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No windows open here until October. That could never come soon enough before. Now that we have a pool, there is nothing like working in the garden in this heat and humidity, sweating buckets and then jumping in the pool which is 84 degrees. Aaaah! It is such a pleasure and makes gardening a whole new experience. And for TMI, we cannot pull on our swimsuits when we are that sweaty, so we quit trying. There’s no need to with an eight foot privacy fence and neighboring single story homes!
I’m heading over to a house on a nearby street that sells many different tropical fruits to pick up a dragon fruit plant. I will try hard not to be tempted by anything else. For me, plants are in the same category as so many books and too little time.
I fought a lot of the changes I had to make. Tried hard to get what I wanted.
Once I made peace with things, life got a lot better.
Yeh, that's probably the secret, just acceptance. I loved it when I lived in a beach house and felt better too with the clean salt air. Now it's boooring here in the forest. Not to mention the allergies that have come back to roost. And at this time of the year, the flowers start to dry up and die. From about Sept 1 until Christmas I think I need to go to Europe or something. Otherwise it's allergies, sinus infections, antibiotics and I complain and feel rotten and depressed!
Really nice day here today. Overcast with some rain this afternoon, but may not even hit 80 today. Got the windows open and the A/C off. First day in a while for that.
Looking our my office window at the front flowerbed, the Diamond Eyes miniature rose has a lot of blooms. It is unusual as it is dark purple with a white center. The Franklin tree is just about done blooming for this year; still has about half a dozen more to open. It has been 7 weeks since the first one opened, so it gave me a really long season this year.
By "Franklin Tree" do you mean the pretty Franklinia Alatamaha discovered by the Bartram brothers in the mid 18th Century? Those are very rare! A few specimens were discovered in Georgia 250 years ago ... and no where else on earth. They have a pretty medium size white flower with bright bushy yellow stamens in the center. Vaguely resembles a camellia which it is a distant cousin of (the tea family). The Bartrams created the very first botanical garden in America scarcely 2 or 3 miles from my house here in Philadelphia; it was so famous it was visited by Washington, Jefferson, Franklin (a friend of the Bartrams, they named the tree after him), Lafayette, etc. All Franklinias - there are less than a thousand in the entire world - are descended from a single cutting the Bartrams took as the original few in Georgia growing in the wild are extinct. There is one precious specimen in my neighborhood - over a hundred years old - in front of a brownstone house built in the 1860s.
I'm watching Sixty Minutes on television right now. It is a repeat but the story on right now is about Tim Green. He is a former football star (can't recall his team). Lives in Skaneateles, NY with his wife and family. This guy was a heck of a good football player.
Unfortunately he is suffering with ALS. Watching the progression of his disease is overwhelming. A big, very handsome man (still is), struggling with his speech and other important functions. He has a wife and several children. His oldest boy is a God-send for him.
Feeling fortunate that I do not have a crippling, terminal illness.
Praying for more research and discovery in medicine that will beat this and other diseases.
Yeh, that's probably the secret, just acceptance. I loved it when I lived in a beach house and felt better too with the clean salt air. Now it's boooring here in the forest. Not to mention the allergies that have come back to roost. And at this time of the year, the flowers start to dry up and die. From about Sept 1 until Christmas I think I need to go to Europe or something. Otherwise it's allergies, sinus infections, antibiotics and I complain and feel rotten and depressed!
I am going to get allergy tests done because this year has been awful. I also am cutting down all the Junipers in my back yard which I think are part of the reason for my headache and stuffiness. If I have pollen allergy, it's definitely going to be shots for 3 or more years. I can't just give up gardening. I have found an herbal remedy which seem to help somewhat, at least took away the headache. It's called Allercetin Allergy and Sinus pills. Found it at the Sprouts grocery, but is also on line. Maybe it would help you. The other usual OTC stuff doesn't do anything anymore. Everyone here is suffering big time.
