Deep Summer

I'm going with deep summer because at mid August I think we're a bit past mid-summer but I just cannot bear to say "late summer".  I know it's been too hot for just about every sane person and field crops have suffered , gardening has been tough and the sheep have been too hot....but I'm a summer person and just don't want to see the season sliding into fall.  At some point I will have to make the admission (probably right after spinning at state fair and seeing the school buses on the road) but for right now I'm going to stay in my little fantasy world where I don't have to wear a sweatshirt and slippers and probably won't tomorrow either.

So to cement the feeling I conferred with the field flowers who agree it's still summer, at least in some degree.

Volunteer portulaca in a crack under the eaves where last year's hanging baskets hung.

Chickory, which is the nicest clear blue color without purple overtones.

Queen Anne's Lace (aka wild carrot) with it's one black center flower.  Anybody know why that's there? 

Turk's cap lily with fun spots and curled petals.

A mystery flower.  It's growing right on the edge of the road so who knows where the seed came from.  The flowers look too full to be ragged robin and not quite right for northern plains blazing star.  Maybe a cultivated escapee?  Centauria?  In any event, it should know it's appreciated growing where it is.

And while I don't like thistles in the pasture I don't mind them around the back of buildings since they attract goldfinches when they go to seed and when in flower give little lovelies like this a place to snack.

No pictures of goldenrod yet because........that would mean it's late summer :-/