It's definitely summer again, because my arms are itching like crazy. This happens to me every year, and I have gone back and forth about the cause, vacillating between sun exposure and insects. I'm now back on the insect hypothesis. I seem to develop this problem when it's blackberry season and I'm reaching into the bushes to pick berries, so I think some kind of little no-see-um is biting me. Once again I suspect insidious flower bugs, aka minute pirate bugs, though I haven't seen any of the bugs themselves.
What's funny is, the area where I'm being bitten (I think) is also the area where Bailey killed Ratthew the other day:
She is now fixated on this part of the garden and is running into those bushes every few minutes to make sure there's not another Ratthew lurking there. And we've noticed that she is also itchy! I wonder if those pirate bugs are biting her?!
Even when she's lying on her bed, her eyes are locked on the Ratthew zone.
Dave departed yesterday morning for the USA, and texted me later that he arrived just fine. He thoughtfully scheduled a grocery delivery for me yesterday afternoon that I somehow missed. I'm not sure what happened, because I was home -- I was in the garden but I still should have heard the doorbell (and Bailey definitely would have heard it). I wonder if the guy came early when I was running errands.
Our water shortage is becoming increasingly dire. The other day, when France and Spain were burning, I said to Dave, "It's only a matter of time before we get similar fires here." And sure enough, a 200-acre fire sprang up on the Suffolk coast. The Environment Agency says we are in an "exceptionally serious" drought and Wales apparently had its driest July since record-keeping began, 200 years ago. Southern England has had one percent of its expected July rainfall.
Even scarier is that this may be the new normal. We've had an officially declared summer drought in three of the past five years. I've been watching an apocalyptic BBC show called "The Rapture" which takes place during a heatwave, and it's all shot in a sort of yellow-orange tone with the foliage looking dried out, and frankly it's all hitting a little close to home for me!
We are respecting the hosepipe ban -- though I did use the hose to wash the dog yesterday. Is dog-washing allowed? I have no idea. I could do it in the bathtub but why let that water go down the drain when it could benefit the garden?
A certain neighbor is running her sprinkler as usual and her lawn is as fresh as a green carpet.
Speaking of the garden, I keep finding these things when I dig, and I've never known what they are.
I knew it wasn't very old, though, because it has a recycling symbol on it.
I took these pictures and searched Google, and turns out it's a plastic lawn-mower blade for a brand of mower called a Flymo. I think this was the plastic mower that came with the flat, and that I got rid of (with the landlord's permission) several years ago. We never used it. The blade seems so small, doesn't it? The cutting radius must have been incredibly narrow, unless there were multiple spinning blades.
Coming from Florida, I find the idea of a plastic lawn mower hilarious. A Flymo would positively explode mowing a lawn there. But I guess here in England, with our wimpy northern grass, it can do the trick under certain circumstances.
I'll stick with our metal one. And as I said, I've found several of these plastic blades lying around out there, so even on our lawn they're apparently not super-durable.
Never owned a flymo but I know they were like a hovercraft so were just swung from side to side rather than pushed up and down a lawn.
ReplyDeleteThe fire over on the Suffolk coast is going to be difficult to get under control with the wind constantly changing direction because of close proximity of the sea. It will have to be stopped - somehow - because the Sizewell Nuclear Power Station is on the coast just a few miles south .
Oh, I didn't know it was a side-to-side mower. Good thing I never tried to use it!
DeleteWe‘ve been having similar conditions in Germany, and I guess it will be our normal kind of summer weather now.
ReplyDeleteThe mower must have been equipped with multiple blades. My husband has one that cuts the grass with a very fast revolving nylon thread. Very effective, and the roll of thread can be replaced quite easily when it‘s all used up. The mower runs on batteries that charge relatively quickly after use. Good for the small bits of grass around his Mum‘s house, but not suitable for larger areas.
I've heard of those string mowers, but not sure I've ever seen one. I used to find strimmer debris around our garden too, but that's all gone now.
DeleteWe needed more reservoirs instead of that overpriced train set which is costing billions and going nowhere.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I agree!
DeleteBailey is certainly earning her keep already and looking to do more in that line. I hope the neighbourhood cats keep their distance!
ReplyDeleteDrought conditions are everywhere and the fear of widlfires is very real. The fire in Suffolk shows just how quickly and how far they can spread.
We had rain yesterday - a very short shower, just enough to raise smells from the ground..
I think the cats (and foxes) will be smart about coming into the garden during the daytime. They'll be able to smell her.
DeleteI’ve never heard of plastic lawn mower blades. Doesn’t seem very practical.
ReplyDeleteI was just reading about drought and hose pipe ban, and the fact that private schools and golf courses are watering their lawns and playing fields like they always do.
