TOO DARN HOT!

It was 88 upstairs in the farmhouse Monday night, and Mike remarked that we should sleep outside. He would take the hammock, he said, and I could have the chaise. Aloud, I said nothing. To myself, I said, “Yeah, that’s not happening. I’ll take my chances in the house.” The subject of sleeping outside wasn’t mentioned again, and I slept as well as I ever do in the overly warm bedroom.

But Mike thought the woodshed might be too warm for Bess and allowed her to stay outside on the porch. He thought she might bark during the night, but she didn’t.

We see about a dozen hummingbirds at one time, all of them the one species (black-chinned). Tuesday morning, we watched as they queued up to drink from the feeder on the kitchen porch. Sometimes they would even share a perch. It finally occurred to me that the feeder on the front porch was empty. Once it was filled, the congestion was relieved.

I found a hummingbird feeder at Walmart last week that I really like. The opening is wide enough that I can fill it without using a funnel. More to the point, it’s easy to clean with a regular bottle brush.

Mike left at 6:00 for a neighborhood mountain bike ride, saying that he hoped it would energize him. It wouldn’t energize me, but whatever. Bess and I took a turn around the pond, and I took the pictures here with my phone. It was already 80 in the shade, so I closed the house.

Without the cool mornings and evenings, the house grows warmer. Our plan was to return to town early tomorrow morning (Wednesday, June 30), but we realized that it might be better to go back this evening. Even though the Valley is hotter, the house is air conditioned, and we might sleep better. I saw other advantages, such as traveling with that load of wood at a less-trafficked time.

And so, that’s what we did. After a light supper, we loaded a few things (and Bess) and headed back to town. As we approached mailbox corner, it occurred to me to ask, “Do you have your phone,” and he didn’t! Mike’s phone is his right hand, so back to the house we went. He was angry with himself for the distraction that led to his leaving it on the table, but I was grateful that I thought about it before it was too late.

I hated to leave the hummingbirds and the raised beds. The hummingbirds will be all right; they’ll just move on and I won’t see them again. I had watered well and filled water bags and plant nannies, but a few days away in this heat could mean our plants (one tomato and two zucchini) will wilt and die. Hopefully the newly-planted fruit trees will survive.

We drove back to town in temps around 110. The old pick-up has good A/C, so we were comfortable. The A/C in the house was set at 82. At some point Mike turned it off and opened windows, but we turned it on again at 6:30 this morning.

The excessive heat warning has been extended through Sunday. Today will be another 114-degree day, and then the 10-day forecast is for a drop of 10-15 degrees – in other words, still hot. KW

HOT AND HOTTER

I was up at 5:00 this morning and made fresh nectar for the swarming hummingbirds. They need to stay hydrated, too. Mike calls them sugar addicts. Yes, and we’re enablers.

Fall wheat taken last week

Even though we were awake early, we didn’t leave for the morning walk until 6:20 or so. We agreed that it wasn’t early enough. It was already hot. The Plank’s Pitch route is not shady, but Bess does the best she can to stay out of the sun. Well, we got our daily walk, and now Mike continues his quest to wash all the windows in the house while I pour water on trees and the raised beds and fill the plant nannies. Bess seems content to rest in the shade while the hummingbirds quickly drain the feeders.

Fall wheat today -- ripening quickly

Yesterday I tried to weed one of the raised beds and a yellowjacket took umbrage and stung me twice – on my arm above the Fitbit and under my chin. I immediately applied a baking soda poultice and am only a little uncomfortable.

I forgot the camera, so I have to use my phone. Mike thinks it’s just as good and maybe better. I’m not sure.

Lapins Cherry Tree

I note a big change in the wheat fields. Last week it was a sea of bright green everywhere I looked. This week, the fields are noticeably lighter in color – and growing lighter every day. And our Lapins cherries, which were green last week, are suddenly turning red. Mike and I went out after lunch and swathed the tree with netting to discourage the birds. I’ll share with them, but I get mine first!

The serviceberries are small and immature. The country berries are just bound to be affected by the heat and lack of moisture. We never have too much moisture here anyway. I still have elder and serviceberry juice in the freezer. Maybe it’s a good thing.

As of this posting (Monday, June 28, 5:00 p.m.), it’s 104 at Gilbert, and 85 in the house. It’s bearable inside under the ceiling fans. KW

WARNING: EXCESSIVE HEAT

 An “excessive heat warning” is in effect until Thursday, July 1. The worst day is supposed to be Tuesday, when the forecast is for 116 in the Valley. It won’t be that hot here at Gilbert – just 103 or so. After that it gradually cools to temps that are still unusually high.

