My husband got the generator to work yesterday manually, but there still seems to be a problem on communication between the generator and the house on starting automatically. The electric company is sending someone out Monday to take a look at things. Hopefully, the tech and my husband can figure out what needs to be done.
Spectrum News
Today the heat index is supposed to be 104 here. UGH. I need to do weed whacking all around the yard, so will need to do MANY short sessions.
I’m also doing several loads of laundry today, so maybe I’ll climb in with the last load – :0)
It just started raining suddenly as if someone had turned on a faucet full blast. I think it’s stopping now, but it was really impressive.
I managed to get outside this afternoon and weed whack. I did three sessions and finished the whole yard. If the rain stops and things clear up a bit, I’ll take my husband out for an ‘oooh’ and ‘aaaah’ session later. :0)
There are still lots of things to do outside, but I feel better that I trimmed things up where my husband can’t go with the mower. I’ll spray some KillzAll when things dry out to keep it all from just resprouting seemingly overnight.
I hope you’ve had a happy day.
I’m feeling devoid of any energy right now. Just drinking a cup of coffee and trying not to fall asleep, hitting my head on the monitor on the way to La La Land…
I did a good job weed whacking yesterday, plus changing the used-up cord thingie for a new one to use today, but I seem to have overdone. I was really stiff and sore when I finished, so I went ahead and did my yoga VERY slowly and carefully. That made me feel a bit better, except when I tried to get out of my chair…
sent to me by a good friend.
I’m hoping I loosen up more as the day progresses. I would LIKE to finish the main weed whacking today (although this is essentially a never-ending project once the season starts) – this afternoon is supposed to be 67 degrees and a bit overcast. We’re supposed to get gusty winds starting about 6pm and lasting overnight with rain forecast for all day tomorrow. So I’m going to TRY to finish the front yard today (plus the small spot I couldn’t do yesterday in the back when I ran out of cord.)
Another good thing besides the extra exercise and fresh air I’m getting with the yard work is that another pound bit the dust yesterday. :0) Since I have more than several to spare, I would love to donate to the cause of people needing to gain weight on a regular basis.
This is my recent chart from MyFitnessPal. It is motivating to ME and keeps my eye on the ball to weigh in and record my weight each morning, good or bad. I have seen a pattern on logging my food, water, and exercise each day – when it says ‘You’re not eating enough,’ I tend to lose a bit of weight. When it says, “If things were based on today, you would weigh ___ in 5 weeks” I don’t lose anything. So, what I’m doing that seems to be working lately is watching my carb count like a hawk, trying to keep it to 20 for the day. I’m going to keep doing this and see what happens. I lost pound #23 yesterday.
We’re going to fill up gas cans today to use with the mower. My husband has now declared that the “Official Mowing Season for 2024” begins on April Fool’s Day. I’m trying to weed whack – keeping the riding mower in mind – so he can mow as easily as possible.
I ALMOST finished weed whacking the back yard – the three planters, the end of the house around all the geothermal stuff, under the porch, under the deck, along the sidewalk in the back and one side of the driveway pad before I ran out of cord – or it wouldn’t ‘bump’ anymore and give me more line.
Since I was thoroughly pooped by that time – the end of the third session out there today – I gave up, gathered up and put away the extension cord, pulled the back of the truck down as a place to work, managed to find a replacement cord thingie in case I needed it. I was too tired to actually try to change the cord thingie, so I came in.
I ordered six more cord thingies from Amazon, since the one I brought in was the last one I had. I rested, and drank more water (my eyes are floating) and I think I actually dropped off for a bit in my recliner.
I ‘roused’ a few minutes ago and went out to look at the weed whacker. I didn’t want to forget and have my husband try to shut the garage door later tonight and have the door run into the extended back of the truck.
I pulled out the old cord holder, with a lot of effort, and saw that indeed, I was out of cord. I got out the new one, threaded the cord through the hole, figured out how to put the new one on, including using the part of the old one you’re supposed to keep (:0) ) to hold the new one.
