Outside Work

Posted on July 19, 2013 by TJ

Once again I took Danny for a morning walk rather than our usual afternoon walk so that we could try to beat the heat. I took along a cup of coffee made with our own coffee machine. It’s nice to be able to make coffee again.

First thing this morning we registered for JJ’s college classes. JJ was able to get all the classes and times that he wanted. Yay! He is nervous about starting college because it’s all so new and unfamiliar, but I think he will do well.

Removing the bricks. — The bricks I removed from the path this afternoon.

Both EJ and JJ had to work today. After they left, I went out to mow the lawn. EJ had recommended that I wait until Sunday when it is supposed to get a bit cooler, but I really wanted to get it done today. There was a strong breeze, which helped, but I still got overheated and drenched with sweat. As soon as I finished, I staggered into the cool air-conditioned house, poured me a glass of iced tea, and sat in front of the fan, and then video-chatted with my friend for a bit.

Later, when I had cooled down, I went outside and dug up more bricks from the path I am eliminating in EJ’s backyard garden. The brick paths at one time defined areas of EJ’s garden beds, but since he removed the shed last Spring and reconfigured his garden, I think the paths are not needed. They are difficult to keep weeded and hard to mow. You can see in the picture that the path was grassy. I give more attention to weeding the paths in my garden. I worked until I was again overheated and drenched with sweat. I delayed long enough to quickly weed my strawberry garden and then I retreated back to the cool house, iced tea, and the fan. I didn’t even take the time to stack the bricks with the others.

I went outside into the heat one more time to take pictures of the brick bath and some flowers in my yard that are beginning to bloom.

Black-eyed Susans and Hostas

Some flowers in one of my gardens

Oh, I should say that I finally remembered that I had some Diatomaceous Earth in the garage. Diatomaceous earth is a fine, white, crystalline powder made up of the fossilized shells of diatoms, which are tiny, single-celled algae found in plankton. Diatomaceous Earth has many, many uses, including as a pesticide. I spread some on the red ant hill in my herb garden about a week ago, and when I went out to the garden yesterday, the ants were gone. I found another ant hill a few feet away, so I spread Diatomaceous Earth there too. Yay! Those ants always swarmed and bit me when I tried to work in that area so I am glad they are gone.