I woke at 5:30 this morning, looked at the temp and went on a plant rescue mission. 34 F and everything in pots had to come in. It is too early to know if the plants (3 x hibiscus, curry, and plumbago) will survive, though they looked fine today. The hibiscus are the most likely to have suffered as they are only hardy to 50.
Went for a walk in the woods with Carol this afternoon. It was really quite pretty, all green and fresh though the signs of fall are creeping about. A large patch of wild sunflowers was still blooming in the ditch on the way to the park. I kind of like the wild sunflowers, they have smaller flower heads and more of them on each plant.
While it is way too early for frost (usual first frost date is late Oct. early Nov) it seemed appropriate seeing as it is Canada Thanksgiving. So happy Turkey day yall.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
We had a little cooler weather earlier this month, but the last week and a bit we have been having some rather warm days again. I am still not used to having such hot Septembers, I keep thinking it should be freezing and snowing or something like that. Yet, here I sit, it is 93, the flowers are blooming, the leaves are all green, and Carol is still required to pick okra daily. I should probably be out enjoying the great weather, but I am not.
Not much going on here that has changed. I am still waiting on my new glasses, though I almost had them last week. They called, I went there, they came out with the glasses, nice I said, but not what I requested. They had made me some sun glasses and I need ordinary glasses. So, I am still trying to read/write with the temporary lenses that were cut for me way back in August 27.
I have started my new classes, but I am less than happy with the quality of they offer. I am trying to decide if I grit my teeth and continue or cut my losses and move on. If I did not have a part time job (which is going well), I would stay the course (pun fully intended), but...
Other than that, things are quiet here. Carol's family is not doing better or worse. Carol works alla time though now she has to cook supper more frequently. Cats are fine, though Charlie has a new friend. Seems there are some small lizards of some sort (newts? salamanders?) that come climb the screen on the outside of our bathroom window. We leave the bathroom light on all night so Carol won't walk into walls or break her toes, and I believe the lizards come to catch bugs attracted by the light. Their outline on the window fascinates Charlie, and he spends hours looking at the window in the hope they will return. Every time he enters the bathroom he looks up and if they are not there he is disappointed. Every now and again he does have success though. The other night there were 2!! of them on the window.
Our squirrels up rooted one real nice plant that had survived the winter and tried to do the same to another before I moved it. I have seen a possum in our back yard. The baby raccoons and their mom have not been back lately, though they may still pass through in the evenings.
I still spend an hour every morning watering the garden and the flowers. They are dong better, though they are not thriving. Some did not survive the summer and I had to uproot them. Just recently, I planted some fall mums, and have been thinking I won't plant pansies this fall. I found them too pathetic this past winter to be worth the effort. Not enough sunlight in the back yard in the winter maybe.
Not much going on here that has changed. I am still waiting on my new glasses, though I almost had them last week. They called, I went there, they came out with the glasses, nice I said, but not what I requested. They had made me some sun glasses and I need ordinary glasses. So, I am still trying to read/write with the temporary lenses that were cut for me way back in August 27.
I have started my new classes, but I am less than happy with the quality of they offer. I am trying to decide if I grit my teeth and continue or cut my losses and move on. If I did not have a part time job (which is going well), I would stay the course (pun fully intended), but...
Other than that, things are quiet here. Carol's family is not doing better or worse. Carol works alla time though now she has to cook supper more frequently. Cats are fine, though Charlie has a new friend. Seems there are some small lizards of some sort (newts? salamanders?) that come climb the screen on the outside of our bathroom window. We leave the bathroom light on all night so Carol won't walk into walls or break her toes, and I believe the lizards come to catch bugs attracted by the light. Their outline on the window fascinates Charlie, and he spends hours looking at the window in the hope they will return. Every time he enters the bathroom he looks up and if they are not there he is disappointed. Every now and again he does have success though. The other night there were 2!! of them on the window.
Our squirrels up rooted one real nice plant that had survived the winter and tried to do the same to another before I moved it. I have seen a possum in our back yard. The baby raccoons and their mom have not been back lately, though they may still pass through in the evenings.
I still spend an hour every morning watering the garden and the flowers. They are dong better, though they are not thriving. Some did not survive the summer and I had to uproot them. Just recently, I planted some fall mums, and have been thinking I won't plant pansies this fall. I found them too pathetic this past winter to be worth the effort. Not enough sunlight in the back yard in the winter maybe.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
I finished my second Saturday at my half-time job yesterday. I am starting to feel a little more comfortable at the job, though working for less than 20 hours a week slows the whole process down a bit. It should be a good challenging job with lots of opportunities for growth and such like. I think my fellow workers are just fine decent people. I am enjoying work as well, and that is great!