I DID IT! It snapped into place and the cord is extended through the hole, ready to be used again. I put a strip of duct tape around one part of the ‘rod’ of the weed whacker so I can now tell at a glance which one the ‘good one’ is.
HOOORAAAAAY!
Tomorrow is soon enough to start the front…
I spent over an hour with the 3 sessions outside. It’s almost 6pm here and I’ll start dinner soon. Will I do yoga?
I’m not this young (by a LONG shot) and don’t look this good, but I’m making progress with the weed-whacking this afternoon. It’s now 63 degrees and sunny. The stuff I’m whacking is still pretty wet, but it’s coming down.
I’ve finished the 3 veggie planters on the east side of the house and am taking a ‘back break’ and drinking some water before going out again. I want to at least finish under the porch, under the deck, and along the back sidewalk before I call it a day today.
This weed whacker is working fine. Everything is compatible. I told my husband I was going to mark this one with some tape, and that I wanted to do away with any others we have, as they don’t do near as good a job as this one does. Right now, it seems that he is in agreement. He is still holding on to his announcement he was not going to mow in March. I really can’t blame him. He spends a lot of time on our riding mower during the mowing season. Usually this begins sometime in April. This year is weird, but he’s trying to ignore it. :0)
Oh, I almost forgot! When I went out to weed whack this afternoon, look at what I found!
(Please, just look at the IRIS, not all the weeds in and around the planter….)
Going to rest a bit more, drink more water, then head out for the next session.
I think the skill in this lovely watercolor is amazing. I like it as much for what is NOT there as what IS. This is done by a master, with soft edges, suggestions, beautiful color, and more. Love it!
It’s supposed to get to 68 this afternoon, so I’m putting weed whacking on my list. I’ll try to check the equipment BEFORE I get out there so that I don’t use up my limited energy uselessly, as I did a day or so ago.
Quotesgram
My scales said 22 pounds down as of this morning. My current goal is 25 pounds down (my goals are in 5-pound increments) so it’s within sight. I’m HOPING that my measuring tape will show some improvement at the end of the month, as well. One day at a time.
Kay Humphreys – boredpanda.com
My husband said it looked like I was making some progress in my yoga practice yesterday. When I asked him why he said that, he said I was moving ‘more smoothly’ and it looked like I was stretching farther. He asked what I was doing when I was kneeling on the mat –
LexiYoga
I put this image here to show you where I am TRYING to go in this position. When I started, I couldn’t even get on my knees with my feet out straight behind me without getting leg and feet cramps. Now I am ‘flirting’ with being upright and ‘feeling’ my butt very close to my feet…
I keep reminding myself that Cat Kabira, whose DVDs I use, says that stretching TOWARD your goal and breathing into it is doing as much for your body as actually being able to ‘sit’ on your feet with your body comfortable, for example. The stretching and breathing and relaxing are the whole point and they will help you be stronger and more flexible, with better balance.
We’re having a nice ‘day-after-quiet-birthday-celebration’ here today. The weather is nice. It’s supposed to rain late this afternoon into tomorrow, but right now it’s a beautiful fall Sunday. I plan to do some weed whacking before the rain starts.
I just had the NICEST phone talk with a good relative/but, more importantly, FRIEND. We haven’t talked in awhile, so I feel as if I’ve been verbally hugged.
We don’t have any big plans for Thanksgiving. If you’re traveling, I hope you have safe travels that go as smoothly as possible so that you can see/hug the people who mean the world to you.
I’ve decided to overhaul my Etsy site and my brain is scrambled. Some of the changes I would like to make are cosmetic (considering new name, banner, logo, etc.) Some changes I would like to make the Etsy site doesn’t allow.
I’m reading articles on describing my items. I have followed the Etsy forms on listing my stuff. When I go to ‘Etsy.com’ and type in a search term that I HOPE will make my stuff pop up, it doesn’t. I have NOW read articles that say I should be putting my key words into my title spot, rather than down where Etsy says to put them. I’m seeing in my research that a lot of the people on Etsy are doing this. I’ve decided that today the only thing I’m doing is lowering my prices and letting my head rest. :0)
The stress continues because I couldn’t change the thingie that holds the weed whacking line yesterday. I’ll tackle that problem again later. I THINK I’m smarter than the weed whacker, but the jury is still out….
