Rain and more rain


SA honey
SA honey

It rained four nights in a row this week.  Unfortunately it totaled up to maybe half an inch.  Maybe.  Each day after rain during the night the sun came out long enough to make what little moisture there was just a pleasant memory, but the mornings were cool and the air fresh and clean.  One evening there were two huge areas of rain showing on the radar with just a little space between them, just enough to fit Amarillo in.  Another evening just about dusk clouds looking like the forces of doom rolled in low and fast.  Later there was almost constant lightening lighting up the horizon and flashing across the sky.  The rain came on strong but fizzled after a couple of minutes.  This weather pattern has had some entertainment value but mostly it’s just been frustrating.

Chris rescued a turtle, a red-eared slider, from the street the other day.  It was just outside the gate.  Someone had drilled a hole in the back of its shell just above its tail and threaded a string through it.  Chris removed the string and put the turtle in the pond.  A few days later it poked its head above the water to examine me as I was watering some flowers on the island.  Based on our experience with another turtle, or maybe the same one, it won’t stay around but that’s OK.  We don’t mind transient turtles freshening up in our pond when they are traveling through.

There has been the sound of nail guns in the neighborhood most of the summer as many houses get new roofs to replace the ones damaged in May’s hail storm.  Chris noted how the hail was good for the local economy with all of the out-of-town insurance adjusters and roofers descending on the area.  The hotels and restaurants seem to be doing a good business but they always do.  We feel fortunate that our roofs don’t have to be replaced and don’t show any hail damage.  Maybe it’s nice to get a new roof for just the amount of one’s deductible, but having the roofers around even for a few days and the mess wouldn’t be pleasant.

Chris raided one of his beehives and collected several pounds of honey and comb, even a few bees.  I encountered him decked out in coveralls and bee hat as he came out of the enclosure with his contraband .  He kept trying to close the distance between us as he was showing me the honey he’d collected but I preferred to keep my distance.  I had way too much exposed skin for the number of bees on and around him and was afraid they might mistakenly hold me responsible for his depredations.

Friday evening the three of us watched TV in the cave and, as frequently happens, when it was time to call it a night Lil R was fast asleep.  It can be a real challenge to wake her up enough to walk home and many times I’ve had to carry her.  She’s big enough now that that is a challenge for an elderly gentleman.  I managed to get her up and her shoes on but she showed no signs going any further under her own power.  The next thing I new, her big sister slung her limp carcass over her shoulder like a sack of flour and walked home without pause, head, hair and arms dangling down Abigail’s back and nary a peep

You may remember last week I was whining about not getting the pond vacuum I got for my birthday working.  Saturday I was going to set up hose from our house all the way down to the lily pool in the hopes there would be enough water pressure to get the vacuum to work.  Joyce suggested I give it another try  with the well before I did, though.  She reasoned that water running in the garden can really sap the pressure.  I took her advice and found that there was plenty of pressure to make the gadget work.  I thought I had everything else turned off last week but maybe there was water running in the garden I wasn’t aware of.  Anyway, the pond vac worked well and I’m happy.

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