And – it’s not like we’re sitting around waiting for it to get hot. It’s already hot! Mike’s weather station showed 70 at 6:00 this morning, so he hopped out of bed and closed windows. Our only means of keeping the house cool is to close the house before it gets hot outside.

Since we don’t water the grass here, it usually stops growing about the first of August. This year it’s already turning brown and crackles under foot.

Ken came yesterday and helped Mike load big chunks of the downed tree onto the old pick-up. “That’s a TERRIBLE IDEA!” exclaimed one son when I explained that two “old guys” were planning to load the wood, but it went fine. They worked in the morning and were finished in about an hour. I couldn’t help them, so I made classic no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies – sorta like stirring oatmeal into frosting. We like them.

Ken said that he saw a lot of Whitetail on the way in – and a lot of young ones. He laughed when he told how he could just see their heads sticking up above the grain. And then as we watched TV last night, a young doe and her twin fawn appeared just beyond the raised beds. Were they ever cute! I have never seen such tiny fawn on the hoof. We watched each other for a minute or so, and then Mama decided it was in their best interest to find another route to the pond, so she turned into the wheat field with her little ones following. I can’t help but wish them luck, even though they eat my apples, my hollyhocks, and anything else that isn’t fenced.

A nice group of hummingbirds visit our feeders. Hallie observed that our hummingbirds are not as vibrantly colored as they see in Seattle. We believe ours are “Black Chinned,” and they’re coloring is not spectacular.

Rattlesnakes? Nick saw one on the south side of the grove on Memorial Day. That’s the only one we’ve seen so far this year. Of course, I haven’t been looking for them. KW

SUMMER SOLSTICE STAYCATION, PART 2

The next day, Sunday, it was 7:30 when I was ready to take Bess for the morning walk. She steered me over to the pond, but once we completed a lap, she surprised me by heading down the lane, and we enjoyed another exploration of Pete’s Pond.

Pete's Pond

Sunday was a pleasant day – not too hot. I watered and puttered in the yard – nothing too strenuous. (And all the while I was working on that mountain of laundry.) In communing with the apple trees, I discovered a fifth apple on the Honey Crisp tree and tied a protector over it. I also visited with the cherry tree which is once again bearing a goodly amount of fruit.

Crop germination is sparse on the slope

I picked a lot of strawberries, but they are pitifully small. I wonder why. Too much competition? Maybe I should thin the plants. The “Siletz” tomato plant has three nice-sized tomatoes on it – and that’s all. The seeds I planted – zucchini, beets, spinach, green beans – haven’t germinated. Hmmm. Too hot? Not enough water? It’s mighty dry out there.

Arising early on Monday and anticipating the hot day, Bess and I had an early walk. Again, we did a lap around our pond and then went on to visit Pete’s Pond. When we got back, I baked banana bread (Mike’s favorite).

As I worked around the kitchen, I began to hear persistent chittering outside. It seemed to be coming from under the Jeep. Investigating, I found Bess also listening. Well, I just knew it was some kind of rodent. What else?! In a flash the chittering went from under the Jeep and into the woodshed, but we didn’t see it happen. We cautiously opened the woodshed door and peered in. We knew it was in there, but neither one of us wanted to pursue further.

When bedtime came, I was a little nervous about putting Bess in the woodshed, but after all, she IS a hunting dog. Surely she could cope. At 1:00 a.m., I heard scuffling and a brief bark, and I knew that the critter was indeed still in the woodshed. No point my getting involved. I went back to sleep.

It was 6:00 when I got up and headed downstairs. As I checked my computer for messages, I heard a strange sound at the window, and there on the screen was a chipmunk! Obviously, this was the source of the chittering. He (she?) seemed agitated, I thought, perhaps hoping to evade Bess, but she was elsewhere and disinterested.

We often see chipmunks on the grade but I think this is the first I’ve seen in the farmyard. Like many rodents, they’re super-cute but also pests. With our mammal field guide, I identified it as a “Least Chipmunk.”

Today’s walk wasn’t as successful as on previous days. We made our lap around the pond, but Bess indicated she didn’t care to go down the lane. I was fine with that. It was already hot, and I wanted to get back to town. Mike and I texted Monday evening and confirmed that we would both return to town today. Arriving at the house at 10:45, I was only mildly surprised to discover that he was there just ahead of me. KW

BESS’ AND KATHY’S SUMMER SOLSTICE STAYCATION, PART 1

Mike and a friend left Friday (June 18) on a 5-day back roads motorcycle trip through what I’ll call central Oregon. Never mind them. This is about Bess and me and our staycation.

