Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Sum-sum-sweltertime

That iPhone weather forecast I included in my last post? We inched above that and set a new record yesterday, and will do so again today. The ceiling fan in the great room isn't working and I'm not a fan of air conditioning (or its cost), but when the house was 80° by 7:30 a.m. this morning,  I caved and set the thermostat at 79°. I already feel calmer and the dogs are definitely more relaxed:

Yesterday morning Rick and I got up and at 'em while it was still tolerable (Brian spent the night at my MIL's) to get pick strawberries, and I picked snow peas and kale as well. After two scorcher days, we'll need to pick strawberries and peas again tomorrow; in the meantime, I'm busy trying to keep everything (and everyone) watered. As long as they have moisture, the plants love this weather!

The new additions are doing well
Oh, Stella! (d'Oro)


The sheep? Not so much – especially the four ewes still in full fleece. I thought I'd get them all sheared this week, starting with two of them on Sunday, totally forgetting that Sunday was graduation at Brian's school and as a junior, he had to be there. As we listened to a very good commencement service, the speed at which life is zooming by hit me full force, and I warned Rick, "Next year at this time, I am going to be a mess." I'm kind of a mess now, trying to hold steady while Brian bounces between admirable and abominable choices. It's like watching a Piper Cub with engine trouble; my heart is in my throat, wondering if the inexperienced pilot will get it safely on the ground without crashing. I'm all too aware that not all do....

Anyway, we've been going hard like that for most of a week. Rick and I are postponing doing something special together for our 35th anniversary because there was no time to do anything on Monday but hug. I thought I might have to go to work today, but instead I get to stay HOME – and a dear friend is coming over to visit! Yay!

The field on our north was cut and baled this week (above photo taken this morning). When vultures appeared, I worried that hidden fawns might have suffered horrible deaths. So when this fellow appeared while I did chores yesterday morning, my heart jumped with joy.





He was running up and down the fence trying to follow his mom who had jumped it. I opened the gate (since the ram and wethers are still in the barn) but he never found the opening; instead he ran up the driveway and disappeared.

Tonight we will be at church again; we've been attending inspiring daily presentations by a guest speaker that started Friday evening. Yes, the meetings are taking a lot of time this week, but friendship does take time. 😊 (If you'd like to see the first presentation, click HERE.)

That's it for now from . . .

7 comments:

Mama Pea said...

80 degrees by 7:30 a.m.!!!! Stick a fork in me, I would be done before even getting started.

Just in from hours in the garden here. Temp is only in the low 70s outside when the sun is shining and there is a delightful breeze. But it keeps going behind clouds, the breeze stops and the terrible black flies come out like someone opened a gate for them. Ugh. So I've spent most of the time with my bug shirt on and that thing is HOT.

Your flowers, as usual, are a delight to see.

Only one more year for Brian in high school? Oh, my. I hadn't realized the years had zoomed by so fast for him. Does he have plans for going away to school? If he wanted to pursue his music, I bet there would be scholarship money out there for him.

Michelle said...

Mama Pea, it is very unusual for us to NOT cool off at night, so I cling to the promised of more typical weather tomorrow. And no matter the weather, we DON'T have your vicious bugs here, for which I am thankful! As for Brian's plans, that is a whole 'nuther blogpost . . . that I won't make public . . . .

Susan said...

Oh, that is too hot, too soon for me! It has been very up-and-down here. The days are either cooler than normal, or get to 80, then plunge down to low 40s at night. It makes sleeping great (if one slept), but the tomatoes and peppers aren't fond of it. I'm going to have to get creative in order to keep my ancient, blind llama cool this summer - I'm thinking multiple kiddie pools. How did Brian get to be a junior! I must have blinked!! xo

Michelle said...

Actually, Susan, Brian has gotten to be a SENIOR with the graduation of the 2019 class! He JUST squeaked by with grades good enough to be allowed to drive again, and play soccer next fall. Yes, cool nights mean less tomatoes and peppers here, but I'll take them! (Sleep is more important than garden tomatoes to me.)

Retired Knitter said...

I can't stand heat or humidity (the real killer) - so air conditioning is our very best friend. Being a fan of Winter - I just can't adapt to steamy temps. I am sort of like the cute little bull dog of yours hovering near the AC vent. Of course we only cool 1375 square feet of space - much less than you. AC does create larger utility bills. Living here in the mid-atlantic states - it is. sort of the cost of living here.

Jeanne said...

We've had HOT weather, too, but yesterday and today are mid-80's, which is much more reasonable.

Please tell me what the lavender and blue flower is, which is just below the strawberries and the peas, and also the dark blue bell shaped one down a little further. I've never seen either one.

Jeanne

Michelle said...

Elaine, you're right, humidity is the WORST. Fortunately, our summers are so dry that humidity usually stays low enough to be tolerable.

Jeanne, the flowers below the garden harvest photo is Blue Star lavender, and the bell-shaped flower is a variety of clematis.