CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in August 2016?

Yes, sanderson, I was so happy today when he arrived and set to work.  I worked with him of course, dragging stuff out of his way and piling it in to his truck.  It really was a lot more than he bargained for as he did not realize how thick the trees were and so high.  Anyway, we worked for a total of about three hours then he agreed with me that we had done more than enough for one day and that I would take him out for lunch at Subway on our return from the composting section. 

He was very appreciative of the peaches, apples, and pickles and beetroot I gave him and also for the lunch.  He has to go back to work tomorrow, but the next time he has a four day break he will come again.

This evening when the temperature cooled down a bit, I went out again to clear up the mess that was strewn around the driveway.  I had a siesta before that, but I was a bit shocked how much debris there still was to clear up; but that was OK as it is within my capacity to handle bit by bit.  What I needed Bruce for was the heavy stuff and the work that needed a chain saw and long pole trimmer and he provided that in spades.

Tomorrow, when I get up in the morning and go into my kitchen, I think I will find it a lot brighter and that will always lift my spirits.  I think we may be about a third of the way through this job.  He said we will get it done by Fall, so that is fine as it means that when the snow arrives there will be no snow-covered branches resting on my roof.

Tomorrow I will get back to canning peaches etc., and clearing windfall apples at the far end of my garden so that the bears will not be attracted.

One thing about clearing some of this cedar hedging that is up to twenty feet high, is that  it shows me next door's apple tree that is absolutely loaded with apples and certainly will not be cleared. Many of those apples will be falling on to my driveway.  I must look into seeing if it is possible to have them forced to cut down that tree so I must contact our "Bear Aware" programme.

My neighbour friend turned up again today as he did not have any work scheduled until tomorrow, so we did another two hours work and carted another load of tree trimming off to the city composting station. Today was much more conducive to working outside unlike the day before yesterday when I really felt the heat.  Today I have had energy for other things that needed doing.

Luckily I had managed to can another load of peaches yesterday  so now they will not be hanging around attracting the fruit flies. Still lots of apples to be processed but they will keep for a bit.

I remember starting canning last year in August and must have spent about five weeks before the flow of fruit and veggies slowed a bit.  I now know what NOT to can so that will  save me some time.

I even found some time today to watch some of the Rio Olympics and I also had some visitors who I had not seen since I had the birch trees taken down and were interested in the difference it has made.   I could not get them interested in SFG, they only DO flowers.

I find that after a day of activity, the following day I take it a bit easier, going out to lunch with my friend who has just returned from holiday.  She was lucky to have two neighbours who looked after her garden while she was away (as best they could, of course), so rewarded them with a meal at a new Chinese restaurant in town.

She asked me to keep her company as she felt a bit outnumbered with the two of them so asked me help keep the conversation going.  Having three brothers does help conversation with the guys.

Being a buffet lunch I ate my fill then went home and had a good siesta but apart from watering, then going down the road to see to my other friend's flowers as she as gone to Calgary to see her sister for three weeks that usually turns into a couple of months.  Luckily she has a son in the area who takes care of the lawn but is too far away to see to stuff like flowers in pots.  I wonder if I can try the bottle trick to keep the pots watered at least for a day?  Must think about that as it would cut down the watering time by 50%.

Tomorrow will be catch-up day with my own lawn mowing and edging plus tidying up the debris from yesterday's cedar hedge trimming.  It's all GO!

I guess I am on a sort of holiday myself here in Canada.  No entries since Mimi2 on the 7th so I assume everyone is out of town and garden. Stay safe everyone and have a great time.

Thanks for popping in on the 7th, sanderson.  When everyone returns they will have some reading to catch up on.  

Today I had another lazy day and did not do anything in my garden except for watering the tomatoes and peppers and any plants that were in pots  and picking up windfall apples.  Blame the Olympics. I always tell myself that there are better things to to, but with having to support two countries, Great Britain and Canada  plus all the underdogs I get hooked.

So the grass has grown another few millimeters and the weeds another ten.  I had better do something tomorrow to ease my guilt.  

Sunday I will be picking beans, beets etc at my friend's friend's home. Diane and I are invited every year at this time to help him harvest as much as we like.  He grows just for the fun of it and to invite friends around to help themselves. He just lives with his mom so really hardly needs all the stuff he grows.  Since I started canning last year I give him a couple of cans of peaches which he loves as he does not have any peach trees.

Well, early to bed, lots to do tomorrow.

Our vacation trip is coming to an end.  We are currently visiting with my mom who lives in St.Catharines (ten miles from Niagara Falls). Mom is 90 years of age and still lives by herself in a bungalow in a seniors complex. She even takes care of some outdoor potted plants that she has at her front door and on her backyard deck.

I was born in St. Catharines, TD.  Your mother is doing well. Just making it to 90 is doing well in my book!

Kelejan, someday I'll have lots of peaches and apples on my trees to can and I'll think of you. Can't wait!

CapeCoddess wrote:I was born in St. Catharines, TD.    

That's cool CC.  I was age ten when we moved here from England. Wow is it hot and humid in St.Catharines today.  Thermometer just read 35C or 95F.

