61°f/16°C, overcast, breezy. Rain expected later afternoon.
That garden glow...called sweat!
Also, did you wash your face in the morning dew this morning? Sadly, we had no dew today, so I am afraid my wrinkles will just have to happen.
We went out with granddaughter Sarah, Derek, his daughter Hannah and her daughter and boyfriend, and a bunch of Derek's friends last night, to eat dinner and play trivia at a local restaurant. We had a great time, and considering that we missed the first 4 or 5 questions completely, were satisfied with coming in second!
(Derek's 53rd birthday is tomorrow, and I am wracking my brain for a gift! Maybe inspiration will strike when I am out tomorrow. He was born when I was 20, just 6 weeks before my 21st birthday, the third of my five boys. How those years have flown.)
Sarah left around 11am for her long drive back to Colorado, and already this place feels empty. We enjoy her visits so much, but I know her parents and boyfriend miss her too. But how grateful we are for her long visits.
After she left, we got to work, planting another dozen tomato plants and putting down cardboard and straw to mulch them. As I mentioned a while back, we are trying no-till in at last 1/2 of the garden this year. The soil still seems too wet, but we went ahead anyway. We still have a dozen more tomatoes to plant, bringing the total to about 40. Which is 100 less than last year.
Larry napped after we finished, and I did some stringtrimming, then weeded a bit in my biggest flowerbed. I still have many plants to put in, but I only got 4 done today, so far. I will get back to it after my break to write this post. It was encouraging to see so many plants actually coming back after our drought last summer and our colder than usual winter; I really thought I had lost more than seems to be the case. The blackberry patch we planted last year is thriving, as are the raspberries. We planted 2 new grapevines to replace a couple of 47-year-old ones that died last summer. I am spraying a fungicide weekly to prevent black rot that ruins our grapes every year otherwise. I hate using chemicals, but there are a few that are necessary, unfortunately.
Well, my glass of iced tea is empty, so I guess that means I better get back to work.
I barely even associate April with spring. For me it’s May, which makes it a short spring because I also feel like summer begins in June.
ReplyDelete... since I live in a cave, today I first learned about Beltane. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI've been living in the same cave as I just learned about Beltane, too. :)
DeleteI learned about Beltane through storytelling, as I dug into the folklore of Britain and Ireland.
DeleteThe Weather Gods here seem totally confused. The mid 70's today then dropping to the 50's by Monday. Life goes on.
ReplyDeleteSame here, Bruce. 80s yesterday, 40s and 50s tonight.
DeleteApril is for sure Spring for us...but summer usually starts early before the calendar. Yesterday the temperature has reached 26C!!! though just a couple of hours.
ReplyDeleteThat is warm for you this early! It was 81 here yesterday, and so humid. Then big storms.
DeleteVery nice to see you, cute pic! My Mom used to wreck her brain for my birthdays till I said "no more!!!" (I was 14). Since then: A visit! A pizza, something to enjoy TOGETHER, that was what counted for me, time with Mom. I miss her...
ReplyDeleteI think I need no gifts for my birthday either. A call, a card, maybe a meal...but I have enough stuff for sure!
DeleteYou are super industrious! Well done! You are farther south than we are. Our summer usually starts around Memorial Day (or if we're lucky, a little earlier!)
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense. Those dates just are not "one size fits all"!
DeleteI forgot about Beltane. Thanks for the reminder. Your dates make me laugh - we only lost the last snow in late April and so May is our spring flower month, June and July are summer, sometimes August, and fall starts end of August, giving us fine winter weather with snow by November, sometimes October. Welcome to Eastern Ontario calendar.
ReplyDeleteWith black flies. My daffs are in bloom and I just got some photos with spots of bug on the lens.
Sure makes no sense for the northern crimes!
DeleteI have never experienced black flies. I think I am okay with that.
In England you can barely move for May the 1st folk traditions - it’s seen a big resurgence over the years. I am totally in awe of your gardening and how much you get done!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have been seeing the pictures of England and Scotland's celebrations. Pretty amazing.
DeleteI didn't know that in older times May 1 was considered the first day of summer. We're too far north for that. Your planting is coming along great. 40 tomato plants!!!!! I hope they do well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think it's bizarre that the whole world observes the same seasonal dates, when obviously they don't fit everywhere.
DeleteMy, you were busy when you were younger weren't you! That is a lot of boys at a young age. I think about it and just shudder. You seem to have done a great job parenting though!
ReplyDeleteBeing the oldest girl in a family of 13, I learned to mother pretty young! So having my boys was just a small transition, really, Jim. And thank you, yes, they came out pretty well, all good men and hard workers. Luck of the draw!
DeleteLove to read about your family. Spring has finally moved into high gear this month. As I write this my lawn is being mown for the first time this year.
ReplyDeleteHere we won't be planting tomatoes until close to the end of the month, which is considered the end of frost risk. But some kale, onions and other cold hardy plants are already in.
ReplyDelete