We’ve had some dust storms up here on the High Plains lately. There was one nearly a week ago we didn’t know about since it happened at night. Joyce’s walking buddies told her about it but we were oblivious since we’d already gone to bed. I remember the house creaking as the wind picked up out of the north but thought nothing of it. Then Sunday night just before bedtime a thunderstorm in the area sent all kinds of crud whirling through the air. Joyce switched on an outside light and it was remarkable how much dust and debris there was illuminated by the floodlight. Judging from the windows there were just enough rain drops to put a nice earthy tint on the windows.
The ducks act as though they have taken up permanent quarters on SA. They’ve been here maybe three weeks and rarely leave. You don’t suppose they are planning building a nest? It would be great fun to have ducklings on the pond but it wouldn’t be fun when they disappeared one by one down the throats of the various predators, wild and domestic, around.
No hummingbirds have shown up at the feeder yet. We’ll keep fresh liquid refreshment in the feeder pending their arrival.
We watched Abigail play in a tournament Sunday afternoon. We left after her team dispatched a couple of opponents. Word is they weren’t satisfied with their second place finish in the silver category, felt they should have won.
The grapevines are putting forth new growth and appear to be doing much better than last year. Several didn’t form any new growth at all until well after the rest had already done so. I thought they were dead. This year, though, they are matching the other vines in shoots. Joyce is expecting her tomato plants soon. We got the beds ready last week so she’ll be able to plant them without delay.
The chickens had been on hiatus the last couple of weeks but began to produce a few eggs again recently. Even the Americana breed which usually doesn’t lay as long as the black ones and which Joyce had thought were past laying altogether started producing. Maybe all the chickens realized there is job security in keeping the eggs coming.
Critter on critter violence rears its ugly head on SA. Cookie Monster the cat tries to open up a can of whup ass on Tino the dog every chance he gets.
The place greened up considerably over the past week but it isn’t going to stay that way if we don’t get rain soon. Except for the wild onions in the pasture, of course. What an infestation. There are way too many to dig up though I dig up any I see on the rest of the place so the problem doesn’t spread. Roundup and Weed-Be-Gone don’t touch them but the other day we were at the nursery and bought some Sedge Ender. It says it kills wild onions. We shall soon see. Twenty bucks for the bottle of Sedge Ender would be a small price to pay if I can start making a dent in the onion patch.