The lilies have bloomed! It took until July 2, but we finally have blooming water lilies to make the pond look just that more archetypal.

The goldfish hover around under the lilypads for both shelter and the hope of food from us. They now swim right to the patio edge whenever they see a person there.

Here's a view of most of the backyard. Kim's white & green theme along the edges of the yard looks spectacular now that we've reached summer. Being out of the drought helps a great deal too.

The Solomon's plumes now have gorgeous bronzy berries, although the plants have collapsed onto the nearby Celandine poppies. The pickerel weed in the pond is spreading and blooming, inviting bugs to visit the flowers while the goldfish hope they get close enough to eat.