EARLY HEAT SPELL

We made a quick trip to the farm on Tuesday (June 3) and returned to town Wednesday in order to attend a customer appreciation barbecue on Thursday (the 5^th). I’m not sure the barbecue was worth the interruption in our farm schedule, but as senior citizens, we were lured by the promise of free food – or maybe just the promise of a meal that we didn’t make for ourselves. After scheduled activities on Saturday (the 7^th), we returned to the farm for a day or two between town activities. It feels like too much back and forthing, but we have garden to tend at the farm now, which seemed especially important because of the excessive heat. Town highs were 100 (or nearly so). Farm highs were at 90.

Distant tree is on line between June & Jack's farms

The tomato plants I started from seed didn’t take off, so I bought three plants – Bush Early Girl, Better Boy, and a Sweet 100 cherry tomato. I supplemented the strawberry plants Hallie gave me with two more from Walmart and also planted lettuce in a corner of the strawberry bed – a variety called “heatwave.” The rhubarb plant that a friend gave me is doing well. The mint plants are happy, but that’s probably not a surprise. The orchard / meadow is a good place to plant invasive perennials. The zucchini and yellow crookneck squash seeds have yet to sprout. It's always “win some, lose some” with our garden.

Mike has worked hard pruning dead branches out of the pine trees. We’ve about decided that this broken pine should probably be completely removed. I suggested he saw it into a living sculpture.

I assisted Mike in widening the wire cages around the apple trees. It seems like we should be able to remove the cages, but the deer could devastate those young trees in several ways. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as we seem to learn over and over.

Mike saw nine little Mallard ducklings following their mom on the pond, but by the time I got there, mom was alone. Nine little ones seems like quite a hatch.

I finally finished the gray striped scrap afghan and just in the nick of time, too, since summer heat is upon us. I swear I have enough yarn to make yet another afghan. I used the wattle stitch, and it was easy to do. It makes a nice warm blanket.

Now it’s town time again – a luncheon for me; a fishing excursion with Ken, a minor hospital procedure, and a motorcycle trip with friends for Mike. It’s also time to get ready for summer visitors – clearing, cleaning, and shopping.

It’s cloudy and cooler today – just low 80s this afternoon. We had a smattering of rain – not enough to measure. KW