Kentucky dirt: Wheelbarrows at 5:00 am

Inspired by the Tolkeins, who really knew how to throw a party, it seems, we will attempt to emulate their spirit.

Haha, that's great.

This is quite a snow day. I’m not sure how much is forecast but it’s accumulating at 2” an hour.
I backed the car out of the carport and down the drive to park at the curb. I’d much rather scrape the car than the driveway.
I can’t seem to focus adequately on tasks or reading.
I have stuff to sort from my WV trip and I will make progress on that. Have to; it’s scattered in kitchen and living room where I dumped it from the car.

Freezing rain on top of 8” of snow. Luckily, it mostly made it crunchy. I went out to test the road, as I ended up driving the RITI van this evening. Avoid hills and slow way down at turns and all is well. It was a long and complicated evening though.
The snowplows are in the neighborhood and partially blocked me in.
Time for a pair of brand new and DRY wool socks and a hot drink.

There seems much more bird activity in the neighborhood than is typical. Many playing in the bottom of the drive puddle, but also all sorts of dodging and foraging through the bare trees and snow covered lawns.
A very fat robin sat in my weeping peach tree considering the bird feeder. Hmmm. Do I have suet to put out?
As well, a pileated woodpecker on the light pole on the corner. Tried to take a picture, but he took flight and you can’t really tell what it is.
Dropping into the teens for the rest of the week.

The beautyberry bush in the back yard is providing snacks. I haven noticed anything else - berry or seed - being eaten. But I went into my fridge and found stuff I could chop and throw out the front door; which is where they’re all congregating.

I hurt my knee worse than I thought when I slipped on an icy step this morning. Seems wrenched. My step is weak and I’ve almost pitched again. Found a cane to use tomorrow.

I went out and bought 5 loaves of whole wheat bread. None of that Wonder Bread for these birds. While I was at the grocery, I asked the butcher for fat trimmings and was given two huge packages. The birds have switched to eating that food and have left the small remainders of bread. None have tried the pile of lentils yet.
I wish I knew the species. Compact round birds with long narrow beaks. Nearly black, but with brown spot patterning all over.

Starlings, I guess. But these are smaller than the WV starlings.

Giving space for the chickadees, sparrows and tufted timouses to come to the feeder this morning. All was well until a starling flew into my living room window - boink!
I think I will feed them on the back patio today instead. They are a large bunch and take over entirely.

Your account of the birds around you is a pleasure to read. How good of you to feed them so well. How is your knee today?

>9 LaureneRS: It seems all better. I will still take the cane with me to negotiate the ice piles. I noticed several other people doing that yesterday.
We’ve got sunshine today, but another storm is forecast for tomorrow - up to 6 inches.

The starlings are a bit stupid. It took them a while to register their food had moved though it was fully visible. But it worked as I hoped, and the bitty birds are back.
A raven joined the starlings too.

Well that window boink wasn’t a mistake. It happened again this morning at the kitchen window while I was filling the kettle. This was a more elegant attempt. The starlings are trying to land on the feeders as well and are not equipped for it. I had to smack a window myself to discourage the activity.
We got another 5 inches yesterday and last night.
My neighbor had just managed to clear her driveway but still parked down below. Good thing, as our driveways look identical this morning; and she has to get out to the farm and feed animals.
I stopped at my garage yesterday thinking I’d knocked something loose underneath. Rick put it on the rack and knocked ice chunks off from the muffler and drive chain.

I don’t intend or need to leave the house till tomorrow afternoon.

I seem to be the only house that has icicles hanging from my gutters; and still, my roof has more snow remaining than most others. So their heat is going through the roof; mine is leaking out the eaves. Since I opened my under-eaves upstairs for storage, some heat in those spaces is more than most houses. I think I will buy a roll of fiberglass and tuck it in that hard to insulate corner on top of the cellulose blown insulation within the joists.
We have clear skies this week, which means temps above freezing days and temps in the teens at night. Rain is forecast at the end of the week.
My neighbor got the last Walmart shovel and is again clearing her driveway. I’ve asked if I can borrow it later to do mine.

The towel strategy on my walks has been a total success.

We had a few days of clear weather and the snow packed down and pavements dried. I went to WV for the weekend and weather happened again. I came back to another 4 inches and very frigid temps approaching 0°.
My house is warm. Son-in-law came up and brought T. He inspected my furnace and shoveled my driveway! He has been helpful (very!) in other circumstances, but never before solicitous of my well-being.
T and I had the requisite tea party, raced farm animals across the floor, and she explored the Dana Dinosaur books I gave her.
Rose returns from Antarctica in another week and a half.

The little birds are back in droves to eat at my feeder. Unfortunately, the starlings try to take over and I don’t have any food for them just now.
It’s 23° up from 0° yesterday. I will go get more animal fat and bread for them in just a bit.

Finally found some suet cakes at Dollar General at Dollar Tree prices.

I asked at the butchers for more fat trimmings. One package, and no, they can’t run it through the grinder for me. So, instead of cutting it into nibble-sized pieces as I did before, I tossed a whole two palm sized piece into the driveway. It has certainly kept the starlings occupied better. The chickadees are having a better time at the feeder. Noticed that sparrows are sloppy, dropping lots of seed rummaging around for choice pieces.

I’ve picked up a cold. It came on night before last and I over-medicated through yesterday so my nasal system would stay dry while out in public. I possibly should have masked too.
But today I’m just lounging around the house and not getting much done. Perhaps a nap…

The relief you feel…

https://www.instagram.com/p/DE3MO_nM2Pf/?igsh=NzdibjdzN3lncDRw

I drove the RITI bus last evening. A disabled man and his elderly mother are recently homeless and they are carrying an outsized amount of belongings with them. And he tears up whenever anyone is helpful. I went and picked them up at the motel shelter this morning because I gave them wrong information about transportation last night. I dropped them at the library for the day and kept their heavy stuff in my car till this evening.
They downsized, eliminating one heavy box of food. They need a second wheeled suitcase. They’ve got one, and three very heavy duffles as well as misc. little bags. I gave them totes for those.
They seem able to barely manage their resources. He gets SSI and it appears to be a managed account that only dribbles the money out.
Sigh.

My day turned into a great one.
I went to a lunch and talk about KY legislative affairs, and knew half a dozen people there.

I stopped at the Urban Farm and bought a ticket to the fundraising dinner scheduled for Saturday.

I found half a dozen nice pieces of luggage at Goodwill.
When I took them to RITI, they were all snatched up quickly. My friends from this morning have decided to take bus to Knoxville and start over. I helped them repack, and RITI helped with bus tickets. I hung around the entire dinner hour and visited with a cluster of volunteers and several guests. It felt like a party.
I have found my community.

Fundraiser dinner tickets were $50 and it was held at one of the nicest venues. So of course I dressed up with velvet and sparkles. I was so out of place (proudly, though) as most were in jeans and sweaters. Again the quilt went for $400 and the apple pie went for $800.
I knew a few more people compared to last year. Professor Hall stopped to chat. She said my current professor mentioned my presence in her class and they agreed that my perspective adds significantly.

I’ve been watching pruning videos and intend to prune cherry and peach trees this week.
Remember my chimney flashing leak? It’s back.

I didn’t pay attention to the snowstorm warning yesterday, as it was a very spring day. Woke to 4” and still coming down. Got right to work clearing walks and driveway. Adopted son-in-law’s technique using a partial sheet of plywood. It worked excellently on the down sloping driveway. Two more inches as I worked, and more forecast through the next couple of days, though daytimes are supposed to get to 41° today and in the 50s tomorrow and the next.
The city was out early and all the streets are adequately cleared.
I’m harvesting snow to melt to add to my containers holding pond plants.

Checking in. :)

What did you do with the towels on the sidewalks?

I’m able to lift and flip them of their snow load onto the lawn. They also offer better grip walking on the sidewalk. My walk is not level. It tips a bit precariously just before it converts to 4 steps down to the public walk.

>23 2wonderY: not a bad idea. We get so little snow here that most people don't own shovels or any removal equipment.

More community connections at the college today. There was a poet speaker at the bell hooks center with lunch included. I didn’t realize registration was needed, but they had a few extra chairs, so I squeaked in. I grabbed the first empty chair, but J’loh, from last Friday’s lunch came and grabbed me.
Very good poet and he’s now written a novel. Thoroughly enjoyed listening. Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr. 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year.

I knew half a dozen other people in the room as well and spoke to couple more.

Another TGIF lunch yesterday, and the theme was Scotland. The food was unremarkable, a thin veggie soup and oatmeal scones and tea. And a tiny cookie bought at the grocery.
J’loh and Sakarah were there and I gave them some extra jewelry and a gold shawl. Sakarah dances in a middle Eastern troupe. Must check it out!
Next week is Georgia, the country.

Rose and T came for the weekend. The card she had sent Jan. 3 from Antarctica arrived in the mail simultaneously.
We drove to Lexington and shopped big at Costco.
Also stopped at HalfPrice Books. I let T choose a small journal and had no idea it would be so stressful. Too many choices!
She finally chose one she absolutely loves - it has two ribbon markers!
I gave her a bin of colored pens and she spent the evening occupied.

We are under a severe weather warning with up to 4” of rain expected today. I need to go take out the gutter guards in the street. City usually does it, but we help.

Oh. And Rose brought me a pair of knit gloves from New Zealand made of 50% merino wool and 40% possum fibre as well as 10% nylon. Very warm and cozy!

How are you? The weather sounds terrible.

>28 MarthaJeanne: I’m fine. We’ve had three days of heavy precipitation (it changed to snow today) but my town is fine. My neighbors take turns clearing the gutters of debris.

South and east of here, they’ve been hit hard, and that’s precisely where homes got swept down river three(?) years ago. There’s no fixing the topography of narrow valleys, each with its stream running through next to the road and homes lined up in the flats.

Somehow, a polyester top sheet found its way into my linen closet.
I changed linens yesterday and my skin was so uncomfortable in bed, I had to get up just now and change them again. Ah! Old cotton. Much better!

>30 2wonderY: Oh, yuck. Throw it away. It won't even make decent cleaning rags.

>30 2wonderY: ew.

I cleaned out my linen closet when donations were requested for Helene victims. Then I realized I needed another set of cotton sheets, oops!

Several more inches of snow this morning, and my car is somewhat covered in it though parked in the carport. 16°F as well. I am so glad to be a part of RITI, providing warm rooms for the homeless. We’re serving 25 to 30 people every night.

ETA: I put my glasses on and see that it’s still coming down, small crystals, which means slippery. Checking to see whether classes will be delayed or cancelled.

>32 fuzzi: I just replaced all my good cotton single sheets, but not for charitable reasons. My new mattress is too thick for the old ones. The old ones did go to charity, though.

>34 MarthaJeanne: Both of my daughters chimed in as cotton princesses as well. They also report their children know the difference too.

>35 2wonderY: Shopping for the new (fitted) sheets was a hassle. Even specialty bedding stores wanted to sell me poly-cotton jersey. "We have them in 20 different colours!" Or maybe terry cloth. Just not white, woven, 100%cotton. Finally discovered that IKEA stocks a cotton fitted sheet for 30cm mattresses.

>36 MarthaJeanne: Costco had them in two different weave densities; but so expensive! Daughter was looking to replace a damaged fitted sheet only. I gave her one of my extras, bought at Goodwill. She wondered why I had a king sheet. Darlin', that's the bed you've been sleeping on here for two years. (along with husband and child)

>33 2wonderY: we're expecting freezing rain. All day. Yuck.

>34 MarthaJeanne: >37 2wonderY: I have had difficulty finding quality cotton sheets. I was happy with some from Vermont Country Store until they ripped down the middle after one year. It surprised me as other items from their company were very good quality.

I saw an offer online for half off all-cotton sheets from My Pillow, took a chance, and am pleased with the quality. They fit my deep mattress, too. When I saw they were on sale again I bought a second set.

>38 fuzzi: I had sheets from VCS back in the 80s or 90s. My only problem was getting them through customs. Neither the Austrian customs officials, nor the UN office, nor my husband had any idea what 'percale' sheets could be. Must be some sort of high tech pieces of something.

ETA Remember, this was back in the dark ages before Google.

Well, I got walks and driveway cleared of 6”, the plow came around and cleared the street, big pot of soup is started.
College was on a 2 hour delay, but now is shut down.
But I am driving the RITI van this evening, so I will back out and park at the curb.

And my SS check hit my bank account this morning. So all good in my little bubble.

Woke to more snow this morning and glad I don’t have to scrape my drive.

I never did put up that sign at the groundhog’s doorway saying “I told you so!” But I was finally able to tell someone I saw it. Hilarity!

I will go out later for milk and more root veg, which I’m out of.
There is a lunch on campus scheduled for today; though I haven’t checked yet whether it’s been cancelled.

There was a Bite of History lunch Thursday. Usually the food matches the talk. But this was mundane take out from Olive Garden. (No wine, but those soft bread sticks.). The talk was about Georgia O’Keefe.
Later, I saw a student wearing a hat just like mine, so I stopped and complimented her. It took her a moment to see my hat. And a moment for me to register that hers is hand knit.

Friday’s lunch was Georgia (the country) themed. Excellent creamed chicken soup and cubed fried potatoes to add in, and a slice of cheese bread to dip and scoop. Sat with my girls and a new acquaintance, Debby, a fiber arts transfer student.

Very cold temps - 6°F yesterday; but the sun is out for measurably longer into the evening. And the snow has melted from the pavements.

My deck generally stays dry enough that I can safely leave chair cushions in place. But this last snow sifted several inches onto everything. I went out with the broom and swept the chairs and brought most cushions inside for a better drying environment. Some will have to be laundered, and others might have to be tossed. It’s in the upper 30s now, and it’s all dripping wet.

Sorry about the chair cushions.

The snow/ice is just about gone here, everything is mud.

>44 fuzzi: They’re mostly okay. And replacements only cost $2 at Goodwill.
Granddaughter, Liv, is coming for a visit today. Reassembling the deck is on my list of projects for the day.

