A Tropical Heatwave

It seems summer has arrived here in East Run on the high speed express train from the tropics !!!!   It is very unusual to have temps in the 90's at the end of May. But that is exactly what we are getting.  It was 92 degrees yesterday, and due to be hotter today. Never mind talking about the humidity....  it is on the Verge of unbearable.
 But, the nice thing about all this warm weather is the garden has exploded into a fury of color. The flowers in the meadow have started to open, and even the native plants in the woods are in bloom.
 Just the other day my friend Trixy called and asked if I wanted to take a stroll over the hillside to look for the native Lady Slipper orchids that always seem to come up in just the right place.

When we first come upon the Lady Slippers, it is always such an impressive moment.  There they are, in the woods with dappled sunlight filtering down through the trees, and pink blossoms scattered around the woodland floor.
  The Iris in my own garden have opened and are being showy.  Rewarding me with strong stems and copious amounts of flowers. 
  When I talked last year about the lack of blooms on my Iris with a noted authority from upper New Jersey. A dear friend of mine who basically got me started in growing Iris. He said, "Billy, I think you are giving them way too much attention, just ignore them and they will reward you with flowers"... He was right !!!   I left them alone last year. No mulch, fertilizer, just enough water to keep them from drying up and blowing away.  The results are astounding !!!  Thank you Dennis !

   Even Kirby, The Wonder Dog of "The Valley", thinks I've done a good job where the Iris are concerned.
 Well,  I have to close for the moment.  We have a friend visiting from England this week, and it is time to get the coffee going and start moving for the day. It is always such a treat to have visitors from far away places. So many people have found their way here to "The Valley" and we always hear the same thing from them.  "This is a slice of paradise"....  We know how lucky we are to be here and enjoy our quiet surroundings, with our "Valley Family" and everything that comes along with being here.
  I'll try to get more added here soon,
 Now that the weather is shaping up...  there are so many things that need my attention.... I think Kirby is getting a bath today also. 
 Until next time.

If April Showers bring May Flowers, What do May Flowers bring ?

The answer is :  Soggy lawns and muddy puppy dog paw prints across the hardwood floors.
 Still raining here in Eastrun !   It is almost becoming a joke, only it isn't funny.  There have been very few breaks in the weather, and even less sunny moments.  Being a sun worshipper, I'm starting to feel a little like the flowers in the garden, craving some golden rays of sunshine.
 Today my week on my own comes to an end.  I will be picking JP up at the airport this evening.  It is amazing how fast a week can go by. 
 I had dinner with some friends during the week. Went on an artist and pottery studio tour on the weekend, worked in the yard between raindrops, and organized my workbench in preparation of the next phase of the 1928 Franklin car project.  It doesn't seem like much was accomplished when I write it down, but every day at the end of the day... I was worn out from all the activity.  Then there is looking after Kirby, cleaning the house, and making sure I look after myself.  I can see how easy it would be to become a hermit if left to my own devices.
 Trixy e-mailed me recently... she mentioned something about taking her Big Red Jeep Wranger on a "Deep woods exploration" for ferns.  I'm glad this expedition is HER idea.  The last daffodil run we made was MY idea, and she was caught off guard by poison ivy.  At least this time I can't be blamed as the reason for any mishaps of that nature.  I think its time to get Trixy a better pair of gardening gloves.  The kind that go half way up your arms.
 I'll keep you posted on how it goes.....
 Until next time.

Rain Rain Go Away !!!!...

It has been raining "pitch forks and hoe handles" to quote a dear old friend of mine....
 The yard is soggy like a wet sponge, and I can't even think of getting the vegetable garden tilled and prepped for planting. 

 I couldn't hold out any longer and went to the local nursery for bedding flowers and tomato plants with my friend Trixy.  She is always up for the adventure of plant shopping... or "plant hunting" when we take our shovels and baskets out into the woods looking for ferns, hemlocks, stray daffodils on abandoned old farm sites, or any other interesting vegetation we deem suitable to be moved into our own gardens.  Unfortunately, Trixy is VERY VERY susceptible to poison ivy.  The last time we went into the woods to dig up copious amounts of daffodils...  Trixy came down with such a bad case of poison ivy on her hands, she had to be taken to the hospital and given a shot that would ease the swelling and blistering.  I think her husband is leery of me now,  when I show up with shovel and baskets in hand...  "Honey, remember to wear your gloves, and look out for poison ivy" is usually what he calls out behind us as we run off in a sea of laughter wafting out of the windows of Trixy's big Red 4 wheel drive Jeep Wrangler...

 HEY !!!  I think the sun is trying to come out !!!!!   I have to run...
 Will fill you in on how the day goes a little later...
    

A Day On My Own in THE VALLEY

Today is unusual for me.  I'm on my own here at the house and in "THE VALLEY".
 I dropped JP off at the Pittsburgh Airport yesterday afternoon.  He is gone to the west coast to be the technician for a 4 concert Pianola Concert with the world famous pianolist Bob Berkman. They will be at the new Museum of Automatic Music in phoenix and the Ethno Music archives at UCLA.
 For some of you reading this, You already know, It is usually myself who does all the traveling for work.  But the tables are turned for one week.
 I'm here to take care of improtant things around Farnsworth House for the entire week.
 This morning I was up at 5:30am because a certain Golden Retriever (Kirby the Wonder Dog of East Run) was ready for the day to begin.  The first order of the morning was to get myself a cup of coffee...  Oh.. no,  strike that... the first order of business for this morning was Kirby's breakfast.  He made sure I didn't forget how he likes his breakfast served...  BEFOR anything else happens around here.
 It is raining again.....  the yard is starting to look like a marsh, with hay growing in it. If it doesn't dry out soon, I will have to ask Uncle Bob to come over with his tractor and hay baler to take care of it.
If there is a sliver lining to the rain clouds, it must be that the cooler weather has allowed the flowers in the gardens to last a longer than usual.  The tulips seemed to last forever this spring, and the Iris are about to open and should put on a beautiful display.

 I would like to get one of the antique cars out for some exercise, but not in the rain.  I suppose this week would be a good time to get back involved with the 1928 Franklin convertable project.  After all the ground is way too wet to play in the garden.
 I think that is about all there is on my mind for this morning.
 Now that I'm actually going to try and report on the daily activities here in East Run....  I will try to do a better job of posting to this blog.  Blogging and the computer world are so foreign to me...  I ask that you bare with me during my "learning phase".  I keep hitting the spell check button at the top and it doesn't show any mis-spelled words.... and I know that can't be correct...  I have the worst spelling of anyone I know.
 So, I ask you to read this with an open mind and generous heart.
 Until next time,
   W.W. III