right now

right now

Aug 27, 2010

A Productive Day!

It seems that the good weather is here to stay, hooray! I wanted to get outside and work right away, but a drippy tomato on my counter told me to deal with those first! I only have 2 tomato plants left now, so it took a week of tomatoes to get enough for 1 pint of stewed tomatoes. Lots of beans to blanch and bell peppers to freeze still, but it looks like next week I will actually have time to tackle the jalapenos.

This is pretty much what the daily harvest has dwindled to now

After lunch I had intended on continuing my assault on the vegetable garden, but my attention somehow got diverted to the cosmos that are taking over the yard. It is getting to the point where it freaks me out harvesting beans because I'm afraid of a copperhead hiding out in there or the cosmo branches brushing against my neck and legs makes me jump! I didn't plant any this year, they just self seeded last year and have taken over. They aren't normal pretty little things either, they are about 8 feet tall and stems like bamboo canes. I will NEVER plant these again!

Here is part of the cosmos that I did today, I have to walk in there to get to part of the beans! Notice how much taller they are than the corn LOL! Unfortunately, this scene is repeated in 3 different areas of my yard

Anyways, I ripped a section of them out that made a mountain 4 feet tall, I guess I'll have to burn them. I then weeded that entire area, the good thing is that I seem to have started the fall chores in the most problematic part of the yard, meaning that in a few days, the worst will be over and I can then tend to the garden again, which is very tidy in comparison!

I was able to get the lawn mowed and found that in these 80ยบ temps, it is becoming almost pleasant work again!

The kids helped me out by bringing my tools back to my shed and scooping the dog poop before I mowed so I promised them I would quit early and make a "real" dinner and they could ask their friends over. I made them Boca Bacon & Cheese Omelets, that's "real" in their book, they love "reverse breakfast" nights, and I like them because they are easy!

After their early dinner, it was playtime! They asked "is the water cold?" to which I laughed, we have well water so it is indeed cold! They played in it anyways...

That's Finn sailing down the slip-n-slide, with my neighbor laughing in the background

When I came in tonight, I found this on my desk. No doubt Finn's doing, since he is always collecting rocks and stuff for me :)

I am excited to get working again tomorrow - my energy usually comes in waves, and since I was down with a horrible migraine for 3-4 days this week, I figured I'm owed at least a week of productivity.

I would love to get my seeds and seedlings into the beds, but this is what is holding me back:
Where you see "Hatteras", that's the bullseye for us!


The big one Danielle is a good thing for us, since it is not coming here but will be offshore kicking up the waves and the East Coast Surfing Championships are here this weekend, but Earl behind it is forecasted to come straight to us, and there is Fiona right behind that one. September is typically our big hurricane season, so I kind of watch and wait for plantings... it's kind of a crapshoot and I often have to replant in October :)

I guess at some point this weekend I need to go get fuel in the cars and for the generator... the one time I don't we will get clobbered with a big one. I HATE being without electricity with a well... no power = no water or toilet flushing without hauling buckets! Some of you know how it feels. Although I think it's better here than back home where the well pump just freezes and your whole family has to move to grandma's house in town and wait it out... remember, Mom?!

Happy Hurricaning, everyone! Remember, prepare first, THEN party!

13 comments:

  1. It's sad, but my dad is just WAITING for a hurricane to hit land! He's a volunteer for disaster services for the Red Cross and he hasn't been able to do a hurricane relief in years and now he can again so he's all ready to go (he loves it!). I just hope they don't hit you (or at least not hit you bad)!

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  2. Looks like your energy is peaking at just the right time. Cosmos is one of those flowers euphemistically termed a "free seeder," meaning you will fight it on the beaches, you will fight it in the beds, you will fight in on the paths. . .

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  3. Isn't it wild? We have lived in the MidWest our whole lives and can't imagine what you folks go thru! Fingers crossed that you don't get hit! But that doesn't look so promising!

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  4. Geez-they're just LINED UP! I'll take my boring weather, thank you. Glad you're up and better-you've got a LOT of Cosmos waiting for you. Up here, it's Cleome I do battle with > I love them, just NOT ALL OVER!

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  5. I love slip n slides! I just don't think it's a good idea doing it as an adult. lol.

    Have a great weekend!

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  6. Kaytee, I bet that's very fulfilling work that your dad does!

    Stefaneener, I shudder to think what would happen if the place was vacant for the summer!

    ApplePieGal, it's not that bad as long as you heed the warnings and prepare. Although we are on an island, so it makes evacuation nearly impossible unless you do it way ahead of time, the traffic is a nightmare, and the tunnels and bridges out of here are the first things to close. I remember tornadoes when I lived in the midwest and those terrify me more since there isn't much warning.

    Sue, your garden is looking amazing this year! I love your updates on your flower beds!

    Dani, funny I was watching what a hard time they were having getting their bodies to "slide", I don't remember having that problem as a kid, we must have greased them up with something LOL, I wont' tell them about that!

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  7. I'm so glad you're feeling better! I guess it's my turn tonight. Even my teeth hurt...
    I should definitely not be on the computer, but it's so fun to see what everyone's up to!
    I'm wishing you a safe September, friend. :)

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  8. It's strange to think that other gardeners have to worry about things like desert heat and hurricanes when planning their gardens. Here, we just have to put up with short summers...and blizzards. :)

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  9. Patty, hope you are feeling better!

    Thomas, this Friday is the forecast day for H. Earl if it hits... if it's bright and sunny the next day, the seedlings go in - I'm tired of waiting!

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  10. Do you ever evacuate Erin? (Or would you ever have to i should probably ask.)

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  11. Only once, about 6 years ago and it wasn't fun! Just me and still breastfeeding a little one and my wheel bearings went on the Subaru 3 hours into my trip to MN - a nightmare! We have a pretty unusual situation here in that our entire metro area is an island and all the bridge-tunnels are the first thing to close down, so if you evacuate you have to do it 2 days beforehand which nobody ever does! They reverse all lanes of traffic so all lanes would be open to leave. I weathered a hurricane in Cape Hatteras once down the road from us and that was pretty hairy.

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  12. Both instances must have been quite stressful. Plus anything is worse when you have kids with you/to worry over as well. I hope this storm stays west for you, waaaaay west.

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  13. That's so cute that Finn left you a flower at your desk. How adorable. I hope Earl doesn't hit too hard. Be safe.

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