Old dog Nellie greeted staycations excitedly. “Oh boy!” she’d exclaim in canine body language, “Mike is gone and I’m here with Kathy. My favorite!” And we’d have a relaxed good time. Nellie loved to explore, so our walks became opportunities to boldly go where we hadn’t gone before. We had quality kitchen time, too, and when it was time to rest, I’d watch TV and she’d snooze on a favorite pillow.

But Bess isn’t that secure. While Nellie accepted her place in the family, Bess is Mike’s dog. Saturday morning, she ran to the bedroom to be sure Mike really wasn’t there. “Now what happens,” she exclaimed.

We spent the first day (Friday) in town not doing anything much. Saturday, I packed up and loaded the Jeep with Bess, laundry, and supplies, and we set off for the farm. Once there, I tackled the mountain of laundry and watered. I was surprised when Bess invited me on a walk down the lane and up Plank’s Pitch to Pete’s Pond.

All went well until it was time to feed Bess her supper. When I lifted the lid off the storage barrel (Rubbermaid garbage can), my nostrils were assailed by a noxious effluvium that nearly knocked me flat. Wow! It could only be one thing – the mice had struck again. I do not know how this was missed heretofore because I’m sure it didn’t just happen in the last four days. I lifted out the bag of dog chow, and sure enough! – I could see an empty nest in the bottom of the barrel. I had no choice but to feed Bess that kibble, and she didn’t seem to mind. I texted Mike to ask if I should return to town, but he said dogs eat nasty stuff all the time. True enough, I guess. Nevertheless, fresh kibble and a new container to store it are in Bess’ future.

Pete's Pond

We had no mice in the obvious traps, but it occurred to me that I needed to check the closet under the stairs. Mustering my courage, I turned on the light and opened the door. Sure enough! There was a mouse in one of the traps. It’s Mike’s job to take care of those, but in his absence, I performed this duty. KW

GUESS WHAT!

Hallie's baby announcement (quilling)

Between 1955 and 1968, my 15 nieces and nephews were born. One year, between July 1962 and April 1963, each of my four siblings welcomed a new baby. When my mother finally allowed me to tell that one of my sisters was pregnant, I would begin by saying, “Guess what!” Eventually, the response to “guess what” was, “Who’s pregnant?”

Well, guess what! Hallie and Nick are expecting a little boy who will arrive as summer becomes autumn. Mike and I were stunned to hear these glad tidings. After all, our grandchildren are 26, 25, 23, 20, 17, and 12 going on 20. We had not anticipated this blessed event. I had to sit down for half an hour to contemplate the implications.

Hallie didn’t say it was a secret, and that’s good because we didn’t keep it. But it was still early, and I didn’t think we should make a general announcement just yet. And since I wasn’t talking about what was uppermost on my mind, the writing muse lost interest and went away. She’s like that.

Congratulatory card, c. 1953

But the grandmother muse came out. I searched the internet for the latest in baby boy wear. I learned to work with cuddle fabrics and made a self-binding blanket that’s oh-so-soft. I shopped for flannel in cute designs, and now I have a knee-deep stash waiting for me to hem receiving blankets. I bought plain onesies to embroider. And to keep track of my ideas, I started a new Pinterest board titled “Little Boy Johnson.” My plans were interrupted by the “Modular Home Refresh,” and now I’m trying to find my sewing muse.

During my contemplation of life with “Little Boy,” I envisioned our group walks at the farm – down the lane to the bottom and back up steep Plank’s Pitch to the top where it’s still not flat. It would be quite a trek for a little guy. (It’s become quite a trek for me, especially when it’s hot!) His parents might pack him for a while, but we can’t carry him forever, and a stroller would be difficult in the gravel. Besides, there will be years when he won’t want to walk two miles.

“I know,” I exclaimed to myself, “we need a wagon!” I shared my revelation with Hallie and Mike, and they agreed. Both said it should have pneumatic wheels. New wagons are expensive, so we decided to shop for a used one, and Hallie found a dandy one on Craigslist in the Seattle area. The starting price was high but gradually came down as it failed to sell. She kept an eye on it until it was affordable, and then she snapped it up.

She and Nick brought the wagon with them on their recent visit. It’s a tangible reminder that “Little Boy” is on his way. KW

AS SPRING TURNS TO SUMMER

Sunday (June 13) was a hot summer day, but Monday was cooler and felt wonderful. I puttered around the yard, and Mike rode the Gilbert Grade on his mountain bike just to see if he still could.

