Just when you thought it was safe to go outside again–heat indices of like 112º!!  Or was that 121, it’s hard to tell.  This is a lot, even for Missouri, the Misery State.  Just add toxic waste and fumes, manure, and hot spices, and you get India!  At least there you have some wild jasmine and incense to compete with the aromas.

So naturally Y went to 6 Flags, an even hotter place!  Fortunately I mentioned the dangerous heat, so he modified his outfit.  I’m very aware of how fortunate we are to have AC, and to be able to stay in it!  But some like it hot.

I’m daring myself to go out in the broiler just to take photos.  Stay tuned.  Actually, don’t hold your breath.

In other news, my rent predictably goes up in September.  By a lot.  Yet it’s still below 1K, somehow.  But it means I def won’t have even enough left each month for food or other necessities.  Avdi and Jess have graciously offered to help.  I was hoping to avoid this, but it’s reality.  Again, fortunate to have a family who can do that.  They even more generously offered to help me pay for the cataract surgery, so I don’t have to add further medical debt to my growing list (or go blind).

I found a way to get some sleep overnight at Avdi’s–drugs!  Amaze amaze amaze! I actually slept like a normal person.  Such a novel experience.

So, S is contentedly making noises on the sofa, K is determined to burn down the kitchen experimenting, Y (minus the ticket he forgot) is out there sweltering, and E is probably in his room, which is slightly less warm.

As for me, I’m running out of excuses to not go outside.  If you don’t hear from me, I got clarified like ghee.  Here goes.

Four (well, 3 and a dog under the table) whole photos later, I made it back alive!  Even the flowers are cowering in the heat.  I’ve had to content myself with making wishlists of native flower seeds to get for next year during the fall sale.

Update: 115º heat index possible in STL!!

I thought this erev dinner was going to be standing room only, but as it turned out, only four of us were left sitting.  So that worked out.  I made a salad mostly from our garden greens and cucumber, and the rest of the meal was simple kid-friendly fare.  I was so tired, the others kindly cleaned up for me.

Outside it was pleasantly cool with sprinkles, what I call salamander weather, my favorite, although I haven’t seen one salamander–yet.  That will be a crowning achievement!  In the meantime, my evil plan is to grow more trees and less lawn!  Native saplings are now showing up everywhere, which is progress in itself.

I’ve also achieved my goal of flowers and bouquet material almost everywhere, like a cottage garden.  I have a few more areas to work on, namely up front: the first third of the side along the fence, which is now a dry shade area; and the sunny front walkway garden, which needs refining and redefining.  Perhaps E’s idea of strips of native flowers along the front and back of the yew hedges will happen.

(I’m just talking to myself here; I don’t expect anyone to follow this or even read it.  The end results will hopefully speak for themselves: a mini-botanical garden for my son, and a teaching one for those of the gkids who have “the green blood”.  Plus of course a natural way station for native pollinators and critters to find refuge from the industrial wasteland.)

J&C commented on the back yard that it was a bug kind of a yard!  Maybe they meant more natural than they’re comfortable with?  I considered it a compliment!  (Except for those pesky veg-eating and human-biting bugs, which can DIE!!)

I pointed out some major improvements to Avdi, and he looked at them blankly!  It was very amusing, but also sad, because he never gets a chance to look at the “before”.  I should do a post on before and afters.  Only, he never has time to read them!

Today was perfect for gardening again, so I tackled the woods edge project.  I rototilled lightly all along the edge, extending it out a couple of feet into the lawn.  It won’t stay this pristine, of course, but it’s more prepared for sowing native flower seeds in fall.

S decided to stay at J&C’s today and tonight.  Later, J&C came over Avdi’s, hung out in the back yard, and took K and E  shopping with them.  We’re all starting to interact more and help each other out.  Meanwhile, Y had a whole crowd of friends packed into his room.

Here’s T the dog relaxing at J&C’s.  It’s a dog’s life.

Yesterday I was able to work in the garden!  It was warm, low humidity, with a breeze.  I got as much done on my projects as I could.

• I completely cleaned up the hosta shade garden to look like one.  That involved once again cutting down all the walnut shoots, covering the stumps with black plastic, then dumping all the cuttings and weeds on top of them.  Hopefully that’ll show’em!  I weeded around the plants, raked the front of the bed, and repositioned the logs.  Then I watered it all in.
• I planted all the pepper seedlings E gave me, weeded and watered.  While in the veg, I discovered a cucumber, a couple of new eggplants, and large tomatoes getting ready to ripen.
• I watered the front and back gardens.
• Finally, a small yellow poppy is blooming in my poppy area!
• I weeded and hoed two nonflowering sections on either side of the veg garden, then sowed lupines in with the foxglove, and marigolds, sunflowers and mixed wildflower seeds in the other.
• And, I started my woods’ edge cleanup project.  I removed the metal fencing and stakes, and raked the entire front.  Next, I’ll do some light cultivating while expanding the edge a little farther into the lawn.  Eventually I’ll sow more natives to stratify this winter.

Various mystery plants have been coming up.  One of them, in the veg, I have no idea yet (a euphorbia?).  But I’m pretty sure all the little tree saplings appearing all over may be sycamore!  I’m not sure how they made it all the way to the yard, but I have some transplanting ideas!  This yard is becoming quite the adventure for me.

Of course all the mystery squash plants are literally taking over the yard!  And the tall forest of silphium (cup plant) along the side is starting to bloom yellow.

