I should be depressed, I have two tractors in the way with dead batteries and all I can think is that these things happen and I will fix the problem tomorrow. Acceptance is far less stress than being upset after all getting upset won't fix the problem. And right now a cup of tea and some food will make me feel better.
It is very hot today and the wasps are cranky, attacking the exhaust on my tractors. They make me nervous buzzing around so I will wait till it is cooler later. I've seen this before and they will actually try to sting the exhaust. There are a lot of them this year. Hand watered both green houses and all the flower beds and they didn't bother me.
I was sitting under an apple tree in the shade and it was so nice but there is still indoor work when I can't work out doors. I will sneak back out there when I stop for tea.
The garden looks good but sprinklers just can not do what rain does. They need more water than a flower bed or lawn to produce something usable. Apples are doing good, it is time to feed them some bone meal. It will give me too many apples but it will give me apples that are bigger. I could fruit prune for size. That is a lot of work though. I have a few sour cherries but the tree is not happy. CBT won't help it. I think I will remove it.
Hugs seeds can last for years, the best way to get rid of them is to germinate them and kill them. If you use a weed whacker (string trimmer) make sure you cut them off right at the ground. In fact weeds turned under with a hoe make good green manure if you get them before they seed.
I've gotten behind in tending to the yard, although I did water. Lots of weeding to do. I admired the leeks without cutting the tops, since the bees are so attracted to the tops, and I've never had leeks since they were planted.
I'm reluctant to use a weed wacker since it spreads seeds, but it's quicker than doing weeding manually.
It took a while to find it because it looks different from it's cousins, it is the only one with clear wings. My fairy is a Clear Winged Sphinx Moth. Never seen one before. This warming over the years has brought us insects, birds and animals that don't belong here. We are supposed to be zone 3 1/2 but are more like 4 now. We have always been warmer than the surrounding areas. We have trees here that don't belong here. I don't know what to think of this.
It is overcast, I hate to think how hot it would be if it wasn't. Mowing lawns today and drinking lots of water. I'm looking forward to the rain we are supposed to get at the end of the week. Sooner would be nicer but people are still making hay. They like it hot.
Today while sitting on the rail of my deck by the delphiniums I saw the strangest insect. It is probably from the bee family but is about twice the size of a big bumble bee. If you believe in fairies you have to see this. (no I'm not into the valium or the wine) It looks like a very small humming bird and even has wings like one and flies like one. But it has an orange fur coat on it's back and tufts on it's head like very long ears or furry antenna. It also has what looks like a tail. The interesting thing is that it didn't land on the flowers but hovered in front of them, Like a humming bird. It is very tiny and I'm going to look stupid if it is a humming bird. It can't be? It must be a fairy.
Davit
PS very hot today and going to be hotter tomorrow.
With normal dryness of summer setting in, I water more frequently, and the flox are blooming. Placing CD's around some plants cause of virtual laser show scaring off birds, with the intense reflections from the shiny side of the CD's.
Well it is hot and except for watering I did no gardening. Still I might mow a bit of lawn this evening. There is no rush, there is supposed to be a week of hot dry weather. I have to do a minor repair on my little tractor. The one with the yellow jackets living in the front axle. I will be working on the other end of it at least. I sharpened the mower for it in the hot sun but I have some other work for it before putting the mower on it. I checked my walking trail and found a surveyor fell some trees on it looking for the corner post that is in plain sight and ribboned. They were my trees too and I had to push them off with a tractor so I can cut the grass on the trail. Not much chance of neighbours there. The only dry ground is about the size of a small garage.
I want so bad to be in my garden but it is pouring rain. I will need my rubber boots next time I go out there. No patience on my part. It is supposed to rain only one more day then a week of 28C or better weather That is 83F I can handle that even though I am always hotter than the forecast due to the narrowness of the valley here. The ground is going to steam for a few days drying out. My pond pump is electric and not sheltered so I can't use it to water green houses. I'll have to use well water from the house. Not a chore to change the hose over especially with quick connects. Still I don't want to do it in the rain.
I hung shiny old CD's in the garden, and they may be scaring off birds from the beans. It worked for the lettuce, since birds are attracted to lettuce, but the punctured leaves of the beans could be ineffective if insects are perforating the leaves.
