Ends with a Bang

 We ate a lot of artichokes and gave away about an equal number.

Three or four are left on the two plants at the south side of our house.  The blossoms most clearly reveal the relationship to thistles.  In our Southwest climate the artichokes grow all year and one of the plants nearest to a slightly leaky faucet is now about four feet in height.

Summer

 Daytime temperatures are in the mid-90s in Albuquerque.  It seemed a good excuse to take a stroll through the Botanical Garden.  That is an idea that occurs to a lot of people now.  Luckily, the Garden can absorb a lot of visitors without losing its aura of natural peacefulness.