The pest spraying people called and are coming between 3 and 5 this afternoon for the last spray of the year. I’m trying to get ready for them, clearing the floor areas as much as possible. It amazes me how MANY things are on our floors! I’ll just do what I can.
Before I do anything else, I’m putting the makings of beef stew into the crock pot for our dinner tonight.
I hope that you are having a fine day so far and that many things bring a smile to your face.
We’re having a glorious fall day here in Arkansas. It’s 54 degrees F. now, and it’s supposed to get to 73 this afternoon. The sun is shining, our dog is smiling and trying to climb up into my lap as I type. (She forgets that she weighs 97 pounds and thinks she’s a lap dog.) Things are good and I have absolutely no complaints. :0) The weather folks are saying cooler weather is coming, so I’ll enjoy today with even more awareness and appreciation.
Better Homes & Gardens
I’ve been flapping my mouth about weed whacking, but haven’t actually DONE more than flap. Laziness and other priorities have been sucking up my time and energy, but I’m going to force myself to get outside and start neatening up around the house – the first session this morning. I’m feeling especially guilty because my husband got out yesterday, mowed the grass in front of the garden, and then ran the gas out of the mower to store it for the winter. He also changed another of the 8 foot fluorescent light fixtures in the shop to the new LED bulb configuration. I feel like a slug. :0( I’ll try to make up for that today.
Freepik
I told you that I’m thinking of changing the name and look of my Etsy shop. You would be surprised how difficult it is to (1) think of a name that is no more than 20 characters – no punctuation allowed – that hasn’t been used on Etsy before. And then, if you finally figure one out, ideas for banners to go across the top of the site and a logo that shows the idea of the shop, catches the eye, etc. I may die of old age before all of that comes together.
SO – I’ll share a few more things with you here on the blog and then get outside. :0)
I had a rough night of sleep last night. I’m not sure why. I certainly did my share of exercise yesterday.
I’m happy to tell you that I finished the ‘weeding-and-covering-the-4-garden-planters’ project in my square foot garden. (We’ve decided to wait on trying to take down and rebuild the remaining two planters that finally fell apart due to the stress and strain of being outside in the sun/wind/rain/temperature differences. The angle iron supports are fine, but the wooden ‘boxes’ will have to be completely rebuilt.)
To be honest, I’m not sure I’ll replant the 4 boxes in the spring that I just weeded. I did the work to protect the boxes from further stress over the winter. I’ll make the final decision in the spring. I have three brick planters on the far side of the house that I could use instead, since the main things I plant are lettuce, spinach, and tomatoes.
The next project I’ll start today is ‘weed-whacking-the-whole-garden-area‘ – (inside the garden, in front of the garden outside the fence, and then the area beside the garden/behind the shop and the perimeter of the garden around the outside of the fence.) This whole area is really badly overgrown with high, dense, hard-to-cut weeds – a big job needing multiple sessions. I will try to get that started today.
The weather people are saying a strong cold front is coming through tonight, bringing cooler temperatures and a good amount of rain starting about noon tomorrow and lasting the rest of the day and then overnight. Just in case they’re correct, we’ll do our grocery shopping today and I’ll plan to work on my glassware project tomorrow afternoon.
It looks a bit better now, I think. When I got the weeds and Bermuda out, I found that grasshoppers have been gorging on the iris spears. I’ll go back out later with my EIGHT spray and hose the sweet iris plants down.
The NEXT outside project is gathering tomatoes and then cleaning up the two planters. This has been an awful year for veggies. My main square foot garden plants started out well, then got drowned by all the rain, beaten down by hail, and then baked by the sun, over and over again. I’ll need to clean that up later, as well.
The tomatoes LOOKED like they were doing well, but the tomatoes were cherry tomatoes, rather than fulls-sized, and were ‘off’ in flavor. I’ve gathered the few full-sized ones from time to time. My husband pronounced THEM ‘mealy’ and wouldn’t eat but a sparse few here and there, so I lost interest. I’ll see what I can salvage and then clean things out. Some years just aren’t good ones for veggies.
