The Years To Remember

Tuesday - I took my girl to the airport this morning and said goodbye. Her two week visit passed much too quickly and I miss her.  We are in for 3 days of rain which I am glad for, as it's been a bit too warm and dry and I have crops growing! I just appreciate the break from watering each morning.  Once the compass was installed, I could see that the gladiolas were too tall and I needed shorter plants so as not to obscure the direction stones. I moved them out and added calendula which was not growing well in a shady area. I hope they will take off in this area and complement the zinnias and nasturtiums. I replaced the mulch under the triangles of rounded stones with pea gravel which sets them off better. I'll be looking out for larger direction stones on my hikes as the ones I have are on the small side.  The improved compass. Wednesday - I really need to be careful what I wish for.  Just 18 hours ago I told my sister that the rain hadn't started yet. I was woken up...

Little displays of flowers are all around the house this time of year.   This arrangement was for the lunch I hosted for Geri and AJ. Another way to bring the outdoors in, is to make little flower arrangements. As if I don't have enough to do. My lunch with Geri and AJ went well as AJ had a chance to process (vent) about her family interactions with the recent passing of her father. We toured my gardens which even inspired them to plant veggies next spring. I have to say, it is so much easier in the Earth boxes when they are raised up a bit. Also when the yard is fenced in to keep the deer out.  My green bean crop is getting picked today, and I'm planting more in the garlic bed to fix some nitrogen into the soil. I felt a bit like a hobby farmer the other day as I sat collecting seeds from the arugula that went to seed before I could pick it. They will be planted in my winter garden in the house. Green beans to go with our pizza. Daughter came back from her Dad's and I was ...

 Bird, insect, and mammal activity in the garden has increased dramatically with the flowering season.  It is not easy to get a photo of a hovering hummingbird, but I got this one. Yes, it does have wings, but they are moving so fast as to seem invisible. It loves the lantana nectar. A deer wandered through the other night and ate almost all the remaining blooms of my favorite day lily. Luckily, I had already taken 4 or 5 chunks from it and planted them out back. At least I don't have to spray Deer Away on it every night now. I forgot that night as I was at a wake for a friend's Dad and got home late. I harvested my garlic crop yesterday and will let it cure for a couple of weeks before I hang it out in the garage. It keeps very well in there throughout the winter. Last year's garlic lasted right through June, though I still have some roasted garlic cloves that I froze. This fall I need to remember to plant about 60 cloves to get a solid year's supply. Roughly 45 garli...

I forgot I even had this day lily - perhaps it didn't flower last year. Another favorite day lily I just transplanted into the back yard to save it from the marauding deer. Mushroom and asparagus quiche. I had such a lovely time hosting lunch with Dale and Janice Wednesday. I made quiche and a salad and Janice made a loaf of bread. Dale made a key lime pie and put a candle in it and sang happy birthday to me even though my birthday has passed. So sweet. We talked and laughed for hours... Flowers and birds - my people know me! The next morning, I was wandering the garden wondering what to do with my day, when Janice texted wanting to bike ride before it got hot. With no planning at all, we set off at 8:30 am and rode some hills and through farmland and got a great workout. Then I dropped my bike off at the shop as it has been making weird clicking noises and the brakes were wonky.  I then drove up to SPAC to see the ballet, A Midsummer Nights Dream, with a group of friends. It was a...

 My life is all about the garden these days. The warm weather, 90+°F, and daily thunderstorms, mean that everything is growing so fast. Most of what I've planted is doing well. I keep rooting the suckers from my tomato plants so I hope to have a huge tomato harvest. The day lilies I transplanted are blooming and it looks like I'll have green beans soon.  This white jasmine has redeemed herself. I kept her all winter indoors where she did nothing, but now is flowering and perfuming the garden. I can't believe I contemplated getting rid of her. I made this little insect watering station when it got so hot a few days ago. It was utilized by wasps almost as soon as I added water. These are potato flowers on my huge potato plants. I planted them after I discovered them sprouting in the pantry.  I hope I get at least as many potatoes as I wasted by not cooking them fast enough. I'm having a hard time keeping the lawn mowed, but not mowed too much, because I want the flowering...

My favorite daylily is doing beautifully, even after I cut off two chunks for planting elsewhere. We are facing a "heat dome" for the next few days so I'm making sure all my shorts and lightest tank tops are ready. I have central air conditioning, but I hate using it. It cuts me off from the beautiful outside noises - birds, breezes, and insects. I save it for days I cannot get anything done because I am too hot to move. Plus I'm doing my share to cut down on energy use, save the environment, and a few bucks as well. We'll see if I continue with my less than 10 days per year air conditioning use.  Saturday I heeded the call for volunteers in Lake Placid for an Ice Skating Championship for young skaters. I mean really young, at no more than 5 or 6 years old and up to early teens. They were so freaking adorable! I wanted to take pictures,, but it seems weird to take photos of other people's children, so I didn't. I was gate keeper on the ice for a couple of ...