I painted the two tomato supports today with a nice blue exterior paint. I think I need to do one more coat to be sure we have protected the metal as much as possible from rust. Then we’ll store the supports for use in the nook planter in the spring.
My husband is trying to persuade me to plant tomatoes in the brick planter on the east side of the house next spring. Since we’ll be converted completely to raised bed planters in the main garden for the spring, this is a good idea. I’ll have to dig up my transplanted asparagus, though, to do this. I’m torn, but if we can come up with a wind break for the planter, I’ll probably go with his suggestion, since we NEVER get enough fresh tomatoes.
Only one tomato to harvest today. I have a few more green ones, but I think we’re basically to the end of the season, shortened this year due to the intense heat we’ve been having. If you’re only going to have ONE tomato, isn’t this a beauty?
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Winterdance – The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod – Gary Paulsen
I finished reading this book last night, but I still feel as if I’m in the middle of it. It was recommended by a good friend. It’s not my normal reading matter, and I started reading it mainly because I respect my friend. I was immediately caught up in the story, finding it hard to put down to get life’s normal have-to’s done.
I didn’t expect to laugh out loud at a story about the Iditarod. Suffice to say – without giving away a really funny mental picture from the book – I’ll never think about Vicks VapoRub again without smiling…
Gary Paulsen’s writing style is really clean. I was totally immersed in the story, reading faster and faster to find out what happened next, irritated when I had to put it down. It was simple, fast-paced and very believable.
I cared about the man and his dogs. I was fascinated by the changes in the way he thought about the dogs, Alaska, the race, the challenge, morality, and what was important in life.
This is not only a book I enjoyed, it’s a book I’ll keep in my collection and re-read – after I’ve finally caught my breath.
Filed under Reading is FUNdamental
drjbs.com
This wonderful photo shows 6 hummingbirds, but it gives you a good idea of how rich our morning was.
We were treated to an especially nice show as we ate breakfast this morning.
For the first time this season, we had four hummers at one time dive-bombing each other to get to the feeder. The fact that the feeder has plenty of spots for many more than 4 at a time is immaterial. They want to have the feeder all to themselves, one at a time. They put on quite a show, making us laugh with delight.
While the hummers were doing combat, we also had a beautiful male cardinal flying in an out. He appreciated the seeds on the shovel bird and flew back and forth from the seeds to his place in the group of three evergreen trees to one side of the civilized part of our back yard.
A squirrel was eating his fill from the small amount of seeds left in the main feeder. He apparently was entered in the ‘most athletic squirrel’ tournament in the Olympics, hanging down from his toes to below the feeder with both of his hands grabbing seeds and stuffing them into his mouth. My husband was hoping the cardinal would challenge the squirrel, but the squirrel left on his own, apparently satiated.
We think the show was a celebration of the slightly cooler temperatures and little bit of rain we’re enjoying this week, with humans, animals and birds all in agreement.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Delightful Surprises
“Mountain Flora 3” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Pom-Poms via Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero
We finally got a bit of rain yesterday for which I’m very grateful. It cooled things off to ‘possible’ around here. It’s been over 100 with high humidity for about two weeks now, so to have the temperature in the 90’s with some RAINDROPS seemed like heaven.
We stood outside, letting it rain on us to celebrate our good fortune.
We also used the opportunity to burn the boxes we had filling up the shop. What a glorious hour or so we had!
Filed under Uncategorized
Marilyn Lebhar -“Pink, Orange, Yellow Flowers in Mason Jar Vase”
smashinghub.com
“Smoochy Foxes” – http://www.etsy.com
Filed under Watercolors I Love
This was a solid brown tee with some nice wooden beads and some rope work around the front of the neck. I went for an all white free form puffy white flower design. I had great fun working on it, and it’ll give me a fun shirt to wear for awhile longer.
While I was doing this, my husband used two sizes of metal pipe to make two tomato supports for next year. They’re about 6 feet tall and are kind of like an old style TV or ham radio aerial design, with smaller pipes coming out from the long center pipe. I used paint thinner to get all the grease and dirt off the metal, and then took them outside and sprayed them with several coats of white primer.