Yesterday I weed whacked the back and side yard. My husband followed me, blowing the grass off the back sidewalk. The yard looks really nice right now. We would never make any of the ‘beautiful yard’ competitions, but it DOES look like someone lives here now. :0)
Today I’m tackling the brick planter that lives in the ‘niche’ between our screened porch just outside our fireplace on one end of the house. (Yes! There IS a planter under there!)
I converted it from a tomato planter to an iris planter a couple of years ago. Now it looks like something out of a haunted house movie, doesn’t it – long neglected – capable of weird things climbing out of the weeds and Bermuda grass The really amazing thing to me is that all this happened since the end of the spring after the iris bloomed. I’ve been working my way around the yard and this is the last flower planter on my list. I’ll get started on it in a few minutes and see if I can do any good.
Women’s Health
Shout out this morning to Cathy, my good friend in Tulsa, who needs lots of love and strength sent her way to help her with a serious health issue. As you read this, please send a kind thought or two.
Now the “Battle of Lewis vs Bermuda” begins in Greenwood AR. There is no reward involved, but “It don’t make me no nevermind,” and I WILL win…
Memory Box – Hand-Painted – “Rooster” – The dimensions of the box are 4.25 inches long, 3.25 inches wide, 2.25 inches deep, and 2.5 inches high. FUN present to give to one of your own children, a grandchild, or fun to give as a birthday present. – $17.95 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.
As soon as I finish with blog posts, I’m heading outside to see if I can get our back yard weed whacked. I’ll do short sessions with lots of rest and hydrating in-between; but I would like to get that done today. I’ll also check to see if we have tomatoes to bring in. It’s been so hot that most of the garden veggies are gone. When we have heat indices to 115, there is no way to get enough water to garden plants. If you push it, you end up with ‘boiled’ plants, so it’s best to just give it up if we’re having a summer like this.
_________________
Raising Children Network
I’m still dreaming of art projects, but there have just been too many priorities or my energy taps out before I can get upstairs to my art room. Maybe today, if I can finish the back yard….
Kay and Bud were at Lunch Bunch, so we had a nice chat with them while stuffing our faces. They seemed to be doing well, but Kay was stung by a wasp and the back of her hand was bright red and itchy, she said. Otherwise, we compared how money was leaving in all directions as we try to keep things up and running. It was good to see their faces, have a few laughs and catch up.
We stopped for groceries after that and now we’re home for the day.
On the way home, I laughed out loud at a sign I’ve been watching as we drive past each day. This is one we don’t see on our regular route to town. (We’ve gotten interested to see things past our usual turn-off since they are still working on the bridge between us and town.)
This sign is a marquee on the road in front of a combination gas station and 24-7 type store with a small deli. Three days ago, the sign said, “Cheif Salad.” Yesterday it said, “Chief Salad.” Today it finally said, “Chef Salad” I hope they sell a bunch of it. :0)
It’s still only 82 degrees F, but it’s quite muggy. It’s still quite overcast, so I’ll try to get out and do some weed whacking this afternoon.
Yesterday afternoon I got the area “beside our shop/in front of the garden” and “garden perimeter” weed whacked.
Today I’m planning to weed whack “behind the shop/beside the garden” where I keep my trash cans of Mel’s Mix ingredients, garden tools, cement (soil) mixer, etc. The weeds are over my knees out there. I would like to get that all weed whacked, and then spray the whole area with KILLZALL, since it would be MUCH easier upkeep that way. Wish me luck?
I’m drinking some coffee before heading out to weed whack the front and the back yard. My husband is going to mow. So the yard will look like someone cares before it gets too hot to. The temperature for this last day of summer is forecast to be 101 with a heat index this afternoon. Oh, GOOD. I’m SO ready for some cool. My list of things to do outside is longer than my leg now…
DoYou
Today is DAY 68 in my efforts to make daily yoga a habit. I’m starting to think that yoga is essential to my ability to move without pain, stay reasonably flexible, and avoid falling on my head as I age. I still have to consciously make myself do it, but I feel much looser after my practice.
