Two small shrubs planted in the front yard; one several feet in front of the guest room window so it doesn't grow right against the house is a Caryopteris called "Blue Mist" that is showy and butterflies love it, and it doesn't take much attention once established. The other is at the edge of the driveway and is a Pavonia in the Mallow family called Rock Rose, also ok with benign neglect once established. Mulched and ready to go.

I've started giving small amounts (as it becomes available) of produce to neighbors. A few okra and a tomato yesterday, just a tomato today. But a bright red homegrown tomato is the food of the gods, and always welcome. I have a few cucumbers to start making refrigerator pickles, one jar at a time so they don't sit around too long before I have enough for a regular size batch.

Clearing out the den is slow, but it is moving. I found a couple of boxes packed in the eBay stuff that I hadn't listed, and I've changed my mind about how to pack them so I'm working on that, then listing, and storing on the rolling rack in the hall. It isn't scorching out, but it's still too hot to spend prolonged time out there, so I'm going back and forth between garden and eBay listings today.

At our end of the street we have all noticed skunks out in the daytime, an unusual and not healthy sign in general since this time of year there is so much insect and plant activity that none of them should be short on food foraged overnight. They don't seem to be drooling or aggressive, just trotting out across the street, it's too soon to call anyone about them. There are pellets with rabies vaccine that can be strewn in an area that coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks are all liable to eat, and we might be wise to see if someone from the state will come do that.