I’ll take a picture when they’re finished and post it.
This photo shows you several of our critters –
This is Mama and Baby Snail
Filed under Lewis yard art
Filed under String Art
Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero
Since our heat index is only 104 this afternoon, I’ll get out and prune our rose bushes.
The heat has really gotten to our plants this summer. With heat indices of 133+ for about 2 weeks now, it doesn’t matter that the plants get water on a daily schedule. The leaves are actually burning up. :0(
I’m really amazed that anything is still going. I’m doing everything I can to help the poor plants, but the only thing that will REALLY help is cooler weather. That should happen in about a month.
I checked with our local Co-op about when they would be getting fall plants. It made me laugh when all of them put their hands up in the air in a helpless gesture and told me that my guess was as good as theirs. The suppliers simply ‘showed up’ and delivered the plants on their own schedule. They didn’t even get a heads up. The truck just pulled into the driveway and they had plants.
Now that we have the three raised beds on the south side of the garden ready, I can simply relax and enjoy not having so much to do, waiting for the new plants to arrive.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
“Pink, White, Yellow, Orange” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
I love a plain orange tee I got several years ago. Of course, since I love it, I blopped SOMETHING on it that wouldn’t come out. (Actually, there were THREE somethings on it that stayed no matter what I tried…
Yesterday I decided to see what I could do to refurbish it.
I got out my stash of buttons. Full of enthusiasm, I started figuring out what I wanted to do and started sewing buttons on the shirt. I discovered that this kind of art is MUCH more difficult than I had hoped. I kept having to stop and get another band-aid each time I stuck myself with the needle, not wanting to bleed on the shirt.
I ended up with a combination of buttons and paint.
I can tell it’s going to take a LOT more practice before I am able to do more than baby designs with the buttons, but I had a LOT of fun and am looking forward to trying again soon!
Filed under Lewis Art
Our garden is definitely winding down, even though we’re irrigating it every day. The weather is just too hot and the plants aren’t happy anymore.
I planted a couple of cucumber plants this year. The plants went nuts, with vines, leaves and flowers all over the place, but no cucumbers!
I finally got ONE last week, and only saw it by accident, sticking through the small fence we have on the north side for climbing plants. We enjoyed it in a couple of salads.
I harvested these today. Talk about weird looking cucumbers! It’s good to know they taste really good, because they sure don’t LOOK like what I expected.
If you have suggestions on something I might add to the Mel’s Mix next time to get more reasonable looking cukes, I would appreciate them.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
blue-star-www.crafthubs.com
KiwiStrings-www.etsy.com
thewhoot.com.au
Filed under String Art
The prize for July’s Creative Artworks contest was a 3-D hand-painted tote bag with felt flowers on it. It was a smaller version of this one –
The winner’s name was Wendy Lee and I mailed her the bag the day after the contest ended. On August 4th I received an email from her that made my spirits SOAR, and I’m STILL smiling!
She said,
Filed under Lewis Art
The last two afternoons I gave myself permission to stay inside and play in my art room. I entered the room with the intent of finding my stash of buttons, but I found an old tee that I love, but couldn’t wear anymore due to dark stains I couldn’t get out of the navy shirt. I decided I liked it enough that I would paint it one day, giving it another life.
The star at the top came on the shirt. It’s little bitty star-shaped rivets in the patriotic pattern and colors. I just love it, and I’ve worn this shirt for years. I decided to paint the very handmade looking flag under the star. I went for an old, worn look and added glitter to the stats and the ‘fringe.’
I had a lot of fun and will enjoy wearing the shirt for the next patriotic holiday – or just when I want to say ‘thank you’ to all the men and women who have fought for our freedom.
Filed under Lewis Art
We have been staring at our tomato plants in an effort to find the caterpillars that are eating them. We stare and stare and – if we’re lucky – we find ONE of the big, fat green gloriously camouflaged critters and squash them.