I’m going to get outside now and work before it gets lethal out there.
I have to admit that at this very moment I’m feeling a bit older than usual. I just finished weed-whacking the front yard, the driveway area in front of our trio of planters, around the driveway pad, the back sidewalk edge and a bit more. I’m inside, drinking water and trying to cool off before we fix lunch. Then, I’m HOPING it won’t be too hot for me to finish the back.
For ME to do weed whacking, I have to get in a certain position. Holding that position while working, plus the weight of the weed whacker, plus fighting with the 100 foot extension cord I need to use makes me tired pretty fast. I used to be able to do the whole job in one session. Now I quit after 45 minutes. Oh, well. Maybe I’ll feel younger later…. :0)
I’m resting from my first session of weed whacking. By noon today, until 8pm tonight, our heat index is going to be 106, so I’m out NOW, trying to get the weed whacking done while it’s ONLY 85.
There’s about half an hour towards the end of the day, when the sun is starting to go down when it’s fabulous outside here. I try to arrange things so I can walk around then, soaking up the glory of it. I take pictures, make mental notes of the next thing I need to tackle, wish I had more flowers (there are never enough), play with Amber and Abby, who follow me around, and maybe sit for a bit on the front porch steps or on the back deck before going in. The world is perfect then, ‘free’ from problems, strife, and stupidity, when I feel filled with the joy of being alive.
If our weather here were like that for more of the day, I might spend all day outside. Since I’m older than dirt, it’s probably a good thing that our Arkansas weather in the summer is totally UN-civilized, hitting you in the face with the heat the minute you step outside, moving from one place of a/c to the next as fast as you can.
I have one more weed whacking session in me before I will have to stop for the day, clean up outside, then come in and shower, getting ready for the rest of my day.
I think this squirrel looks ready for action, not ‘flopped.’
We had a really nice evening cooking out last night. My husband had a bottle of Corona with a slice of lime. I had a sugar-free Dr. Pepper Creme Soda over ice. Our dog, Amber, went between checking each of us, tail wagging frantically, and running around in the yard, nosing everything. Our cat, Abby, just found a spot on the deck and sprawled on her back, feet up in the air. We had the LED rope lights on, so everything looked party-like, and colorful. The charcoal smelled good even before my husband added the hamburger patties. No one was mowing, so it was quiet. The worst of the heat was gone and it was pleasant with the deck ceiling fan stirring the air. We talked, played with the animals, thoroughly enjoying ourselves.
We added corn on the cob to our dinner. We were too full for our strawberries and ice cream, though. We’ll enjoy some of that tonight.
Today I’m dressed to the nines in sweatband, old shirt, old jeans, long socks, old shoes, ready to go out in a minute and weed whack before it gets too hot for man or beast outside. Actually, it’ll be ‘regular’ summer weather, nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s smart to work first thing in the morning or right before dark to avoid overheating. I’m going to try to get the main yard done, front and back, to go with my husband’s goal of mowing the yard yet again, although I think he’s planning to only hit the high spots today. The lack of rain has finally meant that some of the grass is holding steady while the more weeded areas have shot up again. By the end of the day it should look like someone cares around here.
It looks like we’re going to have another week where our plumber hasn’t been able to make time to help us with our 2nd line. We’re watering manually in the front planters. I’ll be glad when it can be automated, but it’s not that bad yet.
I hope that you are able to stay cool wherever you are today and that you’re doing something fun.
I finished the weed whacking I wanted to do yesterday! The tomato planters are clean, the debris is gone, and I got the grass and weeds down from around the planters, under the house, under the deck, down the back sidewalk, and around the brick planter beside the garage pad. And now it’s raining, right on schedule. Hooray!
We’ll run our errands in half an hour, delighted by the rain even if we drown while we’re out. My husband will spew bad words because he’s tired of mowing for the season, but the plants are all breathing a sigh of relief.
