Heat Wave at the Almanac

Here in the midwest we’re entering a week of extreme record-setting heat and humidity.  Temps 10-20 degrees above normal, with a heat index of excruciating, are predicted for an extended period.  Volatile side effects of such a system don’t bear thinking about, so I won’t.  I’m just holding on until we can make our exit, to a place that will be even hotter than normal itself.

Climate change is definitely a thing, folks.  The deep south is coming to a northern state near you.  Even Canada will be feeling the effects of our stupidity.  I call it Darwinian: we eliminate our dumb human race and let nature attempt to fix the damage, again.  Let’s hope she can.

Meanwhile, I am very thankful for the circumstances I’m privileged to enjoy: an air-conditioned apartment!  I used to despise people who depended on this luxury, and now here I am, an old person, appreciating the privilege of not being homeless, broiling to death, as too many are, and too many more will be, in the near future.  I’m the person who labored outside for a living for decades, while my office co-workers froze in their air-conditioned cubicles.  I’d still be doing it now, if circumstances hadn’t changed.  I feel for the growing at-risk populations of humans and animals who will bear the heat of our misguided shortsightedness.  I’m one of the fortunate ones, for now.

Meanwhile, for now, flowers are still thriving in the heat after last night’s typical Ohio t-storm.  I never get used to these sudden volatile events, during which I cringe in terror, awaiting the tornadic  end of life as we know it!  It doesn’t really help to know these conditions are no longer unique to this area.  Right now, it’s getting dark, quiet, and ominous again, but it hasn’t fazed our crops here at the almanac!  Today we’re excited to announce the forming of our first ear of corn!  Who knew I was a farmer!  😀  The sunflower is happily following the sun.  Squash is a-squashing.   And other botanical wonders…

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Unfurling

This can’t wait for a longer post.  As predicted, the sunflower is opening today!  Picture0713161144_3

Also, more pretty flowers!  Note the poppy!

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And for good measure– pink hydrangea.  More flowers to come.

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Garden Revelations

It may seem like a small thing, but today I looked up above the profusely blooming rose of sharon and discovered grapevines covered with bunches of green grapes draped across the low-hanging wires!  It’s grape heaven!  Our neighbor will be pleased; she thought her old grape vines were gone.

The sunflowers are getting very large, and will be blooming one of these days.  And the poppies are going berserk!  Red, orange, yellow, salmon, coral, and striped!  Every day brings new flower varieties.  And almost every meal contains veggies from our garden.

Just a foretaste of things to come.

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Life at the Narrows

Hiking back at the narrows today, we saw kayakers and canouers, deer, saucer-shaped and other fungi, and all sorts of green life.  Note the equisetum (horsetails) by the river.

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Erev Menu

I made a Thai-style dinner:  Thai-spiced marinated chicken, Thai stir-fry veggies with peanuts and homegrown squashes, jasmine rice, and a pineapple-coconut custard with cherries on top.  The beer was for inspiration–works every time.

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