It was a mostly *calm* weekend

If I weren't melting in the heat, I might be able to come up with a creative post. As it is, the humidex is 100F+ and the house 85F on the main level, so my remaining brain cells are fried. I know it's not that hot to many who live in more southerly climates, but it's hot for us. Typical of our summer weather, but uncomfortably hot nonetheless.

White echinacea, I believe.

However, I was happy for my big "strawberry": The next door neighbours headed to Toronto on Friday sometime, and they weren't home in the afternoon or evening, and weren't around at all yesterday. Yay! They got back around 10PM last night, apparently. (So said the mom when we spoke briefly today.) It's the son's turn to spend the week with his grandmother; the daughter is home now.

I reveled in the peace and quiet, I assure you. 

Anyone know what this is? 

Looks rather strange, coming into bloom.

Oh, and I had popped in to Value Village yesterday for something to read, found a few novels to keep me occupied for a bit. So that was a "strawberry" too. I wasn't in the mood to shop for clothes...I know, hard to believe, but it does happen.

I have no idea what this is, though I see it every year. 

Probably one of you told me last year and I just can't remember now.

Toby hung around till very late morning today, quite unusual for him. I fed him at 4AM per usual, but wonder if another cat (thinking the mostly grey tabby with white markings I see around, think it's an unneutered male) came and ate his canned. I went outside around 11AM and gave Toby another can, and after that he wandered off to to do his Toby-thing.

Pics snapped early yesterday AM.

 It's hard to get pics of him because he's so squirmy.

I don't trust him enough to try to touch his tummy,

as much as he does expose it!

 Kissing the step? That doesn't look like the Blarney Stone to me.

 Yeah, that feels good, lady, don't stop.

As for my "boys," they've been pretty inactive this weekend, in this heat. Lolling around. More so than usual, I mean.  :-)

They did have Mr. Temptation sitting in the tree behind our fence for much of the weekend, though:

He was vocal, and seemingly not afraid of the cats or even of me. In the second snapshot, I was standing almost under his branch and he wasn't phased by it at all, or by the long lens on the Fuji, pointed at him. He didn't end up in our garden, though, as that young robin did on Thursday. Much to the boys' disappointment.

Such was my "exciting" weekend. Back to work tomorrow....I really could use a few consecutive days off now, but there are several projects that need to be completed ASAP, and piles of paper I'm trying hard not to think about at this time. Maybe I'll take an extra day or two around our long weekend in early August. I'll certainly take time off when Dad visits, but that's a while yet.

I hope everyone's staying cool (or warm, depending up on where you live) and that the weekend has been kind.

You know it's coming....Keep calm and carry on!  :-)