>45 2wonderY: I would think that would be fun...but I'm into organizing. Ha!

Went to a very satisfying community meeting tonight. Lots of action planned.
I signed up for some legislative action on the Kentucky constitution as well as community gardening.

Liv just started back to Cinci. She came to class with me yesterday and we attended two campus events. The first was an ice cream sundae party to celebrate the change in the weather (remarking on the invitation that just a week ago it was hot chocolate and sled riding.
The second was a dinner and a presentation of Dark Sky information. The astronomer was from Welch, WV, and he made both of us a tad homesick. The mashed potatoes for the dinner were exceptionally good.

I took advantage of her visit by leaving my car at the garage. Unhappy diagnosis - rear differential, but it’s not critical right now. Rick will investigate buying one from a junk yard.

I suggested a hike or some gardening this morning. So we planted peas and potted sweet potatoes to hopefully get slips started.

Organizational meeting for a flood relief team. All new faces and names. Someone brought dinner. It was a positive couple of hours.

The Urban Farm had seminars at the library today on raised bed gardening. I went and I won the door prize - a raised bed!

>50 2wonderY: Now that is a fabulous win! Congratulations!

Do yo uknow how you're going to use it?

It’s a $60 value. I know because I bought three last year. They are locally timbered cedar that is cut to a true 2” thickness.
In past years, I’ve used pallet wood for raised beds and though they are oak, some are showing signs of disintegrating. The one holding my strawberries is ready to be replaced I think.

Nice.

I don't have any raised beds, but I've thought about adding some. So many projects....

I took advantage of a major mess two years ago to convert half of my front yard into a cottage garden. I had drainage issues that required digging down to the foundation and adding pipe and gravel out to the street. Instead of putting grass back, I mulched, and added raised beds and lots of plants.

I don't think I could still grow veggies without my raised beds. They mean I don't have to get down to ground level much. My back still complains, but doesn't usually strike.

But I'm really gladI built them while I still had a teenage son at home.

>50 2wonderY: wonderful!

What size did you get?

My vegetable gardens are all raised beds, now. I got the cedar wood to help slow decay.

They sell one size because they buy 8 foot boards and cut them to make 3’ x 5’ beds.

My “raised bed” merely organize, as they are only 6 inches high.

>57 2wonderY: that's a doable size. Mine are 8'x4', so sometimes I have to walk around to reach things.

We’ve got another beautiful day too. My huge clumps of daffodils remind me that I want to dig out the centers so I can plant something that will flower later in the year.

A look at my pond shows the wee floating plant survived the winter somehow. There are tiny clusters already expanding.
Azolla Caroliniana
Wolffia globosa - Duckweed

I’ve got cuke seedlings. I need to build a trellis.

Opened a window upstairs the other day as the house was layered heat. Chilly basement, stuffy attic, just right main floor.
I keep thinking I can eliminate the second blanket and my heating pad, but not yet! They offer such comfort.

I have started the closet switch out. Heaviest sweaters are tucked away. Even if we get more cold, I will layer differently.
Lots of rain the last two days.

RITI board meeting yesterday to finish the season. I’ve been promoted to Transportation Guru.
I brought blackberry cordial and sea salt caramels and was roundly thanked.

My peach tree is flowering and the weeping peach is showing swollen buds. Perfect timing for each, I hope. Though the first peach might be growing from foreign rootstock. We shall see. No blooms on the cherry trees, but they take more years to mature. The Candy Corn Spirea is all of a sudden leafing out brick orange. Shocking! It’s finally on a good schedule too. Both hazelnuts flowered and gone already. I do hope they fruit. Several other plants suffered mightily this winter.
All the bulbs are springing up and the hellebores are gorgeous.

I always wanted a hazel in our previous garden. But I had a son with asthma who always had trouble just as the weatherman reported that the hazel pollen count was high. Maybe one in the back yard wouldn't be a good idea. But I could include one in my new front hedge, couldn't I? Current report is that hazel and alder are mostly past.

>62 MarthaJeanne: I don’t know how far hazelnut pollen travels, but two are recommended as they like to be cross pollinated.

>63 2wonderY: I know that, but if they are warning all of Vienna about the pollen, and we live so close to the National Park, I rather suspect that I don't have to worry too much. I mean if the first district has a warning out for those with allergies, out here there must be plenty.

I spent the day trying to clear the accumulated messes in the two first floor bedrooms. They are both walkable now.

Started a book club. Passed out 10 or 11 copies of the book. Now the challenge is to discover when is the best time to meet. I will probably get everyone signed up at LT and create a group for us.

I got two campus meals today. Lunch was a Bite of History. The talk was on Japan’s last Empress, back in the 9th century. Food was from Panda.
Dinner was sponsored by the philosophy department. They bring alumni back once a semester to talk about their life journeys and how their study of philosophy tied in. Very interesting. Food was from Paneras; very yummy.

It’s been a full month since my car was diagnosed with a problem. The part has not yet arrived. I asked Rick today if he could recommend a good mechanic.

Daughter Rose came up last evening with T. And she went on to Lexington for a morning gadabout, promising to be back at 1:00. She’s two hours late and still on her way. We tried to keep the tea party till she got back, but that just wasn’t possible.
T and I have a beautiful spread on the deck.
Ah! I hear someone in the house…

And it was other daughter, Anne, come down from Cinci for a surprise visit.

Perfect afternoon.

>67 2wonderY: love it. Ruthie is about to turn 9, going on 16.

>69 fuzzi: T is 6, and yeah, her too. She has first grader mouth (only half her teeth), is tall enough to reach everything now, and gave her mom the rude hand gesture for “keep talking, I’m not listening.” She got a blistering verbal response from mom.
She and I had a great visit though.

>70 2wonderY: ah, Miss I-know-it-all. Sounds fairly normal.

Our daughter did "Talk to the Hand" to her father, once. He grabbed her hand and pretended to speak into it "Hello? Hello? Is anyone in there?"

I don't think she tried it again. 🤣

I forgot to share weekend pictures of my weeping peach:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DH1TvAwxWNa/?igsh=MTgzZWxuM3JvcGgx

They are even fuller and more glorious today. Thrilled that I’ve had company so they can get an up close enjoyment.
My book group is coming over this evening.

Rick finally, after more than a month, got the part in for my car and he repaired it today. Ha! He misdiagnosed and admitted it. Instead of rear differential, it was a wheel bearing. So glad I can trust him. Some shops would have done both repairs and charged for them. Instead, he saw that my brakes needed replaced and did that too. (KY has no inspection system, so those sorts of things don’t get automatically evaluated.)

I decided I need to stock up on honey and maple syrup. We have a local honey company that sells raw honeys at the grocery store. I was shocked at the price though. $25 for 32 ounces. Best buy it now though. Two varieties - Midsummer’s Day and Autumn Gold. I cracked both jars (glass!) and tasted them. Surprised that the Autumn Gold has a lighter flavor. Midsummer’s Day is more robust. The Autumn Gold is half crystallized, which I love. I let all of my honeys crystallize; though it’s best to do in shorter wider jars so it’s all accessible.

My chimney has been leaking again since the winter ice and snow load, but I didn’t call the contractor till a couple of weeks ago because the evidence is intermittent. He came today, protesting that it couldn’t be leaking. I told him to stop saying that! He went up and immediately found the gap.

Western Kentucky is going to get slammed with wind, hail, probably tornadoes, up to 12” of rain. I’m not in the primary danger zone, but I will invite neighbors into my basement in case it reaches this far.

We had a tornado watch at 3am. It was a false alarm, but I got my basement ready with solar and battery lights and moved the teapot down there for a bit. I need a more comfortable chair down there.

Great news- daughter finally convinced her husband they need chickens. It’s odd he’s been resistant. His mom has had a flock forever.

This has been a very dull day with rain on top of rain and supposed to continue thus through the weekend.
Part of my blase is being up half the night. Also, my chimney is still leaking, my gutter in front of the living room windows is overflowing, and there is a piece of concrete sinking at the bottom of the driveway.

I went to town and stocked up on beer, chocolate and maple syrup. Prices haven’t changed yet. Yay tariffs!

I have a ticket for a play on campus this evening. Ride the Cyclone

If you have beer, chocolate and maple syrup, what could go wrong?

>76 MarthaJeanne: That’s what I’m sayin’!

Watch YouTube short film “Time Will Tell.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH_joHYNSGu/?igsh=MWlpeGFxNDJwOXU5bw==

Paducah got hit with three tornados. Daughter’s road turned into a raging river. Here, drywall is disintegrating on my chimney wall and the lights just flickered.
Please please don’t let the power fail. My sump pump is working continuously in the basement. I really really need to figure out a power backup down there.
Rains will continue through Saturday.

I attended a student performance of Ride the Cyclone last evening. My hearing loss meant I couldn’t catch much of the dialogue, but the musical numbers were very entertaining. Casting was perfect and each performer had great stage presence and voices. The young lady sitting next to me cackled at every bon mot, so I’m sure it was a witty play.

Able to see outside now. My neighbor across the street has a pond today in his back yard. The entire yard.

He just moved his vehicle to the next street because our street is running a couple of inches deep.

On my out and about yesterday I bought Tigridia bulbs and a Floribunda rose, ‘Scentimental’ from bins at Ollie’s. The roses are sprouted cuttings and most were hybrid roses. Well, some weren’t actually sprouting unfortunately. But they’re only $9 and the one I bought last year succeeded.

Also going to try asparagus from seed and something called ‘Pumpkin on a Stick.’ I will try these in pots to begin.

I’ve been gathering my stashes of seeds and really trying to organize them in shallow wooden boxes; wine crates and an old silverware cabinet.

I’ve got a Rubbermaid container filled with upright toilet paper cores and soil. My cukes and watermelon starts are doing well and I started pepper and tomatoes too.

Well. The ants are back in my kitchen. Time for fresh bait.

The rain had beaten down my favorite daffodils, so I brought them inside

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIEUyGsx4MW/?igsh=MXd4cGdjdGJkZ3FwMg==

I got my cattle panels! 16’ long and a bear to move them by myself. A friend up the hill let me borrow his old truck with an 8’ bed. I guess he lends it out on a regular basis.
So I can construct trellis now easy-peasy.

Rose sent hubby to buy baby chicks yesterday and she’s been sending the most adorable pictures. T had them in a cardboard box just now and she’s giving them a tour of the yard.

For the pollinators

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIHUkZ2MhSk/?igsh=MWZnNTA0OWoxcWttdw==

>83 2wonderY: cattle panels ("CP") are the bomb-diggity. I made my first chicken "hoop coop" from four panels, am almost done building my second coop. Gardener Scott on YouTube uses CPs all over his gardens. I copied his tomato trellis to make my own. And I use sections of a flat cattle panel to create trellises for my clematis plants.

Hope things are drying out, some.

We finally got a brilliant day; but it’s cold. Dug out heavy sweaters again and spent the afternoon weeding, mowing, setting up a trellis (temporary. Need to find the right poles, etc.)
Lots of stuff peeking through the leaf mulch and a surprising amount of blooms already. Lilacs!

One of the antique mini-malls on main street just packed up and moved to new quarters just a mile out of town. So I stopped yesterday to investigate the new location.
Daughter has been bemoaning her lack of bookcases, so my eyes lit when I saw a truly beautiful old oak cabinet for only $245. I sent her a picture and offered it as an early birthday present. She rapid-sent me four love emojis, but then she reconsidered and declined.
It would have been a challenge to get it to her, but her husband does have a truck (in need of unstated repairs) and he plans on driving it up to get scaffolding from me.

Ah well. Such a nice piece of furniture! Dimensions 6 feet tall, 40 inches wide, 12 inches deep. Glass fronted doors, two bottom drawers, a decoratively scrolled top piece with a half-moon mirror in the center. Adjustable shelves.

Sigh.

Well DANG! I was planning to get lots of things in the ground today; seeds, onion sets and that rose. We’ve got rain again and it is so depressing to look out my windows.
Book club last evening, so my house looks pretty good. I got acquainted with a woman named Joy and I intend to cultivate her. She is converting her half acre yard to food and natives as well. And we both will be helping with a community garden meant to grow produce for the food pantry. Amber is the woman leading that initiative.

I’ve had class with a young woman named Iris and kept in touch through events we both attended. I’ve given her some of my best fun clothes. I just discovered that she is an artist and her work is hanging in the Doris Ullman Gallery just now. So impressed. Hope to see her at lunch today.

Light frost again last night, but at least we’ve got clear skies today.

I hope there was fruit set on my peach tree and that the frost doesn’t kill them.

It’s time to go plant shopping.

Daughter also wanting varietal hazelnuts, so I picked up two tiny(!) saplings of ‘Nitka.’

Same vendor sold me a much larger Kenmore Plum on Myrobalan.

I found Rose a ‘Double Gold’ raspberry at the college greenhouse and myself a half dozen ‘Mahogany Splendor’ Hibiscus.

At the Farmers Market, Connie was glad to see me back. From her, I bought variegated Solomon’s Seal and ‘Blue Moon’ woodland phlox. I have both, but I want to fill more space quickly and her prices are so so good.

Rose and T stopped by to exchange plants. She had Beefsteak and Appalachian Cherry tomato starts.
She helped me erect two of the cattle panel trellises. They fit perfectly inside the perimeter of the 3x5 raised beds.

I found still more 30 year old flower seeds from my dad’s collection.
I’m tossing a bunch together and will rake them into the bottom of the front slope where it’s just weedy groundcover at the moment.
Balsam, Four O’clocks, Viper’s Bugloss, Gold Celosia, Dianthus, Nicotiana. Surely something will sprout.

Correction, the cherry tomato is called Appalachian Red Apple😳

It’s a bright but cool and breezy day. Perfect for hauling soil. The Urban Farm buys really good stuff in bulk for their spring blitz where they install raised beds for a price and then sell the remainder for others to haul to their gardens by the 5 gallon bucket.

My raised beds, installed on the hillside and above, lose soil to gravity. Eventually I will scoop it at the sidewalk and haul it back uphill. Today I am topping off.

