Weird weather of '09.......#6

I'm not sure that there is much we can personally do, but if anyone has ideas I'm happy to listen.

Sofer I totally agree with you but we are already in a mess. The only reason I am able to be retired is that I made responsible decisions and live within my means. When I wanted a different lifestyle I got the education, then the job. I got divorced 14 years ago from an ophthalmologist and not once did I accept spousal support because I think if people are able they should take personal responsibility. BUT we need to fix our mess.

I'm with both of you. I really don't envy President Obama, I feel for him. I so wish he can turn this WHOLE MESS AROUND! It took 8 yrs for us to get into this mess, I'm hoping it will only take 4 yrs to clean it up. I'm sorry, but I don't feel for the people that took on the interest only loans and are now homeless, they were TOLD IT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA! I do however feel for their children, since they didn't ask for their carelessly spending parents and now they're homeless as well. I can't imagine the bewilderment they're feeling. So sad.:-(
Susan105

Susan I agree absolutely with what you said. There are a lot of sad stories these days. I also don't have a lot of sympathy for those who took on mortgages they knew they could not handle. Especially when so many people have been and continue to be working really hard to take care of their families.
Do you think our country will learn from this and change habits?

Judi, I doubt it. We didn't learn 10, 20 or even 30yrs ago. Remember when the auto industry said they WEREN'T going to build full size PU's anymore in the 70's? Look at the size of PU's that are on the road now!!! I even saw a Ford commercial last night that was offering a Ford 350 that can tow 25,000 lbs!!! And they said again they were going to stop building full size PU's. A Ford 350 is a FULL SIZE PU!!! Just fries me, so instead of saying I doubt it, I think I'll have to change it to NOOOOOOOOO!!!

Susan105

the difference between you and me is I fix the problem with personal decisions rather than federal bailouts. today I am doing a 100,000 mile service on my truck (1,300 dollars) instead of buying new truck. my economy is much better because of my decisions. no other people here. I don't need this fixed. I simply change my lifestyle.

We bought our truck 1976 ¾ ton 4x4 GMC in 1976 the day after Thanksgiving and the old beast is still going strong. She will pull just waitin after we get her home. We're borrowing one of DH's co-worker's diesel PU to go get her. The old beast gets 10 miles to the gal empty, 7 (if we're lucky) towing. It would cost us an arm and a leg for fuel it we drove the beast!
No new trucks here! And the Explorer I drive is a '95. We're old school.

Susan105

No new vehicles here as well. I love my Volvo and they age well! I only drive a few days a week because I use my bicycle a lot. I got one of those cruiser type bikes that allow you to sit up straight and it has automatic gears and the brakes are in the pedals, just like when we were kids. It was a little expensive but I think I have saved that much is gas in the two years that I've had it. It's healthy, it's fun, and it's "green." It's ok in light rain but I am not a complete martyr!
I have also adjusted my lifestyle, like everyone else. I've never been much of a shopper but now I only shop for food and of course plants.
I try to separate myself from the larger economy and deal with it on a personal level, but the fact is houses are now worth less and IRAs and being affected. So many people are losing their health insurance so that means we are all paying a larger share of that burden. We're all a part of the bigger picture.
Gardener - I agree that lessons will probably not be learned.

Susan, they are making PU that have decent mileage, like 30 mpg.

We just bought a new car, but we did so because the last one was used to begin with, a part were failing about once every 3 months, it was dented, etc… it depends on what you have. If you bought a new car a while ago and there is nothing wrong with it, don’t get a new one just to have a new one, but if you can actually save money in the long run, or at least pay no more a month and have better gas mileage, go for it.

Oh they make a Big PU...really big, but Not Full Size.....you have these huge cabs with a little bed that isn't worth being on the truck....I could carry a bigger payload in the Station wagon we had at the time than you can carry in the Pick Ups they have now.....

That's the reason we got a minivan - you can carry sheets of plywood and they're protected, rather than a PU. Also, cuz we can haul grandkids. LOL

Well I bought a new Jetta this year for a song. It gets 42 MPG so that with diesel prices makes my jaunts to Seattle about $30 each way. And I spent $1400 on my truck today so I am pumping as much as I need into the economy. We bought one house and refinanced our's here in Montana. So both the banks and the car dealers have been assisted by us. We all have different ways of looking to the government for what we think they should do. I am a Jeffersonian. Not a Hamiltonian.

Here's my snow picture from last week.

Pretty shot with the snow and new blossoms Zhinu! Been a crazy weather week. Snow on Monday...rain ..major frost ...sunshine. 30 this morning and a high of 58 this afternoon.
The plants are so confused.

Got this one this afternoon...

Laura, Trisha, Bea....beautiful pictures, I've never seen such a lovely clump of crocus! Maybe mine will get that big one day, they do get more every year.

Yep, crazy weather here today too. Frost this morning, 27 last night, and up to 62 today. It was great, got outside every chance I could. Back to rain for the next week looks like, but warmer.

Those are at one of the units down the street and I think they reaaaallly need to be divided and the divisions transplanted to my house!

They are looking a little crowded! LOL

Were those the things you call flowers? Beautiful shots!

Yes, it's been a long time coming. Walked around outside today and things are starting to come up all over. Now if we can just avoid another deep freeze......

We are getting there.....slowly.

Wow, your's are open already. Mine aren't even up tall enough yet.

Beautiful Anemone Beahive!! Is it truly that blue? If it is.... I want to know what kind it is!

Tricia. Great pic! Very Festive.

Laura, Nice pic! hopefully that's all gone now.