The last two weeks were a little cooler, though it has warmed up again. We had some rain last weekend that turned everything green and flowery once more. I suspect that will change as they dry out and fall starts to come.
I started classes again (lots of agains in this post, huh?). I have not done much work on them just yet, but I will be getting to it this week (starting today).
Almost got run off the road on the way to work yesterday. Ding dong in a big red Silverado with a chrome cow catcher passed me in the left lane and before he was even fully by me started to drift into my lane. No signals, no warning just drift. I had to slam on the brakes or he would have hit me. He never looked in his mirror or took his phone down off his ear.
The last two weeks were a little cooler, though it has warmed up again. We had some rain last weekend that turned everything green and flowery once more. I suspect that will change as they dry out and fall starts to come.
I started classes again (lots of agains in this post, huh?). I have not done much work on them just yet, but I will be getting to it this week (starting today).
Almost got run off the road on the way to work yesterday. Ding dong in a big red Silverado with a chrome cow catcher passed me in the left lane and before he was even fully by me started to drift into my lane. No signals, no warning just drift. I had to slam on the brakes or he would have hit me. He never looked in his mirror or took his phone down off his ear.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Still hot here, highs over 100, lows of 80. Our friend the raccoon visited again last week, but this time he/she stayed until dark. It came up to the bird bath, sipped a little water, and then climbed the oak tree right beside the bath and settled down into the tree where a natural nest exists. For the rest of the afternoon, we would look out and see a foot stretched out, a tail dangling down, and sometimes two feet and a paw.
It has been so hot and dry that even some of the trees that are natives are struggling. Singed leaves, droopy leaves, brittle leaves, all of them fighting the dry heat. Smells like a dessert here, hot dry dirt baking in the sun.
I went off on a job interview last week (still waiting on news) and saw the big combines out harvesting. There was a lot of sorghum planted, at least along the road. I even saw a real John Deere boogying along the road moving from one field to the next. I say real as many of the tractors around here are the tiny acreage types. This was one of the big, newer tracked tractors pulling a big big disc.
I am off this morning to write a practice test for the teaching test. I know I won't pass this version (no way I have memorized all the formulae and such), but it will, hopefully, give me some areas to focus my studies on so I can write the real exam in the fall.
It has been so hot and dry that even some of the trees that are natives are struggling. Singed leaves, droopy leaves, brittle leaves, all of them fighting the dry heat. Smells like a dessert here, hot dry dirt baking in the sun.
I went off on a job interview last week (still waiting on news) and saw the big combines out harvesting. There was a lot of sorghum planted, at least along the road. I even saw a real John Deere boogying along the road moving from one field to the next. I say real as many of the tractors around here are the tiny acreage types. This was one of the big, newer tracked tractors pulling a big big disc.
I am off this morning to write a practice test for the teaching test. I know I won't pass this version (no way I have memorized all the formulae and such), but it will, hopefully, give me some areas to focus my studies on so I can write the real exam in the fall.
Friday, July 6, 2012
The full weight of summer has descended upon us. I would like to complain, but summer is summer and I have become accustomed to the heat.
A raccoon came and drank out of our bird bath last night. The poor critter looked rather ragged and hot. It must be rather miserable to have to slink around in a heavy fur coat all day long. Birds and squirrels come and go all day long muddying what water remains in the bath by lunch time. I usually go out and add water around that time, and then again after supper.
I water the tomatoes every morning and by the afternoon they are all wilty and sad looking. There is no way to keep the soil moist enough at the moment. We had a decent tomato harvest even if they are suffering from the heat now.
Everything else has normalized now. I am studying for the teachers test and getting ready to return to school. It is amazing how much I remember from way back when.
A raccoon came and drank out of our bird bath last night. The poor critter looked rather ragged and hot. It must be rather miserable to have to slink around in a heavy fur coat all day long. Birds and squirrels come and go all day long muddying what water remains in the bath by lunch time. I usually go out and add water around that time, and then again after supper.
I water the tomatoes every morning and by the afternoon they are all wilty and sad looking. There is no way to keep the soil moist enough at the moment. We had a decent tomato harvest even if they are suffering from the heat now.
Everything else has normalized now. I am studying for the teachers test and getting ready to return to school. It is amazing how much I remember from way back when.
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