This picture of the thermometer was at 4pm. The highest I saw Saturday was just 98. And nothing in the rain gauge. Everything was parched. I really do not like August.Timer Switch
It was 84 in the center of the house and 86 in the living room when I arrived. I immediately turn on the AC. At 8pm when I came inside, the outside temp was still 94. When I bedded down in the living room where the AC is it was still 82.
I had stopped at Acords and bought a timer that would work with a grounded outlet. Its made to be used outside, but was the only one they had. I hooked it to the AC so that it would come on for 1.5 hours each afternoon. I am hoping it will help keep the inside humidity down and the mold that we sometimes find around (and under) furniture. I don't expect it to do anything about the temperature, other than temporarily.
Garden
I brought a sprinkler out and immediately put it on the garden, hitting both sides before dark. I didn't pick until Saturday morning. Another load of cherry tomtoes (though I thought some had tough skin), a few bell peppers, a couple of hot peppers, and some black-eyed peas. I also weeded, and even watered a little more. There were baby green beans on the plants that hadn't died. I squashed one cut worm. The stink bugs are doing a lot of damage to the black eyed peas. The basil is just struggling to survive.
Water
I moved the little sprinkler around most all the trees. I filled the soaker bucket three times for the little oak we planted behind the house last fall. It had lost almost all its leaves, but now has new ones growing. We'll see if it makes it. I forgot to water Sally's soul tree -- Colorado Blue Spruce she moved twice before its home out here.
Jeff Gay
When mowing down to the pond Jeff drove up (saw me out I guess) and we chatted. Ben had moved in with his family and died July 2009. I found out Jeff bought the dozer he used to build his pond (said it was about half full), and also has a back hoe! I gave him (really his kids) permission to catch and release in the pond. He also told me he had seen hunters on our place the last day of deer season. He said when he headed down they went up and hid in the woods. I gave him my phone number. I hope we get to see more of him.
Apples
I didn't find any on the ground! I picked a couple that looked like they were beginning to turn, but they are still very hard.
Sprayed
I made a last trip of the season up to the top of the hill. I think I have eradicated all the large patches of sumac, though I think it will be a constant battle to keep it knocked down -- but much easier than this initial control effort has been. What's it been, a 4 or 5 year process with my limited time?
Mow
Sally didn't understand why I needed to mow, but there was still some high grass in areas. I outlined the walnuts by the road to the pond, did in front of the barn, and the front of the house. Very dusty.
Septic Tank
I decided to get the septic tank pumped, so I had to dig down to it and clear an area around the door. I had dug it up several years back when I was suppose to open the lid and check it -- at Jerry's recommendation. But I couldn't figure out how to get it open since it was tarred shut. By my calculations it has been 15 years and never pumped, so I'm just going to do it.
Friday evening I dug down until I reached the top of the tank. I felt that was a good accomplishment and called it a day. Saturday I widened the area looking for the danged door. As you can see, I had not recalled where it was and therefore dug up much more than I needed. I finally switched from the adz (which would stop when you hit a rock) to the pick for loosening the dirt before shoveling it out. Did I mention that it was hot. I don't believe I will ever do this again. Steve's Septic is going to meet me to do the pumping for an estimated $210.
Flagged Pecans
I had a little over an hour before I needed to scoot, so I went down to find and flag the pecans along the creeks. I planted these in 2007, and I hope flagging them keeps them from getting brush hogged (coming up). I walked up Plume creek first and found 10, which I thought was pretty good considering they aren't any larger than they were in 2007. Along Gum creek I only found 5. I ended up flagging more volunteer walnuts that pecans. These, plus maybe another dozen pecans along the fence line are all that have survived of the 100 I originally planted. Promoting growth of the volunteer walnuts is definitely the way to go -- nature's choice of what trees should be growing out here.
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