Don't let the rain stop you!

It has been raining here since Wed., downpours that flatten all the pretty flowers not to mention a few bushes. My daughter came home from Florida on Wed. and said "So this is what rain looks like!" She has no idea!!! While we have had 30 days of rain she has had sunshine. She said the Floridians would kill for a good rain. By all means.......TAKE IT WITH YOU!!! My iris's are just giving up and laying down, my phlox has been beaten down to a muddy mess and even the cat hasn't gone out in days! Who wants to start building the Ark with me?????
On a positive note, My son Joshua graduated last night. He is the youngest of 5, the last of the Mohicans so to speak. I think I was more excited than he was.....I am done with grade schools and high schools. YAY!!!! This picture is of Josh and his "Floridian" sister, Tarsha.

Good looking kids and congratulations on getting 5 kids through school! An amazing accomplishment in the garden of life.

My children are starting to prune-up from the rain. I have never been so bummed in May and June about gardening.

Congratulations pixie!!
Dave I am bummed too, can't believe this is June and it seems like November is still going on. Dark and cold and wet....arrrgghh. i'm giving in to depression.....

Thanks Dave!
As I was raising them I felt like if I ever managed to get 5 kids through high school and at least a few kids into college that would be an amazing accomplishment in this day and age.
I never thought this day would come!! I am truely blessed.
I haven't even planted my veggie garden yet! Between the rain and the graduation festivities I haven't had a chance and it is bumming me out big time. I plant a good size garden and share w/family, friends, and the neighbors. There are going to be a lot of disappointed people come harvest time if I don't get out there soon!
Maybe your children won't prune up to bad, maybe they will just adapt. Quick! Go check thier toes...could be they are already getting webbed feet!

Thank you dmcdevitt!
But don't give in to depression......that means the rain has won!

Thought something was wrong with the clouds yesterday - blue splotches all over them. Then someone told me it was something called "clear sky." I didn't have to worry, though. It was gone within a few hours. >:-(

Julie

LOL defective clouds = I thought you were going to say there was no rain in them. Luckily, fresh rain clouds got there in time. There weren't mine though, mine are still right here over my house and garden/.

We are now getting periods of sun with a lot of wind.
My kids gills are starting to fade.
I never had the heat on in June before this in my life. At least its at a time where oil is cheap!

A nice day used to be when it was sunny and warm. Now a nice day is any day that doesn't rain.

ownedbycats,
I have to agree whole heartedly

on saturday it was 35 degrees here at 6pm. cacelled barbecue and made stew instead. we even lit a fire. it's supposed to get nice today, but i don't see it. 1 good thing tho, the caterpillars are dying.

ayankeecat coming to you from (almost) sunny So. California. Arrived Saturday morning from the downpour at Bradley to "June Gloom" in San Jose, CA. Went over the mountain to Santa Cruz - where I almost saw the sun - but - now don't be all jealous - it didn't rain one drop in 36 hours! Left San Jose yesterday morning for good old OC (Orange County) and my Dad's house just outside Disneyland in Anahiem. More June Gloom - but not a drop of rain! There is this strange color in the sky - this morning. A color I don't quite recognize - wait - it's - no it can't be . . . it is! It is blue! :) Gee I hope I packed the sun screen. Will grab Dad's digital and snap some shots of the posies in his yard to post later today. Too bad his collection of plumeria aren't blooming.

Yankeecat, Right after you flew away, the sun came out here & has been ever since!
When are you coming back? I will have some areas that need watering by Saturday ;^)
dave

Sorry Dave47 - I'm here for two weeks. There is SO MUCH SUN I have a watchband tan mark!

It's gonna be 77 here today and tomorrow! Yippee! Almost like CA...

80 today
90 for Father's Day!
Chicken on the grill!

Frozen Watermelon :}

With Vodka injections?????????

Oh, yeah!

So what are we, now that we're almost dry, going to do about all these flipping mosquitos!!!! Am I right, are they worse than usual for this time of year? I remember finding them annoying, but not as bad as this year. For the first time in my life I am seriously considering a mosquito 'bomb' or whatever those things are. I have a friend who assiduously tips over anything that could harbor water for mosquitos to breed in. Heck, this year, anything, even a hill, harbored enough water for mosquitos!

xxxxx, Carrie

Even roads at a 17% slope!

