R. finished the basement reconstruction, just in time for my rounded birthday party :). We are still getting used to so many of the new spaces, sometimes one can get lost there :). Mom came to visit for a month and my friend M. came for the long weekend. With my mom, we quarreled a bit, than we made peace. We managed to go to see ocean in the beautiful Lewes park (but water was just toooo cold for me to swim, only M. the seal went in), we went to Sky Meadows in Virginia and to the Fredrick in Maryland for the 4th July fireworks, we visited inner harbor in Baltimore, Mike's crab place on the river in Annapolis, we ate raw oysters in old Ebitt grill and Thai dumplings in Georgetown... Mom went back home on the 7th, i already miss her ...
This summer is very hot and humid, we have long periods with temperatures around 100 F, and some heavy stormy rains too, (too much water, we are actually loosing the gutters one after another). Garden is very jungly by now, we ate the pees in early June and some leftover sour cherries (we discovered our cherry tree is of that variety), now i am collecting first tomatoes and string beans. 
I successfully fighted back the black spot mold on my rose bushes, so we are getting continuous rounds of new blossoms, only they are a bit smaller than those first spring ones. All the last year morning glories, marigolds and zinnias came back, i did not have to use any new seeds this year ...
As well, now is the peak time for gladiolas, we have so many blooms from the last year bulbs which were supposed to be just annuals, i guess all that snow was good winter protection against frost.
