Oh what a beautiful summer!

What a difference two weekends can make.

Two weeks ago the temperatures were in the 80s with extremely low humidity. It was great. I worked in the flower beds spreading 2 cubic yards of new mulch with no problems. It was actually pleasant to do outdoor work in July.

This past weekend was a different story. Hot, humid and your every movement left you soaked in sweat. I was able to get one more cubic yard spread, but I still have another yard to go.

Maybe if the cool temperatures the weather folks keep talking about materialize midweek, I might be able to get the rest of the mulch spread. I sure hope so. It's an annual chore that I dread.

I was reading last week that this week's cooler weather could be caused by a polar vortex. Like this winter's vortex that brought severe cold to the northern part of the country and cooler than normal temps here, the summer vortex brings colder than normal temperatures to the U.S. from Canada.

But this is sure crazy weather. I like the cooler weather, but I can't take the heat like I used to.

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I think the flower beds around the area are looking great this year, despite a lack of rain.

My hibiscus has been throwing out huge white and red blooms, and there just seems to be more of them this year than before. In addition, my brown-eyed Susans and daylilies are in full bloom and just gorgeous.

For the first time since I planted it three years ago, my hydrangea is blooming a beautiful light blue flower. However, the one I planted last year still hasn't bloomed.

When the wife was up at her folks' last month, she dug up some tiger lilies (at least that was what grandma called them) from her grandparents' old farmstead. I like tiger lilies because they put out black and orange flowers, and it's a variety you don't see a lot anymore.

The lilies go along with peonies that I planted last year. I got them from a friend in McPherson. She got them for me from the backyard of our house in Mac. Now, the offshoots of my original plants have a home in our backyard.

I like having that family connection to some of my flowers in the backyard.

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Last year, we planted two blackberry plants in hopes of getting a few blackberries to eat with vanilla ice cream. There has been an abundance of big, tart berries for us to eat, but sadly, it appears the season will come to an end in the next week or two.

The grandson loves to go out and pick the berries, and seems to be able to find them where I can't even see them. It must be his lower center of gravity.

I thought I might have some problems with the birds eating the berries, but on the most part they have left them alone. I almost put netting over the plants but decided against it. Of course, I haven't been putting out sunflower seeds the past couple of weeks and, as a result, I haven't had many birds in the yard.

Anyway, Mother Nature is sure out in her full glory right now and I'm enjoying it.

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As to the aforementioned weather, what a difference two weeks makes on the golf course as well.

Two weeks ago it was nice on the course, but last Sunday it was beastly. I can't remember being so hot.

Despite drinking lots of water, I was soaked. I almost wished I had taken a second shirt with me.

When we first started out, there was a breeze that kept us a little cooler, but by the fourth hole the breeze was gone, as indicated by the stillness of the trees.

We had a great time, but the miserable factor was rated at 5, with 5 being the most miserable.

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Throne is managing editor of The Weekly Vista.

Editorial on 07/16/2014