I brought 10 buckets, filled them, lifted them back into my vehicle and lifted them out at home. It’s aspirin time before I haul and dump them in the beds. Then I can plant!

There are a few late blossoms on the weeping peach today. The most of them had already fallen a week ago and the purple lanceolate leaves are now the feature. But that blast of magenta is visible from my couch and makes me smile. The April show is worth having it in my yard.

I got the other two trellises up today. I’m so pleased. I so hope I can be successful with climbers. I’ve had less than success with the squash family in the past.

The official overnight low was 40° but I brought plants inside as a precaution. Yeah, there is frost this morning.
Time to connect the hoses and water some seed and onion beds.

I met a gardener last evening at book club. She specializes in herbs and actually came to class last year to help us make elderberry extract.
She took some mist flower cuttings I had on offer and explored my front gardens before leaving. I think we’ll be friends.
We talked about hiking another book clubber’s 70 woodland acres.

Definitely a gardening day!
I made my first trip to The Potting Shed yesterday.
Prices are rather extravagant and I was only “looking.”
I had to buy a very healthy Gaura ‘Dark Pink’ for its traditional spot at the entry to the carport.
Could not resist two new colors
Coral Bells ‘Wild Rose’
Hollyhock ‘Queenly Purple’

And decided I want to try a third time to grow ‘Platt’s Black’ Leptinella in my rock garden.

I need to go out today for carrot seed. But nothing else!

Oops. Forgot the seeds.

Saturday morning first visit is Connie. I got two very healthy tomato plants from her. ‘Giant Oxheart’ and ‘Amish Paste.’
A Purple bell pepper, and a large clump of Salvia ‘Pretty in Pink.’

College greenhouses, ‘Prospera’ basil, Anise hyssop (bloom color not stated, so probably purple), ‘Grune Perle’ parsley, ‘Sweet Dakota Rose’ watermelon, ‘HoneyBoat Delicata’ squash, and a red veined sorrel for Rose, as she admired mine.

When I planted the plum tree from last week, I noticed there was an old grafting wound that showed dead wood. A sizeable opening. I stopped to discuss with the grower and he tried to reassure me. When I said I’d like to exchange it, he just gave me a healthy one.

It’s officially shorts weather.
I did not celebrate the holy day except to spend it in my gardens.

I started at the top of the yard and I’m trying to remove every maple seedling and every snippet of wintercreeper. The wintercreeper sends shallow hefty roots just under the grass; and it persists. This is a maple year. Thousands of babies under and in every clump of plantlife. And for just two leaves, the taproot is extremely resistant to being pulled. My fingers hurt. I’m down to the playhouse level but haven’t scootched under the trampoline yet.
I’ve been working on the slope just above the deck too, so I’m well on my way. That slope is almost impossible to perch and I did take a tumble.
This week is yard waste pickup, so I’m trimming all the dead wood too.
There is lots flowering already. Tiny Veronica Oxford Blue has established two places and the dots of deep color are delightful.
My azaleas are finally doing a decent bloom. I need to expand that bed.
Finished the afternoon mowing the back yard grass - or weeds - however one wants to perceive it.

It’s a damp day. Thankfully, I remembered to cover my potting soil bins on time and also mowed the front patch as the rain was starting. What with all the gardens, it only takes a few minutes.
Not sure how I’ll spend the rest of the day.

I’ve got bruises from my tumble yesterday - right arm and just north of the tailbone.

I ran errands in Richmond, which means a stop at Lowe’s. I was looking for garden edging, but none of the choices suit my need.

There was a tower rack of roses near the exit to the garden center. It was still wrapped in plastic for its journey, but I noted a lovely yellow rose I want. I went outside hoping to find the same variety already unpacked. Did not find it; so went back inside to take a picture of the tag. The rack had magically transformed to azaleas!
Dang it!
Aldi’s is selling the $9 rose bundles that Ollie’s has, but their display is much better than leaving them stacked to die in the original bin. I brought ‘Coral Miracle,’ a shrub rose, home.

It’s robin mating season. Much chasing and chittering going on. All of the nests my lady Robin built in the deck eaves last year have blown off and I haven’t seen her working on a new one yet.
It looks to be cloudy but fair today. The college has several activities for Earth Day. Happy Earth Day people; while she lasts.

I attended Mulch Madness on Tuesday and helped plant some trees on the college quad. The Forestry staff were so personable; making sure they got student names and photos with their trees.
I also toured the Ecovillage edible forest and was not impressed. Lots of dying trees.

Today I’m focusing on gathering table settings for the RITI volunteer appreciation dinner this evening. We expect 60 people and the Friends Hall has enough plates for 27. Also an odd assortment of glasses, silver and napkins. So I’m providing all that. Some of the cutlery needs a buff and polish.

But I had to check what Connie has this week and early, before she’s sold out of the good stuff.
I got Dill and Rosemary for pots.
Salvia ‘Cardonna’ for the woodland garden. Candytuft, which I didn’t realize is a perennial. And Sedum ‘Dragon’ which I might already have.

Well, it got right chilly today. It’s supposed to get down to 45° tonight and even lower next weekend. So I gathered up all the tenders and brought them back inside. Will cover a few that are in the ground. Bother!

>87 2wonderY: Rose has been seeking the right bookshelves for several years and Bingo! She found custom oak cases in various dimensions - a whole truckload - for $135. She and Nathan rapidly installed them all through the house. I’ve seen pictures only; but I will be visiting soon. She’d been lamenting that all her books were still in boxes. It will be great fun to see them out again.

I’m in West Virginia doing yard work and maintenance. The house is functionally empty and daughter no longer needs to come to town. This is the season to dispose.

>102 2wonderY: What a great break for her on the shelves!

May this season also prove to be a profitable one to dispose of the house in.

>103 MrsLee: Thank you.

My drive back yesterday afternoon/evening I went through a storm so severe that I got a phone notice. It was dark as night and blinding rain. Thankfully very little traffic because no safe place to pull over. Emerged from it at sunset and the red smear there was so intense and local it looked like the hilltop was on fire.

My house had lost power briefly and no basement flooding occurred. I really do need a power backup for the sump pump.

The Piggly Wigglys have got veg starts a whole lot cheaper than here, so I loaded up randomly. I do recall one cube of Mortgage Lifters. Also cabbage and cauliflower.

I’ve got a dentist appointment this afternoon to address a broken tooth. So I cancelled my evening meeting.

I brought blue-eyed grass, forsythia, cherry tree starts, and lily of the valley back to share.

Oh, and the hemlock I planted in WV has woolly adelgid. Very sad.

>91 2wonderY: I love my cattle panel trellises. Since my raised beds are 4'x4' I take the bolt cutters and snip off enough to fit.

>102 2wonderY: is it ready to go on the market?

Did I mention that I not only created a new blueberry patch, but have added two elderberry bushes at the end?

I'll upload some photos soon.

>105 fuzzi: It’s not ready for anything. I’m ready to be done.

Nearly three hours in the dentist chair today, saving a molar by drilling it into shape to accept a crown. I’m whooped.

>106 2wonderY: yikes!

>106 2wonderY: Wupped? That’s bothered me.

I bounced back quickly but I did take a couple of days slow. Friday I ran errands and stopped in Lowe’s looking for that yellow rose. Nope. Picked up two dusty purple pentas for the front yard.
Saturday I had to see what Connie had. Rhubarb; which I will pass on to Rose. Purple basil and Thai basil. And a red dianthus. They are variable as to whether they make it through the winter.

Yesterday was a soaker. Today is variable. I did get lots of things in the ground and every time I prepared to mow it would sprinkle. The grass is thick and high, so I went ahead and got most of it done.

Very pleased with what is coming up, both overwintered and from seed. I think my climbing rose is dead.😟

Sigh. Another rainy day. So glad I got lots done yesterday, especially the mowing, partial as it was.

Family Dollar has Martha Washington asparagus roots for a lot less money than Tractor Supply. They are packaged in wood shavings, so you have to judge by feel. I only got one package. I wish I’d got more. I soaked them first before putting them in the bed. I’ve also sowed a packet of seed in a pot as an experiment.

I found nasturtium seed and foxglove seed in my freezer. It’s a bit late to get them in the ground. Thankfully, several of last year’s foxgloves overwintered and are throwing up bloom stalks. Yay!

It’s a lot wetter today, so I may not get any outside work done.

I’ve identified another big project. The gutter on the back of the carport goes into an underground drain. That appears to be plugged somewhere, as the water is just pouring out in the middle. And, where it theoretically ends at the bottom of the drive, the covering concrete has broken and dropped two inches. Prior owners seem to have managed every drainage question incorrectly.

>108 2wonderY: I love pentas, especially red. I've not seen it for sale this year, so I settled for lantana.

>109 2wonderY: can you redirect the gutter into a rainbarrel?

That actually would be the only spot a rain barrel would make sense, as that’s adjacent to where most of my potted plants reside. But the volume of spring water would still need a regular size overflow that is not blocked.
I would want something appreciably bigger than the typical rain barrel and narrow as well. I’d be starting at $1000
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bushman-130-Gal-Slim-Line-Rain-Harvesting-Tank-45485...

The sky cleared yesterday afternoon, so the rest of the mowing got done.

It got down to 44° last night, but all should be safe. Blue skies this morning so I should get the rest of my planting done.

And I need to finish up my project spread out in the living room. I’ve been inventorying my silverware, polishing and taking pictures. As I lend it out, I expect word will spread and I’ll get more requests.

>111 2wonderY: Are watering troughs that expensive? You are pretty clever at finding second hand items, maybe you will come across something that will work.

We’re not talking a little bit of water. At least 340 square feet of roof is the area of water collection. Around here, that might cover my entire household water usage. Kentucky averages 47 inches of rain. I’ve lost the calculation tables, but up on the ridgetop I had a buried concrete cistern for water storage from the roof.

I had offered plants to my new neighbor, Olivia, a week ago. She’d said yes, but hadn’t come to get them. I caught her yesterday and asked again. She took several items and I promised more. She doesn’t have garden spaces yet; her yard is all lawn like mine was and she barely has time to mow. She has cut a small bed out of the slope just above her patio. She has access to free compost and wood chips!!!!

I planted a cherry tree start from WV at the edge of the front lawn next to my front slope. The two I planted on the other side haven’t flowered yet and their leaf form reminds me of a wild cherry. Hmmm.
But in prep for this tree, I pulled the border timbers away from the plantings and cleaned the edge. That meant dividing a very healthy patch of spiderwort - the magenta variety. A very full bucket of them to share.

I gave some to Cait and to Katie, and there will be others this evening who will take the rest.

A neighbor at the top of the subdivision sent an email offering raspberry plants. They were gone by the time I got there. But I stopped at Katie’s and got a tour of her spring garden. She’s at the top of the hill and faces south, so her peonies are in full bloom. Mine are just in small bud stage. She also has a tall (4-5 ft) purple phlox that’s volunteered everywhere.

She had faithfully seeded Black Pearl peppers again and gave me 5 healthy specimens. And some fennel.
Glad to have given her those first pepper seeds, as my seeding hasn’t progressed well.

Several years ago I bought a pot of asparagus started from seed at Ace Hardware. I’ve looked to buy it that way again, but no luck. So when I saw a seed packet, I decided to try myself. They are sprouting and are the sweetest tiniest asparagus you can imagine; needle thin and sized for a dollhouse garden.

I watered what I planted out last evening; but needn’t have bothered. Of course it is storming today.
The city is replacing the street paving at the top of the hill but they are parking their equipment down here on my street. So even with the rain, there is major activity.

I’m finally seeing an audiologist this morning and then going to visit Rose and T. So my gardening will be on pause.

Only one person showed up for book group last evening, so we talked of other things. She openly admired my living room. And though it has more stuff than typical, she said each thing you look at delights the eye. So, curated, not hoarded.

Sandy claims to have a black thumb, but she took some starts. I convinced her not to use landscaping fabric.

Have I mentioned I have peaches? I noticed them first on the ornamental weeping peach out front. But the regular peach tree out back is loaded pretty well too.

I’m at Rose’s house. We played with the dozen chickens last evening putting them out for the first time in a mobile yard, theoretically with an electric powered fence. The dog got zapped, which was good, but the chicks walked right through the weave and Nathan couldn’t get it powered again. They were outside long enough to start exploring and pecking at the ground.

T is listening to a Percy Jackson short series centered on Egyptian mythology. She sucks up all the details so that she can expound on the subject like a college professor. I’m amazed at her brain.
She fought going to school today though. I hope her bad mood doesn’t carry through the day.
Rose and I stopped at the Farmers Market for $4/doz multicolored eggs. I bought a Brown Turkey fig start and 2 dozen Jerusalem artichoke sprouts.

Rose has to work and is closeted upstairs in her office. I’m trying to do laundry, but the washer has me stumped. I’m also weeding one of the gardens, but my allergies are raging and I came ill-equipped. Will have to take a break and run for some antihistamines.

I did manage to dig out a bothersome clump of multiflora rose and some volunteer tree saplings.

>111 2wonderY: I have my rain barrels linked, as a 1" rain will fill the first (55g). The second (overflow barrel) has a hose attached near the top, and that hose runs over to my ponds.

A friend of mine uses an IBC tote. The outside needs to be covered to prevent algae growth, but it can be painted to look pretty, or just hidden behind a fence.

https://www.ibctanks.com/knowledge-base/topics/rainwater-harvesting/beginners-gu...

>116 2wonderY: hardware cloth is the best barrier to keep chicks safe.

There is no room for normal barrel shapes. The only thing that might work is the very narrow shape I pointed to in >111 2wonderY:.

This was a total gardening day. We went to a local nursery, owner Joyce is so joyful and appreciative of return customers. She’s celebrates five years in business. I will list what I got later except for a fun bonsai basil.
We spent the rest of the day weeding and planting. Serious weeding. I removed a wheelbarrow-full load of black-eyed Susans. And I found a nice patch of scarlet Monarda where it had never been before. At least that’s what iNaturalist thinks it is.

Nathan has been feeding us this weekend in celebration of Mothers Day.

