There was not another trip to the fair. And unlike my last chilly visit there, we are enduring one last blast of summer here in Oregon. This was the forecast on my iPhone from earlier this week:
What that doesn't show you is that along with today's and tomorrow's heat, we are also getting strong easterly winds that increase the risk of wildfire. Many areas of NW Oregon are enduring preemptive power outages to reduce that risk; fortunately that doesn't include us. Two years ago a similar weather pattern, albeit with much stronger winds, sparked devastating destruction. If we can make it through this weekend without a repeat, conditions look much better on the other side.
Late last night Rick and I took down our shade sail so it didn't get damaged. Hopefully these two 'blast furnace' days don't fry my geraniums; they've been SO happy this summer! I took this photo of Miss Apple Blossom yesterday:
But it's not all about flora around here; the fauna still feature prominently. Last night, after missing three weeks because of heat and the State Fair, Poppy did AWESOME in agility class! Hard to capture a terrier in motion, though; it's much easier when she's relaxing:
There has been some sheep shuffling, too. Bing, my last wether, is thin and weak, so I moved him into the corner "lambing jug" so he can get extra groceries and NOT get jostled. That meant letting Bridget and Boomer join the bigger group in the Sheep Sheraton, which Mr. Firecracker thought was GREAT – as in "let breeding season begin!!!" He's only nine weeks old and everyone seemed appalled by his intentions, so hopefully I don't get any little sparklers from him. If he doesn't find a breeding home soon, he'll need to be 'neutralized' or he'll have no one to hang out with. Spot will soon be busy with ewes, and I don't think Bing will hang on that much longer....
Even though our summer came in like a fish and seems to be going out like a fire-breathing dragon, there are signs of fall. The light is changing along with the angle of the sun,
the woodshed is filling up (the empty spot is reserved for some fir),
the woolly bears are out and about,
and we're seeing a few more clouds:
11 comments:
Keeping my fingers crossed for you to miss the horribly high heat and, of course, no fire danger, please! Do I see a Peperomia plant on top of your pie safe? I got my first one this past spring. It's doing well but I have noticed the tips of some leaves are starting to turn brown. Any advice?
The seasons are indeed changing. It was 87 here yesterday afternoon. It is not going to get above 63 today. And wind, of course. All to say we have not slipped out of orbit. I'd love to see Poppy do the course! Cheers
No Peperomia, Mama Pea; I think what you're seeing is my little African violet in its bigger pot. At the back is a ponytail palm; the rest, excepting the turtle vine in my handpainted pot, are all phalaenopsis orchids.
Tim, at the moment (8 a.m.), it's as dark as dusk from wildfire smoke – distant AND closer. Yesterday after posting I learned that a wildfire had started in South Salem very near my cousin's house. They just left for vacation; I'm wondering if they will have a house when they return. I will try to get a video of Poppy to post! I have some old videos, but she has gotten so much better.
It finally cooled down here today - and it's raining. That woolly bear looks huge!
Some unsolicited advice: :-D Keep an eye on your African violet. They generally do not need to ever be potted up to a larger pot than the (likely) 4" one they come in, which means you generally cut about an inch off the bottom of the root ball and repot it back into its same pot (wash the pot!) with fresh potting mix around it. See how it does in the larger pot, and watch your watering. It might take off and all will be well, but remember, the most common cause of African violet death is over-watering, which is a lot easier to do in a larger pot. :-)
Thanks for the advice, A; I know you know African violets! Mine came in a tiny 2" pot and roots were coming out of the bottom, so it got a 4" pot. There it will stay!
Good to know - but do keep an eye on it. It's possible that it's a semimini. If the leaves never grow much bigger than they are now or it doesn't thrive in the larger pot, you might need to drop down to a 3" :-)
Shoot; it IS a mini. I'll keep an eye on it.
Your skies are always so beautiful.
If it's a mini, you will most likely want to drop back to a smaller pot.
Love your pictures! How many orchids do you have? We have about six. One is a full-sized one, which is really lovely, with it's pale orchid blooms. The others are all the small ones, some of which have re-bloomed. I haven't had any African violets since we got hooked on the orchids!
I'm fascinated too, by that first piece of artwork you posted! And it's really well done!
I would have loved to see the draft horses! I'm glad your friend did so well with his Shires!
That falafel really looks tasty!
Just saw my first wooly bear on Wednesday, but I couldn't get a photo of it. I always wonder if their stripes really do tell us about the coming winters.
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