The hollyhocks are really starting to bloom now..especially with our warm weather...its been in the low 100s for the last two days.....I took this photo yesterday.....
and this just a few moments ago

There is a white one opening too
These plants might have done well there as its right next to the sprinkler lines and gets plenty of water...plus morning sun and afternoon shade...I hope to collect the seeds, give a few away, and try to plant more on the other end of this fence to balance it. We've only been in this house for a little over 3 years so there is still things we want to plant, etc...I've been trying to talk Alan into building some square foot gardening boxes and letting some of the lawn go...but so far its no. He does like to grow vegetables though so perhaps one day....all the lawn really eats up our water bill.

Hollyhocks!

I planted a few hollyhock seeds last year...these are the type that don' t bloom the first year but oh, my....this year they have gone crazy....look at how tall this spike is? Alan is 6 ft + so this must be over 10 ft. tall.....the buds are just starting to come out...


He says he remembers his grandmother having some but nothing this tall...

Its really warm today....in the triple digits and there is a red flag warning out. Using Lea's recipe, I made some of the blueberry pecan bread this morning, using Splenda instead of sugar....very good, I pigged out and ate two pieces....always did like quick breads...next I will try the zucchini bread that Cora posted but need to get some crushed pineapple....

This is an actual photo taken outside of Bakersfield, Ca this year...our hillsides here in Menifee, and Lake Elsinore looked much the same about two months ago...Alan and I tramped around the hillsides taking photos but ours just didn't come out as nice as this one...It was like God took
out a paintbrush. There are many little dirt back roads to explore here not far from our house.
Doesn't take much gas and a fun thing to do. Thanks Kay for the photo!

Alan has a job this morning down by the Pechaga Indian Casino....its a bit of a drive...but not bad. He has quite a few jobs yesterday and probably get more calls today. He has another job in Hemet too. We weren't able to see the van yesterday so I called and set up an appointment for tomorrow. I'll just have to set aside some time in the morning and schedule appointments in the afternoon. A lot of locksmiths don't work weekends but we do. We also work evenings until about 8 or 9. We've gotten several call from people who have locked themselves out of their houses in the evening..We actually have returning customers..as this one house has 3 room mates and they constantly lock themselves out of their rooms...they call and say "its us again".
I think Alan's been out there 4 or 5 times.

Its gray and cool this morning...cool enough for a light jacket...no sun yet, I hope it comes out soon...I planted hollyhocks last year, they are the kind that don't bloom the first year..this year they've sent out tall spikes and there are buds so hope they bloom soon...one spike is over 9 ft. tall! we will post photos when they bloom. Alan planted giant mammoth sunflowers too which are growing nicely...
I won some moon flower seeds and plan on planting them along our side fence line...its very blank right now. I am not real familiar with moon flowers but from the photos and from what others say, they should do well here. Has anyone had any experience with them? We are zone
8b almost 9....the fence really needs something...its about 100 ft. long..I will have 150 seeds so that should be enough, I would think. Are they fussy about soil requirements? I was wondering if I needed to get some potting soil and work it in along the fence..there is lawn up to about 4 -5 inches from the fence.