The Dog Days of Summer

It is hot in Southeastern Nebraska. It has been near 100 (or a heat index of 105+) everyday now, for about a month. It is disgusting. I was so happy to have a break while in Colorado....

But now that I am back I can't help but sing "The Dog Days are Over" by Florence and the Machine, in hopes that the weather will get the hint!
Our vegetable garden has seen much better days! Last year, our summer was on the cool side with a ton of rain, nothing grew all summer. Then by August, everything began growing (slowly) but never turned. We had green and yellow tomatoes, and our red and orange peppers were only green. Even after picking them and placing them in paper bags, they never turned. Well this summer we have the opposite. Our plants are huge....the zucchini and squash were huge. I say WERE because these are our squash plants now:

 One week ago, they were covered in veggies.

Our tomatoes are doing alright, but they have some friends:

I counted 6, all in their 5th instar, and one going into the pupal stage (thank you Entomology for my insect knowledge!) However after asking Lee to get them and put them in a jar for my kiddos (I still hate touching insects!), he brought me 7! And this is not including the one in the cocoon. Let's hope they don't all kill each other tonight in the jar (or suffocate) before I get them to work. Our pet hissing cockroach, Jack Edan Pinkalicious, just died last week, so I can put a few in his old box. The kids are going to love watching them go into their cocoon and turn into moths.

So tonight we are grilling the last of our squash with our burgers, topped with juicy tomatoes. Our forecast for the next 10 days is all 90 and below. And right now I am actually chilly in my shorts. :) Maybe the "....dog days are ov-a-er, the dog days are done...." How has your summer been?