How Does Anything Grow?

Today we drove to the ranch where my daughter takes riding lessons.  It was 105F outside and incredibly windy, even more so than usual.  The hot wind was stirring up the dust and sweeping it along the valley, depositing it in a thick film over everything.  I totally get why cowboys in the old wild west movies always wore bandanas.  I could have used a bandana today.  

On the way, we did slow down and take a picture of the pumpkin field but the leaves are, unbelievably, still green and hiding the pumpkins!  How is that possible?  Look how dry the ground is.  The pumpkins are going to be really big ones.  You can't tell from these photos but they are the ones you can hardly get your arms around and pick up.  The ones you can carve into elaborate designs for Halloween.  I love pumpkins.  

Usually I park in the shade at the barn and sit in the car and sew while my daughter rides.  I don't run the engine because I don't want to spook the horses.  Even when it is hot outside, it is usually ok in the shade with all the windows open to catch the gusting afternoon breeze.  Today I tried because I have those little hanging pumpkins I'm enjoying working on but it was unbearable.  Eventually I gave up and went and hung out inside the barn and watched the lesson from there.  I think it was even hotter in there but I made myself useful getting drinks of water!

Seriously, I think this horse has a magical, invisible unicorn horn.  He is so beautiful!  

I'm still working on these.

"Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning....." right?  Ever the optimist!  I'm so looking forward to crisp, cold Fall mornings.