First Monday in August

rocks-deemallonIt was very hot here today. Fortunately, there’s been a temporary ‘fix’ to the van’s AC. Better yet, the horrible traffic that has plagued Route 128 between here and Salem all summer took a break today. Wahoo! Made it home in 50 minutes instead of the 1.5 hours that it’s taken the last four trips.

My sister and I went around North Salem to look at some of the low-income housing units that she is on the wait-list for. Before that, we sorted through some piles of things. Cleared off a few surfaces. I showed her how to use her Netti pot and took out the garbage and dusted a little. But only a little. If I get going too much, it sets her off. We went to the ‘Dairy Witch’ for soft-serve.

And now, a week with few commitments stretches ahead. AAAAAh. I hope to post about Portsmouth and the Hearts for Charleston Quilt.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from the weekend. It was a clear up, settle back, relax kind of time. Busy — but at my own pace with large swaths of quiet, so time took on an expansive quality.IMG_2244The rabbits devoured one Rose of Sharon transplant; left the other alone. I watered like mad because it’s been so dry and because the son I asked to do so in my absence did not 🙁

IMG_2252 IMG_2257 IMG_2255Removed a long-useless soaker hose.
IMG_2282Pruned away most of an ailing laurel bush (something I’ve wanted to do for, oh, three years?), and used the old branches to supply support for morning glories.
IMG_2260As the years cycle by, I find that my attitude toward plants change. You know? Same plant. Different attitude. This year, the echinacea strikes me as so sturdy and pretty. And the morning glory is blowing my mind. Besides producing drop-dead beautiful flowers, the strength and delicacy of their climbing tendrils is something to behold. How can something be so strong and so delicate at the same time?!
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IMG_2163Off now. It’s “So You Think You Can Dance” night, but before I go, just wanted to follow up on last week and brag about successfully sharpening three pairs of scissors — including these two pair of Ginghers.

8 thoughts on “First Monday in August

  1. Liz

    Welcome home … no matter how wonderful the time away, it is always such a joy to slip back into routines, the garden, and your own bed …

    Reply
    1. deemallon

      there are pretty plantings here and a lofty canopy… but peaceful it almost never is on account of construction noise, tree repairs, and yard crews. but I love this yard. I really do.

      Reply
  2. Mo Crow

    Morning Glory is one of the best blues but it’s a strangling total take over merchant of a weed here in the Land Down Under with a surprisingly tenacious root system, took me three years to get out the last of the roots wound into in a 10 year old tangle of Wedding Day (a very thorny rambling rose) and a very vigorous scarlet Bougainvillea in one of our wilder gardens!

    Reply
    1. deemallon

      ah! the wily strategies of the invasive! sorry to hear. I planted a native Joe Pye Weed (a maroon variety) which behaved like a regular old perennial for years, and then went absolutely fricking wild. I spent much of last summer ripping it up and am still scouting it out, finding renegades in the lawn, hiding under hosta, or hiding in plain sight with the clumps of daisies. Dastardly thing!

      Reply

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