It’s quite dark outside, looking like nighttime instead of morning, but we aren’t supposed to have severe weather, just a cold front with cooler temperatures. I’M READY! :0)
If the wind isn’t blowing a lot when we get home, I may get out my umbrella and enjoy a walk in the rain.
Our weather experts are predicting scattered showers and a heat advisory this afternoon and evening of 100+, so I got out this morning and did another session of weed whacking in the waist-high area behind our shop and beside our garden. You can actually SEE the 250 gallon propane tank now! I also cleared the area around the trash cans where we keep the ingredients for Mel’s Mix for the square foot garden.
While I was out there, I went into the shop and worked on the Christmas presents for my friends some more.
We’ll eat lunch in about an hour, so I have time to cool off, drink a bottle of water, treat myself to another cup of coffee, and enjoy being at the computer before I need to get our meal together. :0)
I hope your Saturday is shaping up to be a good one.
YARD – My sanity may be waning. I’m really trying to tackle the waist-high grass and weeds that have taken over behind the shop and beside the garden. When it’s not raining and dry enough to work, the heat index is 100+. ARRGGHHHH!
Yesterday morning I did get a start on it. The first part of the project is trying to ‘free’ the 250 gallon propane tank out there. It’s almost buried with all the high grass around it.
The reason that I have this project is that, due to the guy wire making one corner of the garden fence border secure being in the way, my husband can’t mow this area. (actually, he DID do it once, being hard-headed in the extreme. He got the grass cut, but had tears and rips in his arms and on the side of his head from forcing his way through the small opening while on the mower – and then back out again – while I was occupied elsewhere. I ripped him a new one while cleaning up his wounds, making him promise not to try this again. I told him that I would use the weed whacker on the area.
Since I’m a lazy, procrastinating person, I’ve let it get totally out of hand. My husband noticed it the other day, so I’ve redoubled my efforts to get this area under control before he decides to ‘handle’ it again.
It rained overnight, so things are too wet right now. We will go to Lunch Bunch in about an hour and then I’m hoping to be able to do a session or two when we return, though the forecast is egg-frying-outside this afternoon. Fingers crossed.
SHOP – I should be able to spend some time out in the shop this afternoon. I got a bit more done on the Christmas presents I’m making, plus am now ready to start re-painting the dragonfly after making sure the glass is secure on his wings and gluing new eyes on.
I just treated myself to watching bloopers from The Carol Burnett Show on YouTube. I just happened upon them and now I’m exhausted from laughing. My husband came in from the living room to find out why I was laughing so hard.
Tim Conway was a truly gifted man. His sense of humor was wonderful, of course, but his timing – adding layer on layer – was genius. He and Jonathan Winters were right on my wave length, having the same kind of humor – a combination of funny situation, words, and using their body to enhance the picture. They made me laugh so hard my stomach hurt. The only other person who can do that to me is our son. He will get on a tear, see me laugh, and just build it and build it until I’m begging him to stop. He doesn’t, of course, until he’s good and ready. :0)
So, still feeling exhausted, I’m still smiling as I type. What a wonderful way to start a day!
My next out-in-the-yard project is weed whacking an area where my husband can’t get the riding mower. It’s behind our shop and beside my garden. I don’t think I’m exaggerating to say the ‘grass’ is about my waist high right now. Because of our weird weather this summer and my general laziness, I’ve basically ignored it. Now that I have my garden boxes cleaned out and covered with tarps, it’s time to turn my attention to this. This is an area where I keep the trash cans that hold the materials I combine to create Mel’s Mix for my garden boxes. I store tools and the used cement mixer we bought to mix the materials. There is also a 250 gallon propane tank that provides fuel to the shop. The weather people have said that it will be cooler today (only 80s) with lower humidity. Of course, they lied when they said that yesterday, so I’m learning to take what they say with a grain of salt. I’ll go out in awhile and see what I can get accomplished.
I’ll check our two brick planters on the side of the house to see if, by chance, we have more ripe tomatoes, but I would be surprised if we do. I think our tomatoes are finished for the season.
