Garden tools

I have a long history of failed relationships with my garden tools. I've had more weed-eaters than Liz Taylor had husbands. The honeymoon starts when I uncoil a new hose or haul home another battery-operated trimmer, but soon the hose is twisted in permanent kinks and the weed-eater finds some exasperating way to torment me. Or starts to die a slow death the minute it's out of the box.

Hope springs eternal. Here's my new Black and Decker rechargeable with a 40V Lithium battery (wow!) light as a feather and more powerful than anything I've ever owned.  It even whacked through some of the smaller bamboo yesterday.  I looked at hundreds of online reviews, and the B&D seems to be universally loved across America. So if you happen to be looking for a new battery-operated trimmer, I can save you a lot of trouble. I had to mail order the thing because it was sold out at every Home Depot and Lowe's in Seattle, so I guess that tells you something right there. 

What happened to June?  I wish that sweetest first month of summer could linger on, but with all the work and other busy activities it always seems to pass by in a flash.  The famous British horticulturist and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll once said:

What is one to say about June, 
the time of perfect young summer, 
the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, 
and as yet no sign to remind one 
that its fresh young beauty will ever fade. 

Which is to say, the month of June is like looking at these little girls. And look at good dog Roger! He had a professional grooming and feels pretty cool for summer.  Amanda says he's suddenly getting extra attention, because Nova and Maya are acting like they got a brand new puppy. For a few days, at least.