Still waiting

We are still waiting for the weather to quiet before we can start on construction. With any luck we can get the septic work done this next week.  Meanwhile the rain has done a wonderful job of getting things to bloom.

This is my hollyhock "Zebrina Zebra." It is covered with blooms, which are smaller than the average hollyhock bloom, but so pretty.

The old roses are also prolific right now. I have no idea what variety this is.

Clematis lanuginosa "Nellie Moser"

and Clematis jackmanii "Niobe." These are climbing an old clothesline pole to which we attached a wooden trellis. The two types are so intertwined I can't separate them.  Eventually I would like to get more clematis varieties, but I want them to remain separate. I may put some along the chain-link fence.

Hubby brought in this bloom of Allium christophii-- "Star of Persia." A wonder of God's creation, isn't it? We have several alliums blooming right now.

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Hubby has lost quite a bit of weight with the chemo, and most of his hair has fallen out.  He got it cut very short because he was shedding it everywhere. He got dehydrated again and had to have IV fluids. He pretty much stopped eating for a few days--he said everything tasted nasty (although he was more descriptive.)  Finally he decided he had had enough, and has cancelled all further treatments.  All this after just one infusion of the chemo, but he says he would rather die of cancer than let the chemo kill him. He will keep the PICC line in as long as possible to use for fluids or iron, etc. So far his lab work is looking pretty good, considering. He is starting to eat again--cousin Stephenie brought us some barbecue, and he was able to enjoy it a little at a time. (Thanks, Steph!)

His disposition is also improving as he starts to feel a little better. He actually rode the mower for a couple of hours yesterday.

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It has been so wet that I have been unable to do any outside gardening.  I had grown some herbs and sunflowers in the garage to set out, but they have all either withered or grown so scraggly they are useless.  We got over 3" of rain this week.  I am planning to pick up a few vegetable plants at the garden center today to put in the garden, and I may plant some seeds as well.  I am not a gardener--that is hubby's thing.  But I did want to try some salsa vegetables, maybe salad veggies as well; and some small watermelons.  We do have onions and garlic that are about ready to harvest.

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