In my art room, I’m still trying techniques to create art using a technique called, “Acrylic Pour.” So far, I’m bombing out, but I saw another technique yesterday I would like to try. I’m having a good time creating messes. :0)
In our shop, I’m refurbishing a dragonfly that lives on the side of our house and also starting work on some things I’m making as Christmas presents for my friends. They will take awhile, having many steps, so I’m doing a bit at a time, starting early.
My husband has been griping about the north side of our shop. It has been overgrown with not only weeds taller than I am, but poison ivy, things with stickers, other things with burrs, etc. We don’t usually make a habit of walking on the north side of our shop, but it was bothering him, so I told him I would handle it.
The project was larger than I thought. I first sprayed thing with KillzAll, my champion weed killer, mixed in a 2-gallon container. That didn’t do much. I then took our weed eater – battery-powered – out there and worked for three days to finally get things cut down enough to make a difference. Then I sprayed it again two or three times with KillzAll.
This picture is taken from the end of the shop looking toward our house.
This one is taken from the opposite end of the shop, looking west.
Now that the job is done, the first thing I’m going to do is make my husband come out, look at things, and do the appropriate ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ that we now have a good path on the north side of the shop,
and
second, I’ll make sure he actually USES the path at least once to make all the work more worth it.
I am learning the hard way that I need to pay attention to the ORDER of my activities to get some control of the civilized part of our yard. As I type, I’m TRYING not to scratch all the chigger bites I gathered yesterday while trying to clear a path on the north side of our shop. It was totally overgrown, so I had sprayed it pretty heavily a couple of times with weed killer previously. It hadn’t done the job, so I got serious yesterday.
I got a path cleared, but learned-
to spritz on Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent before heading outside. We just got this. It got really high ratings from Consumer’s Reports. It says it is the “wilderness formula” 30% Deet, and repels mosquitoes that may carry the Zika virus. At any given time we are outside, my husband is unaware of bugs. I come back in with bites all over. I will TRY to get in the habit of spritzing this on before I even think of going outside.
2) I will then mix up bug spray (We use Eight – great on killing bugs, but doesn’t harm plants or our animals) in our 2-gallon container and spray it over the areas I will try to weed whack in.
123RF
3) After I have sprayed the bug killer thoroughly, I will weed whack, getting everything cleared out.
4) Then I will spray the weed killer (we use KillzAll) again, hosing down the area.
5) Then I will spray again with bug killer.
I’m HOPING that if I build this habit, I won’t end up looking like someone chewed on by zombies with my usually sunny disposition marred by trying really hard not to scratch….
I’m going to have to switch gears for the coming week, starting today – hopefully.
I’ve been working outside, whacking down weeds, cutting back trees, spraying weed killer and ant killer, etc., in an effort to keep Mother Nature from reclaiming the totally wild, wooded land we bought around 33 years ago now. (We built our home on top of this ridge line in 1987.) This is a full-time, never-ending job, and I have to say that we grow some really healthy, impressive weeds here. Some of them are taller than I am!
Last night, while my husband and I enjoyed a much-appreciated evening on the deck while grilling our dinner, we talked about the fact that the ‘weed trees’ were again encroaching on our view of the valley below. The slope of our land is impressive, too, and there are totally rocky places where it is treacherous to even think about walking. This is where the weed trees are. I am going to attempt to cut these down, a few at a time, over the coming weeks to try to reclaim our view.
This gives you an idea of what we can usually see.
That said, here is the 10 day forecast for our area –
Maybe I should be trying to built a raft or boat instead of thinking about weed whacking….
The end result of a forecast like this is I want to take a nap. I feel super lazy. I can’t even get excited about playing in my art room right now, though that could change once I’ve finished my coffee.
The only thing I PROMISE I will do today is make a ‘sausage-egg-and-cheese bake’ for our dinner tonight. This is a wonderful keto recipe from Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto. My husband grinned and gave a happy thumbs up when I told him what I planned to make today. Actually, I’ll promise another thing – I will do at least 35 minutes of gentle yoga stretches today.
Otherwise, I’ll have to fight my natural inclination to stretch out in my chair in the living room under my snuggly throw and take cat naps (with at least one, if not two, actual cats!) today.
