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Summer 2012
message 101:
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Cheryl S.
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Aug 14, 2012 04:29PM
We are having a fabulous cool spell with daytime temps in the 70s. Such a relief!
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Same here, Cheryl. Feels like fall has arrived.
My Mother and I were out Tuesday and discussed the same thing. She said she and her friend were looking out the window and both said that fall had suddenly arrived; it's about the quality of the light. I agree. Even though it's supposed to be in the high 80's tomorrow, it's definitely made the change.
The other thing I noticed as soon as I got home from up north is the sound of the crickets at night. That's a fall thing here. The grass is starting to look funny and I noticed a maple tree where the leaves on the south side have turned bright red.
It seems like fall here too. I welcome the fresh air but I am sad to see summer end. Several of my plants seem to be coming back for their last hurrah before the first frost.
I noticed a maple with some red leaves too. I don't like fall because it means winter (and depression) are coming. I struggle so much more in winter.
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday was hot and the humidity was so bad my garage floor was sweating and slippery. Today I worked in the garden dressed in jeans, long sleeved shirt, hooded sweatshirt and socks. I haven't had socks on in months and the jeans felt weird too. The wind was howling between 20 and 25 MPH, but my garden is quite protected so that helped. We could drop to the high 40s over night. I like cooler weather, but the 40s in August is a bit extreme.
Have finished canned peaches from two trees, continue to can tomatoes from the garden, and face a second batch of relish to make and can this week. My okra's started coming in (I planted late), and have some nice, big butternut squash on my vines. I've already harvested my first planting of pumpkins (made *wonderful* stuffed pumpkins with most of them), and am hoping my second planting of pumpkins ripen before frost. My garden was included in two vegetable garden tours this summer, organized and coordinated by a neighbor. It was great fun and inspirational seeing what other gardeners are doing.
How big is your garden,Kimberly? The pumpkins sound amazing.
Yes! It has been raining! Most of the night and all day so far! Over half an inch already! Yahoo!
Peg, I have 15 raised beds (14 planted in vegetables and one in strawberries), as well as fruit trees, fruiting vines, and berry bushes. Pretty much, my entire back yard is my vegetable/fruit garden.Fresh pumpkins *taste* amazing. Plus, it's so much fun watching them grow.
Rain, gloreous rain! My husband refers to rain as Garden Weather. My rain gauge captured 1 1/2" since yesterday morning. What a blessing.
I am thrilled to say that my rain gauge showed a full two inches! Happy dancing here!
Your garden sounds wonderful,Kimberly!I am going to try to put in a raised garden for strawberries before winter. What kind of strawberries do you grow?
What kind of fruit trees do you have?
Fresh pumpkins are wonderful. What do you stuff yours with?
I hope you don't mind all my questions. I'll stop asking for now:-D
Miriam wrote: "I am thrilled to say that my rain gauge showed a full two inches! Happy dancing here!"Impressive! I'm glad for you. Wish some would come our way. I'm going to have to put the soaker on the hydrangeas as they are looking very sad.
.26 inches today and that's it apparently. Still, better than none.According to one potential track of the hurricane, out of many many, it would pass directly over us on Sunday.
If it dumped a bunch of rain that would be just fine.
Of course, other tracks show as far west as Oklahoma, so who knows.
God Speed to those in the direct path in the South.
Isaac reminded me that a tropical storm is nothing at all like a hurricane. I, like most people, was inclined to think of it as 'nothing much', a precursor to the threat of a hurricane. But it ain't so.A hurricane is organised and would pass over the island in 15-24 hours and that would have been that. But a tropical storm is a disorganised collection of clouds with thunderstorms and (this one) a lot of wind with tremendous gusts and rain that goes on for days and days, just one long trail of 'bad' weather.
I say 'bad' because I quite like it - there was very little damage, just a few tree limbs and some coconuts down. It's nice and cool and I like the wild winds. What I don't like is power cuts and one day I'll get a generator!
I am sorry for anyone in its path, it really is a long haul.
It doesn't look like it is getting any more organized, either. Still just a tropical storm.
Really not 'just'. It was worse than a cat. 1. Just as much wind and with fierce gusts, many thunderstorms, three days of it.
I can't believe they are predicting Isaac to hit New Orleans the same day as Katrina 7 yrs ago. From what I've seen on TV this AM it seems people are taking this storm much more seriously and are doing early evacuations. Selfishly I'm glad I don't live in an area where hurricanes are an issue. I like wind too, Petra, I always think of it as being able to hear the Earth breathe.
