Today

The sun was out today, which was a good thing in a lot of respects. Neither the DW or I would have been much fun had it been another rainy day. A lot of tears. The nice day gave us a chance to take comfort in some outdoor labor. Today it was rearranging the greenhouse and hoophouse (yes, it is another windy day, yet the little structure is holding its own) to make way for the tomato transplants. We're talking 250 gallon cans of little tomatoes. The hoophouse is now almost completely full, and will be tomorrow after I transplant the rest of the herbs into 4-in. pots. The greenhouse will then contain only tomatoes and squash. It's going to be a tight squeeze. The tomatoes need the heat to really take off, for they have to be of a sufficient marketable size (14-inches tall or more) in two weeks. We could move the squash outside but the cucumber beetles are starting to show up, and they love to defoliate squash and cucumbers. It's just one more pain in the ass we don't need right now.

While I was taking a break I spied this color combo from the barn. The trees in the back are the flowering plums that were in bloom just a couple weeks ago. (I have been getting quite a few google hits because of these trees.) The tree in front is a Japanese Maple (not all are red).

Then I turned the camera to this tree. I believe it is a Myrtle. The tree behind it is another Japanese Maple (yes, red) on the front corner of the house.

The people who owned this property in the 70s did a lot of landscaping, which is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, we have some magnificent specimen trees on the property. The downside is the upkeep, which we've neglected for the past several years. One goal this summer is to rectify that oversight.

According to the prognosticators we're supposed to have three nice days. Tomorrow I finish the tomatoes and herbs, and Sunday I will mow. After nearly two weeks of solid rain, the lawn and barn area are up to the middle of my shin. Should be fun, for I doubt the grass will be dry, and the ground will certainly still be saturated. Of course, our OCD neighbors are already mowing.