We bought our land here in Arkansas in 1987. Actually, my husband put a deposit on it and then brought me out here to see it. We stopped on the road in what I thought was an arbitrary spot one really hot summer day. My husband proceeded to guide me up a hill, through heavy woods, thick brush, what I HOPED wasn’t poison ivy, and finally to the top, where I was stunned by a beautiful view of the valley below. We dynamited some parts of the hill, cleared other parts, left most of it wooded, and built our home. Ever since, the land and Mother Nature have conspired to take back the land.
I saw on the weather forecast that ALL of next week – every day with the exception of Thursday – has at least a 50% chance or better of rain. I have devoted this weekend to working outside, trying to get things in reasonable shape before the monsoon starts.
Yesterday I spent all day in our veggie garden – weeding, harvesting, weed whacking, and finally spraying weed killer. My husband got the yard mowed. Today I will spend the day in sessions of weed whacking over the rest of the yard. Since I’m older than dirt, a little bit of weed whacking goes a LONG way, so I do it for awhile until my back starts talking to me, and then come in and rest, drinking a big mug of water, and then going out for another session. This allows me to get a reasonable amount done outside by the end of the afternoon without killing myself. :0)
Murdering weeds doesn’t sound like a very SWEET thing to do on Mother’s Day, but it works for me.
I spent most of the day in my veggie garden today. I started weeding and harvesting the lettuce, brought that in and rested. Then I went out again and did the same, bringing in another full basket. I then weed whacked under the garden boxes, and finally sprayed weed killer under the boxes and around the inside perimeter.
Our weather forecast for next week is rain every day except Thursday, and we have a 60% to 80% chance each day. That’s a LOT of rain. We may need a boat by the end of the week.
So that meant that we basically had today and tomorrow to try to get the yard and garden under as good control as possible before the rain starts. My husband mowed the yard.
I got the garden under control and will do a lot of weed whacking and clean up tomorrow.
My plants are doing well so far. Everything is looking healthy and happy.
I took this close up to show you that the lettuce, as well as providing lots of leaves for salads, is starting to form heads!
Jayanand Govindaraj via Robert J. Bennett – LinkedIn
Hello!
I’m getting a late start on blog posts today because our Internet keeps going on the fritz.
My main thoughts today were to play ‘fruit-basket-upset’ with my priorities for the day.
We got groceries this morning, and I put a roast in the crock pot for tonight.
THEN, when the Internet wasn’t cooperating, I went up to my art room – a thing that got lost in the shuffle yesterday – and started painting another tee!
NEXT, I’ll get my yoga practice in for the day, and
THEN I’ll tackle the weed whacking and clean up after my husband mows later.
Anything ELSE that gets accomplished will be gravy.
This picture is a bit over the top on what I’m actually going to do, but the motivation is there.
I went out to finish weed whacking around our burn barrel this morning. I then hauled all the weed trees I cut down a couple of days ago, putting them in a pile we will burn later. Then I went back and weed whacked some more, trying to give us a good margin of safety.
While I was doing that, I apparently ran into an ant pile. All of a sudden I noticed I had ants on my arm around my watch. I stopped everything and brushed them off, but not before they had bitten/stung me. Since I came in, I have put on Benadryl and then some anti-itch ointment. My arm, plus the top of my right foot, are now pink and swollen, with raised welts. Oh, joy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if I hadn’t practically bathed in bug repellent spray before I went out there.
Later on today, I plan to mix up two gallons of Eight, the spray I use to kill all kinds of what I consider bad bugs, and plan to murder as many ants as possible. I don’t know that ants do anything important in our ecosystem. If they do, they’ll need to transfer their operations somewhere else.
I will also spray the area around the burn barrel with KillsAll, the stuff that is wonderful at keeping growth of greenery down. This is an area we can’t mow, and don’t need to have any grass or anything.
Picture me as Arnold Schwarzenegger, armed with a KillAll sprayer in one hand and an Eight sprayer in the other – taking on all comers!
creativeartworksblog 