Don't feel bad Sally.....My muscari aren't even coming up yet!

Red, that was Monday I think, though mom says we're expecting more.

I thought that I had heard something to that effect! Ick. Glad to have you back here again! We missed you!!

I missed all of you too! Still have a lot to do, but it's no long the "have to get this done now" deal. I got my bulbs put in, which was the last thing that really falls into the category. The rest of it just needs to get done.

I could really do without the post St. Patrick's Day snow we've had the last couple years and am honestly dying for a 70-90 degree day. I usually don't mind the winter too much, and dread the 90+ days of summer, but this winter just seems to have been going on forever, I'd even accept a 100 degree day.

Wow, I can't believe that you already have your bulbs in!! That's really good. You must really feel relieved to have the "must do now" stuff done with.

I agree with you about the post St. Patty's snow. !!!! undoubtedly. However, I wouldn't accept a 100 deg. day either. Picky I guess. Last year when we had a 100 deg. weather in May (can't remember if it was mid or late may, I'll have to look) it caused heat damage to the new growth on quite a few of my plants. Two of my hydrangeas never did look right. However, 100 deg. aside, I would be very happy with some nice short sleeve and shorts weather days!

I found it! I can't believe it. This is the thread on the record setting, 100 deg weather on the 15th or 16th of May last year. The pictures of the heat damage were posted at the end of the thread on the 27th or 28th.... something like that.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/849334/


I think that there might have been a thread that preceeded the one above, but i'm not sure which it was.


This message was edited Mar 14, 2009 12:40 AM

I go into torpor above about 95 degrees, one of the reasons I love living here, not too hot not to cool, most of the time. I'm glad that my Tulips and Crocuses decided to come up last week or I wouldn't have been able to find them to transplant them, but since they came up after I'd grab most of the other plants I was taking they didn't get "potted" so much as pulled and thrown into pots with a bit a dirt. I was really worried about them surviving the freezing weather until I could get them into the ground. I lost my hand shovel in the boxes somewhere so I had to use a spoon to plant them, but didn't want to wait, both because they weren't healthy where they were and also because I wanted to do it soon and didn't want to do it in the rain. I also moved some daffodils that were growing out back into the front planter. Here's a picture of the planter, if they survive it should look really nice in a week or so. There's also my heirloom Iris and some bulbs I got for my birthday planted in there.

I remember that well, especially since it had been cold and wet up until then so everything bloomed at once and I was down with allergies for at least a week. It was almost as bad as having the flu.

I was thinking that too, Laura aka 'Wonder Woman'. But I know the feeling, if you leave a place that is like you want it and you move into something less than that, you have to fix it! LOL And this winter has dragged on for so long I think we're all getting sick of it. I know I am and it usually doesn't bother me much. I have so many other things I like to do I enjoy the winter break, but enough is enough already!!

I'm hoping that since they finally cut down the cottonwoods behind our place, my allergies won't be so bad this year. It was better last year, but the trees had been cut down in bloom and I was out helping cleanup so I still got a lot of the pollen just not as much as usual.

I definitely hope that works for you Sally! Just the thought of the cotton woods.. ugh.....

Laura that flower bad looks really nice! Especially given the amount of time that you've had to work on it!!!

Sally, I don't think I've ever been called "Wonder Woman". The other place wasn't how I wanted it either, but I was making progress. This place need a lot of work, but a little at a time. Here's the new place http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/962115/

My spring allergy is box wood, at least that I've been tested for, I know I have flower allergies as well, just not sure which ones.

Well DH is home and we're going to go watch tv. Talk to everyone tomorrow.

I love the slate that you have to work with though. So many things that you could do with it since you have everything from full sun to part shade. you'll definitely have to keep a jurnal of it from the start until finish.... well, there's usually not a true finish for a gardner.... but, you know what I mean. :-p

Mom has a little metal plaque,sitting in a pot that says. "Gardeners never die, they just spade away." LOL

Time for bed. Nite all!

I agree completely with that plaque Sally. That's great and so true.
sort of similar type topic, you should check out this thread over in the northeast forum. It's about what would we choose for our own memorial plant. really, it's not grim, it's an interesting thread! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/960835/

There are little things coming up all over my yard and a lot of crocus and other bulbs. Some I planted and many were already here but I have no idea which is which! My neighbor the garden planner came over yesterday and we talked about all the plants. She and her DH are going to remodel their kitchen and they came over to get ideas since I did mine but of course we ended up in the garden. I didn't know I have a red twig dogwood and a few other things that I already forgot the name of. I also have a very dead hebe in the front yard so I have to replace that. She gave me a list of thing I need to do so when the rain stops I will be busy! She also pointed out the perfect place for the compost pile which I will build with wooden pallets. I'm also going to take down a roughly constructed and dilapidated little roof structure in an area that will get a lot of sun when I remove the cover. Then I will build raised beds and put the vegetables there. What do you guys use to cut 2" branches? I don't own a saw - is there a garden tool to do that or do I need a power saw? An hour with Amy (the neighbor) and I have enough to keep me busy for the rest of the summer! I can tell I will have sore muscles for a few months!!!

The rain has started and actually I enjoyed listening to it lying in bed this morning. Yesterday was perfect - too hot is not good at all!

I agree with Redchic about the blue. It is stunning! And I love muscari. I have foliage, but no buds.

Judi, that is great to have the neighbor's advice. Ooh!! Red-twig dogwood.

Great job, Laura, on getting that bed full of lovelies already!!!

Today it's 43 at 1:30. I thought it was supposed to get into the 50's. I can do soooo much more when it is in the 50's LOL