Me:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI5zWw2qRzI/?igsh=aWxiZnM2Z2ZoNWFt

>119 2wonderY: I like that.

I was working on a lengthy post yesterday and most way through, I fumbled and it disappeared. Hate when that happens!

The sky has been so variable. Gray and threatening when I woke, but blue sky now as the sun comes up.

I’ve got asparagus roots soaking now for several days - Dollar Tree purchases! Yesterday i weeded the main asparagus bed. The pile of weeds was astonishing. Today I will go load 10 more buckets of great soil into my car so I can add it when I plant those roots.
I also bought a seed packet of asparagus and I recommend everyone try it just for the satisfaction of seeing the teeny tiny sprouts. They belong in a dollhouse garden.

If there is still life in me after hauling all that dirt, my plan is to go to the Amish greenhouses for my main spring purchases.

I meant to share my pond buddy

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJq6sBBRSw8/?igsh=MWs3YWMxaGgweDd4bQ==

It’s too hot outside to spend much time, but I’m picking at it. I distributed the buckets, but haven’t emptied them yet.
My trip to Amish greenhouses seems late season, as their stocks were very depleted. I managed to spend the money though and fill the car.

I’m preparing to mow as soon as I take another breath…

Good thing too. Thunderstorms at dawn. I was up and taking notes of my purchases when the weather radio alarm went off. Three times!! Marble-sized hail. At least it was brief. Hoping it clears enough so I can get stuff in the ground.

List later.

>122 2wonderY: Great photo of a delightful subject. :)

>125 MrsLee: Did you skip over to the video?

>122 2wonderY: a Green frog, yes, that's the name! They sound like a banjo string. I also have Leopard frogs, very similar but the ridges down the sides are yellowish. Bull frogs don't have the ridges. They will eat the other frogs, so I try to catch and rehome them.

>126 2wonderY: Haha, I did now. Thanks.

We got 2.6 inches of rain this morning. I spent the afternoon working in the front gardens, moving established plants to new places and finding spots for many of the new specimens. A few plants I had assumed were dead were just playing possum. Snacked on peas and strawberries.
We’re supposed to have halacious storms again tonight.

There was a guy in a roofing business truck today driving around looking for hail damage. Must not be very good if he has time to do that.

A tornado ripped a path just 40 miles south of here around midnight. Nine people are dead, and more in hospitals. Workers are still searching the debris. One family described sheltering in their central hallway while their house disintegrated around them.

Today the sun is out and the blue sky is cloudless.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjaMAMfr/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJxDBkro6-g/?igsh=dGhzMnM4ZHhiamI3

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJxGL0ZRAHM/?igsh=dWJheDJqb3hiMHlv

>130 2wonderY: I'm very sorry to hear that. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

>130 2wonderY: I was very sorry to read this.

No National Weather Alert available because of DOGE cuts

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJwm2zmtwMF/?igsh=MTR4NzVzbG5jZG96MA==

From yesterday’s newspaper

Trump cuts to National Weather Service leave Kentucky offices understaffed

https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article306549111.html

That means multiple National Weather Service offices, including Jackson, do not have staff monitoring weather conditions during late-night shifts. That’s important because weather conditions can change rapidly, Fahy said.

All commercial weather programs —from the Weather Channel, AccuWeather to weather apps — are dependent on National Weather Service data. Commercial weather cannot replace the National Weather Service, Fahy said.

Yesterday was unexpectedly a very productive day for me.

Of course I visited Connie and bought a few things.
Chamomile, ‘Munstead’ lavender, Maltese Cross, Veronica ‘Royal Candles,’ and another Catmint. Mine is tucked in a corner and doing okay; but daughter’s is in full sun and is a glorious cloud.

The Arts Council had their plant exchange and I got a columbine, ‘Cherry Bells’ Campanula (which doesn’t look like the one that came back in my yard), Thai mint, Calamint and horseradish (which will go to a daughter.)

The College Farm had their last sale. I went looking for summer squash seedling (because I can’t seem to grow much from seed this year. They were sold out of that but I got winter squash ‘Waltham,’ tomatillo ‘Toma Verde,’ ground cherry ‘Goldie,’ and Didiscus ‘Lacy Lavender.’

Then I spent the afternoon planting the asparagus bed, weeding the strawberry bed and the Scilla slope as well as the entire rock garden. I found some of the plantings there that I started last year, from underneath the ground ivy. The ground ivy is the predominant weed besides the violets. It’s not only a ground creeper, but grows up in foot plus stems through the other plantings. My efforts to replace it with more favorable ground covers is making progress; but it’s slow.

I had peas and strawberries for breakfast.
Today is get everything into the ground or pots day.

Well, no. Today I’ll be in the basement. My chest freezer is sweating and dripping; so I pulled it out to investigate:

GE® 7.0 CU. FT. MANUAL DEFROST CHEST FREEZER

Model : FCM7SUFWW
Serial : VA109086

None of the YouTube’s are describing parts location correctly. The drip hole is not on the back. The drip pan is not above the motor.
One suggested it might be moist air in general, so I went to plug in and start the dehumidifier next to the sump pump.
Hmm. Water there too, along the outside wall. The sump pump is operating, though not as frequently as it should.
I think I’ve got a blocked drain line inside the floor.
Funsies!!

Both basement water problems seem cured for the moment. We shall see.

I did get some weeding and planting in till the sun went down. I will make a video after clean-up.

For some reason, the torn up vehicles speak to me most about the violence of the tornado. Governor Beshear visited London today:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJylIV4qJcC/?igsh=MXBydGF3bTIwNGV0Nw==

I promised a video. This is just a section, but it’s what I’ve been working on.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ2FXs_xHKX/?igsh=d2xiZnN4a2psaDRu

Comment from older daughter:
“Your pot game is strong!”

>138 2wonderY: Very lovely!

I tried watering all of the plants newly in the ground last evening. I had three hoses carried over from last year - one for the front, and two in the back to reach all the way up the hill. I knew one had a leak, so I had bought a replacement. Turns out the other two had blown as well. Guess I’m buying the wrong hoses.
But the replacement worked adequately to reach most spots, switching it from one hose bib to the other.

I had a dental appointment this morning that wiped me out - permanent crown. (My prettiest tooth is way in the back!)

So I was glad for the storm that came through and watered for me.

Only, severe rain, flooding and possible tornadoes is called for tonight.

I gave so much gutter work to do!

Friday is my birthday and both daughters and a couple of grands are coming to help me celebrate.

>140 2wonderY: Happy Birthday! If you ever find a garden house that doesn't spring leaks at the blink of an eye, let me know. I do put the through their paces though; dragging them up hill and down and over rocks, temperatures in the hundreds during summer and 20s in winter.

We just partially replaced a hose that we have had for several years because I was tired of it kinking when I dragged it around to the back garden. We are still using it in front as this is less of a problem when it mostly stays in one area. We certainly have not had problems with the hose leaking.

>135 2wonderY: Tell your daughter that for years I harvested horseradish leaves, chopped them up and sprinkled them over young plants as a very effective protection from critters. I finally got tired of the roots pushing out the sides of my raised beds and got rid of them, but in the meantime nobody is digging holes in my beds any more either.

My weather radio went off multiple times last night and we got several inches of rain again. The basement water issue seems located below a window that is partially below ground outside, so I’ve got to look at covering that well.

Daughter lost power and water yesterday (she forgot to pay the water bill), so we were advising her how to prepare coffee this morning.

An update on our tornado:
In all, its path was 55.6 miles long and it was nearly a mile wide.

With a max wind speed of 170 mph, it is being categorized as violent EF-4, the second highest rating of the Enhanced Fujita Scale

My pond frog has found a comfy spot in one of my flowerpots sitting on the berm of the pond. He actually let me touch him today, then jumped into the water.

I remembered a small family owned greenhouse that I found last year at the end of the season. I stopped there today and got a couple of geraniums for my front steps and two intriguing coleuses.

I’m nearly done.

Morning pictures in the garden

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ9HiSoxt6A/?igsh=MXJ5Z3Y0MGE4YW9scA==

>146 2wonderY: Joyful!

Friday it stayed in the 50s and everyone bundled up and stayed inside. Myself, I think I’ve moved past menopause and I’m glad I didn’t toss my thermal and flannel nightgowns.
Yesterday started the same, but warmed early enough that I was in sleeveless shirt when I went out. But half of everyone else were still bundled and commented.
First the Farmers Market where I indulged myself buying a fresh griddle sausage egg and cheese croissant, all made from the farm (except the cheese) and found the plants from Connie.
Another catmint for the front slope, a ‘Broadstreet’ coreopsis, and Prunella vulgaris ‘Magdalena’ also called Selfheal.

There were multiple yard sales nearby, so I walked the neighborhood.
I met Princess Wren (in a lovely yellow gown and matching crown). I’ve always greeted her dogs through the fence, but this was my first encounter with her. We had a lively conversation about her birthday party which was in preparation. I brought her back The March of the Penguins photo book as my offering.

Also met Sylvia and Danny at the end of my block. She’s been tempted to take my free plant offerings, but Danny’s yard is militarily perfect and it’s a no-go.
The Mexican community had a sale in front of their church, which doubles as the VFW hall. I moseyed over and bought lunch from them.

Then I sat in the middle of my west front slope and amused driversby as I weeded the dominant Creeping Charlie to make room for the new plants. I sit because it’s too steep to stand.

Later I took my ladders and rakes to the back fence and did my annual 3 foot sweep clearing the wintercreeper and various saplings from the fence line. My neighbor had mowed the strip once, so it took even less time than last year, though I still hauled several wagons full of materials down to the street pile.

It was early to bed, and I was glad for the heating pad.

I was going to go to Lowe’s for project supplies.
But instead I cut some branches from Alida’s trees that shade two of my gardens. Redbud and Bush honeysuckle. The tricky part is standing on a slope trying not to step on plants and not let the branches come down and hit me or damage plants. I was generally successful and carted all the cut up mess out to the street. Last Thursday was scheduled yard waste pickup for the month. And I did see one truck that picked up bagged materials. The bigger truck with the scoop is generally running later. I’m glad for these extra days to get those tasks done.
Back on the heating pad.

Let’s see; what did I do today?

Trip to the recycling center and Lowe’s. Found a window well cover and primer that guarantees to stick to slick surfaces. Gonna try to paint my enamel pots agin.
Started shifting stuff at the back part of the deck; but I need help to move the heavy items. Gotta make room for a ladder to reach those carpenter bee holes.

The playhouse skeleton remains. I disassembled more of it; leaving only the part that T still uses.

Determined to get rid of the trampoline. Will offer it to neighbors with kids.

Bedtime.

Woke to the sound of rain, so I rolled over and slept some more. Eleven or so hours. Nice!

I had left a tool out by the playhouse site, so I ran out to retrieve it and check my downspouts. More work needed.

But today is an inside day. Perhaps work in the basement… or the attic… or the guest bedroom/staging area for stuff to go.

Has anyone tried the new Reese’s cup thins? The dark chocolate choice is good, but there is too little peanut butter for that magical combination to work as well.

>151 2wonderY: I haven't noticed those here, but I try to stick to the minis. I hate having to unwrap and then peel off a paper.

>151 2wonderY: I haven't noticed those here, but I try to stick to the minis. I hate having to unwrap and then peel off a paper.

Something to dream on

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKKy1wutANo/?img_index=9&igsh=MXZ5ZWtrczFybTlwcg...

If you give your boys some pallets…

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI6eCvSOw4X/?igsh=MTJyNDFvOXdqb2R5eA==

>155 2wonderY: We never built anything quite that elaborate, but my grandpa and dad kept a pile of odds and ends boards that we were allowed to create with in the old shop. Mostly we made boats (small) to float in the water troughs, but my friend and I made a table and chair once. Probably no one but ourselves could have told what they were.

>156 MrsLee: We used to drag materials from industrial sites along the railroad tracks and river, just a block away. I recall we sheathed the swing set once into an imaginary ship.

I like that poster’s use of a favorite children’s book.

Woke to heavy storms this morning, then blue skies, then more storms. I hate to say I wish the rains would stop, as that’s just asking for drought. But enough is enough. I can’t attend to my gutter issues.

I got a loaner pair of hearing aids yesterday. They are annoying for several reasons, but they do improve my quality of life in conversations. The other notable thing is I can hear birdsong again, as soon as I walk outside. My brain reads it as fake - a recording.

So more inside projects today. I am making some nice progress in the basement.

I’ve determined to give the trampoline away; offering it first to my neighbor to the east. She has a little boy. But they haven’t gotten back to me. (I retrieved buckets of plants I gave her a month ago too.) Yesterday, I offered it to another family with kids. She said Yes immediately and plans to come get it this evening. Oddly, the only way to remove it from my back yard is to lift it over the east fence and walk it down Olivia’s driveway. I’ve measured and it won’t go through my carport. Shrug.

The kids, age 8 and 11, helped us chuck it over the fence, down the driveway and down the street into their yard. Easy peasy.

It must have showered overnight. Everything is damp; including the soil bins I left uncovered.

Still working on organizing the vegetable strip midway up the back yard. It’s one long dip in the contours and I’ve lined it with rocks on the above side, and lumber on the lower side; but it’s been an unmanageable mess. I’ve loaded it with fall leaves that only protect the creeping Charlie. I’ve been slowly sectioning it with pallet rectangles (shipping frames for windows) and after weeding, adding good dirt bought from the urban farm. Cow panel trellises now at either end, and cukes, squash, watermelon planted at the base. The plants are growing slowly but none have taken the hint to climb yet.

Cleared the volunteer peas, which didn’t produce well this year.
Onions, which are doing well, tomatoes, eggplant (first try) and peppers. Putting in bush beans today. Yes, I know it’s late. Will try sowing various flower and herb seeds in between the rectangles.

The trampoline site gives me a lovely new spot for shade plants.

From Connie yesterday,
Yarrow ‘Sassy Summer Yellow’
Shasta Daisy ‘Luna’
Thai Blue Butterfly Pea. The large blue flowers are supposed to color drinks. And blue turns to pink if something is added; I forget what.