Well, THAT's annoying! Why do golf courses get a pass? They're one of the worst consumers of water!
DeleteThere seems to be a bit of an uproar around London that schools with £65,000 tuition and private golf courses get a pass.
DeleteNo hosepipe ban in South Yorkshire. Apparently, Yorkshire Water proudly claim that we have got plenty of water in our reservoirs to see us through to the autumn - which frankly I find astonishing.
ReplyDeleteI once bought one of those plastic-bladed Flymos. It was bloody useless.
DeleteI find it astonishing too. Apparently our reservoirs are in sad shape. Seeing that blade I'm not at all surprised about the Flymo.
DeleteAre you sure that the itching isn't caused by contact with some of the vegetation in that area of the garden? That was my first thought as I was reading.
ReplyDeleteBailey will probably check that spot for the rest of her life. My dogs NEVER forget a spot where they find something good!
See my subsequent post -- I think you may be into something! We do have a plant in front of the blackberries that causes skin irritation! Olga was the same with certain spots where she saw an animal -- she never forgot them.
DeleteBailey so reminds me of my comments about my dog Ted in yesterday's post!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get through one lawn mowing with a plastic blade. But I mow about two of my three acre property, a bit more than your tiny garden paths.
Even our lawn is too big for a mower with plastic blades!
DeleteI think Bailey will never stop hoping to see another rat, and having a great Ratventure again. She's got that firmly in mind now. I have no grass concerns -- the landscapers swing wildly around, even in tiny areas where their riding mowers hardly fit.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't fit, I guess the landscapers will MAKE them fit, to the detriment of any bordering plants!
DeleteYes! So all I have in the tight area is pachysandra which wouldn't care if a tank rolled over it.
DeleteBailey has certainly earned her place!!
ReplyDeleteWhat do the rest of the wild population of your garden think of her?
Hard to tell. The camera isn't out so I don't know who's visiting at night, if anyone. We've also removed the bird feeders which were a big draw. During the day the garden is pretty quiet.
DeleteThe itching you described could be from plants or insects, but I know little about causes. Hopefully, it will not get worse for you or Bailey. The drought and those ongoing fires are concerning to many. We had 2 days of downpours this week and wish some could be sent to your area, Steve.
ReplyDeleteTwo days of downpours sounds heavenly!
DeleteSounds like you are going to remain rat free.
ReplyDeleteBailey is certainly determined to keep it that way!
DeleteThere are a lot of fires still burning over all parts of the UK now. The Peak District is smouldering away and reigniting over and over, the Isle of Wight has a smaller but still worrying problem with fires ... at least they are surrounded by immediate access to water on all sides though. I think the moors outside Manchester are under control for now, but others are still ablaze. Suffolk looked particularly bad last night didn't it, with the wind fanning the flames so much.
ReplyDeleteBailey will forever watch that area of the garden now. Suky ONCE found a piece of tasty white bread on a walk, after that she inspected anything she spotted that was white very carefully.
I didn't realize we had so many fires -- sheesh. I'd only heard about the Suffolk one. Yes, dogs never forget where they find excitement or a tasty morsel!
DeleteIt would seem that climate is true, with a heavy emphasis on the change part.
ReplyDeleteBailey will never stop checking that spot, Charlie is the same way. When we walk he knows where all the dogs live and checks them each time. One particular dog, he tiptoes along the fence hoping to surprise the dog so they can argue through the fence:)
People say elephants never forget, but dogs are the true memory champions when something interests them!
DeleteI can't imagine plastic blades lasting very long but I have heard of the Flymo!
ReplyDeleteDo they sell Flymos in the states? I'd never heard of them until I came here.
DeleteI wonder if all of your urban jungle animals will stop visiting you now that Bailey's here, large and in charge. There's a new sheriff in town!
ReplyDeleteOne percent of expected July rainfall? That's insane. No wonder everything's ready to go up like a tinder box. It IS a tinder box.
I hope the other animals will continue coming around at night, but I also hope they're quiet, because if Bailey hears them from indoors she'll go nuts. Yes, we are a tinder box.
DeleteThe drought and fires are terrible.
ReplyDeleteA local meteorologist recently said Massachusetts has been in drought conditions for the last three decades. We've had some rain for the last three days and now i have a puddle where there was once wetland.
Bailey is on the job. Yay! Your rodent problem is solved.
Itchy skin is bothersome. Sleuthing out the cause is not easy.
Plastic blades on a mower are totally new to me. Like you, I want a heavy-duty mower.
Three decades?! Wow! I didn't realize there's been such a long-standing drought in your area. Do you think this is because of reduced snowfall in the winters?
