DAHLIAS AND TOMATOES

Imagine my surprise when I went to the south side of my house and found these dahlias blooming. They are the first ones for this year, and judging by the appearance of the others, this dahlia will remain in first place for some time to come. I don’t dig my dahlias up every year, but wait until the plant is sending up far too many stalks. Then I dig up the huge clump, replant a portion and give the rest away to whomever would like them. Also, the south side of my house is sort of out of sight, out of mind, so it never gets the attention it requires. It does get attention from my cat and the neighbor’s cat since they use it as their personal toilet space…maybe another reason I don’t garden there often.

Thursday seems to be another gray day and while my preference is to tuck myself back beneath the covers to get warm and sleep it away, I’m up, have done my PT, and it’s just about time to go walk. I think my mood is just about as gray as the day, but perhaps walking will energize me and change my attitude. If that’s the case, I’ll get some stuff done and; when I return to finish this post, maybe I’ll have something to actually write about.

Well, I actually did get some stuff done after my walk. I discovered that my zucchini plants (black zucchini??) are making little zucchini. I may just pick some in a couple of days to eat in some kind of stir fry. I like them when they’re small. I thought the plants would vine, but so far that’s not happening. I also asked Haley to move my tomato baskets to the front of the house when she was here. So, this morning I found a couple of long S hooks so they can hang lower. They haven’t been getting the attention they deserve out back and really need to be watered every single day which I wasn’t doing. Still, look at the few tomatoes I’ve harvested already…and at least one of them was ready before June 30^th…the earliest I’ve ever gotten a tomato.

I also spent some time judiciously spraying Roundup on weeds as well as pulling the bigger ones out. Also cut off the tops of the spent lilies and it seems like they bloomed way early this year. The front yard got done, but it was beginning to rain…really???, yes REALLY…so I put my tools away and came in to finish this for you to read today.

This gray stuff is really annoying the heck out of me. I suppose part of the annoyance is due to the fact July 4^th is Saturday and I’ll be here all by myself, as will millions of other people…well, not with me here, but alone. I always loved the 4^th picnic and seeing people for the first time since the year before. And, of course, the food we all brought was soooooooooooooooooo GOOD. This year there won’t be any of Supa’s spring rolls, yummy crispy ribs, Ken’s special sauce he either learned to make or orders from the east coast, plus the various great dishes that other guests would bring. I always ate a lot and left feeling as though I wouldn’t need to eat again for a week. I almost always made a fruit salad and packed it into the watermelon rind. Then, a couple of years ago Ken’s brother brought a fruit salad in a watermelon that looked like a shark. That’s when I handed off the fruit salad to him. Last year I think I took veggies and they were definitely not the hit fruit salad always was. Ah well, maybe in 2021.

Maryanne and Claudia are supposed to join me on my deck for lunch today…we practice social distancing. Of course, if the weather person is wrong about the weather, we may have to cancel. I don’t yet know what we’re going to have to eat because no decision has been made. Whatever we have it should be delicious just because I won’t have to cook it myself. Maybe I’ll even order in for Thursday...I've really been wanting cheese tortillas with rice and beans.

There is an idea in the back of my head. I’m considering digging out the photobooks and pictures from my growing up years. Perhaps they will bring some happy memories to mind about which I can blog. If I do that, y’all can take a stroll down memory…long term memory…lane with me. I’ll see if I can’t bring it from the back to the front of my mind and actually do something about it.