The College Farm had a bonus day of BOGO as well. I got a couple more pepper plants ‘King of the North’ an eggplant ‘Turkish Delight’ two ‘Arkansas Little Leaf’ cukes that are in vining stage. And a six pack of lovely Alkindus lettuce.

New friends, Joy and Stephen, brought me a clump of Sweet William.

I got my sweet potato slips into two big pots.

Also mowed and worked on organizing the carport; which I stash as if it were a garage or shed.

The blue flowers turn pink in the presence of acid. Red cabbage turns colour in the same way, and it is similar to litmus paper (based on lichens). Hydrangeas are known for changing colour based on soil ph.

>160 MarthaJeanne: Yes, a drop of lemon juice. If it flowers, it may revolutionize our tea parties.

I’ve been avoiding church mostly because the service is slow and clunky. I’m used to much better music. But I went today to test the hearing aids. I did hear better, but even when I removed them too. Is it possible that using the aids is helping my brain remember how to hear?
Visiting with the college Disability & Accessibility Services specialist tomorrow to ask questions.

I did get most of the gardening done that I had planned. I’m getting better at grouping my tools and not losing them. Having multiples helps. I need to remember my kneeling mat though.
I have so many strawberries this year that I am freezing them.

I lost my trowel recently, which was distressing. At the garden fair I bought two new tools. Very nice British ones that should last for decades. Shortly thereafter I took out the row of bolted chard, and there, under the chard leaves was my old trowel. Buying a new one is the easiest way to find the old one. (But I think I should point out to Mark that only selling top quality tools means he won't sell that tool to that customer again.)

Join me in the gardens this morning.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKZeI_nRNk2/?img_index=9&igsh=NzlkcnE4NXVjYnZw

It got chilly last night - into the mid 40s.

The patio area has become a workhorse space with potting, moving soil and weeds, etc. so it’s a mess just now and I’m not showing you until it’s cleaned up.

We switched abruptly from chilly to muggy. It’s a beautiful peaceful day, full sun, blue skies and lots of insect buzz. We had a cicada emergence, but that’s not what it sounds like. Just a happy contented chorus.
I’m hanging at the far end of the deck with my frog companion. He has hollowed out a spot in a flowerpot on the rim of the pond.
I’m alternating working and lounging. I’m rearranging the furnishings so I can access the house/deck eaves and try again to catch and divert the rain that splashes off the house roof. I’ve upsized to a 6” channel from the 4” that doesn’t quite succeed. Figuring how to hang and fasten it.

As well, the accumulation of leaves needs removed so the decking boards can dry.
I took down the bench swing on chains and tucked it away and moved the bigger one on a metal frame. That’s my lounge spot now.

The 3 story barn toy needs a platform under it, possibly with wheels, so it can be moved by little ole me. Project #8,423😊

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKab5FDRof8/?igsh=MWlwd2xwcG54cjdpYw==

>164 2wonderY: Project #8423 2weeks? I have a large lavender plant on a big plant saucer with wheels. Our garden store has a large selection of such readymade solultions.t

>165 MarthaJeanne: That’s an excellent idea!! Thank you!

I spent most of the day hunting hearing aids, with other misc. errands sandwiched in.

Costco requires a membership and an appointment to do their own testing. Miracle Ear was closed, belying the hours posted on the door.
Jacob, at the Apple Store, sold me a pair of Air Pod Pro2, with a hearing aid function, at $250. I have two weeks to experiment with them and return them if they don’t suit.

The day would have been perfect for gardening and deck work. Perhaps tomorrow.

>165 MarthaJeanne: The hardware store had these when I went looking for mobility on my chest freezer. Not quite what was needed there, but close to perfect for this project.



Im going to use a hair dryer to dry the underside of the barn before lifting it a bit more and sliding the dolly underneath.

You are a blessing to me!

Glad it worked out.

Thank goodness for municipal utilities! A rate increase on electricity was announced at the latest city council meeting. It’s the first rate increase in 13 years.

The rate increase is half a percent.

Are they paying the municipal employees?

>171 MarthaJeanne: Yes, and satisfactory wages, I gather. Our class met with a council member and that was a question that came up.
The city crews are always prompt and helpful when called for any issues. Usually on this street, it’s broken water pipes because of their age.

The city does water, sewer and electric. My combined bill just arrived. $85. And that includes the school tax as well.

>172 2wonderY: I wish we had municipal electric. Our bill runs $500-$700 monthly in the summer, and we keep our A/C at 80 in the day. Sigh.

Daughter Anne came for an overnight visit. We gardened, ate well, and today sampled a portion of the 100 mile yard sale on US 25. It was a dismal showing except for the sale up around the corner, with all my favorite neighbors. I spent a couple of dollars and earned several more as I off-loaded a bicycle and a porch swing.

We caught neighbor Kay in an ebullient mood and she gave us an impromptu tour of her acre+ yard and she showed her progress and explained her further plans. Met her husband Scott. They’ve just been awarded urban farm status. Steph at Appalachian Grow is the person to check with for protective tunnels.
I told her about Calvin Gross and Appalachian Plants and People class.

Anne is heading home and I’m going to slip down to see Rose overnight.
Gotta check out the hearing aid acoustics in her barn-dimensions house.
The hearing aids go back Monday.

The dwarf beebalms are in full bloom. Fun!

I helped put the chickens to bed at Rose’s. They are very cozy and affectionate.

I have had a knit blazer for decades that is a perfect pull on in the summer. I like it because it’s unique; white with black abstract figures dancing on it. Rose identified it as art by Keith Haring today. It turns out a perfect garment to wear to tomorrow’s Pride Festival.

Anne and I did stop Saturday to see what Connie had. I've bought Japanese Aster from her a couple of times and it has failed to return in the spring. So, one more try in a different spot. This one is 'Blue Star.'

Yesterday, Rose and T took me to a local Pride gathering. T became very unhappy and took it out on us, screaming most of the drive home.
Rose wanted to stop at the small plant nursery to buy more begonias for one bed. When we did, T gathered herself together and became a pleasant person again. She gave credit to the plants. She acquired one for herself - aptly, an Impatiens.

Of course I found a few treasures. Connie had told me their Hyssop (Hummingbird Mint) had all failed this year. But I bought 'Kudos Coral' from this other lady. I think her name is Joy.
Also a 'Dazzleberry' Stonecrop, though the tag picture doesn't match what's in the pot yet.
'Uptick Cream & Red' Coreopsis - I keep finding more varieties that bring joy.
'Fiesta Time' Hollyhock - very flirty.
And 'Cherry Red' Angelonia, an annual.

This morning, I returned the trial hearing aids and was fitted with another pair that I think I like better.

I do like this pair better. I went to a meeting last evening and had no problems at all. It was strange for everyone to address me by name; until I realized I was the only person who remembered to wear a name tag. Usually, there is a stack of temporary “Hello, my name is…” at the registration table. I hate the waste and the wondering where to stick it on my clothing, so I keep a permanent tag in my car for these occasions. And I remembered it before I went in.

And I found my eyeglasses; which were missing most of the day… in the refrigerator. Not as weird as it sounds. I remove the glasses to see up close and then set them down to use both hands. The really remarkable thing is that there was room in the fridge to set them down.

Oh, and the neighborhood email notified us to watch for escaped baby chicks. Happily, they all returned home on their own at dusk.

Be the capybara

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKuFVq5t5dk/?igsh=MW9rZGxoMHEzY3dlbA==

Another test of hearing aids in a communications class. The AirPods work better than the prescription pair.

Then I walked all over campus and the adjoining businesses putting up posters for our No Kings rally on Saturday.

The threat of rain continues to escalate. Good! I haven’t been watering.
But I did get out there and mow in a timely manner.
I wish I could get those new gutters hung.

You could call it muggy today. I’ve gotten a few plants in the ground… ah! I missed reporting the few things I bought from Connie on Saturday.

Number one, I bought cilantro plants for daughter. She had sent me to Walmart for it last weekend. And I hate Walmart!
She also had Painted Ferns ‘Apple Court’ which I missed last year. She sells beauties for $5. I will probably buy a few more. Also Alpine betony ‘Hummelo’. There might have been another plant.

I’m trying to perch on the front slope to search for stuff I planted last year. I need to place more rocks and they should be uneven so I can place them as safer stepping stones. Excursion to Big Hill planned.

Here are a few pictures from the back yard:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DK-NKKERnbq/?img_index=15&igsh=OTU2Z3pkcmMyNmJh

>181 2wonderY: Those red, star shaped flowers are lovely! What are they?

Yes! Isn’t it exquisite? I’m so pleased it came back.
Indian Pink is what it’s called and it’s a native.

I’m being entirely lazy today, with just one morning walk in the garden.
I spent time in the dentist chair late morning. Thankfully, it was a straightforward drill and fill rather than the possible root canal or extraction. But I’m still traumatized.
Why do they bother to take a blood pressure reading? Last time it was 165 and today 161/79. So? They wrote it down and proceeded to do the work without any discussion.

Oh, a few pictures:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLFY5dHRfsN/?igsh=MW8zNWowamlxNjhzaA==

Both daughters are coming briefly today for an exchange of kids. I’m conveniently half-way between. They forgot to mention it till after I told them I was leaving town. Just a prank, because Callum had texted me the plan.
So I’ve made a nice lunch.

Ran out to see some plants first. Rose wants a climbing hydrangea and the Potting Shed had one left and it looks healthy. 40% off sale this week, so I just did it. She now needs a cattle panel trellis.😊
Connie sold me two more painted ferns. I have lots of empty spaces in the shade yet.
Also, a red Mexican blanket flower ‘Arizona Red Shades’ and an ornamental NuMex Easter pepper.

I’m expanding the garden strip along the driveway, but I’m not sure yet what all to plant. Strawberries for sure. They like the slope and as their plastic pots disintegrate, they are reaching out for better ground.

I love painted ferns, but they just aren't hardy here. I've tried many times. I have lots of other ferns to choose from, but they don't have the pretty colours of the painted ferns.

edited to add: Not that green isn't pretty LOL

>186 tardis: They should be winter hardy here. The green fern I bought at Lowe’s last year didn’t make it. Oh! It might still be under warranty. I can scrape a few shreds up.
Connie only charges $5, so the investment cost is a lot smaller.

>187 2wonderY: My zone is 4 (used to be 3), and you're what? Zone 7? A lot warmer than here, anyway :) Zone 1-4 plants are most reliable here. Some of those ferns SAY they're zone 4, but I think they're borderline. Attention to microclimates in my yard helps with some plants, but apparently not painted ferns :(

I think we’re a 5.

It’s a good thing I’ve gotten back into a reading routine; because it’s too hot to go out and work in the gardens. I will venture out to water in the evening.
It’s not really too bad. I went and lounged on the deck for a bit. But next time it won’t be barefoot, as the boards are blistering in the sun.

I thought about going to WV; but there is no AC there. I will wait till next week for that.

The visit yesterday was absolutely lovely.

Used the rotary tool to trim the front walk this morning, with sweat already pouring out. The Bermuda grass is bolting, so I will need to mow the front this evening.

Just now I noticed someone in my front yard and went out to say hello. Neighbors from up on Chestnut Street, Allie and Brian and black lab Jellybean. She was looking at my raised beds. I invited them to walk the yard and they particularly loved the backyard. Of course. They’ve been here two years, from Tennessee. We chatted gardening strategies and local events.

They’ve got monster slugs. I told them get some moles. They understood that choice.

The city finally picked up yard trash. They seem to always be running a week behind this year. But they do a good job of it.

I don’t cook with oregano, but I bought two small clumps last year at weed alternatives. They do that well. Second cutting this year already. I gave Anne the first harvest because they do use it. I’m frankly enchanted with the odor today. It makes the entire house smell fresh and cool.

I’ve decided to empty the storage unit by the end of the week. Two trips yesterday. I will need to borrow a truck; and son-in-law hopes to come get the scaffolding.

Today is rearrange the carport storage day.
And the basement. And the back deck. And the attic bedroom, for good measure.

I got up at 5:30 today so I could get some outside tasks done while the temperature is reasonable. Two trips to the storage unit and tearing up the center portion of the deck in order to store more wood there.
Towel around the neck so one can mop the sweat away from the eyes.

I wish MarthaJeanne lived closer. I have no desire to work in the kitchen this week. All my weekend prep has been eaten up.

>193 2wonderY: No desire to move to that side of the Atlantic. Sorry. If you wanted to move over here and learn German, you would be very welcome to drop in for snacks and meals.

A variety of birds are congregating in my front yard. At first, I thought the bitty sparrows were dust-bathing along the edge of the sidewalk where I recently trimmed. Then there is the female jay sitting atop the trellis looking interested. Then I noticed vigorous tugging on the weeping peach branches. They’re after the peaches! Even a tiny hummingbird buzzed in and sat on a branch.

Before 8 am, I managed to stow large materials more efficiently on the deck. That includes hanging the wooden porch swing way up high for now. Tucking the scaffold I’m keeping in a better manner, and carrying yesterday’s wood cabinet from carport to back room.
As well, a trip to the storage unit to load an Eastlake platform rocker into the back of my vehicle. It needs upholstery work. Now I need to find a spot to unload and store it.

One more trip with my car for leaded glass windows. They will be incorporated into the garden shed.

And then borrow a truck for the last of it.

Oh. Take a walk with me

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLXWhrXRfTv/?igsh=MTA5NXdhY2g2ZGppag==

>197 2wonderY: Luxurious!

Glad I got an early start. Got the last of the antique beadboard and I’m almost done unloading the scaffold bucks. I had to stop for nourishment as I felt a bit faint.

I feel very accomplished. Storage unit is empty ($60/month eliminated) and most materials successfully tucked in around the property. I still need to hang storage brackets for the beadboard. But that is complicated. I got up on a ladder inside my carport to examine the ceiling structure. The rafter joists run the wrong way (of course!) and relying on measurements to hit them blindly is awfully questionable. It won’t hurt them to sit out on the lawn for a little bit till I figure what to do.

