DROWNING IN A SEA OF EMOTION

Driving to Indy Way Diner earlier this evening to pick up the Liver Supper I called in, I suddenly choked up just before I reached the diner. I almost threw up, the raw emotion was so overwhelming.

One minute, I am fine … the next ((((BOOM!)))) … out of nowhere, it suddenly get s hard to breathe and my mind morphs backwards in time to Bob driving his Lemmon’s truck past the diner.

And moments like THIS is WHY I really can’t get very far from home yet.

Imagine this happening on the freeway, or somewhere between Rainier and Linden, Oregon?

Bob & I drove all over these 2 states for 44 years; memories keep slamming on the breaks in my heart and I can’t stop the slideshow …

Will I EVER get past this????

TIDY UP & WALKABOUT

The rain has stopped, so it was time to get back outside.

First thing I did was disappoint myself again when I checked the rain barrels a.g.a.i.n. One would THINK that after all the weekend rain there would be a noticeable change in the water levels – NO! I am not liking that city water is going into my food sources. I mean … I DO NOT even drink city water! And I was so careful not to use tap water on them during their seeding/transplant stages. I am seriously disappointed. I can’t believe how scarce rain has been this year (if there is 1 thing we HAVE in Washington State, it is rain; where IS it now?), and buying water to pour on my veggies would seriously dent my monthly budget.

But It is tempting.

Very tempting.

Anyway …

Looking out the front windows while enjoying my morning coffee, I noticed that the pounding rain had damaged my towering delphiniums in both flower beds; so, I got dressed and went out to clip the broken and damaged stalks:

That done, I aimed a jet stream of Roundup at the weeds sprouting in the driveway cracks.

And since I was dressed for outside, I went for an early morning walkabout. I don’t feel guilty for taking pictures of people’s pretties because I figure they WANT them to BE admired, or they wouldn’t have strategically placed them where they would be admired…

I am familiar with Monkey Trees, but this one is different, so I did a google search when I got back home to find out what this tree is – it took me a while, but I found out that its name is ‘The Monkey Puzzle Tree’ (https://owlcation.com/stem/The-Monkey-Puzzle-Tree-An-Ancient-and-Endangered-Plant)

My eyes kept being drawn to those clumps of turquoise eyed/purple hued sedums … so I just HAD to get a pic of it. LOL

The DINNER PLATE SIZE of this White Clematis is eye-catching too.

More rock interest additions since last Tuesday’s walkabout (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2019/06/getting-stuff-done.html)

Before coming back inside, I lifted and transplanted several Tom Thumb Lettuces – these tiny tasty butterhead lettuces will grow to the size of a baseball, so they need more spreading space than they were getting with my broad-spread seeding method. I have been thinning a few plants out and using them in my Supper salads, but now I would like to have a few mature:

Transplanting Tom Thumb lettuce throughout the Tomato bed.

Now I am going to be lazy for the rest of the day, starting with ordering take-out Liver Supper from Indy Way Diner ;-)

ROUNDUP vs VINEGAR/SALT WEED KILLER

I, personally, do NOT have a problem with Roundup. We have used Roundup all of our married life when push comes to shove with testy and stubborn weeds.

Some people do have a problem with Roundup and they will go out of their way to try shame everyone else into their lemming rush over the edge.

Aside from the video posted - which I basically posted just for the visual aspect of the use/effect this fella highlights, I just want to confirm from personal experience that Roundup zaps things and KEEPS it zapped. I already know this, but dimwitted people (eco-freaks that put a lot of time into aimless and tiring repeat procedures) need to be told again, and again, and again.

Vinegar is a short term solution to a long term issue: choose wisely. I am a wise woman; I am also a very frugal woman. wasting $$$ again, and again, and again ... doesn't make sense to me.

Vinegar also STINKS.

A LOT.

Which is bad for my weak lungs.

I went for a walk around the Park the other day, and passed a house where they had used the vinegar-salt weed "kill" solution ... and WOW! The odor immediately seared my lungs, watered my eyes and I walked quite a bit quicker (I already run when I walk, so I was in turbo speed). When I did my 2nd lap ... the odor was still just as strong. I had to utilize my Ventolin Inhaler ... and you all know how much I hate that thing.

Vinegar in the amount it takes to TEMPORARILY burn the hell out of the leafy part of the weeds, is toxic to me.

So, I will continue to use Roundup - yes, it stinks too; but only during application; and that fades in about 5 minutes time. MPO

My lungs takes precedence over eco-freak ecology.

And it just plain makes me shake my head when the people shouting from the roof tops against Roundup (((PIOSON!))) poison their bodies with what they smoke, eat, drink, and physically do. It's crazy talk, from what appears to me to be crazy people.

