Another day, another hoverfly -- or two.
I had an insanely busy day yesterday. It suddenly seemed like there was so much to do around here. I cleaned the house, changed the sheets and took them to the laundry, and then got out in the garden, where I trimmed the neighbor's rose bush overhanging our patio -- the one we call The Monster.
I also cut down the collapsed teasels, which had begun to die back for the season. We didn't want them re-seeding and they'd stopped blooming and were turning brown, so we felt it was their time to go. I gave them another month of life at the end of July when I tied them up again, and a crucial month at that -- they fed lots of bees over the past several weeks. (We have a few more teasels in less precarious circumstances that we will allow to re-seed, so we get plants in the future.)
And then I mowed the lawn.
I removed a lot of long grass and overgrowth around the birdbath, which we can now see in its entirety. As much as I love a slightly shaggy garden, we do have to periodically rein things in! I filled four bags with garden waste, which is going to be interesting because the council will only collect two bags per week. Guess I'm going to have to parcel them out over a couple of weeks.
Anyway, I'm sure none of that is very interesting to you, but I like to keep track of when I do certain jobs and this record will help.
My niece in New Orleans marked herself safe on Facebook during Hurricane Ida, so that's a relief. I haven't heard from my stepbrother but he's in Broussard, near Lafayette, so he's farther west and hopefully will be OK there. You know, despite living 34 years in Florida and visiting almost every summer since, I've never been in a hurricane. I've had them pass close enough to get bad weather from feeder bands, but I've never endured a direct hit. Hurricanes don't often strike the west coast of peninsular Florida -- at least they didn't when I lived in Tampa and Sarasota, though storm activity has picked up in recent decades. They usually hit the east coast or the Panhandle.
Anyway, here's hoping everyone is safe from Ida.
Glad your family is safe from Ida. What a mess. The garden photo looks like it came from a storybook.
ReplyDelete"The Jungle Book," perhaps?
Delete“My Secret Garden”
Delete:)
DeleteAs you can imagine under lockdown we are getting a lot done at home. Today I put the dishwasher on, took recycling down to the recycling room and put a load of washing on, which is still in the machine. We are high achievers.
ReplyDeleteHey, these are all important things! Pat yourself on the back!
DeleteThe correct phrase for bringing something under control is "rein in", not "reign in". "Rein in" is an allusion to pulling on the reins of a horse in order to exercise more control. As a lifelong member of Pedants United, I am glad to be of service.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know it alludes to horses -- I simply misspelled it. Why do I feel like you cheer whenever you detect a minor flaw in someone else's writing?
DeleteI am sorry if you have that impression. Your written expression is excellent Steve and errors are as rare as hen's teeth. Would you prefer it if I did not remark upon any future errors? By the way, I happily admit that I also make occasional mistakes and feel grateful when they are pointed out for me.
DeleteNo, I'm happy to have errors pointed out, and I've pointed them out to others. But I usually try to be less pedantic about it! (Your lifelong profession is showing through, I suspect.)
DeleteWe had four hurricanes in six weeks in 2004 and Irma right over us in 2017 and were relatively lucky. I feel for the people on the gulf coast, last U heard people had lost power...
ReplyDeleteI remember those storms in 2004 because they hit my mom's house. A crazy year! I was already in NYC by then.
DeleteWhat A Day Of Accomplishments - Well Done - Throughly Enjoyed Watching Ida Build - Looking Forward To Daylight - Be Well This Week
ReplyDeleteCheers
P.S. Olga Girl Is In Need, In Need Of A Treat Or Two
You "enjoyed watching Ida build"? 🤔
DeleteOh, don't worry -- Olga is getting her treats for the day!
DeleteYou're very lucky that you've never had to experience a hurricane. I've lived through several and they are not fun. I feel so bad for the folks in New Orleans and surrounding areas. I just don't know how these folks pick up and keep going. God Bless them. That's such a pretty picture of your garden. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely think twice about living in New Orleans for just that reason. Of course, a lot of people say that about Florida, too.
DeleteHurricanes are why we left Florida ... after Katrina and Wilma in 2005, I was done and we began looking elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteWe've had a couple in SC but they're generally just bad rain storms by the time they reach Smallville.
Yeah, I get it. But as you said, SC gets its share! (Hugo comes to mind!)
DeleteYour garden could be an illustration for glorious wild abandon! It's just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe like it, but there's a certain degree of laziness involved, too. :)
DeleteYou did get a lot done there. I love seeing your garden.
ReplyDeleteYou remind me that back in the early 1960s there was a hurricane that hit New Jersey. I was a little kid in school at the time. The hurricane was so strong that we were sent home. A neighbor came to pick us up. We sat in her car while we waited for other neighborhood kids to come for the ride home. That car shook and shook like crazy in the hurricane winds. It was wild!
Wow! Sounds crazy! I didn't realize hurricanes even hit that far north back then. I know they do now, but I thought that was partly a function of climate change.
DeleteI was just listening to the news and it sounded like there haven't been people out yet to assess damage. They did mention that there were 75,000 homes without power. That's a lot.
ReplyDeleteYour garden scene looks so inviting.
Yeah, I'm sure it's not pretty.
DeleteNow that school is back in session, your weekends get busy with all the chores of the week! I love that photo of your garden with the birdbath there. Really lovely! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it! That's the view out the back doors, which are French doors onto the garden.
DeleteYards keep us busy all the time. I like being outside.
ReplyDeleteMe too. Having a garden makes a huge difference in our lives.
DeleteSo glad your LA family made it through the hurricane okay. It always amazes me how unique each one can be. (Which is a reason I cringe a bit when folks start comparing them. It all depends on the criteria when trying to determine "the worst".)
ReplyDeleteLast year was a rough one for LA (especially the Lake Charles area), so I hope they're spared anymore this year. One of those last year was still rated a tropical storm when it got to AR! That was a first for me.
I thought about you when I heard about this storm -- I wondered if you'd get it up in Arkansas! I guess you must at least get lots of rain.
DeleteI hear you about reining in the wild look. I like the look, too, but it has to be done at some point. Controlled chaos is good!
ReplyDeleteMy heart sank when I heard Irma was going to hit the same place Katrina did. I don't know how folks there can bear to face this over and over.
Ida, not Irma!
DeleteI guess it just becomes part of the seasonal routine, as it does in Florida. I don't think I could handle the added stress of knowing I was below sea level, though!
DeleteThat is a gorgeous photo of your garden! I agree with Mitchell - it's like the Secret Garden :)
ReplyDeleteNo longer secret thanks to my blog! LOL
DeleteNot everyone will survive Ida, either in reality or in property damage. Sooner or later, there will be a huge Cajun city in mid-Kansas.
ReplyDeleteYeah, a certain amount of destruction and, sadly, loss of life is probably inevitable.
Delete