Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Trying to Find Time for Blogging

Blogging?  Heck, it's been hard to find time for sleeping.
 
It's the good, ol' summer time and the days are flying by with lightning speed.
 
We're making great headway on our cleaning, sorting, re-organizing and getting rid of tons of stuff we really don't need any more.  This (much needed) project seems to fill our days, but it's also providing good, freeing feelings for both of us.
 
In the twenty-some years we've lived on this property, we've never seen temperatures as we've had the past couple of days.  Yesterday our thermometer in the shade hit 91°.  Add about ten degrees to that and you'll know what standing out in the sun felt like.  Our house which has always had the ability to stay cool in the summer time, rose to 81° inside.  Ooof.  Last night did not afford a good night's sleep in this household.  Today the temp has dropped, and we're starting to feel (and behave) human again. 
 
Our sky has had that strange yellowish cast, and you can smell the smoke from the fires up in Canada.  We're been watering constantly to keep plantings alive (blessings on our good well with abundant water) but the soil is dry as a bone within an hour of getting a drink.
 

Our pond is becoming a sad puddle.  We've never seen it this low.
 
I'm managing to keep on top of the weeds in most of our reduced-sized garden this year, but the ones in the blueberry patch have gotten ahead of me and are downright scary.  I've never seen it populated with so many tall weeds.  These must be attacked soon or I won't be able to find the blueberry bushes.
 
That's all for now as I'm going to take my shower and hit the hay early tonight for some sleepy time that will be much (much, much, much!) more comfortable than last night. 

17 comments:

R's Rue said...

Please stay cool and safe. Thinking and praying for you all.
www.rsrue.blogspot.com

Goatldi said...

Well all I can say is hang in hang tough and pray for rain, an early winter bawhaa or something productive. I do understand so much of your being done. You and I have a commonality now high temps not lows. I am so glad for the low highs and the moderate 63 temps in morning. I even feel human also when that happens. But then I reflect on my homesteading friend in the NE corner of the great state of Washington who had temps reaching 120 last week. That kind of puts it all in perspective for me. Not that we all aren't uncomfortable but with the "sweating is a lifestyle " I must admit my Wranglers fit better. I know very self involved but it seems lately one needs to search for the sunny side of life.

What I do know is we are strong, we aren't done and we will not be overcome by this. Get some zzzz's Mama Pea the "sun will come out tomorrow."

Michelle said...

Oh no; it's hit the far north, too? At least it was only one night, not several in a row. There's only so much sleep disruption a body can take! I think; truth is I rarely sleep well....

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Oh boy. It hasn't gotten that hot here. Hang in there! I hope you get some rain to help fill up your pond, too. -Jenn

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

It's been in the upper 90's here and humid. However we may get rain today.

Leigh said...

Mama Pea, you have our temps except you aren't acclimatized to it! Actually, I'm a little ashamed to say I'm relieved that our temps are only in the low 90s. Of course, summer isn't over yet, so who knows what we'll be in for.

Mama Pea said...

R's Rue - I hope I didn't sound too complain-y as I know there are a lot of other parts of our country (and world) that are really, truly suffering from horrendous heat and lack of water. Our little blip of uncomfortableness is nothing compared!

Goatldi - Yes, compared to others who are experiencing 120° days, our heat wave was nothing at all. I know what you mean about clothes starting to fit more loosely this summer. But, blast and dang, I stepped on the scale a couple of days ago out of curiosity and found I've gained three pounds. What the . . . ?!

Michelle - Ah yes, that old not sleeping well problem. I can relate. I know, in general, I get enough exercise to need sleep, but that other side of conquering our emotional dilemmas can sure throw a wrench in good, sound, restorative sleep! (Let me know when you conquer that!) ;o)

Jenn - Just checked the 10-day weather forecast and there is no rain in sight. Not good.

Kristina - If your forecasted rain gives you any extra, send it our way!

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - During our miserably hot spell, your name was mentioned in our household in discussing areas we know of that regularly cause people to handle the uncomfortable hot temps much better (and with a lot less whining) than we do!

Phoebes World said...

