Weather Watching Summer

I agree, Terp--traveling is great for kids! :-) We traveled a lot, too. Exposes you to different ideas, ways of doing things, and perspectives on life.

Ric--sounds like a great street fair! have fun with the grands! I remember that face-painted, sticky-fingered look! :-)

In 1966 we drove cross country from Baltimore to Seattle. It was a 2 week trip--
stopping at many of the places mentioned above.

My daughter, Aina, (now 49) was just 1 1/2 yrs. old and "lived, slept, played
in a platform we put on half the back seat. My Mother came along too--
to help with the baby. She always loved traveling...Aina was an angel the whole trip!

I remember Grand Canyon. Painted desert, Petrified Forrest, and other places.
We stayed in cabins and wherever along the way.
I think Grand Canyon awed me the most....the tourist cabins were in the woods--
and when yu walked to the rim--and looked down--there was the Grand Canyon!!!
Amazing!

I am sure things have changed since 1966.
For one--cars had no seat belts. We did not have A/C either.
It was the hottest summer---miserable! It was not until we got to Colorado
that the temps cooled down below 90*.

When we finally arrived to Seattle--it was the first time my In-laws met their
first granddaughter. She was, royally, spoiled, of course...

G.

Isn't it amazing how we survived those trips? Even enjoyed them! Yet no A/C, no seat belts (my two little ones were put in a porta crib in the back), and no cell phones in case of trouble!!

sounds like wonderful memories, Gita--and I remember those no AC days when we rolled the windows down and would even hang our heads out the windows! :-o

We needed to drive without the a/c going through the Mojave desert. They had signs out there telling you to do so or your vehicle could overheat. It was hot. Another time we got water in our gas at some shady service station and almost broke down.

Great American Road Trip!

my dad forgot where he hid the traveler's checks for safety...they figured we could eat PB sandwiches, sleep in thee car, and drive back to the nearest inlaws in St Louis. I was youngest and didn't really know that so I just enjoyed Yellowstone. and the pools at Holiday Inn every night. And they let me run down the hall, alone, in my PJS and get Mt Dew from the machine. Times have SO changed since those 60s.

PS Dad found the checks ..but .Mom was Not Amused by the whole thing.

LOL! Anyone remember the old movie, "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation" with Jimmy Stewart? ;-)

Lol...can't imagine the vehicle you were driving cross country in the 60's...

1963 Rambler Station Wagon. Great car! :-) My family had it for almost 20 years.

I was born on So. Cal, and my parents and family are all from PA, so we used to drive from Cali to PA every summer to visit the family. WOW, that was a trip!! Mom, Dad, and the SIX of us kids, all in the VW van - one of the OLD ones that was red with the white roof! "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end..." Coolers packed with frozen milk cartons (milk didn't come in plastic jugs like they do these days), PB and bacon sandwiches, water (no sodas, too expensive for eight of us!!)... wow, amazing we all lived through it. ;)

oh, wow, I remember that model of VW van, Speedie! Sure brings back memories! :-) "We'd sing and dance forever and a day. We'd live the life we choose. We'd fight and never lose dum dum dee dum"

heeheee, love that song!

Well, speaking of weather (I'm sure someone is,.. somewhere), I hear thunder out there, so I'm hoping that storm is really gonna arrive like it's predicted to. Gosh it was hot again today! Sure felt a lot hotter than the supposed 86. My shoulders got a little pink through my sunblock! :(

oppressively hot and muggy here again today! There was a lot of ominous thunder rumbling in the distance, but we only got about a 5-minute sprinkle. :-(

I put my order in for 1 hour of good steady rain... let's see if the answer is "Okey Dokey!". ;)

We got a couple of hours of steady light rain today. I finished up the weeding and cutting back the daff foliage this morning then planted several perennials and annuals around the lamppost bed. So the rain was just what my plants needed. It did interfere with some scheduled Grands time. We were all going to a local street fair. Ric and I with JR did get there a bit later this afternoon but Lily & Lucas couldn't come later in the day.

YAY, my order came in last evening - about 1 hour of a nice semi-heavily steady rain. Wheeee!!! Thank you Lord!! =)

From the food thread, Holly, it sounds like you guys had a good-eatin' time out yesterday evening. =)

hey, Speedie, can you put an order in for where I live?? :-)

Holly, glad you guys got some rain *and* had a good time!

Man I need to put in an order for rain too! We got a piddly .10 inches the other day :( Hopefully we start getting some soon or I'm going to have to water some babies.

todays great for working out there and tomorrow we are supposed to see 70s and clouds /rain.

I didn't water yesterday morning because they were calling for rain throughout the area.

But I got 0 inches yesterday! This morning some of the full-sun container plants were literally crispy. Oops!