Well, It looks like things are winding down, sorta, here, but not really.  I have picked over 6Lbs of beans and they are winding down.  I would have sworn that they kept producing a plenty last year well into September.  Maybe it is my variety, or maybe it is my memory, or maybe the dry conditions.  I did just start picking my red beans.  I planted 2, and then another 3 squares of them to try.  They are really no different from the others.  The beet greens are still doing a little, but no bulbs.  The lettuce I tried at the front of the house is still producing a little, but not much, and did not bolt so that my be the place to do it next year.  I did plant another square of peas over a week ago and they are coming up.  Will see if they do anything now.  I would have planted more, but the beans take up a lot of space of course and did not want to shade them out.  I did start cabbage and broccoli inside a couple weeks ago to see if that would grow not, but only a broccoli came up. I did not really realize how big the plants grew until I was out to my sister in laws place, and they definitely take up more than a square.  More like 4.  I am going to plant more radish and try more spinach and lettuce  in a week or so when the day time heat is supposed to subside a little.  I did have better carrots than I have the last two years, but still poor.  Do not know if I am going to try them again next year or not.

I visited friends down the road yesterday evening and managed to get stung by a wasp or bee.  I did not know  what was happening when my friends started shouting at me and waving newspapers around, until that d---- thing stung me.  I let out a very loud "Oww!  It stung me on my hand and today it is itching and swelling around my wrist and hand and part way up my arm  and getting somewhat painful.  Put some "After Bite" on it which soothes it for a while,  but sooooo hard not to scratch. 

I went in to the pharmacist and he suggested Benedryl Alergy, take one a night and do not drive.  Hopefully in the morning the swelling will have subsided.

One positive thing about swellings is that the wrinkles disappear.

Kelejan wrote:
One positive thing about swellings is that the wrinkles disappear.

yolos wrote:

Kelejan wrote:
One positive thing about swellings is that the wrinkles disappear.

+1 

You are definitely a lady! I would have said something besides Oww. Zsa Zsa Gabor said that the secret of keeping a beautiful face was to gain one pound a year to keep the wrinkles away.

sanderson wrote:   You are definitely a lady!  I would have said something besides Oww.  Zsa Zsa Gabor said that the secret of keeping a beautiful face was to gain one pound a year to keep the wrinkles away.

sanderson, I am still keeping those wrinkle away, but having gone to the pharmacist gain today because I could not find the packet of allergy pills last night, I had to buy some more.  I was told if it does not improve when I wake up tomorrow then i should go to hospital for more treatment.

This is the first time I have been stung by a wasp or jellow-jacket and I did not know that I would have this reaction.  Thank goodness the insect did not go into my open mouth when I "oww'd". 

Off to bed after taking my pill and smothering the itchy area with "After Bite" and that I wake up before the itching takes over. I reckon the itchy area is close to twenty square inches now; back of hand and fingers, part of the palm, wrist, top of arm halfway up and the inside arm three-quarters up to my elbow. Sorry if that is too much detail.   I feel I may be on the path to  improvement as sometimes I have stopped thinking about for a few minutes.

I hope to report an improved situation in the morning.

Benedryl also makes a topical cream. I was getting some flea or mosquito bites this summer and used the cream, hydrocortisone cream and an aloe vera with menthol. The menthol had a cooling, soothing effect. Temporary, true, but still felt good.

If you're getting that much swelling, I'd say go see the doc... That's a LOT of swelling, especially with Benedryl.

AtlantaMarie wrote:If you're getting that much swelling, I'd say go see the doc...  That's a LOT of swelling, especially with Benedryl.

Sorry to hear about this Kelejan.  I hope you are feeling better today.  If not then don't mess around, get it looked after.



The most painful sting I've had so far was from a hornet.  I walked into my garage with no shirt on and it got me right on the stomach area.  I thought I had been stabbed with a hot knife.

trolleydriver wrote:

it!

He's baaaaaaaaaack...

CC

You know I'm back when the daily overall forum post count doubles.

trolleydriver wrote:You know I'm back when the daily overall forum post count doubles.

I agree,  Welcome back TD.

My Wasp/bee sting swelling is much improved today so I guess it is on the mend.  I feel much happier today.  The wrinkles are coming back.

I'm glad you're on the mend, Kelejan. I hate it when people are batting at wasps near me. Usually the wasps just want to have a sniff and fly off. But once someone starts attacking them, someone's likely to get stung. And hand stings/bites are second worst (face is the worst). Ouch. I hope it continues to improve rapidly!

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:I'm glad you're on the mend, Kelejan. I hate it when people are batting at wasps near me. Usually the wasps just want to have a sniff and fly off. But once someone starts attacking them, someone's likely to get stung. And hand stings/bites are second worst (face is the worst). Ouch. I hope it continues to improve rapidly!

Even mosquito bites take ages to disappear from me.  So this episode I expect to take longer, but so long as it is getting better each day  I am happy.  My main problem is that I want to scratch and that only keeps things going.  I have After Bite that helps when I remember to slather it on. Which I am going to do right now.

Done; that feels better.

When around creatures like this I move very calmly and quietly.
Sometimes even sit still, then they drift away on their own business.

trolleydriver wrote:
Environment Canada says, 

"A significant widespread rainfall event is expected beginning Tuesday afternoon and ending late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. . .  The system responsible for this rainfall is a slow-moving low pressure system from Texas.

Oh, sure.  Blame it on Texas.

Kelejan wrote:

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:I'm glad you're on the mend, Kelejan. I hate it when people are batting at wasps near me. Usually the wasps just want to have a sniff and fly off. But once someone starts attacking them, someone's likely to get stung.

When around creatures like this I move very calmly and quietly.
Sometimes even sit still, then they drift away on their own business.

Since joining this Forum, I have learned not to be afraid and just mind my own business.

Some may remember that Mrs TD got a new perennial garden in the Spring. Here are a couple of follow up photos. There are a few annuals along the front edge.






Someone walking by the house stopped me in my driveway yesterday. She wanted to know the name of the beautiful bush growing in front of porch. I told her is was not a bush but a cluster of marigolds that I started indoors from seed. If I recall correctly we transplanted six plants to this location. This is what they look like today.