More Strange Phenomena

I took this picture yesterday afternoon, while walking through the yard.  You might think it is just a picture of the grass.

Those leaves, my friends, are from this tree:

This large black walnut is slowly dying, and the trunk is very hollow.  Here is what is interesting... both of our big black walnuts are dropping leaves in MAY.  Normally, they are the last to leaf out... end of March, beginning of April, long after the other trees.  This year, they were the last to leaf out in March... and now, instead of July (which is normal start of leaf fall for them) both are dropping leaves by the hundreds, not just one or two.  The Kansas City Star this morning had a two page article about the strange weather phenomena we are experiencing, along with the facts that the winter wheat crop is in almost four weeks early, farmers are now cutting hay several weeks early, and people have already harvested their spring crops and are putting in summer crops in the garden.  The Star opines that we will be canning, etc. fully a month early this year.  I would have to say, based on what I see in our own gardens, that this is true.

I planted this stand of Achillea last summer... it has far surpassed anything I could have imagined.  In fact, there is a daylilly to the left that is almost buried by this stand, and I'll have to move it this weekend.

If you biggify this (by clicking on it) you will see that the buddleia blooming has beautiful blossoms on it. (say that fast!)

Daisies, phlomis, and catmint are also blooming.  The larger buddleia to the right is not blooming yet.

I wonder if I will have any flowers left for the rest of the summer?

We will leave soon for the funeral this morning.  There is an 80% chance of rain, but I am glancing out the window now, and the sky appears to be lightening.  After the funeral will be a lunch served by the chuch ladies, and I am taking my camera so that I can take pictures of some of my relatives to use for Ancestry.com pages.