Isaac killed at least 22 people and caused significant flooding and damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm is now 400 miles wide - huge - and only moving forward at 7 mph. Wherever it goes it is going to move over so slowly that it doesn't matter that the winds are sub-hurricane (70 mph sustained at the moment) they are going to do massive damage to any vulnerable area. I hope that New Orleans was rebuilt to withstand weather like this.
My friend who is a major storm insurance adjustor is watching it all closely. He had to go to New Orleans after Katrina for six months!
I hope he doesn't have to pay another visit anytime soon.
He is too. That was a horrible experience. He was threatened, even though he was always trying to give the clients as much as he could. And he really hurt for the people whom he couldn't help.
As I understand it because the storm is moving so slowly the storm surge will be the big issue in New Orleans and will be a huge test of all the work they've done to improve their storm management system. I'm just hoping all those in threatened areas have heeded warnings and evacuated.
It was a fiercesome storm for us, not too much rain, but winds, thunderstorms and high seas and for three days too. It sounds like it has got a lot worse since then as well.
It's been three days of deep cloudiness and tremendous humidity; temps in the 80's. We got about 2" of rain from the hurricane here; other areas close to us got up to 5" I hear. Forecast for more of the same for two more days, then maybe cooling off. I hope so.Our a/c is sort of on the fritz; it works but has to be kept at a higher temp than we like or it freezes up. The part is on the way and I am hoping for today (Tues) for repair.
Some stupid little valve about the size of a pen all in--$450 is the price for part and installation. Still, the only other possibility was a new a/c unit, in the thousands of course. So I guess I'll stop complaining. Maybe.
I have a humorous story (even the person involved thought it funny after the fact) re a/c.
My neighbor had to have a new central a/c (heat pump) unit installed a couple of months ago right during the 100 degree weather. The one he had worked fine UNTIL one day when he went outside and was washing the siding on the house. The outlets when installed were not outside ones and so corroded and rusted, and started to spark (this was where the power washer was plugged in). So Mark took something and whacked away at the plug to unplug it; in doing do he managed to bisect the coil on the a/c that runs into the house, thereby losing all the freon and doing serious damage to the unit.
I told him it wasn't a case of the a/c dying; he Murdered it.
But now they have a new heat pump unit all shiny and bright for the upcoming winter. But he wasn't too thrilled about the money, obviously. Luckily, he's a really good natured laid back type who gets over things pretty well.
That is funny!Been hot here and REALLY muggy. But in spite of the forecasts, no rain at all from Issac.
MissJessie wrote: "It's been three days of deep cloudiness and tremendous humidity; temps in the 80's. We got about 2" of rain from the hurricane here; other areas close to us got up to 5" I hear. Forecast for more ..."LOL!
In Minnesota our average number of 90+ degree days for a summer is 15. Today was our 30th. A cool down is predicted for tonight, I'll believe it when it happens.
We've had bouts of pouring rain since yesterday, been disgustingly muggy since Saturday (with the % in the high 90s) - the remnants of Isaac are here. Hate the humidity, glad for the rain, thankful this is all we have to deal with re Isaac! I'm still not over last Aug's Irene!
Cheryl, did you get the rain? I woke up at 3:30 with the rain pouring in my windows. Realized I had left my car windows open, so had to run out and shut them. I looked like a drowned rat when I got back inside! Now there is a leak in my bedroom! My bedroom is part of the wrap around porch that was enclosed. So it is somewhere in the junction of the porch roof to the side of the house that is leaking. Hope it dries out enough tomorrow to climb up there and tar it! I have surgery on Thursday!
Miriam wrote: "Cheryl, did you get the rain? I woke up at 3:30 with the rain pouring in my windows. Realized I had left my car windows open, so had to run out and shut them. I looked like a drowned rat when I got..."It rained for about 15 minutes this morning. Barely registered in the rain gauge. It is much cooler today, down in the 70s but it's still kind of humid. Can't wait for the crisp fall air!
We got an inch and a quarter in just over an hour!
Scary thing is that we get an average of 3"s with each day of storms for the last 3 times we had t-storms throughout the day. We;ll know tonight or tomorrow what we got today but it's probably about that much. The bad thing of that is that it comes all at once in drenching downpours and runs off to the lowest point barely soaking into the ground! Frustrating!