DeleteI'm so hoping that fire is soon under control and that more don't crop up. I can see why they do and it is frightening on a global scale. I love how Bailey is fixated on the area of her "kill." Smart girl! I'm putting my money on the no-seeums. They get to us, too.
ReplyDeleteI read that the recent boom-and-bust nature of our rainfall, with heavy rain in winter and almost none in summer, is especially dangerous. The heavy rain creates a lot of vegetation, which then all dies in summer and leaves a lot of fuel.
DeleteI wonder if you should wear long sleeves when you pick blackberries. But I don't know if that would really help if it's insects. Our yard is insanely lush and out of control - the heat & rain have kept us from mowing for weeks. Mike is going to try today. However, we are also still in a drought - we haven't made up for the long dry spell we had earlier this summer.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about sleeves, especially if Jennifer is correct and a plant irritation is to blame.
DeleteUnknown "itch causers" can drive you crazy. It's been extremely dry here too.
ReplyDeleteApparently the whole northern hemisphere is having a dry summer!
DeleteMaybe the blackberry foliage has some sort of irritant instead of it being bugs.
ReplyDeleteWildfires are getting so much worse. It's dry here even after all that rain we got. It's going to get even worse. I read a headline this morning about how the increased heat and drought conditions are devastating food crops.
See my subsequent post -- I don't think the blackberries themselves are the culprit, but a plant we have in front of them. Our farming practices are going to have to change to cope with these new realities.
DeleteLuckily, we will be getting some rain this coming week. Is there anyway to save water you use in your home to be used in the garden - like washing the dishes in a plastic basin so you can dump it outside?
ReplyDeleteI do some of that -- and I try to not run the dishwasher and washing machine as much. I think bathing Bailey in the yard will help too, as long as I don't get in trouble! (I think I could make an argument in my defense!)
DeleteThere must be something itchy happening in that undergrowth, either bugs or just the oil from the plants. The wildfires scare me. There are so many places around here that could burn and cause a huge amount of damage. It's hard not worry that we are at a tipping point just when we are stuck with idiotic leaders.
ReplyDeleteYeah, exactly -- we're at the worst possible time to have such nincompoops in charge!
DeleteI remember the ladybird plague which turned on humans because they were hungry. So it could be the same with your insects, we have fruit fly but they don't bite us. Funnily enough on the radio this morning they were saying that there aren't many insects around especially wasps - good pollinators and just keep still when dining out in the garden.
ReplyDeleteI see a ton of wasps around here. I'm not sure what that means. Maybe there's a nest nearby! I think wasps in general are in decline, though, which is a problem because they're a predator for so many other nuisance insects.
DeleteIt's amazing how single-minded they can become. I bet Bailey will monitor that spot forever!
ReplyDeleteI bet so too!
DeleteWay to go, Bailey! She will be a huge and deadly deterrent to any future rats. I'm glad you've narrowed down the itching. Do you wear long sleeves when you are berry picking?
ReplyDeleteI haven't in the past, but I suppose I should!
DeleteThose no-see bugs are a nusance, they were attacking me at the allotment last week, luckily I had long trousers on so they didn't get me.
ReplyDeleteThere have been a couple of fires locally, everything is so dry, rain is becoming a bit of a myth now it's been so long since we've seen a decent amount
When I had trouble with those pirate bugs before, I could at least see them on the plants (if not on me). This time I don't see them anywhere, but they could still be biting!
DeleteHave you put out your wildlife cam at night since Bailey joined your family? I too am wondering if the cats and foxes are becoming more circumspect.
ReplyDeleteAll the fires on so many continents - so sad.
Chris from Boise
I haven't, but I'll put it out today and we'll see what turns up. We've also taken away all the bird feeders so there will be fewer animals in general, I suspect.
DeleteSorry you are itchy. Beautiful Bailey...her coat looks blue on my screen.
ReplyDeleteShe's blue like a Russian blue cat -- really gray, but with a bluish tint. So your screen is not lying!
DeleteI suggest rather than no-see-ums, you might have an allergy to the plant itself, leaf or stem. Put on a pair of gardening gloves and take a close look at both parts, including the underside of the leaves. Choose small patches of skin and gently touch/rub stem and both sides of leaves on the skin and see if there is any reaction. If there is you might consider getting rid of the plant since Bailey is also itching.
ReplyDeleteIt's a big patch of plants, and not something I'd want to get rid of. I think we'll just need to work around it, if it is in fact the culprit. My hope is that Bailey will eventually ease up on ravaging that area (though she will surely never forget the rat). If she just walked through the plants the way Olga used to -- rather than trampling them -- she'd be fine.
Delete