After the heat is over...

After the heat is over as the sun slips over the western horizon and the moon comes peeking through the branches of pomegranate blossoms...








...the garden remains awake and alive for every last second of light.

The bees take their last sips of water at the pond's edge to take back to the hive where they will rest for the night.










Oreo, the garden kitty, emerges from her cool napping spot that has kept her protected from the day's scorching heat.

She patrols her garden before nightfall, pausing to take a little drink of refreshing water from the pond before she moves on to sniff all the smells she missed during her daytime slumber.

















Although it is getting dark soon, the bougainvillea are happy after having soaked in a good dose of heat and sunshine throughout the day.



The Bells of Ireland stand green and cool as if the heat didn't even touch their corner of the garden. Green and lush reminders that spring was not so long ago, these bells must be quietly tolling the day's end for only the garden to hear.













The Japanese Water Iris in their stately purple robes stand majestically against the twilight in the western sky.

The deep cool tones of blue and purple will soon be mirrored in the summer night sky.