Lisa and CJ Float
Lisa, CJ, Savannah and Allen were came out -- we watched the kids while Lisa and CJ floated the Kings. I was very worried about the time, but it all worked out. They were using our canoe (Papa's), so the first thing was to load it up at the pond. I had talked them into letting me drop them off at Rock House and pick them up at Trigger Gap. The canoe hasn't been moved since it was brought out 7 years ago. I had two bumpers between it and the roof of the truck, but we did not do a good job of getting it tied down. The horrible steep rough dirt roads caused everything to shift around and we stopped twice to re-tie it. I ended up with scraps and even a dent in the roof. Oh well, its my farm truck.
It was 4:00 by the time they pushed off and I agreed to pick them up at 8:30. They actually got in at 7:45 and were able to get a text message to us (service was to poor for a call). It turned out they ran into Alex, CJ's brother, at the take out -- so there was no rush to pick them up. It was close to 9 by the time we got back to the house and a brief thunderstorm had just started to drop some heavy rain (for which I was very thankful).
Trees
Everything was bone dry and the remaining maple out front was withering. Sally put a drip on it and later I held Allen and watered all the baby trees out front and south of the house. The sprout on the trunk of the autumn blaze had dried up, but there is another sign of a green leaf on the opposite side. I don't know if it has a chance. The leaves on one of the oaks I had brought out in March had also died, and I'm not sure it will make another attempt. I should have watered them last weekend.
Garden
Its hard to get much done with two little ones to watch, but Savannah was very cute in the garden helping Sally and wearing one of her hats. They picked spinach, green beans, the last lettuce plant, some onions, another garlic, and weeds. I was able to do a little weeding while Allen watched and squirmed from his car seat.
Sally and I both spent some time watering before the evening rain came. It also rained over night, but the total was only .4" -- not nearly enough. Both days were hot (upper 80s) and humid.
Blue Birds
There were baby birds in the house out front, though I never saw the momma. The house out back that had 5 eggs the weekend before (not blue birds) was empty. Makes me think something got them. That house does not have a baffle protecting it like the one in the front. There were no signs of a nest in the new house by the pond.
Pond
The algae didn't look too bad, but I wish I had had time to rake it again. The grass seemed about the same as well. I have done some reading and learned that the algae grows on the bottom and then floats to the top. Apparently one key is to fertilize it in late winter. I also want to try the bacteria that eat the muck.
Water was flowing through the north culvert and under the south culvert (I am sure it was also flowing under the north one). No chance to try the trash bags or any other repairs this trip.
Pear
One of the large limbs was broken out of the 3-in-1 pear. I guess it just got too tall and top heavy. I sawed it off cleanly and then trimmed many of the other limbs that looked like they might also suffer the same fate. That limb was a majority of the growth for one of the three varieties grafted onto the trunk.
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