How exciting is my life ...

... when I get jazzed about a 3-inch-long zucchini? I bought four small plants at a local nursery and placed them in two 2-foot-long planters in my yard. (My arthritic back makes gardening very difficult and painful, so I've opted for planters.) I planted them Memorial Day weekend and they immediately started throwing out gorgeous yellow blossoms. However, not a single blossom resulted in a zucchini - until last week, nearly six weeks after the planting. Now I have about a dozen little zukes and am watching them eagerly, waiting for them to grow big enough to cut up for stir fry or a soup.

My poor little dog had to have another surgery last week. They thought he had a hernia, but instead he had developed a violent reaction to the synthetic sutures. They drained the fluid and stitched him (again). He's still red and swollen around the incision, and quite sore. It does keep him from jumping and tearing the stitches, but he's miserable. I can't wait until this is all over and he's well again. I'm not sure I would have had this neutering done if I had an idea of what he's been facing. But even the pain can't dull his appetite and his sweet nature. He is feeling better today, and I'm hoping that trend will continue.

We visited the Georgeson Botanical Garden (Welcome to the Georgeson Botanical Garden) this weekend. This beautiful garden is located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the colors Saturday were vibrant. We make this visit at least once every summer, to see the various flowers and other plants at different stages of growth.

It was a nice mostly sunny morning with temperatures in the low-to-mid-60s and a slight breeze. The only downside was the swarm of gnats. They seemed to really enjoy being around my face, so I spent a good part of the time waving to keep them away.

Several people were scattered around the garden with easels and paints. We talked with one of them, a principal at a local elementary school. They were all taking a painting class, and were really into creating beautiful interpretations of the flowers. We'll probably go back in August to see what's changed and get more photos. It's one of my favorite spots in Fairbanks.