The other day I got to do some weeding. Just the easy stuff. There are still a lot of weeds choking the vegetable plants. More work to do.
If things ever dry out, I'll be able to do some more. Because of the rain, the ground is a little messy. I haven't had to water in more than a month. Thank goodness for that soaker hose, eh?
We didn't plant this rose; it was here when we moved in. Every year I prune it back and every year it makes these pretty pinkish flowers. But it stays kind of leggy, never really filling out the way other rose bushes in the neighborhood do. Maybe I should feed it more.
Just in case you're wondering, our weather is not really improving much. Lots of wind yesterday and through the night with intermittent rain. I'm making a winery run this morning to stock up on rosé and red. I also plan to stop at a shop that sells curtains to check out what sizes they have. The sheers in our living room are eighteen years old and it shows. Parts of them are actually disintegrating. We planned to replace them last year, but then covid hit and the stores closed down. So we lost steam. Now it's time to get moving again.
The flowering stage is just about over and grapes are forming in the vineyards out back. Meanwhile, the growers and other workers are busy trimming, mowing, and plowing.
I'm still hopeful that our weather will turn into summer at some point. So far, it's been pretty much a washout. This morning the sky is deeply overcast after a rain system moved through in the wee hours. The sun's up, but it's still pretty dark out there. Tasha and I will go for our morning walk in a little while and try to avoid the puddles.
I got a new gas bottle for the grill yesterday and replaced the détendeur (regulator) since I had a second one. I keep two gas bottles so that if one runs out while I'm grilling a meal, I'm able to replace it on the spot. The grill works fine and I cooked some sausages for lunch. I've learned my lesson that I should turn the gas off at the bottle after every use rather than count on the grill controls to cut off the gas.
Our neighbors across the road had a garden party on Saturday. They set up the big tent in the rain on Saturday morning, but the rain stopped (mostly) in the afternoon. They were still at it at 01h00 this morning, but there was no disturbing noise to keep us from sleeping.
I turned on the grill to cook yesterday's lunch and nothing happened. The gas bottle, which is fairly new, was completely empty. A leak! I don't know if the bottle is defective or if there's a leak in the regulator or the grill itself. Thank goodness that it sits outside where the butane could dissipate. I will get a new, full bottle this morning and test to see if I can find a leak. It's always something.
This is what summer is supposed to feel like. The outdoor temperature when I got up around 06h00 was 18ºC (about 65ºF). Not hot, not chilly. Just right. If only it would last! We're expecting some light rain to come in later this morning. I don't think I'll have time to cut grass before it rains. It's market day in town and I'm going in for a few things.
The photo is looking south toward the ornamental prunus tree on the left and the big forsythia on the right. I got the electric hedge trimmers out yesterday and cut the forsythia back a bit so that I can get under it with the lawnmower. I also trimmed the small forsythia (out of the photo to the right) and the tamarisk (I think that's what it is) branches that still grow out of the tree's stump after all these years. There's also a low-hanging branch in the prunus that needs to be cut off, but I'll do that another time.
It's easy, so far this summer. The reason? Rain. We're having a break right now, but I'm not sure how long it will last. I got the small electric rototiller out yesterday and started attacking the weeds in the vegetable garden. I made good progress with a little more to do today. I also sliced my new soaker hose with the tiller blades, but was able to repair it with some parts from the connector kit. The grass in the south forty is ready to be cut again. The rest of the yard is not far behind.
Bert wasn't home last night before bedtime. I'm not sure when he came home. I must have been sleeping well. I woke up at 02h30 and noticed him asleep on the couch, so I went downstairs and closed his window and turned the lights off.
This will serve as the "before" shot. The next few days are predicted to be dry and warm, and we have our work cut out for us. We need to try to get the vegetable garden under control after weeks of rainy weather. The tomatoes, zukes, beans, chard, and eggplant are all looking good, but the weeds are looking better.
I'll start by running our small electric rototiller between the rows. Then we'll use a hoe and another weeding tool to do some of the more delicate work. Hopefully, I'll have a better looking "after" shot.