Uh-huh, that's a definite YES the mosquitoes are worse than usual. I went out today and ended up with about a dozen on my legs almost immediately. Even when I sprayed myself with the "deep woods" type repellent they were biting. I just hope none of them were carriers of West Nile or other assorted goodies.

Mosquitoes are voracious here, I think they are the worst I've ever seen. I have to be coated with Deep Woods Off to go outside for more than 10 seconds. Even worse, clouds of them come in with the dogs. However, as long as it stops raining, I'm going to try not to get worked up about anything else....trying.....trying harder......

And its not just mosquitoes. Its very buggy.

No see-um's are a pain to me but they're not around if there's any breeze at all.

Poor birds have used up all their bathwater and I should refill the birdbath but I keep thinking of the mosquitoes. If I filled it each morning and emptied it at 7 PM I'd be okay, wouldn't I?

You should be fine as long as the same water's not around for a few days for the eggs to hatch. I think...

Thanks!

I don't think it matters anymore whether you have standing water.... they are everywhere anyway. My daughter has about 14 bites on her, even though I put the kids repellant stuff on her. They bite in between the places where you wipe it on.

I have fewer bites but stuck my hands in poison ivy day before yesterday so wish me luck I don't get it. I knew there was a reason I didn't like weeding!

I think they have (drugstores) a wash you can use even before you begin to weed just in case you hit poison ivy.

Maybe someone here knows and can tell you the name of it.

I have a scub I use if I come in contact with poison ivy. It's called:
Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub. It will eliminate the oil on your skin, cures the itchng and helps to speed healing if you do break out with the rash. And I have, 4 times this year.
It is most beneficial if you use it as soon as you realize you have come in contact with the plant. The longer the oil sits on the skin, the worse the reaction will be. Hope this is some help, good luck!

My daughter (37) is one who isn't allowed to go near Poison Ivy. Doctor said next time she goes in the hospital.

I only touched it for about five minutes ( I pulled it all out when I realized I had touched it already), then washed my hands, went to the laundry, washed clothes, showered about 3 times in cool water, showerd again withh soap, then took a bath. I have never had it and I was freaked out. My hands have been tingling ever since, but I probably dried them out with all the washing! Plus I had a mosquito bite on my thumb already.

Thanks for all the help. I have a poison ivy kit in the medicine cabinet if I need it, but I think it is for the rash only.

I wish we had the wrens in our yard this year. They are so good at bug hunting. I think the sparrows chased them away.

Oooh, Pirl, that is so scary. I was typing when you posted. I hope she doesn't tempt fate.

Wow, so she gets to watch while everyone else is weeding? That's great! She has a ready made excuse!

That is scary! Good thing its not me.....im like Ivy...pull it out before I realize what I have done!! She must have to be VERY careful.

I have found Tecnu to be a great help. Its not the pretreatment Pirl referred to but it can prevent your getting it after you come in contact with Poison Ivy. If you are already in bloom, it stops the spreading and hastens its departure.

I depend on Tecnu too, but try really hard to avoid poison ivy since last time it went systemic and I needed prednisone to stop it. That was sheer torment, my hands were too swollen to touch anything = couldn't even hold a book-and it was breaking out in my nostrils, backs of legs, etc. It was days before the prednisone even helped. Yuck. The Technu has mineral spirits, and I bet mineral spirits would work in a pinch to remove the PI oils.

My son gets a severe reaction to P.I., almost every time they have to put him on prednisone. When he was 15 he got it in his "private parts" and of course he didn't want to go see the doctor(female), until it got so bad he couldn't sleep and wanted to cry. They ended up giving him a shot right there in the office and then sent him home w/2 perscriptions. He never waits that long any more, just takes a big swallow (pride & embarressment) and calls the doctor. LOL

OH NO! That's a huge gulp of pride to swallow!

My daughter is now mom to her own almost 15 year old daughter and the new baby, Charlie. Now she's so busy wiping every little drop from his mouth I don't know how she even takes a shower! No weeding at all for her: great husband took over and did an amazing job. He had no PI allergies.

Well, I haven't got any rash, just psychosomatic symptoms brought on by thinking too much! Plus with all the mosquitoes, every time I have a bite I think "Oh my gosh, is that poison ivy?"

Wow. I thought I had it rough with a daughter who gets hives every time she gets a flu bug at school. I just feel so sorry for your son, pixie62560.

That's so difficult for a teenager!