Tag Archives: dahlias

The End is Here

Before the Freeze
Tim Burton Dahlia

Today was going to be dahlia digging day because the weather people cruelly teased us with the information that today we were having a break from the rain. (Also note that the “after” photo comes from the special effects camera. I’ve got fall clothing needs and the holidays are upon us, thus I have yet to remedy my kaput camera.)

I realize that about 28 days in the month of October were a break from the rain, and I love the rain. But I don’t love an unrelenting downpour that makes commuting or even the smallest errand a soggy pain in the ass. Today’s paper says we’ve had 1.62 inches of rain this month and I’m not sure what measuring stick they’re using because by my estimate we’ve had about 8 feet.

So for now the dahlias have to wait. Better luck next weekend. I’m not digging them all if you’re thinking about last year’s disaster (scroll down to Nov 19, I can never make that link to target thing work right). I’m only digging a few side patches that I want to move and I’m digging up yellow ones to share with Kimberlee. Also I have one short orangey one that was beautiful but hard to appreciate nestled amongst the taller plants. Much smaller scale this year. Let’s hope it goes better this time. (scroll to Mar 2).

Posted in doing it wrong, garden | Tagged | Comments Off on The End is Here

No Books on A Plane

dahlias dahlias
dahlias dahlias
Dahlias
I might be disappointed in the tomatoes but at least the dahlias look great.

Yesterday I wanted to pay a bill using funds from a savings account. Since I couldn’t write a check, I took a wad of cash and then drove to the credit union to pay the bill.

They asked me for ID.

I understand the need for security in banking matters, but I can’t imagine why I’d need to show ID to pay a bill with cash. Is there a lot of this going on fraudulently? And if so, is anyone complaining?

Another thing that happened yesterday is Kim called. She couldn’t believe she couldn’t take a book on a plane. Magazines are apparently okay. “I’m fine with no liquids. I’m fine with no knitting needles. But I can’t take a book?” She couldn’t bear the thought of killing time flipping through a soul-depleting issue of Vogue or US Weekly or whatever.

After we’d visited a bit, I suggested taking a New Yorker. What a great magazine that I never read anymore because, dammit, it comes every week and I want to read more books. She agreed this was a excellent idea and was ready to go off to a good newsstand to see what other treasures she could find.

I just bought a pile of books for my summer trip. I already have a huge stack of books on the shelf that have been passed on to me and they are mostly big heavy book club type books. It’s August. I don’t feel like reading The Kite Runner or The Known World right now. I got books with magic, witches and time travel.

I still had one more book in my YA pile from the library and I dutifully picked it up. It’s called An Acquaintance with Darkness and sounded like it might be spooky. “Abraham Lincoln,” I said, after I read the first page. “Who cares?” (Something with a girl in the civil war.) I set it down and picked up one of the new ones. “I want to read about time travel.”

Posted in doing it wrong, garden | Tagged , | Comments Off on No Books on A Plane

It’s Miller Time

the garden is in

What do you think?

That’s the garden. Put it all in this afternoon. The ultimate in delayed gratification. Just a bunch of dirt now but think how great that’s going to be in a couple of months.

Mom and Erin were here this weekend and yesterday we went to the Farmer’s Market and there were heirloom tomatoes up the wazoo. I bought 4 plants this year — now I have friends at the office to share with if it gets too hairy. But also last year I made a tomato soup which was godhead. I’m not a big tomato soup fan but probably because I associate it with the acidy, tinny taste of the canned stuff. Think of that wonderful sweet, fresh, homegrown tomato taste distilled into a hot bowl of soup. If you’re not swooning, you’re not a tomato person.

I also worked on dahlias. The tubers I “saved” are trashed. I had to junk most of them. I’ve been putting them in mass graves just in case I’ve underestimated them. But then some of them look horrible and wrinkled and have tons of “eyes” on them. I ran out of gas on those early. I’m going to have to hit it next weekend. But the dirt is ready.

Also at the Farmer’s Market I saw a bunch of pretty plants that I would love to get and know just where I’d put them. But that area is not ready dirt and needs lots of TLC and I can’t imagine when I’ll get to that. I don’t have the stamina of a true gardener.

Just today I pooped out way before I was done with my chores for today. I pushed through, raking bark dust, spreading mulch and sorting through moldy tubers. That reward beer was one of the best I’ve ever tasted.

I was too tired to wash my hair except it was infused with bark dust and living dirt and I had to do it anyway. Now it’s 4pm and I’m going to catch up on my shows with a delicious drink.

Also, for those of you following along at home, I’ve been eating 3 normal food meals a day and the digestion is humming like a dream. Yay.

Posted in doing it wrong, garden | Tagged , | Comments Off on It’s Miller Time

The Precipitation Situation

blade
Wow, the precipitation situation went from 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds flat. I like rain as much as the next person up here but it would have been nice to have a transition period. Maybe some drizzle before the downpour. On Friday I got my hair cut and I told her not to even bother with the styling. I had tons of errands and I still hadn’t brought in the last of the tomatoes so there seemed little point in hair ironing since I’d be sporting a huge frizz bomb no matter what she did. She put it in a nice braid.

I had another busy week last week. I’m taking two classes at the moment which I didn’t intend to do, but one didn’t finish before the other started so there’s an unfortunate overlap. Plus the Noon yoga on Wednesday means that I attempt to be out the door by 7am almost every day and I get home between 7 and 9pm. It’s not horrible, it just makes accomplishing anything besides eating, sleeping and basic hygiene something of a challenge.

One thing I did do on Friday, beside paddle my canoe between my haircut and errands: I made a point of seeing Serenity a movie by Joss-is-My-Master-Now Whedon. You know, the man responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (subjects of endless yammering on my part) and Firefly a TV series which was yanked off the air before its time and is the basis for the new movie.

The movie is fantastic. Adventure, humor, space battles, fights. I loved it. I was a little disappointed to see it didn’t kick more ass at the box office. World: go check out this movie.

I only have a few cucumbers in the bottom of the crisper. They look in pretty good shape but their days are numbered. I peeled and sliced a big bowl full for myself since the spousal unit is not a cucumber eater. Did another batch of tomato sauce today and will bring it to co-worker tomorrow. The spousal unit is also not big on tomatoes and I already have 4 big batches of sauce stored — no reason to go crazy.

The dahlias took quite a beating in the rain although the Emory Pauls still look great which I never would have expected. These flowers are gigantic. When they first bloomed I stood out in my yard and said: I grew this.

Posted in doing it wrong, garden | Tagged | Comments Off on The Precipitation Situation