Arrrgh!!!

Most people, when summer arrives, spend their weekends out of doors. I’m not particularly out door oriented, but I spent a very odd weekend indoors.

I know that summer doesn’t come until later this month, but we normally have to crank up the air conditioners by mid-May. We were getting ready for the two pot-luck gatherings, and still hadn’t tested the air conditioners, and I was nervous about it. Those days came and went, still cool. Memorial Day weekend flew by, still cool. This weekend blew in, and I thought we might make it a bit further, but finally I caved and we used the air conditioners yesterday evening. June fourth! That has to be an all time record.

The weather sure has been odd the past few years.

As the ladies of my quilting bee left on Friday night, I heard one of them say that it was like walking through a meadow. A friend took this picture of the flowers at the sidewalk a week ago. The ox-eye daisies are all volunteers. I grew them in the center box of the herb garden on the north side of the house, and the chipmunks felt they’d look better at the front door. Each year they come up in new places. I rip them out, and they come back. A friend was horrified to hear me say that I planned to rip them out when I divided the iris. I couldn’t convince her that we’d have a full crop again next year.

Leucanthemum…….ox-eye daisy….about15-18 inches tall….very hardy, deals well with dry, clay soil. Buy one packet of seed and you, too, can have a meadow, forever!

I am SO proud of myself. Each year I buy plants, and I loose some of them because I don't get them planted within a reasonable period. This year, as in past years, I fell prey to that "I HAVE to have one (or three) of those" compulsion, and I filled up what passes for a trunk in our SUV.

I unloaded the plants, and some of them went directly into containers for my mother, and others were left in the garage, temporarily, or so I thought. They were there at least a week before I moved them outside so they wouldn't die of lack of sunshine.

I attend an exercise class three mornings a week with other people who are roughly my age. Well.....I TRY to attend three days a week.

We have a woman in class who has the most wickedly funny sense of humor. She's a leprechaun with a twinkle in her eye, always looking for a way to spice up the class.

Today, she had a roll of masking tape in her hand when class started. I should have been worried. VERY worried. But you know, those of us who are naturally innocent never see what's coming.

Remember the picture of the meadow? Scroll down and take a look at it, because I just spent an hour pulling most of those daisies out of the garden.

I've probably waited too long. I can see seeds on the sidewalk, so no doubt the daisies will be back again next Spring. I've also ripped out the volunteer Dame's rocket, and cut back some of the iris stalks.

The ground is sere. We have had the threat of isolated thunderstorms, but no rain has materialized. I have to water the container garden daily, and I may need to consider watering twice a day. The raccoons are sucking the bird bath dry.

Before I can start dividing the iris, I'll have to run the sprinkler. The ground is so dry that trying to lift the plants now would harm them. It's so dry that I'm not getting the roots of the daisies, so I'll have to go back and root them out once I've watered.

It's interesting how much cooler the garden feels now that it's not overcrowded. Now the lilies and Peace rose aren't fighting for some sun, and the miniature day lilies will be more visible. I planted Homestead purple verbena, and I hope that we'll see a carpet of purple again this year. I'll add purple fountain grass for height and drama.

Back to the garden to finish up, and move all the dead plants!

Dear God, if it's not too much trouble, Sir, could we have a little rain, please??

I have made friends with the most incredible woman through the Internet! I'm sure my readers are familiar with Cop Car, and her clan. I had the chance to meet Cop Car and Hunky Husband last fall when they were on their way to visit Bogie in New Hampshire.

PLEASE, God....Please! Couldn't we just have an inch or two of rain this week....and next??

It is SO dry here that we need to worry about the jerks who will shoot off fireworks during the week of the Fourth of July. Everything will go up like tinder.

Are you busier in the summer?

We tend to lead pretty quiet lives, but everything picks up in the summer. I think the only quiet time in my week is Saturday night.

I've told you that we've been listening to three families of raccoons in our attic. As they have grown, the noise has increased. We find ourselves shouting "GO TO BED!" or "That's ENOUGH!!" The babies are noisy little beggars, especially when they hope to get a meal. They squeak and squeal and chirrrr and scrape and trundle along.

The first two of the babies are now joining their mother outside. We saw the first one about a week ago, and the second one came into view today. The second one is a screamer. S/he got separated from Mom, and shrieked and squealed and carried on until Mom reappeared.

We watched the two pups play this evening, and decided that they are siblings. At least we THINK they are siblings. We're a little confused. We were sure that we knew which adult was the mother, but when it was time to depart, they trundled off with a different adult.

We'll be watching. And counting. And one night, Dear Husband will be nailing a patch over their doorway!!! Look out world....here they come!

Cop Car has sent me back to school. With her wonderful gift of Electric Quilt 5, she's made me a student again.

The software comes with a very user friendly manual and a "Getting Started" booklet with six lessons. I was working on Lesson Four and ran into concrete wall. I was trying to work on the lessons at night, just before going to bed. We all know better, but I kept trying to follow the instructions despite being too tired.

I learned how to delete a project , and wiped out all my mistakes. I'll get a fresh start on it in the morning. I've been excused from jury duty, so I'll have a little time to myself that I hadn't counted on. I'm sure things will go more smoothly this time around.

Soon Cop Car and I will be melting the wires with files of our newest designs!

The word of the day is "fastidious," as in....."I'm fastidious about my choice of fast food."

I'm considering trying Weight Watchers. Friends have shared some of the information with me so that I can make an informed choice on which plan would work best for me. I was looking through the booklet on eating out, and discovered that McDonald's Bacon Egg Cheese Biscuit weighs in at THIRTEEN points.

I suppose that doesn't sound too bad until you realize that the sandwich wipes out considerably more than a third of the points for the day, and that doesn't even count the hash brown that comes with it.

It looks like I will have to become MORE fastidious about my fast food choices!

We are so firmly entrenched in drought that my plants are becoming crispy critters. Normally, I'll do anything to avoid having to move a hose around, but it was time to have mercy on the plants.

Unfortunately, it has also become the time of the watering ban. I can water every other day, only early in the morning, and in the evening. I should have known this was coming, and watered before they made the announcement.

I've lost a clematis, but I think I'm in time to save an hydrangea that was planted last fall. The iris transplants are going to need regular watering. We're headed for some all time records in heat this week.

My mother has joined the Red Hat Society, and since I am her chauffeur, I have joined as well. Our group is going to make a trip this weekend. I've been concerned about the weather. Today it's supposed to get to 94, and tomorrow it should reach 97. Given my mother's age, I was worrying about the heat. The forecasters are predicting a slight cooling for Saturday....85. Who'd have ever thought that we'd consider 85 cool??

I bought a summer weight red hat this week. The stores in this area were all having sales to make room for the fall clothing that's already coming in, so I got quite a bargain. I never though about it, but I have a seasonal wardrobe of hats.

I have stocking caps and berets, and scarves for winter, and hats to shade my face and neck as I garden, but this is the first time I have purchased a RED hat. It has a cute little straw "flower" made of the same material as the body of the hat. I think this is the first time I've ever purchased a designer brand hat! I'll fit right in with my Red Hat friends!

I'm yet living. All the usual suspects here are doing well, despite the horrible heat and humidity.

We have reached the point this summer where I'll have my ten and fifteen year old nephews each Wednesday. I can't begin to tell you how much help they are.

Troglodyte......

The ape driving the car next to mine had the development of a troglodyte when it came to rules of the road.

I am frequently astonished what they let get behind the wheel of a multi-ton vehicle. More and more I'm seeing people who do what pleases them, rather than following the laws that have been set down for all. One of the best places to watch for offenders is in the parking lot of major chain stores.