While all this was happening, S had been delivered by J after having spent the night there, so J and I had a brief conversation.  S went in the pool while I was gardening.  L and I got some frisbee in.  Later on I took S back to J&C’s for the night, where we all hung out talking for a little while.  I keep forgetting how long they used to live here.  But we’ve all matured (??) since then, so it’s like getting to know each other all over again.

Finally!  One solitary E black swallowtail caterpillar on the dill and parsley.  Normally there’d be at least half a dozen by now.  I did see one pipevine swallowtail butterfly on the Dutchman’s pipe vines.  And one E tiger swallowtail in the veg garden.  I’m not seeing any more monarchs around the milkweed.  And there are very few bees and pollinators on the usual flowers.  It’s scary sad.  I did see a hummer or two, though.

Aside from that, it’s like one big bouquet out there.  There are lots of green tomatoes.  All the giant squash, melon, and cucumber plants have lots of yellow flowers, but not much else happening.  The 3 sisters is filled with tall corn, beans, and squash plants, but no veg action yet.  Fellow gardeners across the country are reporting the same phenomenon.

If this is happening for native and heirloom growers, you know it’s a barren desert for pollinators and wildlife in conventional gardens and farms.  It may not be a onetime aberration, either, but rather a trend toward the breakdown of the natural network system we all depend upon for food and life.

All the more reason to keep at what we’re doing for the survival of our environment, so if human systems fail, maybe some plants and animals will perpetuate our planet until if and when humans can evolve to get their act together.

It’s still f—in’ hot out there, but I got a few things done here.

It’s still hot as hell and unhealthy to stay outside for long, but these flowers and plants are thriving.

After sleeping ’till noon like a teenager yesterday, I enjoyed the afternoon to myself.  Then I joined Avdi over at Stacey’s, where everyone was taking a break from organizing the house, with the  requisite housewarming drinks and other needed items.  Including the dog and cat, we were eight people.

Today Stacey has to return to MI to continue wrapping up things there.  Avdi didn’t need me to spend the night (yay).  So wouldn’t you know it, I couldn’t sleep most of the night, in my apartment!  Maybe it’s all the eventfulness, who knows.

As exhausted as I was from just a week “being the adult” in the house, then helping with the move-in, it makes me all the more aware of what Avdi has to deal with and much, much more, on a 24/7 basis, with few breaks or time to himself.  I get to come back to my apartment to unwind, and don’t have to constantly be under pressure, vigilant, on alert, making major decisions for multiple people, and lucky to catch a nap or remember to eat.  And he has to navigate an evil, corrupt gov that intentionally makes it almost impossible to live.  Mostly on his own.

Not many people could handle that kind of pressure and hold it together.  I know I couldn’t.  That’s why I look up to him so much.

I slept in my own bed, a weeks-worth, until noon!  I have an even greater appreciation for my own private space.  I’m very fortunate.

I didn’t take any photos of Stacey’s house move-in, or erev dinner with our newcomers, but trust me, it happened.  So many people were coming and going yesterday evening, that I did the meal buffet-style to keep it simple.  There were drinks for everyone, and J&C reacquainted themselves with Avdi’s house (and all the items they had left there).  Stacey was already providing multiple rides all evening.  Eventually everyone just drifted off home, including me.  I didn’t even wait for Avdi to finally get home.

I’ll just say…every family has its peculiarities and histories, and reuniting more members can add on more, let’s say, challenges.  But it can also solve some problems and bring benefits.  The trick is to just keep moving forward, hopefully shedding (downsizing) some heavier baggage along the way.  (As one theoretically does in a physical move!?)

Some of us have more mental tools than others, not naming names, and hopefully can be a role model and balance out the differences.  All of us have our weaknesses and limits, but bringing extended family into the picture may also create some solutions for everyone involved.  For starters, the kids will have both parents nearby, which is a big improvement.  I like to think positive!

Photo for illustration.

It’s been a long but pretty good week.

Stacey and J&C arrived yesterday, and ten of us helped unload the truck.  It was exhausting in the horrible humid heat, but everyone had a good attitude, and it was a fun reunion for all of us.  T (still can’t spell it) the big dog was there, and I got to meet Púca the little black cat.  K and E each had a friend helping, and they worked hard.

Later we had pizza and sodas.  K&E and J&C caught up.  S moved into his room.  I took Y home.  Everyone was worn out, but we got it done.  So naturally I couldn’t sleep much, but it was my last overnight housesitting.

Avdi and Jess will get back late, but the rest of us will have erev dinner (and drinks) together.  It will still be a full house.  Dinner will be a chicken stir-fry featuring lots of veggies from the garden, over jasmine rice.

Look at that monster cucumber which K found–I totally overlooked it!

Tonight I get to sleep in my own bed!  Tomorrow E is having a garage sale.  So much is happening, but so far so good.

The air quality from the Canadian wildfires is bad.  It’s of course worse up in MI.  It’s hot and breezeless, too much to stay out in for long.  S and L are demonstrating how we all feel this morning.  I had another mostly sleepless night.  There may be t-storms later.  Good prep for helping Stacey move in today!

My big job under the circumstances was to move a pile of leaves from the patio to Percy’s Memorial Path.  It’s hard to tell from the photo.  I was sweating like a hog from just standing out there.

Almost the whole immediate family will be reunited today.  Only Lily is missing, by her own choices.  I still believe that one day she’ll come around.  Hey, if I could do it…

So much for using my time here for gardening.  I couldn’t have done much if I tried.  Probably for the best.  I got more done inside, and spent time with S.  We had some interesting conversations.  Y, sadly, is self-isolating from us right now.  I hope that he, too, will rejoin us when the time is right.