I feel your discomfort. The temps here are hitting the upper 90s...and even the 100s almost daily.. but then this is So Cal. This Brit thought that after six years she was handling the heat quite well...then we moved to a place that was 10 degrees hotter. Sleep is uncomfortable.. but my days are so full and tiring it helps. A bit of rain would be a blessed relief.
Phoebe x

Goatldi said...

Leigh is absolutely topknot on the button with this. It’s all relative only unlike relatives it hangs around as long as it wants to. I’ve lived in weather like this all my life pretty much. And you devise ways to deal with it. General rule around here and many other people I know is if you have the ability to do you work until noon or 100° which ever comes first.

And then you go indoors and enjoy whatever method of cooling you have and work inside. It happens enough time you and Papa will get the swing of it and you’re not complaining you’re just expressing your dissatisfaction with the current weather phenomena.

Rosalea said...

Wish I could send some of our rain your way! I am tentatively saying...Enough! I have slugs and snails and ear wigs, that we've never had since we moved here. Usually I have to keep watering, but after a short dry spell early on, it has been raining on a regular basis. We are not expecting a full sun day until the weekend now, and the pond is up a good bit for this time of year. Everything weather-wise is topsey-turvey this year.
Good that you are getting some relief from the heat. We were up to 30C (86F) plus a humidex yesterday, but today it is struggling to get up to 14C (57F). Hope you managed to get some good 'shut eye' last night!

Mama Pea said...

Phoebes World - I know we here in Minnesota have nothing to complain about compared to you folks in California . . . either heat or lack of water wise. I suppose the only difference is that you've learned how to live with it and it's so unusual for us that we're having a hard time adjusting. But we will!

Goatldi - Work until noon or 100° . . . whichever comes first, eh? That means you're still trying to work in some pretty high temperatures. Maybe we're tougher in the winter temps than you are, but as they say, you can't take enough clothes off to feel comfortable at 100°. but you can dress to insulate your body more easily against the cold at below zero. (Gotta watch out for those frozen fingers, toes and noses though.) ;o)

Rosalea - I did get good sleep last night, thank you very much! But today my wagon has been draggin' since about mid-afternoon. Just finished getting some of today's strawberry harvest in the freezer and told hubby I'm getting ready for bed . . . even though it's just a smidge after 7 p.m. (There's always a chance for an early start tomorrow!)

Tim B. Inman said...

People love to complain about winter, but heat kills more than cold. I lost one of my hens to the heat last week. They do fine in cold. I can still remember the days before AC when you just laid there in bed with the sheets sticking to your body. Yuck! Our corn is now in tassels, and the blue haze from all the humidity the plants are pumping out is making for foggy mornings at hot summer temps. Double yuck! And to think, I was smart enough to move out of this area, but dumb enough to move back. Hang in there!

Mama Pea said...

Tim - Yes, my husband and I talked frequently about memories of summers in Illinois (growing up and then our first years of marriage) during this unusual HOT weather we've seen this summer. But for the few times we see it this uncomfortable, we have nothing to complain compared to you folks in the real "corn growin'" states! There's a reason you moved back into the area you did. And I'm pretty sure you're glad of it!

Granny Sue said...

It has been way too hot and humid here in the mountains of West Virginia too. I thought we'd been moved to Alabama--it was hotter and more humid even than in Miami where our youngest son lives on some days.

We got rain last night and today and possibly more on the way. I am so thankful because watering is such a chore.

I hope you get some rain soon, Mama Pea.

Nancy In Boise said...

Been around 100 degrees for a few weeks now here, no relief in sight. We have AC, which I really appreciate! I hope you atleast have some ceiling fans? Hoping for cooler weather, but none is sight, sigh. Stay cool!

Mama Pea said...

Granny Sue - And how do the folks in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana handle their hot, humid summers? Obviously, one becomes accustomed to it, and hopefully most folks have AC these days. No rain in sight for us, but the temps have dropped.

Nancy - Your weather is not usual for your area, is it? 100° for several days in a row! Difficult to do anything in that weather. None of the restaurants in our area have air conditioning and I'm told the businesses are really suffering because it's so uncomfortable for patrons. Ugh.