Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from August, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 5:08 pm on August 6, 2017 Permalink  

  Another very good day of lower temperatures. Yesterday Snuggles and I worked in the gardens and noticed how dry everything was. Today was suppose to bring rain . . . not so much. I decided to get out my Mantis electric tiller and loosen the dirt round the square garden with the hope that when we do get rain there will be some loose soil to soak it up and not just run off. Once the hard crust was broken loose the soil was very mellow. Out of the blue Snuggles did show up to check out what was going on. Dennis worked behind me and raked the soil back off the areas where it had managed to get in the grass.

  Patio time for the three of us deemed it to be a good effort. It looks tidy to have a definition where garden meets lawn. Having a home and yard that reflects Dennis and me comes naturally. Perhaps others don’t see what has become of their surrounding. Dennis and I enjoy putting in the sweat equity and we do it for no one else other than us. Speaking of sweat, I sweat more than it rained today. Dennis went on to Fleet and Farm as the tiller had lost a bolt and nut. Snuggles found a spot on my lap while I had a cool drink. Snuggles would have stayed forever, but my legs were falling asleep. Another good day right here on Stauffer Avenue.

   
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  Noreen 5:17 pm on July 25, 2017 Permalink  

  Thrills Via Cat Nip 

  It was the best ever morning for a walk. The clouds were so-o-o heavy I didn’t have to wear a long sleeve shirt or straw hat to protect from the sun. True to myself, I was still ready to sit on the patio upon returning to dry out. It was difficult to go into the house . . . so I didn’t. A few weeds were pulled before returning to the patio chair and the last of the coffee.

  A heavy thump nearly made me spill my brew. Snuggles must have had a bit too much catnip and he found himself not only able to get on top of the patio porch, but he had jumped onto the patio umbrella. It was a merry-go-round of a ride. As he checked out each portion of the umbrella it twirled to counter act the weight of a tuned up cat. I knew he was in over his head as it was the first time I have actually heard him meow – and meow loudly he did.

  It took some time before he had the gumption to jump back onto the roof of the patio porch. What a cat. After he wangled his way down the lilac branches he took the rest of the afternoon off and slept off the cat nip on the bagger attached to the lawnmower.

   
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  Noreen 3:41 pm on July 23, 2017 Permalink  

  A Good Day 

  

  The mowing, trimming and weeding is done and we are resting for the remainder of the day.

   
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  Noreen 4:27 pm on July 22, 2017 Permalink  

  Well . . . you knew it would happen sooner or later. After three weeks it has been determined, by Dennis, that the acre needs to be mowed. After going through the northeast part of the acre this morning picking up branches from the Wednesday storm, I will agree with him. If nothing else it will level things off in the places that look a bit shaggy. What was interesting was how much deer scat there is on the east border of the acre where it is somewhat sheltered. Good for the deer to have found a safe place to rest as they move south towards the creek.

  With the storm of Wednesday, I would dare say if there were loose branches on high, and if those winds didn’t bring them down, they are all intact for some time to come. Tomorrow at this time all will be tidied up for the week to come.

   
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  Noreen 4:12 pm on July 21, 2017 Permalink  

  What in the world! We were not forecast to get more rain, but this morning, sure enough, this gal can’t do her morning walk as it is thundering, lightning and . . . raining. We have had about 3.75 inches within the last four days. Dennis and I did get one trailer full of wood taken off to the tree dump this afternoon. One more to go for tomorrow. How fortunate we are that we need to take the tree limbs only several miles to be rid of it. Dew points, humidity, stifling air, moisture running down window panes . . . I am not even going to go there.

   
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  Noreen 4:09 pm on July 20, 2017 Permalink  

  We are two content older folks after getting our yard whipped into shape after the storm of yesterday afternoon. As some of the spears of branches were driven into the dirt as the huge branch came down from on high, we were fortunate that none of those branches came down into the Koi pond with such force. Had that happened we would be out scoping out new homes for the eight Koi wondering where their pond had gone. A good workout was had. It could have been so much worse if the branch had hit the patio porch or the potting shed. Amen and thanks be to God.

   
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  Noreen 2:39 pm on July 19, 2017 Permalink  

  Several lightening strikes and then followed by the crack of the thunder shook us to the core this afternoon. We ran errands around town at noon and the air was stifling. Something was bound to give. The rain, when it came, came sideways for a time. There will be no need to add water to the Koi pond as it is running over onto the patio. Dennis has reported that son-in-law Tom will be needed with his chainsaw later on as the Maple lost a pretty good sized branch. We can be thankful that the clean up of smaller branches is very doable. Minnesota summers can give huge, large, noisy thunderstorms.

   
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  Noreen 2:18 pm on July 17, 2017 Permalink  

  The Morning’s Job 

  

  We have known for some time that we wanted to move this arbor that Calvin had made for us. When our neighbor let us know they were going to move in a new garden shed on the property line, we decided it was time. A new look for this portion of the Hosta gardens. Dennis and I decided if we leveled it according to the siding on the garden shed, we couldn’t really be off by much as we had watched how carefully the garden shed was leveled. The arbor now stands with the remaining garden art that we have of Calvin’s. Hopefully next year we can get a shade-loving plant to begin making its way up and onto the arbor.

   
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  Noreen 6:02 pm on July 16, 2017 Permalink  

  I spent several hours in the gardens this morning. A bit of weeding and a lot of watering with a refreshing spritz of water to wash the dust off of the leaves of the flowers. Going over the areas several times allowed the water to soak in rather than run off. Amazingly . . . one bug bit and I am quite sure it was a black nasty fly. As the heat climbed I headed for the sewing studio. By supper time the humidity had gone down enough that Dennis and I spent some patio time. Priceless.

   
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  Noreen 4:12 pm on July 15, 2017 Permalink  

  As promised . . . it is hot outside this afternoon with the laptop showing it to be 93 degrees. This morning, up until 11:30, there was a breeze and it was comfortable being outside on the patio.

  Dennis washed off the house yesterday afternoon and the streams of muddy water were amazing. Stauffer Avenue runs east and west along our home and it is gravel with a top layer of ground asphalt. Need I say more? Dennis and I had made a date for after supper last night. With the sun going down we manned ourselves with soapy buckets of water, brushes and enough garden hose to reach back to the potting shed that faces Stauffer Avenue. When we had a lot of rain there were puddles on the avenue and vehicles can splash mud and such very nicely onto the north sides of the potting shed and the garage. It was bad, it was very badly splattered. It doesn’t help matters that the garage is a mere six feet from the edge of the avenue. Stauffer Avenue is listed on city maps as an alley. Over time the well-traveled alley has widened out considerably, thus the mere six feet between the vehicles and our buildings. In short order our potting shed and garage were again bright white. No . . . it will not last, but taking care of our property keeps us on our toes. A cooling off period followed by showers and we called it a great evening.

  This evening we are going to enjoy a fish fry. Neighbor Chuck brought over a meal of Sun Fish. They love fishing and apparently he doesn’t mind filleting them. The fish plus creamed onions and cucumbers will make a wonderful meal.