Weather Woes Continue

A water emergency was declared this month - for the first time ever - new water restrictions have popped up everywhere, Hinckley (Lake) Reservoir is at the lowest point anyone can ever remember and now stands at only 17 percent of capacity.

Peoples' wells have been dry for weeks on end and many farmers are having to truck in water for their livestock (.01 per gallon at 50 gallon increments) or pay huge bucks to have it delivered.

NY's pumpkin crop has seen much better years. Lets just say they aren't going to see a bumper crop, if a crop even worthy of harvest, and get the wallet ready for the rise in price. Man, my pumpkin bread and pies are going to seem like a kings bounty this winter!

The changing of the leaves is almost 2 weeks behind schedule. The Adirondack Scenic Railroad is probably going to have to shuffle their schedule around a bit for 'peak' leaf peeping. Strange - the youngest maples on our property had peaked and dropped their leaves weeks ago and the older 'wiser' maples have barely a tinge of color. Obviously they weren't fooled by the frost that arrived much too early.

My brussel sprouts are suffering even though I tried to keep on top of the watering.

It will be back in the 80's next week (in October for pete sake!) with no rain forecasted for at least the next 8 days.

The upside:
The apples are awesome! The growers have pronounced this the best crop they've ever seen. Compact, but ridiculously sweet.

I don't think that kind of trade-off is anywhere near equal.

I'm just thankful it really isn't as bad as it sounds - several sections of the country have had it much worse than us this year.

I Like Him

Jamie Durie is the new host of The Victory Garden, and after a few shows I've decided I really, really like him!

What an improvement over Michael WeishYaMeanIGottaGetMyHandsDirty.

Mr. Durie actually has a personality. Heh, and that accent ain't too shabby either. And he touches things. With his bare hands! And gets dirt on himself. Dang, The Victory Garden now has sex appeal. Exactly what else have our Australian friends been hiding, eh? Good Lord, the man even has his own publishing company. I bet Micheal is cringing. lol.

Major kudos to The Victory Garden!

They did this really cool sculpture/tree thing with rebar and bouganvilla today. Yes, I want one for my patio! Obviously, I can't grow the bouganvilla, but I bet I can find something else that would look just as cool. Maybe Heavenly Blue morning glories, (a whole tree of blue!) or hyacinth bean.
Maybe both.
Ooooohhhh, the possibilities!

Muahahaha...the project list gets longer, and I'm enjoying this particular show again. Life is pretty good.

I Only Wanted To Frame Some Flowers!

I think I just had the worst day ever. Well, not really, but it felt like it.

My karma got warped while I slumbered, I think. Maybe I rolled over the wrong way.

Making coffee in the dark before dawn and step in a puddle of dog pee. Grrrr. I should have known right then to go directly back to bed, do not pass go, do not collect a good day! It's her way of protesting if we all leave the house at once and she actually has to be here alone. Woosie.

Turn on the kitchen light, clean up pee while still half asleep, throw the rug in the washer, I'll deal with laundry later anyway. Turn off light, finish getting cup of coffee, step in dog poo in the dining room. Great! Fabulous! Freaking peachy! I get it, honestly, I get her point - she's pissed we left her all alone yesterday. UGH! Another clean up session, back to my ever-loving cup of coffee I haven't even gotten a sip of yet.

I decided my happy flower year needed to be preserved for prosperity. Ha, ok, I wanted to press and frame some flowers. Wow, sounds boring when I type it that way.

Anyway, I got out the old frames and decided to start with the four leaf clovers. I needed to do something to reduce the piles hanging around anyway.

Yeah, I drop the frame and break the glass. Sigh. It's ok, you really can't notice the break too bad, it's at the bottom. (denial is a wonderful virtue?)

I reach to pick up the glass and slice the palm of my hand. Of course. Why not? Took forever to get the bleeding to stop, but I'll live.

I'm gonna get these flowers in these frames today if it kills me. I've waited a month while they pressed and I want to get it done and get that heavy-assed pile of 1970's car mechanic books stored back where they belong. Of course, the hubster has no idea the place I think the should be stored is 'the garbage'.

Hmmm ... easy enough to print out some white background paper with the latin names of all the flowers on 'em. Oooo, how artsie fartsy! And I can do them in pretty colors!

I get the color (perfect!) to match the flowers. Doesn't look right, but there are 8 frames, so I'll do 2 of each. Dang, I'm smart today! Have one all ready to print. Wait, the frames are cheap and the little stand thingy hangs lower than the frame. Looks terrible peeking out, so I'll tape it.

Yeah, as if. Kid has broken off the metal-tape-cutter-thingy and the dispenser goes flying - right into my computer, and 2 glorious karma seconds later - right into my computer 'off' button.

Well, there goes my custom color I'd picked. Sigh. Ok, so 2 of them won't exactly match in color. Don't tell, no one will ever know. I'll hang them waaaay away from each other.

Why did I only press one globe amaranth? I need more, the frame looks a bit empty. It's ok, they dry beautifully and will press right in the hanging frame, so I'll just pop outside 5 feet and cut a couple more...

...and step on a wasp. Sigh. Ignore the sting and grab the damn flowers! This is getting ridiculous!

Cut 'em quick and run back in the house, praying the whole time that I can make it all the way back in the door without something else happening.

Locate the stinger (well of course it had to be right between the toes), yank it out and watch the middle toe turn an angry red and swell 3 times it's size. Sigh.

Disregard the pain and get the frames done. Done, done, done!

Ok, they're on the wall. Admire them as you back into the table, slip, fall on the floor and spill a full cup of coffee. Uh-huh.

Rub sore butt, clean up coffee, and promptly smash the other foot into a table leg. What, was it jealous of the one with the sting?

I'm bruised, bleeding and swollen all over, and I'm not even telling what happened with dinner...

Bleh

That's really all there is to say about this time of year.

I call it the 'inbetweener' season. Time to clean up the garden and flowerbeds and get out all those half finished quilts. Yet, the temps aren't playing fair and there are still things going strong, pushing away the urge to tidy up. There's still time. Summer hasn't vanished yet. But, it will. Soon. And that white shit will be everywhere. Soon. Ugh - the inbetweener.

The Toad Flax has had a second flush of bloom, so I'm glad I didn't get scissor-happy and shear everything off. The zinnias (of course) are happy, toms are still overflowing, and the peppers are ignoring the fact they aren't in a nice tropical environ - nevermind, it will be mid to upper 80's today, so let 'em go on thinking it. Buddleia are absurdly weighted with new blooms, petunias are still pushing on, as well as the snaps, marigolds and cosmos. The asters are spectacular.

I really should get out there and collect some bean seed for next year and rip the plants up. But it's so nice out. It's not time! Not yet. And I will continue to refuse to acknowledge that it is until I need to dig out my woolens.