Month: July 2013

A Hole In The Ground

Faye and I were bored this morning, so we dug a hole in the ground. Then we started filling it up. Then we got tired so we stopped.

Actually we are putting pavers down at the gate to the backyard. That spot is a little low so it’s wet after a rain and muddy during the spring thaw. These pavers will help. We dug the hole about 8″ deep, filled it halfway with gravel. We started are putting down sand , and pavers on one edge. We ran out of gas so we will finish tomorrow.

One of the many, many things I love about Faye is that she’s completely unafraid to get her hands dirty and do physical labour. She did at least as much work as me and probably more.

Photos tomorrow after we finish the job.

Summer

Our weather has been warm, humid, almost oppressive for the past week, perhaps a little more. About 87 millimeters or 3 1/2 inches of rain has fallen in the past two weeks. Humidex (heat index) readings have been up to the mid-30s C (mid-90s F). Some days, there has been very little breeze if any at all, adding to the oppressiveness. Tuesday night we finally installed the window a/c in the bedroom.  I’m not complaining at all – after all it is midsummer. One has to expect and endure weather weather like this. The great blessing for me is that these spells eventually end, unlike central Texas where a spell would start around Memorial Day and end, oh, say, around mid-September.

Last night the warm spell finally broke. This morning the temperature is 19 and the humidity is much lower. It should be a delightful day!

Evening Light

Evening Light

I enjoyed the soft yellow light coming off of this tree on a recent sunny evening.

Indian blanket

Indian blanket

Indian blanket or Gaillardia pulchella, is a wildflower which grows throughout much of the eastern US. It grows all along the dry creek which runs through my old neighborhood in TX and I was pleased to learn that seed was available here. It has done well in our yard so far. It adds a cheerful splash of colour to the landscape.

Fuzzbutt

Fuzzbutt

This is one of my favourite photos of Stella. She is in some ways a typical ACD – wary, never truly and completely relaxing, a bit schitzy. She also curious and you could say has an intense nose and hearing. When I come home after visiting different places she buries her nose in my pant leg (or my leg leg, grin) investigating.

During our second winter in Canada we walked after a big snow and brisk winds which piled the snow into drifts. Stella must have heard a mouse or other critter under the drift and plunged into the drift after it. She did that quite a few times on this walk, and on many snowy walks since.

Garden

Our garden continues to come along wonderfully. I will name some (and likely nowhere nearly all) of the stuff growing in it.

Rhubarb, zucchini (two varieties), habanero pepper, hot hungarian pepper, sweet (or bell) pepper), mesclun (lettuce) mix, carrots, beets, chocolate cherry tomatoes (approaching the top of the 5′ fence), sweet potatoes, basil, kohlrabi. Take a look.

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