Lemmings, furry little rat like creatures with a herd mentality, aren't the smartest creatures God ever created:

Vinegar concentrations strong enough to be effective against anything but the youngest, most tender weeds, is no longer a food product but an herbicide called horticultural vinegar and not so friendly. In vinegar concentrations this strong, vinegar becomes hazardous and can cause environmental damage. Vinegar is a contact, or 'burn-down' herbicide; killing what it touches within hours or days. But that kill-off is misleading because the truth of the matter is that while it LOOKS LIKE it is {working} to get rid of the weeds, the weeds will eventually grow back from the root stock. So the application was pretty much worthless. Unless, those making the application enjoy wasting time, money, and making a real impact of weed eradication.

In vinegar concentrations over 11%, acetic acid, skin burn and eye damage will occur. And vinegar concentrations of 20% and above are corrosive to tin, aluminum, iron, and concrete; and can even cause blindness.

Wildlife, taking refuge in the weeds – such as toads or salamanders - can also be damaged or outright killed.

Just because something is touted as ‘organic’ does not necessarily mean it is safe to humans, wildlife, or the environment.

RAIN! – Please God Let It Count

Making the bed this morning, I glanced out the window and saw that the strawberry jar had been raided again by the birds. So, as soon as that task was done, I went out to the shed and got a chopped down tomato cage (Bob had thoughtfully done that for me years ago), and cut a length of bird netting. Then I covered the strawberry jar:

Not a pretty job of netting – but it will stop the marauding winged thieves. I just covered the jar with loose netting and secured it tight against the jar sides with plastic wrapped wire plant ties.

And as I was inspecting the veggie beds, I noticed I had 1 or 2 snow peas on the pea vine!

I also saw a teeny tiny yellow crookneck squash showing; but the veggie boxes are so saturated with the sporadic rains & scarce sunshine, that I think it will probably rot before it matures …

Turning to go back inside the house, I noticed there was a puddle of water in the bird bath that had accumulated overnight – hallelujah! I deliberately left it bone dry yesterday so I could gauge how much rainfall actually fell in yesterday’s on-again/off-again short sudden bursts:

It isn’t a lot of water, but it is enough to give me hope that putting the rain barrels in place was not wasted energy. So far, despite sudden rain bursts, the barrels have remained pretty much empty; there was not enough water falling from the sky to make a difference.

However: when I did check the rain barrels, I was still very much disappointed. Despite the rain fall yesterday, and the rain that fell through the night – as evidenced by the Froggie terra cotta bird bath – 3 of my 4 rain barrels WERE STILL pretty much dry ;-(

Rain Barrel 1: Just a little bit of noticeable water ...

Rain Barrel 2 was the fullest barrel. I AM encouraged, BUT I was expecting more.

Rain Barrels 3 & 4 held hardly enough collected to wet their interior bottoms. Very disappointing. It rained ALL NIGHT LONG! WTHeck???

While I was back inside, eating a bologna sandwich for lunch, and asking Elohim “Why?”, rain started coming down pretty fierce and hard around 11:30 ‘noon; and around 1:00 p.m. a little storm blew in off the river … so maybe, when I check the rain barrels again, I may actually have more in them than a handful of water. Hope, hope ...

Gusty winds accommodate incoming rain.

Please God! Let it matter.

While the rain pounded the windows, and the trees were whipped around, I watched a disturbing food doctoring video on FB that was posted by another gardener; it can be viewed at this link: https://www.facebook.com/RAVINDER9416483611/videos/2194851997275351/UzpfSTE1MjQ3NTk1ODEwNzE0MTU6MjI5NTU0MjM2Mzk5MzEyOQ/?eid=ARBwP616jAUjaVsfrGuh_GiOKDDJ2f3ePw0CZTNRzgVmndkKetFYT5FZv1rBBqY_hghTh2npgPGv0zQM. SEEING makes a BIGGER IMPACT than being told …

GROW POTATOES IN SHOPPING BAGS FOR EXTENDED HARVEST

I was too late getting potatoes started this year ... the Fingerlings I was after were already sold out :-(

But I am going to try this next year.

There is only me eating now, and I like baby potatoes anyway; so this method seems the best for my needs ;-)

ENORMOUS HARVEST OF CONTAINER GROWN POTATOES

RAISED BED GARDEN SECRET SUPER SOIL MIX

Bob, too, always got a bang out of watching his “little dirty girl” dive into the soil coming gardening season :-D

I mix my own gardening soil too - not this particular mix, but I do have my own preferred blend that I use when I need to refresh my gardening soil.

He was 6’2” and I am 5’3”: I was barely 5 feet when we married – I used to joke that pregnancy following our marriage stretched me in more ways than the obvious ;-)