Goodbye, June. Hello, July...

Jowey Nicky Dahlia at sunset last night 

The last day of June dawned early, hot, and hazy. At this time of year, the garden is relentlessly needy, as time-consuming as another pet - more so, really. Watering, feeding, weeding; pest-picking, and dead-heading, and pond-maintaining. With this year's expansion into cutting flowers, it's even needier. 

This month, the dahlias started blooming! Like this stunning Jowey Nicky I cut last night, and these pretty Linda's Baby stems I cut this morning.

June has also been all about the chicken house. Dear Lord, the chicken house... It's coming along, though. The chickens moved in this week. Save a few roost perches and nesting boxes, the interior is finished, and the frame for the run is up and partially-wired, so they have an 8x8 outdoor space for the time being. The end is sealed temporarily, so we can work on the rest of the run a section at a time. 

Beginning of the chicken run 

You're probably starting to think: what about the books, Lauren? That's why you're here, after all. Never fear. ICYMI, this month I completed and started edits on part one of Dartmoor Book 10, Lord Have Mercy, which I'm going to be releasing in four, full-length installments. (Part one is 315 pages). You can read all about it here, and I'll be sure to post its release across all my feeds when it goes live. Expect it soon. 

Proof cover for Dartmoor X: Lord Have Mercy 

I've been getting over covid this past week, so I've not had as much energy for writing, but I'm actively working on parts 2-4 of Dartmoor X, and have the next Drake book simmering on the back burner. Things are very farmy right now, but I find I work well writing in stolen snippets of time amidst long days spent outdoors. Lord Have Mercy drops in July, so keep your eyes peeled for not only the book, but tie-in posts, debriefings, visuals, etc. 

Goodbye, June. Hello, July...