Beating the Heat

When this pandemic started, I created a rather long To Do List that included many items that we needed to address either in the house or on the property.  Some of them depended on the weather.  Some depended on whether I felt like doing it or not.  And some depended on availability of supplies or other needed materials.

This week has been a good one to cross off a couple of the outside items.

Gary finished removing the thistles from the black raspberry bushes the other day.  Cross that one off!

He also attacked some of the weeds in the flower bed behind the deck.  That is hard for me to do since it requires bending and squating - two things that are hard on my left knee, or the 'bad knee' if you want to call it that. 

This morning we were awake early to make a trip into Target when it opened at 7.  It was a successful trip since the story was nearly empty, except for employees stocking shelves, other workers, and a few shoppers.  We were able to pick up everything on our list as well as a few other items.  When the shelves are stocked full of big bales of paper towels and toilet paper as well a combined packages of 4 big boxes of Kleenex, then one should take advantage of buying those particular supplies to replenish what has been used over the past few months.

When we returned home, and after changing clothes, we worked in that flower garden behind the deck.  Gary was pretty successful at removing most of the weeds, even from the irises.  I sprinkled Preen everywhere and he soaked it so it would work into the soil.  Next we planted the remaining perennials and annuals both in that flower bed, in the one in front of the garage, and two around the gazebo. 

Next was pulling out the 12 bags of pea gravel from the back of the truck and covering the ground with it.  My job was to use the cup and fill in the areas around the plants and close to the edging.    We used all 12 bags in that flower bed, so we will need more to finish the bed in front of the garage.

All of those garden pretties that we have collected or have been given after funerals needed to be placed so that was the next job.

As Gary was watering the new plants and soaking down the gravel, I pulled weeds from the hostas around the bases of a couple of trees.  We moved the US Navy stone to the base of one tree.  I like it because we bought it in memory of Dad, and it looks good where we placed it here.

After a couple of fills of the watering can and soaking the new lavender and mosquito plants near the gazebo and trying to revive the buttermilk daisies, I finally watered the pansies in Dad's iron kettle on the circle and the new lilac bush the girls gave me for my birthday.

By that time the sweat was pouring off of me, my feet hurt, my 'bad knee' ached, and I was ready for a cool drink and some lunch.

And this is why we have the fridge in the Party Barn stocked with cold drinks.  That bottle of Snapple Mango Tea was delicious!

We did beat the heat this morning! 

(and I am thankful for the AC in this new house of ours.....have I  already mentioned that???)