My pessimistic side – sometimes the only side I have to display – chalked up the loss to the acceptance of a cute bunny that ate almost all of the first leaves of these petunia plants – but pessimism joyfully lost out to summer persistence. Here is that ravaged batch of petunias, now in full and glorious bloom. They had been making quiet strides of healing and growth, sending out new leaves and buds, as if reinvigorated by their harsh pruning so early in the season – a game of catch-up and bloom like it’s not going to last.
The bunny did its bit of damage, but there’s now a groundhog on the loose, so this pretty scene is probably of very-limited duration. I will take it and offer gratitude for as long as its prettiness lasts. A lesson of the fleeting nature of summer, perhaps felt more keenly than in any other season.