The rain is coming!! A break from the high temperatures! My plants are sighing relief.
As part of my tuck-in, I pulled furniture out in the living room, dusted walls and floor, reorganized electric wires, covered the couch afresh, and dealt with paper piles.

When I returned the truck, Dennis invited me in for coffee or tea. They have a gorgeous house with a south vista of wooded hills. He told me stories about all their good fortunes buying the house and subsequent amazing deals for improvements.
I was allowed to know a deep conspiratorial secret happening today. Their daughter’s boyfriend is using her mother’s engagement ring to propose later today. Future mother-in-law came by to pick it up. Only, it wasn’t were they thought they had tucked it. Eventually, Regina remembered and passed it over. They are all atwitter with excitement.

The sparrows came back en masse to attack the peach tree out front. They were so focused they did not mind me photographing them on the windowsills as they dodged in and out of the tree.

I got a book in the mail and can’t wait to dip in. It’s short biographies of some of my favorite turn of the century novelists. The Women Who Make Our Novels, published in 1918. 32 chapters, so not a whole lot of space for each one. But I’m re-reading several and I’ve been curious.

My Dollar Tree gladiolas are blooming so heavily that some of the stalks failed. That’s okay, they are just as gorgeous inside

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLaM00jRrv1/?igsh=MTZscmcwMDNhYjF2Nw==

Tennis shoe quality has dipped precipitously in the last few years. Used to be, they would stay together till there was no tread left. Now, sole separation happens frequently. So I keep an eye out for likely pairs at goodwill. I found an almost brand new pair of Adidas this week for $6 just as my current favorite all-use pair began separating. It’s annoying to be out and your shoe starts flopping.

On closer examination of the carport ceiling, the 6” joists run parallel to the side of the house with a doubled beam kinda midway. Attached to the framing is a very thin but rigid cladding, possibly asbestos based, similar to
Hardiflex soffit sheeting, and then covered by vinyl soffit panels. My thought is to screw 1x boards to span the 16”OC joists or fasten into the doubled beam (an easier target) and then fasten the brackets to the boards.
Yeah, that makes sense.

Several cats have been sneaking into my backyard; and I hadn’t known why. They’re hunting moles! Bad kitties!

I ventured onto the roof this morning to clear the gutter guards and re-install the splash guards at the center of the deck. I managed, but I’m not sure I can do this another season. My whole body is exhausted.

My east neighbor is busy this weekend trying to mimic what I’ve done on my front slope. Good for her! It’s the mowing that is so impossible.

Daughter got lots of rain yesterday. All we got is clouds and a light sprinkle.
Those sparrows are dustbathing - the dirt is all over my walk.

Yesterday, I bought a few more plants from Connie, despite not getting everything in the ground. Waiting for moisture.
Anothe painted fern, because I killed one last week.
Pink obedient plant. I think I have only white.
Chamerium angustifolium, common name Fireweed, which I think is unfair. It’s a pretty lacy pink bloom and is a tall perennial. Also, just to round out to $20, another very robust lavender.

My legs still haven’t recovered.

I think I’ve solved the back roof rain issue. I’m going to hang counter-gutters on the deck posts just under the house gutters to catch the rain that bounces off the roof and onto the deck.
Now, I need to find 12 foot lengths of gutter. They do exist but not at the local Lowes or Menards.

One tip on that. 4 meter lengths are quite long. If you attach them just at the ends, the gutters will sag. But if they are supported 1/4 - 1/3 of the way in, the gutter will counter balance itself and stay fairly level. Gutters probably need at least the lower end fixed in place. The beam that supported our terrace roof in DW just had the two pillars, and it worked really well.

>206 MarthaJeanne: Yes. I happen to already have 12 foot lengths of board to span between the posts, and L-brackets to support the gutter periodically. There will be further refinements as I move forward, I’m sure.

There will still be periodic need to clear leaf debris; but each time I make a change, that is considered and progress made.

Whew! It’s another hot one.

Despite that, I’m motivated to tackle other gutter issues. So I lifted the guard on the gutter at the back of the carport. Oddly, there was a chunk of wood blocking the downspout. No wonder it’s been overflowing. I think it must have been something I was using as I installed the guards.
So finally, finally moved the ladder to the opposite side of the deck.
I’m leaving town today, but still planting a few things and will water heavily. No rain forecast for several days yet.
I’ve been looking for fruit on my trellises. Saw some small cukes and squash. Looked deeper and found a cuke the size of my forearm.
The onions are signaling they are done growing. I’m not impressed with the yield compared to the cost of the onion starts. Buying onions at the store I could purchase 3x the amount for the same price.
Tomatoes are still flowering and growing, but very little fruit so far.
But the volunteer cherry tomatoes will come through.

My neighbors lost a tennis ball over the fence yesterday and I invited them to come get it. Tim made what I thought was an odd comment at the time. “This path (up to the rest of the yard) is my favorite feature.” Until I considered that their yard rises abruptly from the back patio without my nice easy curved path. My guess is some earth moving will happen over there.
I invited Arbor, the 2 year old, to come and play with the barn. I’m not ready to give it away yet, but would love for kids to be playing with it.

And my legs still haven’t recovered fully from my roof tour.

I love the first feature on this greenhouse/shed; opening it to the side.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLUoKMrOYOI/?igsh=MTBvY3B6cGg3ZDRyYg==

That would work really well in the spot I want to build.

I had not truly appreciated my carport until I had to park on the street. Convenience to the house is one feature I’d appreciated already. But shade from the hot sun is top on the list today.
I had unloaded the scaffold expecting son-in-law to follow through promptly. He has all sorts of issues with their farmhouse that scaffolding would help ease the work. But he sometimes just can’t or won’t be responsible. It may be on my carport for some time.

My morning chores took longer than I had expected; and then I needed a nap. So mid-afternoon, I decided to put off my trip till tomorrow and reorganized the carport yet again.

Success!
And the patio behind it looks much better too.

There are certain nearly inaccessible spots in the framework where the carpenter bees do their business. It occurred to me that I could seal those surfaces off by cladding them with scraps of aluminum or plastic siding, using construction adhesive as the glue. It wouldn’t be visible, and I would eliminate those piles of sawdust.

I discovered sewer pipe stashed out of sight that will allow me to direct the rainwater from the back of the carport and through to the front. I have just enough if I buy two couplings. I’m parked in front of the supply shop waiting for the torrential downpour to let up.😆. It wasn’t supposed to rain until Thursday.

I stopped at Home Depot in Parkersburg. They had 16 foot lengths of gutter and were willing to cut them to size. So I had them chop 3 feet off* and helped me load them. They stuck out the passenger window four feet.
And I drove four hours home with them. I was careful to position them to avoid scooping air, but they still felt a little bit like a rudder.

Placed one on its brackets this morning. Yay! Success!
I will need to get up on the roof and make some minor refinements; but this is very good.

*the additional foot allows for the water collected to fall further from the deck floor.

I’m getting those counter-gutters up today. I found this guy up 8 feet, on a bracket I intended to remove. We hung out for a few before I encouraged him to find another spot.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DL5CuOexxXF/?igsh=MWM1N25tczl4ZGF6ZA==

How the heck did he get up there? Do they have invisible wings?

I waited till dusk and mowed the entire yard. The heat has only encouraged the nastiest weeds.

>213 2wonderY: I'm not clicking that link until I know it isn't a snake.

>215 MrsLee: It’s not a snake😆

I collect interesting rocks. In my WV yard, I had several wedge shaped, tombstone sized rocks. I don’t recall where I acquired them. But I decided they would make good anchor feature at the northwest corner of the yard. There are a few blocks still in place from an old retaining wall; and I’d already planted above them. When Alida removed her part of the retaining wall last year, I told her to leave these in place, even though there is nothing anchoring them now. But I’m placing these big rocks in front of them. I brought two back and placed them. It’s just barely possible for me to move them on my own, rolling or shifting them a little bit at a time. The third is in the back of my vehicle now. (You get a very sturdy wide board and inch it up that.). I’m hoping to unload this one when the sun goes down and it cools off.

>216 2wonderY: Aww, a cutie. Bigger than the frogs I'm used to. Our frogs have stickum on the bottom of their feet and climb our walls and windows to catch bugs

Morning color

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMAbzZARksc/?igsh=NGFhZG95MmwydHI=

And maintenance on the gutter system:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMAca4txX38/?igsh=YTB3ZWRya200MGho

We had a really good rain shower yesterday, so new plants are refreshed and weeds are easier to pull.

Battling the grasses - Bermuda and another that I forget the name. It’s coarse and forms a flat dish but then spreads everywhere.

With the nice rain yesterday, I could safely put more plants in the ground.

I stopped to see what Connie has. I have most of what she has on offer. I was tempted to get more painted ferns to begin lining the top of the top slope, which is still tilted enough to make future mowing not quite safe. But I thought perhaps I should wait till I see how they get through the winter before spending more.
I did buy another basil because hers are huge and mine is not flourishing as I’d expect. I’ve got free pots still. And I can harvest as I trim this one.

Stachys ‘Hummelo,’ a low grower, and Heliopsis ‘Burning Hearts,’ as it looks very forgiving.

Hurray!! My plan works!

Last evening, I put plants in the ground as it started to sprinkle. But the promise did not materialize. So I’ve been watching the changing sky this morning, going repeatedly from clear to cloudy. From a blue sky out my window, we just had a refreshing shower, as the clouds were visible only by stepping outside. I did so looking for a rainbow. Then I stepped out on my back deck. Both counter-gutters are in place, but only the west end has flashing placed. And it’s not even cut or fastened yet. I still need to mark and cut the slope of it. But no rain came through; while some rain still hit the deck floor on the east side.
I am delighted!

I am suddenly wiped out. Too many trips up the ladder and across the roof, probably. The west side is nearly done and tucked in. But I’m going to fuss with it tomorrow because I strive for perfection.

I went to Lowe’s for more flashing and other stuff. I bought a quart of paint - $25!!! I will always ask now before having the clerk tint it.

The afternoon, I disassembled the corner post at the back of the carport. It’s where the carpenter bees like to drill their holes and it’s not accessible. So I took is mostly apart in order to clad that side with aluminum flashing, since that’s what I’ve got. Fastened one stud snugly, with construction adhesive and clamps. Two more tomorrow. Also noticed the base is damp and rotten, so cut it off and found a scrap of pressure treated board to hammer into place. So many nails to cut out. Running the reciprocating saw is exhausting too.

I feel really good about these projects!

I don’t know how I seemed to coordinate this cladding work with the emergence of the new bees. I watched three climb out of one hole. And of course they are not happy with me messing with their home territory.

It’s already too hot to do any gutter work on the roof; though I did move the ladder to the other side and install a grab bar up top. I’d save the grab bars from the old playhouse and it finally occurred to me to use them this way.

I will work on the post once the flashing has dried.

I will probably spend the bulk of the day doing laundry and processing cucumbers.

I dug up the willow stick I was promised was a pussy willow. It’s not; and I am so glad I planted it in a tub. I will use the tub for growing my favorite spearmint. I brought more back from WV and got a harvest and more starts to root.

The carport corner is all classed and tucked back into proper shape, and one stray carpenter bee was buzzing around looking very confused.

There was a magnificent bullseye spiderweb at the shady side of the deck. I wish I had stopped and gotten my phone to take a picture.

Froggy turned up again when I moved a stack of milk crates.

I’m ready to flash the east end of the deck. I had to get up in a very awkward spot and use the heavy belt sander to remove uneven board ends.
My front door has swelled and sticks in this hot muggy weather, so I sanded the edge of it a bit.

Did laundry but the cukes are still staring accusingly at me.

Anne and her husband came through biblical storms yesterday to drop Anne at my house. We then proceeded to pack my car to the gills with party supplies and drove to Rose’s farm. T’s birthday bash is tomorrow and there is lots of cleaning and cooking to get done today.
We got heavy storms here last night. But in Berea we are still watering the gardens.

Anne was particularly glad to be able to show Mike the progress on my yard, as he has been lackadaisical on their yard. He was duly impressed.

The chickens spent their first night in their new house. Nathan had poured resin on the floor and caught a mouse overnight. It was royally stuck, and he hadn’t come up with a solution yet. I’m guessing all remnants will be gone this morning.

I’m up early and seeking the electric kettle. After poking everywhere, I found the stovetop kettle and a pot of tea is steeping.
I mentioned here they had acquired some awesome shelving that has transformed their storage in several rooms, not least their pantry.
Here is the best corner though:

>138 2wonderY: love it. It's looks Controlled Unruly. My yard is mainly Unruly.

Do I see a Gorilla cart?

>197 2wonderY: you've done SO much in your yard. Congratulations.

>225 2wonderY: I.WANT.

That is a Gorilla cart. Back when T was little and objected walking with us on nature walks, it occurred to me a garden wagon would come in handy. It worked well for that and is a work horse now.
And I got it so so cheap at the end of the season. That makes it even nicer.

Nathan fastened the last bookcase to the wall this afternoon and I got to empty the rest of the boxes. That was loads of fun. Our tastes and reading histories mingle so interestingly.

Yesterday was the party. Last year there were 40 - 50 people, so despite not asking for RSVPs, the planning was for a large crowd. I think I counted 16 people, three dogs, one cat and 13 chickens.

Still, the food was marvelous and it was great to catch up with those who did come. And the house and property got a good cleaning beforehand.

The slip n slide was a hit:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMTWwRyx7YC/?igsh=N255NmFiMXF1N2N0

>230 2wonderY: BTW, I saw this book in somebody's catalogue The Chicken's Guide to Gardening

>231 MarthaJeanne: Huh! I’d be interested to examine it. Only one member though? I’ll try to get it through ILL.

Oh it’s for kids. Maybe a gift for T.

We helped with cleanup this morning, got a helping of leftovers to take home, and left the nuclear family to rest and relax. We got video later in the day that showed them indeed having good times.

Before i left, I walked across the yard with a cob of corn in my hand, wondering if it was okay to feed it to the chickens. Apparently so. One of the larger girls gave an excited squawk and transported herself over the electric fence to my side.