Teakean Butte framed by wild roses

Tuesday turned cool again. We had planned to return to town after breakfast on Wednesday, but I suggested that it might be better to get ready and go back after lunch. After some deliberation, Mike agreed. We did farm chores in the morning and after lunch we drove back to town.

Honey Crisp applets wear protective bags

And let me tell you – it was a slow trip on Hwy 12 along the Clearwater River! At one time we were in a string of ten cars that included three RVs. Oncoming traffic was such that no one could pass. It looks like the tourist season is upon us.

Just as we pulled onto our street, it commenced to rain, and for half an hour or so, it was stormy. We badly needed this rain, and I hope the same storm blessed the farm. But – the rain total for the day was only a quarter of an inch. We could use more.

And speaking of road trips, Mike and Sam plan to leave Friday (the 18^th) for a back roads motorcycle trip in central Oregon. Bess and I will staycate. I’m ready for rewards, but they won’t be coming in the mail. I haven’t had time to order fun stuff. KW

FARMHOUSE FIXES

Cottonwood Butte from the Gilbert Cemetery

Mike and I spent several days at the town house putting our rooms back together. Mike is anxious to have his part done. I’m taking time to reorganize my stashes.

On Saturday (June 12), we returned to the farm. Before even turning the water on, Mike was upstairs fixing the leaky bathtub faucet. It isn’t dripping now, nor is the toilet leaking. Success!

The hummingbird feeders had been drained of nectar, so I made more. A few have visited, but it’s clear we’ve lost momentum with the hummer community.

The deer, however, seem to become ever more brazen. They have been gradually nibbling this hollyhock at the back door, and Mike says they can have it because it’s in the way. I find it appalling that they feel free to nibble right at the house.

A well-munched hollyhock

In fact, last night at dusk the three of us watched – yes, Bess, too, watched from her perch on the porch – as three deer nibbled in the front yard. Mike speculated that they were eating clover. He tapped on the window, and they just looked up and then continued grazing. “They’ll run if I open the door,” I said, and as I did, they were on alert but still gave it some time before loping off. I might have been able to take a picture if I’d been ready. I’ll probably get another chance.

A baby Honey Crisp apple

Did I mention that for the first time the Honey Crisp apple tree we planted six years ago has a few apples? I see three. Hallie sent us some netting bags to protect them -- so that I might actually get some fruit, she said.

Today, we went over to the Gilbert Cemetery to pick up the artificial flowers we left there two weeks ago. While there, we committed to a burial plot. No one likes to think of these things, but I believe it’s a kindness to one’s heirs to take care of these things.

It's hot today and occasionally breezy, but it looks as though it will be cooler again in a few days. Maybe it will even rain. Maybe.  KW

PHASE V -- FINISH

Lavender blooms while I watch

Friday morning the mover arrived with his helper, and they methodically replaced our furniture in about an hour and a half. Then Mike and I continued to clean and sort. Mike worked hard while I didn’t. I make no apologies. He’ll finish his work and be off. Mine will continue forever. “A woman’s work is never done,” whether she does it or not.

And I’m constantly on call as the chief finder of mislaid things. I have found everything, and as we put things in their proper places, this problem will soon be solved, or as solved as it ever is.

“There’s a ride on Saturday,” announced Mike.

“Yes, I know,” I said.

“Oh, did you hear about it?” he asked.

“No, I can just tell by the frantic way you’re working.”

Mike still feels that he has to complete chores before he can play, but I think it just doesn’t matter. It will all get done sooner or later – or not.

Perhaps Mike’s most time-consuming chore was to put the door jamb of his office back together once the desk was moved in. The desk is large and the door is narrow; hence, the door jamb had to be removed – both sides – to allow the desk to move through. It wasn’t an easy fix since the carpet and pad are thicker than the old ones. It’s very nice underfoot, but we’ve had to make adjustments.

Finally, at 5:00, Mike said, “There’s still stuff in the garage, but I just can’t do any more.”

“Fine,” I said. “You’ve done enough for today.”

This process has been overwhelming to me, and I wouldn’t have done it if Mike hadn’t insisted, but it IS nice in the final analysis. The old broken-down sofa / loveseat combo is gone, replaced by the dual recliners, and when I sit here, I can see our front garden and watch the birds and the bees enjoying the blossoms. (Previously, the sofa blocked this view.) KW

[The photos are of the hollyhocks on the east side of the town house.]