Month: July 2016

I harvested a bunch of garlic yesterday, hoping to find two “market-worthy” ones to submit to the Fair.

Meanwhile, I’ve been surveying the veg gardens for other likely entries, and discovered our first cucumbers.

I submitted a “Garden Basket” of at least 6 home-grown fruits and vegetables: cuke, garlic, rhubarb, tiny cabbage, tiny strawberries, peas, and lettuce.  Added some herbs and celery flowers for prettiness.

Ron cleaned the grill today – big job – and the bird bath.  I took care of changing sheets and the transfer station run, including all the trimmed branches from yesterday.  Was pretty painless; then again, I like the transfer station, especially the “wild” compost area.

On the way home, stopped off at Attaquin Acres (sale) and got a couple of six packs to refresh the window boxes.

Ron did a big shop yesterday which made me mad until I saw that he saved 25%!  We like Shaws.

Made a nice brunch of chicken sausage and garlic/tomato/cheese eggs and turkey chili and corn for supper.  Couldn’t find chili powder, used Berbere spices instead, a quite acceptable substitute.

Got an early start, watered front and back yards and pruned the roses this morning.  Pruned the shrubs next to the front steps last evening.  This afternoon, deep pruned the one on the right and did a modest prune of the holly.

First outdoor shower of the year, and it was great.

Pruned overhanging branches from the “U” and the corner garden.  Truck is pretty full.

Yesterday, drove James to work for a 7 am shift and Emme to Hyannis for a second interview at 10.  Picked up a bag of bagels at the Senior Center.

Mowed our yard a couple of days ago and the front lawn at Edgewater yesterday.  Have set the mowers as high as they’ll go, so the grass looks a little strange.  I’m hoping after a couple of weeks it’ll even out.

Got my replacement lenses and the optician tightened up the frames, so the glasses are comfortable now.  Picked up more lens cloths and cleaning fluid.

Had some correspondence with the eBay seller about the Canon.  I’d almost thrown out the battery and charger.  The camera came without a memory card or USB cable, though.  I ordered accessories, on the cheap from eBay.

Sat in on an orientation for the WHFF earlier this week.  It was helpful.  Ron reminded me of my infamous temper and low threshold for BS, so I changed my assignments to reduce customer contact to zero.

It’s summer on Cape Cod, and if it weren’t for the gardens, I wouldn’t want to live in this world of horrible people.

Bob and Tom from BCL replaced the spigot in the back, so we are now up to date with outdoor plumbing.

Talked with a very pleasant, helpful woman at the Wareham USDA office about a grant.  They are at least six months out, so no hurry in applying.

Picked up good bread, parsley, olives, artichoke hearts, salami and mozzarella; leftover salad with our lettuce; and roasted tomatoes, our garlic, chickpeas (soaked overnight and simmered) and basil for a fine antipasto that we shared with the Winslows last night.  They provided beer and wine.

We have peas and tiny corn!

Hydrangeas for the most part are healthy but very few flowers.

Start of another heat wave, possibly.

Toured the Chapman garden: magical, a true masterpiece in a neighborhood almost as modest as ours.  Spoke at length with George, got his advice on the dogwood, which I trimmed.

Gave the trees a good watering.

We had a highly localized rain shower today.  Wish I’d taken a screen shot of the satellite image.

Changed sheets and hung a few extra things out and those got a rain rinse.

Sprayed the corn and beans today for aphids.

Took the case off the old Easy Share but couldn’t get it to work.  Bid and lost an eBay auction for a digital camera, then won one a little later for about the same cost.

An unexpected shower this morning set the ground up for an application of Hydretain.  Required 1/4-1/2 inch of watering afterwards, so by the time I was done hauling the hose around, it felt like I’d been carrying a pallet of rocks.

We did the transfer station run, though, and a quick trip to the farm stand for tomatoes and cukes.

Planted the little Blue Spruce – last of the trees!  Althea has buds.  Corn is starting.

Cardiac doc gave me a thumbs up for much improved biometrics: slight weight loss, lower blood pressure, much improved cholesterol measures.

Did some weeding today and tripped on the rake, smashed myself into stones.  Scratched my lenses but the optometrist’s office will replace them.

Forgot to take my after-breakfast meds until 1 PM.  Duh.

Sprayed the crabapple and the roses.  The war against bugs, as opposed to just fungus, has escalated.

Luis says to water the lawn every other day for 30 minutes at a time.  Ugh.

Sprayed crabapple and roses.

Great temps today, 70s, nice breeze.  Have all the windows open.