Today at Lunch Bunch, my friend Kay told us about a product she and her husband use on their garden. “Eight.” She said you mix it with water and spray your plants. Usually, you only have to do it once for the season. She hasn’t had ANY pests eating her plants.
Assuming it cools off this evening – right now the actual temperature is 108 with a heat index of 113 – we’ll mix up a batch and spray everything. The man at the co-op said it was safe to use around our pets, and that it wouldn’t harm humans, either.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed that it works!
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
My friend Carla came and helped me do the light green base coat It took me two evenings to finish the darker green (almost looks blue, doesn’t it?)
It’s not as good as the picture from which I was working, but few things are. That doesn’t bother me.
I couldn’t bear to repaint the tank white. It was truly boring and ugly – except that it was filled with propane, which we love.
Now, at least, it’s different. I can wait until the UPS delivery guy sees it. He laughed out loud when he heard our plans. :0)
Filed under Lewis yard art
alearnersdiary.blogspot.com
My thermometer says is 108 degrees F. right now. In celebration of having a/c, I’ve finished re-reading a well-loved book, and I’ve just come down from my art room.
I haven’t made the time to go up there for quite awhile now. I simply had too much to do in the garden and the flower beds, and everywhere I looked lately. When the temperature goes to 100 or above – not even THINKING about the heat index, I give up all plans outside until about 7:30 in the evening when I can work out of the direct sunlight.
This afternoon I found an old tee that has a patriotic star done in little bitty star rivets. I’ve loved this tee for many years, but it was looking ‘tired,’ so I put it in the art room to look at later. Today I started painting an American Flag on it, using fabric paint and some glitter. I spent about an hour up there and had the best time! I haven’t ‘played’ like that for too long. I’ll start trying to spend time up there at LEAST a couple of times a week. My spirits really lift and I find myself smiling. :0)
Filed under Childlike Fun, Lewis Art
The Reading Room via Cathy Ruggiero
One of my all-time favorite authors is Robert B. Parker. I finished re-reading all of the Spenser books (there are 36 of them) and just now finished Edenville Owls. This is unlike most of his books, but his strong opinions on what’s important in life come through, even through the eyes and ‘voice’ of the main character, a 14-year-old boy named Bobby.
I was supposed to be doing other things today, but this book called to me from upstairs. I took it to the ophthalmologist’s office where I waited while my husband had his eyes examined, and then tried to put it down when I came home. I made it through the burger we picked up and brought home from the local Sonic, but then I was lost.
As usual, when I finish a well-loved book, I feel a bit let down. I don’t want it to be over. I’m lucky to be surrounded by almost all of the books Robert B. Parker wrote. I love relaxing into his world, the wonderful, unforgettable characters, and his snappy dialogue that makes me snort and grin again from time to time.
Filed under Reading is FUNdamental
unknown
vanessuhh
Wolf Dog Blog
Wolverinedoge
Thanks to Emily Davis, trendingly.com
Filed under Amazing Animals
This is our 1000 gallon propane tank after pressure washing. It looked a LOT better than it did, but paint was peeling and we had to repaint. My husband thought we should paint it white again. I decided that was boring and looked for other ideas.
I found this cute idea on the net, but don’t know who came up with it.
Our friend Carla came over about 7pm last night and we got started. Since our paint sprayer didn’t like the exterior latex paint, I opted to use rollers for the base coat.
We got most of the base coat done last night.
I’m going to paint the pipe that goes in front of the tank the same green to help it blend in.
I have feet of the propane tank, areas we missed, and some that need a second coat with a brush today.
My husband painted the dome with a brush. I decided to give it another coat with my roller and knocked the whole thing off, upside down, into the grass. :0( We sprayed off the grass and dirt and left it to dry. I’ll repaint it today.
Once this is dry, I’ll start with the darker green paint. I haven’t decided whether I’m going to try to make it look like a wedge has been cut out of the watermelon or not. I would try to mainly do the vertical slice. I haven’t decided about painting the wedge, either.
I would welcome your opinion.
anguria-isolata-intera-e-fetta-6515023
Filed under Lewis yard art
creativeartworksblog 