I came home with grandson Callum accompanying me. We are having great conversations about family, music, his life plans.
He’s already found my car key and my phone. And he went up on the roof to rough place the second strip of flashing because storms are expected tonight.

My neighbor was struggling to cut metal fence posts down to a certain height, using a battery powered grinding wheel. The battery died on the first post.
I dragged out some heavier duty corded tools and she settled on the heavy but safe and reliable portable band saw. Once I helped her with set up, she sliced through them like butter. It feels good to share my decades old knowledge to make a young person’s task easier.

>233 2wonderY: good for you, and your grandson.

We both took a lazy morning; but he’s anxious to get projects moving. There’s an old tall glass front cabinet in a corner of the carport. It’s rough, but I use it to store garden materials and an assortment of vases. I decided to paint it this season. We started just scraping a little prior to sanding. Nothing major. Only it grew. We went to the hardware store for a heat gun and new handles.
We decided we could work better if we emptied it and pulled it out and laid it down. Then we realized there was some internal carpentry needed and we will also replace the back panel.
He went back out after supper to finish scraping and perhaps start sanding.
I’m very impressed!

I'd be impressed, too. My son is going back to college after getting his BA. He's decided to do a construction/carpentry track, and will need to bring his own hand tools. I'll be dusting off my dad's toolboxes to assist supplying the basics. His grandfather would be tickled.

>236 fuzzi: You too! I know you’ve got the handyman gene.

We’ve made some progress with the cabinet; but since it was pulled away from that wall, we decided to paint the wall.
So we pulled most of the paint cans out from the basement. We wanted a green, and we didn’t have much to work with. But we poured and stirred until we got a shade that will look good with the cabinet color. I will post pictures tomorrow.

We took a break to go to my hairdresser and get his hair cut and styled. He hadn’t found anyone yet in Cincinnati that understood what he wanted. I think he’s pleased.

Cabinet avalanche: first paint, then scrape, add handles, effect repair, do sanding...and now paint the wall. 🤪

>237 2wonderY: Your project reminds me of the story, If you give a mouse a cookie. What a great project to do with a grandson.

It was not supposed to be the color it turned out as. It was supposed to be a dusty plum!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMeGOwZxVf9/?img_index=3&igsh=OTdwaWMwZ3h5Znlv

>240 2wonderY: I love the color!

Callum has been my finder! What a talent!
Glasses, tea cup, air pods, keys, even the lost library book!
Can I keep him?

>240 2wonderY: I like that color also.

>243 MrsLee: I do like that color as well. I’ve used it two other times; and those paint cans are so marked. This was not supposed to be raspberry though., but something a bit more subdued and purply.

It will do for now. It does add a vital bit of color to the carport; which was just dinge colors.

C also helped me set up scaffolding in front of the kitchen wall. That section of gutter is the last bit not covered with gutter-guard; and I noticed I have a row of saplings smiling down.

I had another guest - a long-time friend from WV. She was on her way to SC, helping her daughter move. She just retired and is now considering relocating to the southeast where most of her children and all of her grands reside.

The house seems quieter than usual now. Callum spent quite a bit of time exploring my music collection. That was very fun.

I spent the day pulling the deck back into order and sweeping even more leaves out from under the furniture. I can start thinking of treating the deck boards now and perhaps even staining them. The range of color choices is quite good, as I recall.

It’s definitely a good day for staying inside. Ventured out on the deck briefly to do some finish up tasks; but retreated back into the conditioned air with relief. I may walk the gardens once the sun tips far enough the other way. I’ve got tiny watermelons to gloat over.

We’ve got rain forecasts each day for the next week, but only ranging in the 50% area. Yesterday we were supposed to get .1” of rain, but it must have wrung out before it got this far.
I did mow half the yard last evening and left the mower in place so I can finish up tonight.

A salesman came to the door yesterday and at first I thought he was selling mowing services because of the leaf insignia on his shirt. But it was pest management. He wouldn’t stop selling, even though I repeatedly told him I was very happy with my bugs. I even let him tour my gardens and still he kept selling. It was quite remarkable.
I told him there were no insects here 5 years ago and all of my gardening has brought them back and all the other critters that form a healthy ecosystem. I hope he had something to consider later, but I doubt it. He had sprays and powders and treatments for everything you could mention.

My front door has swollen in the heat and won’t close. I’ve cautiously sanded the edge, and that hasn’t worked. It also seems to be sagging a bit on the hinge side. After messing with my tool collection, I don’t seem to have the right one to adjust the hinge knuckles. So I went to Ace Hardware. The clerk tried to dissuade me and gave an alternate, but even harder fix. And no, he did not agree to come and help me.
So I did buy a channel-lock pliers. We shall see.

Sometimes my place feels like this, but unplanned.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL8dRdOxSua/?igsh=MWNtdDF5c3h1em1lbw==

Mind blown!

Randomly, I found the purported name of the impressed pattern of this glass window



Do you want to guess, or should I just tell you?

Most neighbors with dogs here walk their dogs twice a day. It’s how I’ve been introduced to some people. But walking cats? Twice now in just a few days. I was out middle of the night picking poke berries and a man was walking his dog on a leash with three cats following closely. This morning, my neighbor with multiple indoor cats was walking them down the street. I’ve never seen her do that before. Maybe she was recovering them from their own walkabout.

We had two refreshing showers yesterday. Both ends of the deck are dry. The middle section hasn’t been solved yet. That’s the section I’m using for lumber and mowing machine storage. Overtop of the hole left by the hot tub. I was sorting the wood and a bunch of it was on the lawn and got more soaked than usual. I think I have enough scrap wood to actually install joists and flooring there now.

>251 2wonderY: do tell.

>253 fuzzi: I’ve seen two sources call it “cat butt” but I don’t trust it. This glass was used for things like transoms and lower sashes in bathrooms a century and more ago. I have a panel of it and I would call it “stellar” or some such.

Stopped quickly at the Farmers Market looking for corn on the cob. None there, sadly. But I did see a lovely Large Blue Lobelia that I will plant and try not to kill. Also a pot of Lemon Balm, but not for me. It’s for T. Tea for when she has a meltdown. I’ve read a medical article that gives it about a 70% chance of making a positive difference.

The three are coming up today in the truck, hopefully to take the scaffolding back with them.
I am so glad they are making the effort, as I wasn’t sure I’d get to see Rose before she’s off for Antarctica again in ten days.

The temperature has stayed moderate today; it was even slightly chilly this morning!

>254 2wonderY: Interesting. A friend and I were trying recently to figure out what to do with large amounts of self-sown lemon balm. "No, I don't want any of yours. I have more than enough of my own."

I had forgotten that I need to have tea party supplies on hand for T. We budgeted 20 minutes in their tight schedule for one (they had to get back before dark to put the chickens inside. The automatic door they bought isn’t working!)
Tea still means hot chocolate, but in demitasse cups. T voted for peanut butter cups on the plates, but Rose vetoed and we settled on buttered graham crackers.

Nate did take the scaffolding, so I have a bit more room on the carport. I’ve been longing to organize my long garden tools.

On my walk to church, there is a spot under a tree that hangs over the sidewalk that is spongy with old leaf litter. I went with rake and bags friday and collected two jumbo bags full.

>256 2wonderY: free compost!

I'm in CT, Ron's younger sister died suddenly. Lots of memories.

>257 fuzzi: I’m sure there are. You grew up there, right?

I’ve actually begun to fill in the hot tub hole. Wrestled with a battery circular saw before hauling out old faithful corded saw.
The back of the carport is now cleared enough to set up sawhorses under shelter, because showers are unpredictable. Yay rain!

I’ve got joists cut and rough placed, and ledger boards nailed so the floor boards edges have something to rest on. I was too fatigued last evening to venture doing the final fit. Progress is always slow around here, but there is progress. I’m going to use plain pine boards to fill in, because that’s what I have on hand. They aren’t pressure treated, but I don’t care. I will still use the under hole for some wood storage too. So it’s not exactly a permanent installation. But it will be so much more functional than before.

The tomatoes are abundant now and I’m spending a bit of time processing them for freezing and the occasional tomato sandwich.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DM-Zh7Nx1Qu/?img_index=4&igsh=MTQ0NnI2cTIyMmJjcw...

It’s incredibly muggy and the mosquitoes are vicious today. So I abandoned the carpentry for now. My west neighbor refuses to treat her pond and open water tank.
So I noticed she was gone for a bit and so I went and threw some dunks in her containers and harvested one of her poke trees.

Hard to believe the Bt dunks work so fast, but today is relatively skeeter free, at least in daylight. Sunny and muggy, so I spend 20 to 30 minutes outside before taking an AC break.

I’ve got the majority of the hole covered. The tricky part is the ends, because the hole has rounded corners. So I have to eyeball each board and cut with the scroll saw. It’s solid enough to park the mower back there, but it will be another day or two to finish.

>258 2wonderY: yes, for over 20 years. Both my children were born there.

Nearly done with the deck repair. I think I counted just 8 more pieces to cut and I’ve got 11 boards to choose from.
Years ago, I was going to bulk up the studs at the cabin so I could insulate deeper. That never got finished, but I had had son-in-law split 2x4s for the project. That’s what this wood is from. Best use, I think.
Since I’m blocking rain intrusion from above, it shouldn’t matter that it’s not pressure treated. Those original deck boards are 2” thick.

Show your work:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNHWcIwRjbJ/?img_index=5&igsh=MzhhaWpvcGhvM2s=

Spacing the wood strips, I saw I had a one inch gap in the layout. Fortunately, I have a few 2x3 pieces in the basement; and I found a perfectly straight one to fill in.

It’s done!



Look at all that space! I think I will set up a work table and start a project I’ve been pining to get to for years.
I want to hollow this out:



And furnish it for Brambly Hedge mice.

>274 2wonderY: Wow! Love both your projects, completed and planned.

I’ve been wrestling with my front door for more than a month. It swells and sticks in this weather; but this has been much more severe.
I’ve driven longer hinge screws into the frame, adjusted the hinge knuckles and removed the storm door. Then I started sanding the edge. It still sticks in a couple of places; but it’s nearly there. I’ve been using the chain bolt at night because it doesn’t latch yet.

Anyway, I’ve been annoyed with the storm door all along because it doesn’t have a screen.
So I bought a new one at Lowe’s. Chatting with the salesman, he indicated he had two doors he needed to figure transport himself.
I borrowed my neighbor’s truck this morning and we loaded all three doors. Then we went waaaayyy out in the country and up a steep questionable gravel driveway to his fortress of solitude.
He was an interesting character. His first conversational gambit was chem trails. And I thought “oh oh!” But we moved on to the story of his finding and buying his chunk of paradise and then on to his artistic projects.

Now to unbox my new door.

As I took down the rest of the old storm door, I poked and prodded a little. That corner of the house is particularly sad. It’s clad in pvc siding, but mounted vertically. It holds dirt and it sags.
I need to tear it off and replace it before I install the storm door. Otherwise, I will be making it harder to do correctly at a later date.

Back to Lowe’s to see what material is available. Not much.
But I’ve used cedar fence boards before as siding. The cedar only comes in 6 foot lengths. But there is pressure treated pine in 8 foot lengths. It is an inexpensive option too. And it can be stained.

Here’s the situation:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNWj36-xBsx/?img_index=4&igsh=MTNia2pkZmJ3Yzc4Yw...

Update.

The vinyl is harder to remove than you’d think. It’s fastened firmly with roofing nails and they are all hidden by the next panel. Also, top and bottom channels which I had to really wrestle with, especially since it runs behind the porch roof structure.

But guess what I found?! Original wood board siding. And it too runs vertically. And it’s in fairly decent condition. Much of the paint has dislodged, so I was showered with paint chips as I worked.

There will be some minor trim work, but I might be able to paint it this fall. Hmmmm… colors!!!!

Is it time to paint the front door?

It is on my list as the present color - a mahogany red - doesn’t please me. And it occurs to me that the dark color probably contributes to the heat absorption and subsequent swelling, even without much direct sunlight. (House faces north).
I had thought a forest green, but now will probably go with a lighter color. And as I will be painting the wood siding I’ve exposed, it needs to coordinate.

I saw this color this morning
https://www.instagram.com/p/DNZ7400sfdW/?igsh=MXg5bXUwd2s3MWJtMQ==

Very refreshing.
But perhaps green on the siding and a peachy color for the door.
So many choices!

Oy! I don’t really want to start the door project.

By the way, the storm door kit seems to have so many more parts to it than it did 30 years ago when I installed one in West Virginia.

Neighbor, Ed, from across the street, finally moved to Denver. His plan at the beginning of the year was California. But an injury made that job untenable.

So, without signage, the house was again for rent.
Met the new neighbors just now. Joey and Brandi. He owns a construction business and his truck at first fooled me into thinking he was a property manager.
I walked over to recommend removing the Redbud volunteers growing out of the foundation. (It’s been annoying me because they are hard to eliminate at a certain point when they grow into and under the foundation.)

Anyway, gave them info on utilities and the neighborhood email chain.

They have four children ages 20, 16, 8 and 6. They are excited to have the back yard for them. The 20 year old is expecting to go off for a Job Corp assignment soon.

Scrape, sand, wipe down, set nails, caulk.

It’s actually going pretty well; though I will probably need to use the heat gun when I get to the second half of the other side.

Taking breaks to process garden produce.

Correction - set nailheads before sanding. Ready to sand the first panel tomorrow.

Panel 1 - the 40” to the right of the front door
Panel 2 - turn the corner and 42” to the kitchen wall
Panel 3 - the 24” to the left of the front door up to the living room windows
Panel 4 - 20” on the other side of the windows

I mostly removed the vinyl from panel 3 today, complicated slightly with the porch light fixture and the mailbox.
Then I set nailheads and scraped the rest of the paint on panel 1.

There’s a series of 1” holes along the tops of these areas. It appears insulation was blown in, I’m guessing in the 1970s. The wasps were very interested inspecting these holes, so I went looking for plugs. I don’t have the right size pole to slice, but my Ace Hardware guy found exactly what I needed.

