I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Madeline’s Tactics
Yesterday I felt very unmotivated. I had trouble getting started. I eventually did get a few things done. Today I was more motivated.
Our grass is getting long enough to mow. I knew it was going to get hot later–reaching 80 degrees–so I went out early to mow the lawn while it was still blissfully cool. Southern Michigan is getting many days of rain, but our skies here in the North have been sunny and our weather dry. In fact, it’s a bit too dry here. We have very high fire danger.
I got the lawn mower out of the garage, and tried to pull start it. Nothing. I pulled again and again. Nothing. I hissed, “Start, dang it, you stupid piece of crap, or I will take you to the junk yard!” I don’t usually get nasty with machinery (or anyone), but lawn mowers and I have had a very hostile relationship for many years. I can never get them started. I think they deliberately refuse to start just to annoy and frustrate me. I texted EJ and he replied that he usually cleans the spark plug first thing in the Spring. I hope he can do it this weekend. I don’t want to let the grass get too long because, you know, ticks.
Since I couldn’t mow the lawn this morning, I did laundry and hung the clothes to dry on the clothesline. I really enjoy this task. I enjoy the peaceful beauty around me as I hang up the clothes.
We just bought a 100 foot garden hose for the front yard a couple of weeks ago. It reaches to the apple trees, but not the cherry trees across the driveway, so I lugged a few kitty litter buckets of water to them. I didn’t feel like pulling out the hose, so I filled the bucket again and took it to the new apple trees.
I also spent an hour or so organizing EJ’s garage. I don’t know where he wants a lot of the items, so I mostly just bagged stuff that I knew needed to be thrown away. I also moved the section of lockers to where he had said he wanted them. I actually was able to make some good progress.
There was a small vacuum cleaner in the garage. We don’t need it. It actually isn’t adequate for our house of pets–I think we bought it for the RV, which we sold when JJ was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. I put it in the Xterra to donate at Goodwill. I also went to the pantry and dragged out a couple of boxes to donate. We had thought to sell them, but people are selling books for one cent (plus shipping) at Amazon so selling them isn’t worth the effort. We have multiple boxes of books that we no longer want–JJ’s old school books, duplicates, and so forth. We take one or two boxes at a time.
By this time, the day had heated up and I was tired, so I took it easy until it was time to fix supper. I made Ohm Rice, which is a simple meal that my Korean sister-in-law taught my family how to make years ago. I brown ground beef, put in grated carrots until they are cooked, then put it on top of rice. I make a simple egg omelet to put on top of the mixture and squirt ketchup on it. EJ puts salsa on his omelet. I used three eggs each (instead of two) for a thicker omelet tonight because we have a surplus of eggs from our chickens. The meal is very yummy.
A few days ago I put chicken fencing around the posts to prevent Miss Madeline Meadows from getting to the birdhouses. At first I put the fencing at the bottom, but I watched her leap above it and climb the post. I shouted her away, and then I loosely fastened the fencing at the top of the post, making it swirl, to prevent her from climbing on or under it. This evening we watched Madeline sit on the big rock and study the new configuration for a minute or two:
Then she walked all the way around the post and stood up to examine it more closely.
Suddenly, she climbed the post, going UNDER the fencing.
When she reached the top and started going for the birdhouse, which I believe has chickadees in it–if she hasn’t scared them off–I ran out and scared her away. Then I tried to reconfigure the fencing to thwart her next attempt. I wired closed the top of the fencing so if she does get underneath it, she won’t be able to go any further. That’s the plan anyway. It wouldn’t surprise me if Madeline figured out how to get past my security measures. She’s very intelligent and kind of scary.
The other day I saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak up near the house! It didn’t stay long and I haven’t seen it since, but it was a treat to see it. This evening Ej and I saw a hummingbird outside the window. We never get tired of the birds.
Before he went to bed, EJ said that he read that there could be “massive northern lights” tonight. I might try to stay up for awhile to see them–if I can stay awake.
I Love To Go A Gardening 
I am catching up in Reader … did you get to see the Northern Lights TJ or did all that work in the heat wear you out? I can’t work in the heat, like you, if I do stuff, I try to do it in the morning and that conflicts with walking … I don’t spend as much time out in the garden as I should. It got so hot again – this going from chilly and rainy to hot and sunny is boggling my mind. We have rain coming in again on Friday and off-and-on through Monday night. Unbelievable weather and I wish I could give you some so you don’t have any fire dangers up there.
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I wish we could get some of your rain too! We wanted to have a campfire in our yard Friday night but the fire danger is too high. There is a 30% chance of rain on Saturday. I hope it actually does rain!
I didn’t see the Northern Lights. I got too sleepy and went to bed. We have seen the Lights a few times, but even though we live on a hill, the trees and surrounding hills usually block our view of the horizon. A few times if we thought we saw a bit of the Lights, we have driven out to a lake so we could get a clearer view. Once a police car pulled up and asked us what we were doing. LOL.
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They keep changing around the weather forecast and the latest weather has tomorrow as an all-day rain, so I am going to try and get some stuff done inside as I didn’t get much done last weekend (even though it poured all weekend). Maybe parts of Sunday are salvaged but rain on Monday and Tuesday again. They are not predicting ahead for Memorial Day, though last week they said this rainy spell will last til end of May. Wish I could give you some. I’ve not done anything outside and neighbor cuts the lawn which is a good and a bad thing, because I am not outside cutting the lawn, so less inclined to go outside and work. Especially if it’s been rainy – mosquitoes in the yard.
That’s funny with the police officer. I think you’ll have another chance again to see the Northern Lights,
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Meant to say that my mom hung her washing outside for years and I am sure she had arthritis in later years as she didn’t use gloves and would hang out her laundry in early April and through November – the sheets would come in stiff as a board!
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Your poor Mom! I don’t hang the clothes out when it’s cold. My hands get too cold. Brrrr.
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I know TJ – she said “there is nothing like the smell of sheets that blew outside in the fresh air” but they would be frozen stiff. (Yes, they smelled good though.)
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Yes, I love the smell of clothes off the clothesline. ❤
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