or even violence, in the name of someone’s intolerant, hateful belief system, we’ve gone off the deep end into sheer insanity.  There is nothing right or excusable about this behavior.

If you think anyone chooses to be gay or trans, you are delusional.  It’s like choosing to be born black in a racist world.  One would have to be insane to volunteer to be targeted and persecuted by stupid people just for the hell of it.  No more than a child born into poverty chooses that lifestyle.  It was assigned to them by birth through no fault of their own.  They just want to transition out of that stigma and into normalcy and security like anyone else.

Unless you grew up marginalized and denied basic rights that others take for granted, like having your vital documents reflect your actual identity, not that of some imposter or masquerader that others expect you to be, you can never really understand how scared and at risk this existence can be.  It’s like trying to understand the craving of a person brought up poor and abused to attain material security, when you grew up privileged, with everything you needed.  It’s easy to judge and criticize what makes little sense to you.  But for that person, it’s utterly real and vital to attain security, validity, and equality.

It seems we can never become complacent about anything in this crazed country.  Just when you think it’s safe to come out and go about your normal, daily business, it’s not.  We have a long way to go.  Some of us can’t just go live anywhere, or expect to find reasonable routine medical care, or let down our guard or vigilance in any situation.  Some people have to wait months or years to be approved for routine documents or business that others get done automatically.  Basic needs and rights are a privilege reserved for the “deserving”.  If you are one of the “undeserving”, they’ll pray for you as they blast you straight to hell.  It’s not yet safe to be a fellow human being.

In the spirit of neighborliness, we helped our neighbor and her daughter to continue to prepare for the extreme garage sale they’re organizing.  We’re happy to see our efforts have apparently paid off and inspired the previously estranged daughter to jump into the project with determination.  It’s cathartic and therapeutic for everyone.  They process a lifetime of stuff and memories, get it behind them, and in the process, work through some of their issues.   E was busily painting their side door, while I helped a little with stuff, and then we all collapsed in the shade to hang out.

Here are some shots while puttering around the garden, where lots is happening.  In keeping with Shavuot, I baked a Greek-style yogurt cheese lasagna with lots of fresh spinach and basil from my garden, with a salad of fresh greens from same.

Rainy is the best kind of day, IMO, because all my plants are happy.  Lots of cutting flowers!  Here are some scenes.  I made a fresh from scratch strawberry peach pie, baked fresh-herbed Mediterranean chicken, yellow basmati rice, and roasted brussels sprouts.