I've been doing the same thing SSG--only doing minimal watering thinking it's going to rain! :-(

Okey dokey, I'll put extra orders in for you guys for tonight. =)
I hope the rain holds off until afternoon tomorrow, I found out today that I don't have to work tomorrow like I had planned. YAY, I get to go outside and play in the dirt! =)

So glad to hear you're able to spend some time in the garden tomorrow, Speedie! I'm also hoping the rain holds off until later in the day. Forecast says we have a 50% chance of showers all day, so who knows what will happen! We need the rain, but I've also been looking forward to getting in the garden on a day when temps are not too high... So, we'll see how it goes!

Looks like only about a 40-50% chance down here in my neck o' the woods, so I'll try to get out there in the AM... worse comes to worse I'll be inside potting up seeds. :)

Raining steadily here. I might go out in a little while anyway and plant what I got at the sale yesterday. If it doesn't stop, but lets up just a little bit I'm out there. Better planting in the rain than in that high heat and humidity we had earlier in the week :)

yes, I agree--the rain and cooler air are a welcome change, and I'm happier being out in that than in the horrible heat and humidity we've had lately!!

NO RAIN HERE YET--BUT THE SKY LOOKS OMINOUS--AND THERE IS
SOME DISTANT RUMBLING....

I am going to a Fish Fry today at a nice, casual club. All kinds of great foods--
all home made by the Club's volunteers. Beer on tap included--free...

They have a serious-sized covered outside pavilion with long tables.
Should be all dry. Besides--inside are also a lot of tables and a bar.
Great Folks there...

***Excuse the capitals..I watch my fingers when i type and have no idea what it
looks like once it is typed........until I look up.

G.

Gita sounds like a nice way to spend the day! :-)

Gita, that sounds like fun! We barely got .10 inch. UUGGGGHHH

Well the rain let up to a drizzle for a few hours - enough time for me to get everything planted that I got at the sale yesterday. Heavier rains started up again about 15 minutes ago, so I came in to put on dry clothes. Not sure what I'm going to do with the rest of the rainy day. A lot of inside chores need to be done, but I'm not very motivated to do them. Maybe I'll work on making up plant labels or napping on the porch with Riley dog instead.

I am waiting for a yukky, rainy day to sort out my winter and summer clothes.
Right now--my winter clothes are laying all over the beds in my guest room...

Every year--I mean to REALLY go through them and cull out a bunch I no longer wear--
and then I can't deal with giving them away....Baby steps....every year...
Just b/c I don't wear them--does not mean they are useless...it is just that between
HD and gardening at home--who needs nicer clothes?

On factor, though, is that the tops used to be more short-waisted, (to show off the
belly's of younger girls--and now are longer, as that was not the greatest idea.

I LIKE and NEED longer tops to hide my tummy. Hip length is ideal.
So--I have a bunch of nicer tops that I do not wear because of that.

I need some new jeans too--BUT--I WILL NOT and CANNOT wear the low-waisted
ones. The only jeans that come close to my waist are Gloria Vanderbilt' s.
They are called "relaxed fit"...

I have cut many older pants down to Capris to wear to work. Good recycling!

MAN! Did I get off-topic!!! BUT--that is what I would do on a rainy day at home.

Gita

We had a short morning sprinkle. Otherwise just clouds- took dog to the woods, we have a new secret park that is very quiet and uninvaded by either human or plant 'trash'.

We had a little rain last night. It was drizzling a little when I went out to get the paper this morning, and I saw that I had left a sprinkler on all night long! It was only watering a small area of new grass - maybe 7' x 7' - but boy what a waste of water...especially because the grass is not going to grow until I dig it up, excavate more of the ground-up tree stump it is trying to root in, chuck in more dirt, replace the wimpy grass and sow more seed...all of which is about as appealing as cleaning my basement.

Oh boy, I kick myself when I forget leaving a hose on.

I'd let the grass grow now as best it can, and in fall, fill with dirt as needed and add more seed.

Muddy, don't bother reseeding until September, our local turf grasses are the cool weather type and are genetically coded to go dormant during the heat of summer.

Yeah, what he said. ^^ =)

Another wonderful breezy and dry early summer evening!!! I love the open windows and time on the deck. Just need to keep an eye on potted plants water needs.

I'm sooo tired of watering grass seed, but I decided to give it just one more try before fall. I spread top soil on the existing sickly-looking grass, threw lots of seed down, then covered it with more soil. Just having black dirt on top makes it look better.

Does anyone else have Black-eyed Susans that are blooming? My Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' are starting to bloom now, which seems about 6 weeks early, and I'm wondering whether it's because of the cold winter we had. Maybe the plants are worried that they live in zone 5 now, and think they have to hurry up and bloom!