One Tree Up, Another Down, Eating Light

1. It's an exciting morning when new trees arrive! Neighbor W. planted five trees on their property and this one on ours. The trees are a huge improvement for both properties. We still have three more hemlocks to dig holes for, but Steve was sidetracked by the following:

2. We had a terrific storm later this afternoon. We watched the sky turn black as it steadily bore down upon us. Wind and rain brought a welcome, albeit brief, change to the monotony of heat and humidity. After it passed, we saw a big old locust tree down on the horse fence. I must say the Horse Guard fencing is built like steel. This tree landed right on the tape, crushing it to the ground, yet the tape never broke.
3. Slices of red and yellow tomatoes, drizzled with a homemade honey-mustard vinaigrette and sprinkled with fresh basil looked pretty on the platter.