Daily Notes- June 7th

                                              

Going all Botanical on you today.  From the pile of "weeding" my husband had next to him.  Lovely in it's simple design.

I went out, early this year, to "set my flag" as Grace put it- to keep the birds from eating my blueberries.  I usually clothes pinned a few pieces of garden cloth to the back side of the fence behind the bushes.  The wind would cause it to billow.  The birds would stay away.  I forgot one year- the year Grace made her comment.  They ate every single berry overnight.

My flag has been set.  While out there I carted one 40 pound bag of organic cow manure out to the fenced garden.  20 pounds for the small but delightful rose bush in the herb section and 20 pounds for the rhubarb patch.  Which is looking very nice this Summer.  But it isn't Summer yet is it?

Next to the blueberries is my little section filled with Comfrey.  Flowering.  So when I came back into the house (before the rain) I sat at the computer to learn about comfrey.  It is a "nutrient accumulater" and is very much a Permaculture plant to have.  the flowers- which come and go through the season attracts beneficial insects thereby increasing pollination rates for cucumber, squash and melons.  Borage is a close family member.  I grew borage seedlings in one of my little milk jug greenhouses. A wonderful understory for any Future Apple Tree- basil, borage, clover, dill, lupine and mint.

I digress.  The Rain and Thunder rolled in and poured.  We needed water.  I set the French Watering cans on the edge of the porch steps.  At the end of the rain- they were full to to top.  Husband and I were so surprised. Three to four inches of rain in the wagon by the garage- our rain meter.

Peach trees this morning.  Peaches.  The size of my pinkie finger nail over night.  I feel, at this moment, like the season is RACING up to and passing us.  The Queen Of Plums is loaded with infant plums.  Years have passed and she has struggled with one thing after another.  And the grape vines are looking promising.  A FruitFull Year.

Daughter went Used Book Shopping yesterday and dropped off two bags of books for the Parental Units.  Clan of the Cave Bear series for G and three more paperbacks for my Johanna Lindsey Malory series.  For the next quarantine.  The Marsha Canham book I am missing- Through a Dark Mist is listed as rare- she asked the bookseller to look it up.  I had read it in the past 30 years- once- probably from a library.  But none of them have it in their collections anymore.  Rare also means things get stolen.

But she did find the Lindsey book that comes just before the one I had started reading (from library) so I was pretty happy.  I put that book down and started the new (to me) paperback.  Judy.  Then I will read about Jack.

Sunday- so we will be having Pizza.  Sky is dark.  We could have more rain.  Need to turn on the house lights.  Do some laundry.  Daughter is needing air in her tires.  Life.  It keeps on rolling.  She took a butt cheek plant on her roller blade-ing this morning.  And she had Carhart pants that need Knee /Patch/ Mending.  So, a Project.  I said that was perfect as I am going thru my days without a purpose.  

And I still haven't done the Taxes.  Next year- an accountant.