We are still bouncing back and forth between spring and summer. Thursday was hot with a strong west wind. Humidity was about 12%. We’ve dodged the hail, high winds and worse that have afflicted the Panhandle this month but we’ve also dodged the rain. I’ve recorded less than half an inch of moisture for May. While it was hot Thursday, there have been some chilly days this week as well. One day I might head off for work in shorts and a T-shirt and the next day in jeans and a couple of layers on the top end. We have some relatively cool weather in the forecast and ‘spec we better enjoy. It’s likely summer will set in any day now.
Joyce has just about finished her planting. She distributed some dianthus, periwinkles, geraniums and daisies around the house. Now the trick will be to keep them watered. They looked pretty sad yesterday evening after a day in the mid 90’s with a wind and low humidity to leverage the temperature. The established perennials still look good but will require frequent watering as well. She will plant okra in the garden pretty soon to wrap that up.
No doubt you are wondering how my grapes are doing. You’ll recall I trimmed them drastically in February, much more than I usually do. Last year I trimmed lightly and we enjoyed a bumper crop. I have a carboy of wine, enough for 25 bottles, quietly aging from the 2016 vintage and felt no need to try to duplicate last year’s harvest, so I took the opportunity to force some discipline on the vines. Grapevines naturally have the self-discipline of over-caffeinated toddlers and must be trained if a decent crop is desired. They are responding nicely but there won’t be near the crop we had last year, and that’s OK. Maybe there will be enough for Joyce to make some grape juice popsicles like she did last year. I’m letting Joyce’s table grapes fruit this year although the vines are probably still too young to produce much.
We were victims of a fly-by shitting recently. Something let loose over the front step and splattered all the way to the front door. Cows don’t fly and aren’t we all glad, but this could have been the work of a pterodactyl with stomach problems. It could have been a goose, I suppose, or may a turkey vulture. We see those around some this time of year. Joyce got it cleaned up but here’s hoping it was a one-off.
We wrapped up the Memorial Day weekend, and pretty much May, with a visit to the cemetery. We took flowers to both our mothers. Kari accompanied us and after breakfast at Cracker Barrel we collected Rebecca and made a trip to McBride Canyon. Before the canyon we visited the Alibates visitor center. Then we spent a while wandering around the canyon. I was glad to see that part of the country was as green as it was when I visited it two or three weeks ago. It must have gotten rain in the interim. Otherwise it would look dry like southern Potter county.