MUST BE SUMMER

HELLO FROM GILBERT, IDAHO

When we fenced “the flower garden” over Memorial Day weekend, I thought I’d have a few weeks to weed and remove sod before it got really hot. Not so! It’s hot now, and I can’t seem to get outside early enough of a morning to beat the heat.

Suddenly it’s summer. The rules of coping in summer are perhaps not as important as the rules of winter but should be obeyed for comfort. Outdoor work should be done in the cool of the morning. Windows must be closed by 9:00 a.m. and not re-opened until the cool of the evening. No baking! 

Animal report:

To date, we have seen only a few hummingbirds. I make just a cup of nectar every other day or so, and the feeder is never drained.

"Hi Hallie," says Nellie.

Sunday evening, we saw a cow elk where our lane curves up to the road – down where the apple trees are. A small whitetail doe seems to frequent that area. As always, we see the occasional deer. They are wary of Bess, I think, and sort of skirt around the yard.

Rattlesnakes are plentiful, as Ina says. We seem to have some sort of tall grass explosion, which makes me more anxious than in previous years about our safety. With the tall grass, ticks are also a problem.

Vegetation report:

The wild roses are in bloom everywhere here. Though beautiful with blossoms ranging from light pink/white to deep rose, I see more bushes every year, and like blackberry bushes, they can over-run other more desirable vegetation. I’d like to try to slip a couple of unusual wild roses in the area -- a dark pink (almost red) and the yellow one on the road.

The farmer came in yesterday to spray herbicide on the fields. I always hope our trees and plantings will survive that. I planted two tomato plants and also some green peppers in the raised beds, and they appear to be thriving. The spinach made such a poor showing that I raked it out and planted yellow crook-neck. I have zucchini here and there. Don’t laugh – some years I have to buy it despite my efforts to grow it.

Cherry tree

The new sweet cherry tree looks good in its location behind the woodshed. I’m already in negotiation with Mike to prepare that area as a small orchard. The “Honey Crisp” tree in the grove is less happy. It was “bare root” stock and looked sparse to begin with. The Montmorency pie cherry tree, planted five years ago, looks healthy, but the cherries may be sparse again this year. I’ve been pulling weeds and grass out of the raspberry patch and watering more deeply.

Otherwise . . .

I’ve done a little sewing – an outfit for Rosabell (so much fun!) and a whole lot of work on Mike’s old crop of jeans (not so fun). I’ve patched those with new holes and made cut-offs of those already patched with new holes in the patches. Sometimes I wonder if mending is worth it because Mike doesn't pay much for jeans in the first place. Some old habits of frugality don't translate well into the modern world.

And – I’ve been learning to use Pinterest, yet another form of computer addiction. I tell myself it’s better than other forms of addiction. KW