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| The Star Schoolhouse above Lenore, Idaho |
Looking
at the weather, Mike saw that Friday would be the last chance to mow at the
farm for several days. Rain was in the forecast. By the same token, I had piles
of laundry to conquer. Okay – we returned yesterday (Friday, June12).
We
had a list of errands to run on our way to the farm – a “Y” for the hose
hook-up on the cistern; a geocache on Sunnyside Bench Road above Lenore; gas at
the service station on Riverside; a visit to the Clearwater County Courthouse
to pay taxes. Between the two of us, we remembered everything we wanted to do.
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| Highway 12 from Sunnyside Bench Road |
The
geocache was most interesting – the one-room Star Schoolhouse, which is now a
barnyard – private property and fenced to keep the cows in. “Don’t cross the
fence,” said the hint. I appreciated that because as a lot, geocachers are
over-zealous.
We
had just arrived (about 10:30) and were unloading the car when I heard Bess
bark. A mother hears the urgency in her child’s voice, and this knowledge transfers
to the dog. We ran around to the south side of the house where an agitated Bess
was concerned about something in the grass at the back steps. Soon Mike spotted
it – a baby rattler, lethargic and barely able to rattle. I held Bess while he
ran for his snake pail and tongs. And then he found another on the other side
of the house as he was mowing, which he added to his pail. Both were soon
transplanted to a spot far from the house, and with any luck, they won’t be
back.
We
have seen racers, garter snakes, and bull snakes this spring, but these were
the first rattlers. We’re more apt to see them on a hot afternoon, and we’ve
had so few of those.
Anyway,
Mike mowed and trimmed while I unpacked and started the laundry. Once he had
finished trimming the yard, he put an old pane of glass into a window frame and
installed it in the storeroom in the barn. Daughter Hallie recalled that
household items and furnishings we stored in that room many years ago were
soiled (and spoiled) by the varmints. We hope the window provides protection,
but I’m not sure. Well, Mike’s stuff won’t be there more than a month or so.
Looking
out the kitchen window, I could see something whitish to the northwest at the edge
of the grove. I ambled over there and discovered two big toadstools and another
some feet away. I’ve always thought that particular spot was especially
enchanted – a place where the faeries might hang out. Guess I was right. 
In
our three days away, the garden made tremendous progress. I picked a mess of
spinach for our supper. We congratulated ourselves for having planted early
this year, but even so, the spinach is ready to bolt. I was surprised to find a
few ripe strawberries, which I added to the store-bought ones for delicious shortcake.
And
the canola? Well, the spraying they did last week has turned the weeds yellow.
The crop is up but still close to the ground.
I
gave the hummingbirds some fresh nectar. One or two appreciate the feeders.
We
watched dark clouds in the afternoon and evening. The wind commenced in earnest
during the supper hour and continued all night long. Today is dark, dreary, windy, rainy.
KW
4 comments:
Dan says this weather is perfect for getting things growing. Of course, it must eventually get warm for there to be a harvest! He has planted summer squash, zucchini and green beans. We're hoping to actually get green beans--it's been years since we've had any luck. Time will tell I guess.
I do think this wet spring is doing the garden a lot of good. Not sure about the crops.
I thought I was the only gardener that had trouble getting vegetables to grow. And they say you can plant late in summer for fall produce, but that has never worked for me. I gave a lot of my raised bed space to spinach, and when I think of how many meals we're going to get from it, I wonder if it's worth it -- except that it tastes good, of course. (Does it? -- taste good?)
I have had trouble getting beans to set on. The flowers come out, then later fall off without producing any beans. I was wondering if the problem was pollenation. I don't see bees around here, except in front in the rosemary bushes.
It could be lack of pollinators, but I wonder if it isn't the heat. Unless we start early -- and that can be difficult -- the summer heat cooks the blossoms.
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