witt's Blog

Hip, hip, hooray! Three cheers for the rain! We got 1 3/10ths inches last night. Hubby and I were trying to figure out how to start toting water again this morning, but thank goodness, we had rain and we won't have to do it now.

I've been trying to participate in the forums, read and comment on as many blogs as I can, but with our time restraints, it's near impossible. Most of our day is spent traveling to therapy, and that doesn't leave much time to do anything else. The side-effects of the therapy are starting to rear their ugly heads, too. This will be a long haul, but we're still trying to keep the gardens going. Hubby loves it so much. He was proud of his first red, round tomato. (He doesn't think much of the Romas. "They don't look right.")

The other day before we left for therapy, Hubby went out to gather any eggs that might have been laid. He doesn't like for them to stack up because they get pipped or cracked. All the hens want to use the same nest. They are sooo jealous. In one coop there are nine nest boxes, yet they will all use the same one and always want to use it at the same time even if there are eight other places that they can go. Anyway, instead of it being a black hen in the nest, there was a huge black snake coiled up in their favorite nesting box. He was six feet long and a little lumpy. He had already had his breakfast obviously. The funny thing is the chickens didn't make a peep, but when a limb fell yesterday and brushed the fence, they had a squawking fit. Go figure!

We got 4/10ths of an inch yesterday. That brings our total up for this month to 3 1/10ths. For June we had 3 2/10ths. I'm hoping that we'll get these thunder showers every chance that one rolls through. We are blessed.

A good time was had by all, as they say in the newspaper! Daughter and Grandson came for a visit. We enjoyed our seafood dinner out. Then it was back home to play some silly game that she had acquired. I couldn't play it worth a hoot and that caused much hilarity. As a matter of fact, we laughed so hard that we couldn't even catch our breaths on occasion. We even used about a half a box of Kleenex, wiping up our tears of humor. By the time we finished, I don't think that I had on a speck of make-up. It wasn't the game that was so good, it was just my stupidity that made it so much fun. We were worn out from laughing so much that when they left, we didn't do a thing but watch TV. We were spent.

Last night we were awakened to the sounds of thunder and bright flashes, which continued for about an hour, but I never heard any rain. Hubby went out this morning to discover that we had gotten 6/10ths. I would say hallelujah if I could spell it.

After we got home from yet another doctor's appointment, I headed for the great outdoors. I hand-trimmed the grass from around Aunt Winnie's Garden and The Rock Garden. Then I started on those dang flat-on-the-ground milkweeds. I had to dispose of them even though the chickens were dancing and begging for what was in the bucket. Milkweed is poisonous to chickens, and I don't know if this kind would hurt them or not, but I didn't want to take a chance. We've lost too many of them lately. I gave them the grass clippings and all the clover they could stand. Oh, and they got the corn shucks, two worms and the cob trimmings, so that ought to be enough to make any chicken happy. I didn't last too long with my gardening endeavors because it just got too hot. At least I accomplished something worthwhile and only got two chigger bites in the process.

Next, I tackled all of the St. John's wort in The Poison Garden. While I was getting that out, I kept getting sprigs of zoysia. Well I couldn't resist transplanting that. Hubby was kind enough to put some water on it for me. I was too busy to stop. After I got all the St. John's wort out, I had to pull a gazillion of those flat-to-the ground milky weeds. I don't know what they are called, but scrubbing with a brush wouldn't get the sticky off my hands. After I got that done, then I hand-trimmed the grass around the edge. I didn't want Hubby to have to try to manage the weed-eater. It looks pretty good.

There's a tiger lily blooming in The Butterfly Garden. It wasn't planted there, but it has come up there for the last couple of years. This year it has blooms and has about eight more buds on it. I hope I can get a picture, but you know what a terrible photographer I am. The echinacea is really putting on a show in there as well. All in all, I can't complain. Things could be a whole lot worse.