... And for TMI, we cannot pull on our swimsuits when we are that sweaty, so we quit trying. There’s no need to with an eight foot privacy fence and neighboring single story homes!
I love this! However, a warning: in my neck-of-the-woods, a neighbor enjoys flying his drone.
By "Franklin Tree" do you mean the pretty Franklinia Alatamaha discovered by the Bartram brothers in the mid 18th Century? Those are very rare! A few specimens were discovered in Georgia 250 years ago ... and no where else on earth. They have a pretty medium size white flower with bright bushy yellow stamens in the center. Vaguely resembles a camellia which it is a distant cousin of (the tea family). The Bartrams created the very first botanical garden in America scarcely 2 or 3 miles from my house here in Philadelphia; it was so famous it was visited by Washington, Jefferson, Franklin (a friend of the Bartrams, they named the tree after him), Lafayette, etc. All Franklinias - there are less than a thousand in the entire world - are descended from a single cutting the Bartrams took as the original few in Georgia growing in the wild are extinct. There is one precious specimen in my neighborhood - over a hundred years old - in front of a brownstone house built in the 1860s.
That is the one. I first read about it 35 years ago when I lived in Florida. At that time, Wayside Gardens had some. I contacted them about my trying one where I lived and they said it was a no go. So I filed it away in my mind as a someday thing.
When we moved here to Cookeville, there is a huge tree farm a few miles from me. I was really surprised to look at their online catalog and they had Franklinia. So I bought one that was about 7 ft and they brought it out and planted it for me in February of last year. It started blooming in the middle of July last year and had about 100 over about a month. This year it started about a week earlier and is just now finishing.
I asked the owner of the tree farm how in the world he had them as they are so hard to find. He said that along with the acres and acres of common trees, he likes to find unusual trees to grow. His first order was 1000 seedlings and he got 10. So every year he orders a bunch and gets a few. He has had people drive a couple of hundred miles to pick one up.
Driving home today from Salmon Arm, British Columbia provided a lot of time for thinking. Something dawned on me that makes sense for my situation. Just had my 68th birthday about a week ago and still enjoy doing physical activities, such as cycling, mountain trekking, kayaking, etc. However my body is really starting to protest.
I think I am caught in that awkward stage between a middle-aged person and an old person. My body and my mind are not in sync. The mind wants to do young people things, but my body is telling me to slow down.
By "Franklin Tree" do you mean the pretty Franklinia Alatamaha discovered by the Bartram brothers in the mid 18th Century? Those are very rare! A few specimens were discovered in Georgia 250 years ago ... and no where else on earth. They have a pretty medium size white flower with bright bushy yellow stamens in the center. Vaguely resembles a camellia which it is a distant cousin of (the tea family). The Bartrams created the very first botanical garden in America scarcely 2 or 3 miles from my house here in Philadelphia; it was so famous it was visited by Washington, Jefferson, Franklin (a friend of the Bartrams, they named the tree after him), Lafayette, etc. All Franklinias - there are less than a thousand in the entire world - are descended from a single cutting the Bartrams took as the original few in Georgia growing in the wild are extinct. There is one precious specimen in my neighborhood - over a hundred years old - in front of a brownstone house built in the 1860s.
I was wondering the same thing re Franklinea. We moved a year ago and are not too far from Longwood Gardens. I have been going there regularly as it's a delightful drive on beautiful backroads, and the place is just wonderful. I have taken a handful of their short talks and tours. There are a few of these trees right by the original house on the property (Pierce- DuPont). The guides always point them out as they are really unique and what a great history.
Very impressive that you have one on your property!
Smoked a beef brisket, ribs and sausage for the neighbors yesterday, and for the guy who brought me 5 cords of firewood, and my horsey friend. Chilly enough last night to have a fire in my fire pit.
Real honest to gosh normal people, trees, shade. Made sure local police and sheriff deputy got a plate too.
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Caught in the middle