Miriam wrote: "We got an inch and a quarter in just over an hour!"Wow!
Sprinkled off and on over night (couldn't sleep so I have first hand info). Temps much lower this AM. About 4PM the wind came and the temp dropped into the 50s. Seems Minnesota is finally acting like herself.
We got some more rain yesterday. Not a lot, but drizzle off and on throughout the day. Well needed!
In the 40s this AM, but sunny. The wind is supposed to come back up and howl this afternoon. Just what all the dry plants need. Finally mowed lawn yesterday afternoon even tho some areas are dead and others have grass way too long.
Peg, my sincerest apology for not answering your questions sooner. I didn't plan to disappear for so long. My mother had hip replacement surgery. I went to stay with her after her discharge from the hospital, and three days after release, she suffered a heart attack. Luckily, it was a mild heart attack and she's home again, so I'll be leaving Monday to stay the week with her. She doesn't have a computer or internet service, so I'll be vanishing for another week, at least.I have two different kinds of strawberries, one a "June bearing" and the other an everbearing: Seascape and Northeaster. They both bore really, really well, giving me enough berries for shortcake, slushies, breakfast cereals, and freezing. They also produced relatively few runners, which was nice. I purchased the slips from Burpee.
My fruit trees are: Goldcot Apricot (needs no pollinator and bears heavily, but I have to trap squirrels in order to get any fruit. The squirrels tear off the flesh and eat the pit.) Gala apple. Plums are: Stanley (prune plum, purple), Sweet August Sensation (red plum), Methley (Japanese plum, requires another Japanese plum as a pollinator, which my neighbor has), and two native plums which are too young to bear yet. Cherries: Bing and Black Tartarian (pollinators). Black Tartarian has produced fruit for 2 years now, while Bing still hasn't flowered.) Pear: Moonglow (self-pollinating) and 3 peach trees that I grew from pits. All the peaches I canned this year came from my trees.
I will share my stuffed pumpkin recepie in the recepies thread. Its main ingredient (other than the pumpkin) is sausage. The combination is wonderful!
Kimberly,I'm sorry to hear about all your mother's problems. She is lucky that you are available to take care of her. Caring for aging parents is taxing.Your gardens sound wonderful. I am going to try strawberries next year for the first time. I will probably buy slips from Burpee as well.
Now I'm off to the recipe site to take a look at your pumpkin recipe.
My mom lives alone, so I'm thankful that I -- anyone -- was with her at the time of the heart attack. She and I share of love of gardening and quilting and reading and . . . so caretaking her is more enjoyable than taxing. At least, at this point. As her health deteriorates, that may not remain the case, but I'm enjoying our times together until then.
Peg, if you're going to buy from Burpee, consider signing up for their free email newsletters. They infrequently offer free shipping, and that's when I buy from them. No matter when you order, they'll ship plants at the optimum planting time for your region. I was *very* pleased with the quality of the strawberry plants I received.
Thanks, Kimberly. I do want to minimize the runners on the strawberries. I'm thinking about recruiting someone to help me construct a strawberry "tower" to conserve on space in the garden. My son's neighbor works for Burpee and has offered to share her discount with me in the past. If she is still feeling generous I may order through her but I am going to sign up for the news letter regardless how I order.
The Burpee newsletter sounds like a good idea. I always order seeds from them, but have never ordered any plants.
Kimberly, well wishes to you mom and support to you! Cheryl, I love the Burpee newsletter! Lots of great info in them.
Yesterday the wind howled and the temp reached 95, today we have clouds and it is 60 degrees. Yesterday was our 31st day of +90 degree days, our average is 13. No wonder the lawns, trees and flower pots look terrible. We are in a severe fire danger zone, but at least the wind is down today which makes it a little safer. No rain for almost 4 wks. Basically it's a repeat of last Aug and Sept only hotter.
We've finally dropped into fall. Down to 33 degrees last night and didn't get out of the 50's today. I'm ready.
Jo, thanks so much for your well wishes. My mom's home again and doing better. Hopefully, it's all up hill from here.Cheryl, it's feeling like Fall here, too. Lovely, lovely weather in the mid-70's with lows in the 50's. I'm canning second-crop tomatoes, harvesting peppers, raspberries and okra, and my beets and peas are up. I love this time of year.
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