Ah, the cusp of summer

To say that it gets hot here in the summer, is like saying Hell is hot sometimes, too.

But like they say, it's a dry heat. I don't mind it so much. Bill looks at the sun's rays beating down on him as a personal affront and can be seen shaking his fist in the air and yelling upward, "Evil orb!"

While it has been getting up there, it's not that hot yet. We're still on the verge of summer and with that comes the blooming of the catalpas.

I love catalpa trees and their giant, heart-shaped leaves. I am not, however, a fan of those long, pointy seed pods, but every rose must have its thorns.

Right now all the catalpas in valley are in mid bloom. They are gorgeous.
This is from the little catalpa that lives in between our house and the neighbors.' The blooms sit so eager with their maroon-striped mouths agape, like baby birds waiting for their mama.

I love how the clusters of white blooms push upward and sit on top of the leaves like Christmas oranments. And they have this subtle, sweet smell.

In a few days, there will be a blanket of crushed white blooms covering the ground under the catalpas, until then I get to enjoy this harbinger of summer.