Well Friday saw us up and awake around 5:30 as our guests , the Tracy's were leaving for their road trip to Indiana so we got up and saw them off. Since it was close to when I normally awake we just stayed up and started our day. This was another workday as we had loafed the past four days eating, reading, a road trip and very little exercise except getting up from the table. We ate lite today for a change and got lots of work done.
I got in my quiet time with a cup of hot turmeric drink then the posting of this ramble before having a bowl of cereal with some fruit that needed eating. It was a bit chilly with temps into the high 50's but the birds were having a song fest in the neighboring trees at such an early time in the morning. It looked like it was going to be a rather nice day for working outside. Nancy got two loads of laundry out on the clothesline and I burned trash while checking all of the gardens for any slug and deer damage. We have been having some much needed rain and the slugs love wet cool temps especially with a heavy dew in the mornings. I smashed a dozen or so but didn't see any real damage to any of the plants except the egg plant which still has a bunch of tiny pin holes. I'm not sure if slugs are causing this but I will use some spray today to see if that helps while they recover.
All of my herbs are doing fantastic as is the squash and now the green beans are up putting on some leaves. The Walla Walla onions seedlings are doing quite well as are the cabbages and cukes. Hopefully we will have plenty to share. I'm still not happy with the tomato's as they are taking their sweet time growing but I haven't lost any but a couple volunteers Jetta gave me. I'm thrilled with the Morning Glory seedlings as they continue to grow up and will soon become a vine on the arbor and rail fences. I can remember on the farm as a kid hating these vines which seemed to come back each year in the corn fields and I had to dig them out as they will soon smother corn plants and use them for a trellis.
Well I worked down in the wine berry patches and pulled lots of the ferns which seem to really love the lower section of the garden area. The berries are starting to head up into their shucks or caps and hopefully we will have plenty when the kids arrive two weeks from today for a weeks visit. We are so excited that both Bobby and Amy and their families will be here together. This will be a memory making week for the kiddos together. Nancy and I decided to trim and shape up the 15-18 feet tall Blue Spruce trees in the front yard. They have really grown in the last couple years so much so I had to use and extension ladder to get to the top. We cut and snipped and had a golf cart load of clipping by the time we were done and the trees looked great despite our inexperience in this field. We aren't sure when you prune evergreens but we did it and they look like a huge Christmas tree with their cone shape.
We had a lite lunch on the front porch and the setting was awesome with the fresh air and the bird symphony in the back ground. Nancy cleaned and vacuumed while I worked outside and then we decided to take a golf cart ride out to the mailbox and then to the top of the mountain where we sat and visited with the Browning's for a spell. We left them and headed across the top and then saw the Cline's who were visiting their place. They don't spend much time here as Sandy has some serious health issues and doesn't feel comfortable staying overnight. They have put their cabin back on the market completely furnished and have dropped the price as well. It has beautiful views and three acres to go with the cabin. Sarah, a neighbor who has a small place across the road was visiting on the porch as well so we sat and visited for nearly an hour with them.
We got back to the cabin just in time to gather in the clothes as we had a rain shower which didn't last too long but it sure dropped the temps. We closed all of the windows and doors and Nancy donned sweat clothes. We sat and read for a bit until it was suppertime around 6 and the sun had once again appeared so we tried eating out on the front porch hoping the sun would warm us up. Usually in the evening sunlight we have to let down our large shades on the front porch to deter the evening heat and sun shining onto the front porch but today we welcomed the sun and the heat which wasn't a lot. After supper I fired up the weed whacker and worked the next hour and half on the yards and backwoods area which was starting to see some mountain laurel, galax and small pine tree growth. The weed whacker does a fine job keeping them in check.
Well it was nearly 9 o'clock when I came in as the daylight is longer at least until the 21st which is the longest day of the year with the summer equinox. After a hot shower I decided since I was bushed I would read until the sandman calleth, LATER