Came across some wood rot at the corner of a window and found the convenient entry way for ants. So a bit of repair and foam and wood hardener needed.

I’m bushed!

I’m glad I was conservative sanding down the edge of the front door. It finally closed all the way just now without sticking.
Geez that’s a long season of swollen wood!

I’ve secured it at night with a sliding chain lock.

We had two brief but thorough showers this evening. The first rain in over two months. Sigh.
And it’s a sweater day.
I saw a forecast that we might have a polar vortex in the next week with frost.

Lori, we’ve talked about DIY home improvements in the past. You’ll appreciate this one:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNtWlaa0ryW/?igsh=cmVhMjR2YXFnaGdj

And this!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMeqfYwOJ5X/?igsh=MnQ0eTB0a2xwempv

My front pocket lawn (what’s left over from putting in gardens) is almost solid crabgrass this year. It’s probably my fault because I tend to mow low and I let the cuttings mulch in place.

But I hate the plant, and pulling it out by hand isn’t feasible. I’ve tried.

So I accumulated new tools. A 20lb propane tank; which I have never handled before. And a propane torch fitting. $100 at Ace, but $40 at Harbor Freight. I’m glad I got the deluxe model, as it has an electronic ignition. It would be very very awkward to light it another way.

I tested it earlier in the week, and it really roared. Today I couldn’t get it to bellow as before; but burning the forest of seed heads is extremely satisfying.
I spent an hour reaching as far as the hose let me without moving the tank. I considered going another round today, but my hands are so fatigued they are nearly shaking.

I will rest for a bit and then dress for a fancy benefit dinner.

It’s been a while. I’ve been busy. Or lazy.

My neighbor’s carpenter, the one who fell off the ladder last year(?) year before? He showed up today looking for Alida. He is seriously disabled, using special crutches and very wobbly. Though her car is in the drive and her storm door is propped open, I don’t think she answered his knock, as he also went around the house to the back yard and searched for her. He left after that.
I feel for him. He was living there with her till the accident.

Daughter came down from Cinci yesterday; she said she needed some Mama hugs. She brought grandson, the one who helped me with projects in July.
I love that he feels so comfortable here. He again explored my music collection and gave me updates on high school. He’s enrolled at the Cincinatti Zoo. Regular classes half the day and hands on the other half. And he’s already exploring colleges. His goal is Kent State.

We went out for lunch, and our first four choices were all closed. Weird.

I have gathered Halloween pictures from over the years into one album and we had a blast viewing them.
I pulled my Halloween dollhouse-sized figures out and asked Callum to set them up on a tabletop. He had so much fun, especially with the skeletons, posing them in odd ways.

He also found my last two watermelons and cracked them open to share.

Rose is back!!! Her flight out of McMurdo Station was delayed for a week, because they had Herbie conditions. Another slight delay in New Zealand because of high winds. But she arrived home (without her luggage) late last night. I’m at the farm. After hugging, we went and sat out in the meadow to enjoy the night sky. We were too late in the evening to see the comet, but we did see a few shooting stars. She has a magnificent sky. I will do it again tonight, adding a blanket.

The weather has turned cold and wet. And I have neglected myyard for the last two months; I'm not sure why.
I also have that storm door to install on the front entrance. I'm intimidated by all the parts and steps. I don't recall it being so complicated the last time I installed the same brand!

I finally sold the West Virginia house to my backyard neighbor. It was very informal. And I sold it for less than I bought it for in 1979.

Daughters invited themselves to my house this weekend for a sewing event. So today is major cleaning and some cooking. I did not decorate the yard for Halloween, though I do have a bowl of candy to put out.

Best get to it!

Thankfully, the skies cleared today and trick or treat is two hours - from 6 to 8. The last half hour is frigid. I set up down by the street because my stairs and sidewalk aren’t entirely safe. I’m glad I wrapped up in a long wool shawl.

Well DRAT! Yellowjackets are coming in to the upstairs on the east end. It’s an old wooden window with pulley slots and gaps where the lower sash slides. I’ve vacuumed the ones I saw, and filled the gaps with compressible foam. Thankfully, the cool weather is making them slow and nonagressive. But now I have to worry about them coming through siding and trim gaps and nesting in the unfinished areas or in the wall cavities.

I got up on the roof and sprayed a nest and also where they were making themselves at home where the electric line enters the house.

Both daughters eventually moseyed in. Both spare bedrooms were navigable by then. I had boxes of stuff to offer each of them.

I surprised them with old videos transferred to dvds. One was a dramatized book report Anne and her friends along with Barbie dolls recorded from high school. The other was their great grandmother’s 82nd birthday party. It featured their grandmother and great aunt too. Lots of laughter and a few tears.

There was a tiny sprinkling of snow on the roofs this morning and random flakes through the morning.
I’m glad I thought to bring all (most) of my potted plants in last evening.

I am not prepared for them, so they are piled on the kitchen floor and more in the back bedroom.
My basement is overcrowded with my last hauls from West Virginia, not yet sorted and disposed. So I am working down there today. Also shifting books in my bedroom because I need better access to the button books all of a sudden. I may be asked to do another presentation in a fabric arts class.

I am wishing I had mowed one last time to tidy up. Oddly, my hollyhocks and geraniums are blooming heartily, as well as one faithful rose.

I’ve started harvesting leaves. But my car is full of other projects too.

Looked at the temperature forecast. It’s 30° now with a windchill of 16° but it’s not supposed to last more than two days.

We did get enough snow to look like a winter scape, but it warmed up today to sweater weather.
I finally got the laundry done, so tomorrow I can harvest leaves. I’m sure my neighbor is wondering where I am. He’s got four piles at the curb.

The basement greenhouse is mostly set up. But I can only find one grow-light.

Two leaf hauls so far. I have to pause and rest after unloading them and then later hauling the bags up the hill to spill them where needed. My blood pressure likes the exercise.
I let too many weeds flower and then go to seed. I’m working to collect them for this week’s yard waste pick-up.

There is so much I neglected this year.

My pineapple sage is finally blooming. The one in the pot that got hauled downstairs. Those planted in the beds never bloomed.
I dug up my sweet potatoes. Crappy little things!

I just dashed out to the pharmacy. It’s wet and cold. The thermometer says 60°, but it feels like the 40°s. Now I’m hearing thunder!

I got 4 more bags of leaves earlier, but just tossed them in the general direction of where I want them spread. I hope tomorrow is nicer. Thursday is yard waste collection day and there are more leaves to be had.

Today is not any nicer, unless ambient temperature counts. We got major storms last night battering the house several times. It’s been misting all day and very overcast. But I put on layers, including a down vest in between and I was very comfortable. I emptied all the leaf bags and spread a deep mulch. I finished clearing weeds in the yard that promise millions of sprouts. The fuzzy seeds are mostly still on the plants. One particular brand is very hard to pull up, so my hands are sore. I never think of work gloves.
I filled the car once more with leaves. I found an exceptional stash of damp easily breaking down leaves. Yes! I am that discriminating. I avoid oak leaves if I can. Emptied half the bags again and did some weeding that I’ve been meaning to do for months.
It was a good workout day.
Oh, doctor visit for check-up yesterday. My blood pressure was 117/78. Perfect.

The city was on my block at 7:30, scooping up yard debris. I had enough time to get another carload of leaves before they got to the good leaf piles. Time for a bath and, later, lunch at Professor Bates’ house.

Turned out to be a glorious day,blue skies and temps in the 50s. I jumped on it and mowed the back yard a final time, spread more leaves in the beds, pulled more weeds, emptied a bin of soaking weeds. The weeds were decomposed enough to use as fill in an odd trench in the lawn. Either a mole tunnel or a rotted root; I nearly turned an ankle finding it. Glad I got out there.

Rose texted in the early morning hours that her household is still battling a nasty flu that even shut down the grade school. They were going to host our Thanksgiving get-together. She cancelled the event, and both Anne and I were awake and on our phone to respond with commiseration immediately.
Anne is still searching for a kitchen stove they can afford, since it was determined their range has been leaking gas.
I’ve invited them here, but I haven’t heard back yet.
So cleaning and shopping will occupy my day anyway.

None of the adolescent/adult grands deemed it necessary to come to Thanksgiving dinner this year. So Anne and her husband, Mike, came down to celebrate with me. They brought three sides, I bought the ham and made the dessert. We dressed up just before we sat down to eat (family custom to dress in our most festive finery.) It was a lovely day. Anne rummaged in my antique buttons and my fabric bins.
They will head home in just a bit.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all.

My new neighbors across the street appear to be moving out. They are filling a 10 ft open trailer with boxes and now a few pieces of furniture. It’s possible only one person (who I’ve never seen before) is moving out, as they are putting a few things in another vehicle. It’s cold and rainy and they stop and cover with a tarp now and then.

I wish for more neighborly neighbors.

A flock of blue jays in my front yard this morning 😊

My Saturday plans with younger daughter were cancelled because they continue to battle viruses.
Anne invited me to a Victorian Christmas Tour in Covington, adjacent to Cinci on Sunday. We used to do this in Parkersburg. We managed to see 7 of the 8 homes, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. I dressed Victorian, but I was the only one who did. One home had musical instruments everywhere, including brass instruments made into light fixtures.
There was a tiny gift shop along the way with Christmas ornaments in the windows. Oh my! Of course we shopped.
Afterwards, Anne took me across town to another shop, Hierophany & Hedge, modeled after the shops in Diagon Alley
https://www.hierophanyandhedge.com/
A few interior shots:

https://www.meetnky.com/blog/post/only-in-nky-unveiling-the-secrets-of-magic-sho...

They succeed!!! Marvelously!
I bought two more gifts. The book was wrapped in black paper and twine and wax sealed. The credit card reader was an eye.
My eyesight is deteriorating, so I missed appreciating fully some of the artwork.
Returned home last evening because I have a audiologist appointment this morning.

Rose felt recovered enough to come up today for a shopping day in Lexington. First we had lunch in the greenhouses at https://www.michlers.com/
amid the blooming Abutilon Biltmore Ballgown plants.

As we drove away, we saw an old bookstore, and stopped for a looksee. Black Swan Books. I was in love as soon as we entered. I don’t know the size of the shop, as I didn’t make it past the first room. The proprietor fetched a ladder for me and I found a book on the Tuskegee Airmen for my grandson, who wants to fly.
We didn’t stay long, as there was serious shopping to be done elsewhere. Costco was the main destination, where we found most of our needs filled. We could not locate the packets of cocoa (50 to a box) that sees me through the season. We hit World Market for a bit of this n that. I found a couple of new to us root beer brands for Liv.
And rounded it out back in Berea at the natural food store and then Heather and Steve’s gift shop where Rose found local pottery pieces.
Oh, we missed another potter as they were closed Wednesday but were able to identify the mugs from the window. I will pick them up tomorrow.

At Costco last week, we spent time in the pillow department. Rose said they’d like new pillows and I’m always on the lookout for good ones. We decided to purchase three to experiment. Well, they will all go to her household, but meanwhile I am testing them.
Recording my notes here.
Avocado Organic $60. Contents shredded latex80% and kapoc20%; cover cotton97% spandex3%
It flattens too much for head support, but works well for trunk cushioning.

Tempur-pedicure Serenity cooling memory foam. Polyurethane center, polyester cover.
Medium okay for head support. Extremely slippery case. Had to double slipcase it to get it under control.

Sterns & Foster latex foam $60. Cover polyester/polypropelene/rayon.
Cool, firm, slight odor. This is the one I prefer, perhaps finding a better cover.
Ive got them airing in the sunlight today.

Nathan has an all time favorite coffee mug made by a local potter. I FaceTimed with Rose to pick a couple of backups. I too fell in love with her work and may buy pieces later.

The same trip, I shopped at PeaceWorks; fair trade crafts from all over the world. I decided on gift cards the Cinci grands. They can choose garments, jewelry, art. And they will have to visit me to shop.

I’m at Rose and Nathan’s farm for the holiday. It’s a mild morning and the mist is rising in the surrounding woods.
T and I are making plans for the day. Tea party, of course; though I neglected to bring supplies. She says she’s got what we need.
Later, I will help her do a final cleanup in her previous bedroom. They just switched it with her mom’s office, and it’s a much better layout. (Rose is finally taking ownership of the house; which has been hard with it filled with her in-laws belongings.). I brought smallish bins for the purpose that will fit under her bed.
We may stroll in the woods too.
I have a few items to wrap yet.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday.

Eight year old Theia has been so solicitous of me this holiday. She had wanted to create a scent for me, but failed to get it together. Instead, she used her pipe cleaner collection to make me an elaborate crown. Also, before I opened the other gift, she made sure I could read cursive. She had her mom help her form the word “infinity” in pipe cleaners. I am so blessed.

My daughters finally recovered from household illnesses enough to meet at my house today for a meal and gift exchange.
The brought one child each, Callum and Theia.

We went to PeaceWorks so Callum could browse. Anne found pants for Olivia and consulted long enough with Elly that Elly decided she needs to come down herself. Yay! A partial success there.
Anne’s goal this year was to thrift all gifts. She found a bird shaped teapot for me while I thrifted a more formal teapot for her.
I even managed to clear my kitchen table and put a damask cloth on it for a sit-down dinner. Rose brought chili and cornbread.
It was an outstanding day.

Mild though windy weather. It’s supposed to drop into the 20s tonight.

The new weather came in with a windstorm. I woke to a furnace struggling and failing to meet the 68° setting. Finally discovered the root cause. The grands had been in and out of the back door yesterday and had closed but not latched it. I sometimes do the same. But the wind had pushed it wide open.
So I’m actually quite pleased with my hvac performance.

I struggle to keep track of the calendar when school is not in session. This is Monday, right?

I discovered that as a student, I get free dental care. Having spent $3000 already this year on just two teeth, it was nice to go get full pictures and a cleaning and pay nothing. Crystal was very gentle but thorough. I’m praying I don’t get a gum infection; which has happened several times before.

I felt a little drunk and wobbly for a bit afterward, but now I’m admiring my teeth.