Already August

The week has been sunny-ish, humid; yesterday was beautiful, but I was trapped working indoors, looking through the windows towards the beach, envious. Today more storms are predicted (it's Saturday, it must rain??) and I have been up early to paint the front door. Again. Somehow the algae-green didn't work now that the siding is free of algae. The duck-poop colour still works well inside the hall, but it's time for the red front door, or, to be precise, "California Poppy" to match the downstairs kitchen. No I'm not going feng-shui. Though it does face north... and you have to turn a corner to reach the living area... and I have goldfish... and a gourd vine... Hmmm. Subliminal feng shui???

(California poppies are not this colour. California poppies are as orange as oranges. This is a red. It's definitely a poppy red, but more a Flanders Poppy than a California Poppy. Just to be finicky.)

(Did you see Design Star last week? Jennifer's kitchen cabinets? You been looking at my blog, Jennifer????? You liked the California Poppy cabinets? Yes, I do too!)

Was I really wondering where the cicadas were a couple of weeks ago?

Now we have the cicada orchestra. The chorus--and there must be a million of them--high pitched, gentle, constant, like someone shaking seeds in a can. Then the mid-range, louder ones that go "zizzz-zizzzzzzzz..... zizzz-zizzzzzzzz" non-stop. The alto ones that go "crick-crick-crick-crick-crick.... crick-crick-crick-crick-crick...." The soprano maracas, shaken every few minutes. And the occasional, loud, bass "RAT-A-TAT-A-TAT-A-RAT!".

The birdsong overlays and mingles with the cicadas. It's the sound of summer.