12 Oakdale

It has begun to cool in the evenings. Each morning, I open the bedroom and dining room doors, then put up the living room window so Gracie can enjoy looking out. When I hear the AC turn on, I close up the house. Today, the AC never started up. It was 70° outside when we went to bed. It’s Fall. Tuesday, CC and I weeded around the tomato ring. Wednesday, I planted 3 Big Boys, 1 heritage Purple Cherokee, and 1 Florinada around it. At least that’s what I think I planted. All of my labels were faded. I’d started the seeds in pots before we went to New Zealand, and I had anticipated coming home to lush plants. Didn’t happen. After 3 weeks of solid rain, I’d had Steph turn off the mist system. The next 3 weeks were bone dry. I came home to almost bare sticks. Crossing my fingers and planting the little tomatoes deep, I hope we will have some fruit this year. I cobbled together an anti-bunny fence of screen held up with bamboo stakes around the ring. I don’t know if bunnies eat tomatoes, but s...

Dang, it’s hot. Yesterday, our thermometer sensor on the boathouse got to 99°. And not a cloud in the sky. I’ve restarted sprinkling every morning, but the plants don’t seem to notice. By 7:30-8:00, I’m out working in the yard and quit at 10:00. My clothes are soaked, not just sweated on. When I take off my shirt, it’s so wet, it seems like it just came out of the washing machine. Even my belt is wet.  I’ve given up on the vegetable garden. There are 2 eggplants left, and I don’t see any more forming. The okra gave up after producing a couple of pods. The one bright spot is my southern peas, which our resident marsh hare has been eating. A couple of days ago, Grant restrung the monofilament lines to create bunny-proof fencing. The peas are coming back, so perhaps it’s working. Or the rabbit doesn’t like that I’ve cleaned out the huge patch of Spanish needle (Bidens alba)  that was its cover right next to my garden. Question: why don’t marsh hares eat that? It’s a native, alway...

The first cold front of the season has slipped in, and, baby, it’s cold outside, with a low of 41° Monday and Tuesday night. Yesterday, it warmed up some, and only dropped to 45° last night. Brrr. I made William a cardboard den and placed a lamp over it for some heat which is fine since it didn’t rain. A temporary solution. We have to design and build him a weatherproof structure before colder temperatures come. Annie has been reluctant to venture out after being stuck on the porch one of the cold nights. She had refused to come in when we were going to bed. The next morning, she let me know it was all my fault that she was cold. Since her kitty litter is out there, I used a gentle prod to help her make her mind up to go out. She caught on. Now I have to carry her out. She is a fair weather cat. Sleeping on the couch in the warmth  is her plan, with occasional forays to her food bowl.  I’ve added fast walking to my exercise program since I’m reluctant to swim even with my wets...