And the heat from hell goes on, extended version…

Last night Avdi and I had our monthly date.

First we checked out O’Connell’s Pub, an Irish STL tradition, with a cool dark welcoming vibe, Guinness on tap, and a burger for me to die for!  Each evening they have a  traditional Irish special.

It was World Cup USA v Bosnia Herzegovina night, and every pub had watch parties going on.  The enthusiasm here in STL is huge and noisy.  We speculated about who the large Bosnian population of STL would be rooting for in public!

The next place we tried, Perennial on Lockwood, was packed with fans cheering on the US, and too busy to remember us out on the warm patio, so we split for our next and final stop, O+O pizza in Old Webster, for excellent crafted cocktails at the bar.  My agave sunset was the perfect summer drink.

I felt totally spoiled, as usual.  After I went home, Avdi and kids had a night swim in the pool.  I’m still considering it.

Today, hotter than ever, I watered ours and the neighbors’ gardens, and adjourned to AC, where A was working at the table, and S was (mostly) quietly doing whatever he does on the sofa.

Here’s what’s happening out in the hellmouth (out of doors):

This intense heat and sun is just the thing for flowers, if not humans.  I’m also noticing more bees and pollinators out.  And a little baby bunny keeps hopping between hiding places ahead of me.  This is the part where I’m letting trees, natives, and whatever I can’t stop recover and fill back in.  When it cools off, I hope to further expand the woody edge outward, and maybe some other areas, into the lawn.

I’ve read about chaos gardening, and in this one case, chaos makes sense to me.  It’s more like what nature actually does when we’re not trying to control and manicure it, or dictate where you think plants want to be.  You mix all your leftover veg and flower seeds together,  loosen soil in, say, the veg bed, scatter the seeds evenly, and lightly cover.  Then you sit back (other than minimal maintenance) and let nature duke it out.  Sounds like something I would do.

Other than that, I’m still considering a garden sabbatical year to allow the soil to recover and improve.  I would heavily leaf-mulch and compost everything over winter, then let whatever’s in there just naturally germinate or reseed.  From what I’ve done and witnessed this year, I believe the whole landscape will do most of the work and grow more profusely and colorfully, with a minimum of management.  One big random surprise bouquet of veggies and flowers!

Or, if you’re thinking that by sabbatical/chaos I may mean my own depletion, you may not be far off!

It’s a broiler out.  And yet.  I watered the neighbors’ plants as requested, and didn’t feel any compunction about claiming their ripe tomatoes.  The neighbors are away for a week.  OMG their tomatoes are sweet!  If they insist on paying in beer, I won’t turn that down, either.  Other than watering, I’m staying inside.  Even this “hot tub” doesn’t tempt me.

Heat index values are expected to be up to 110º this week.  If you think that becoming S. India is “no sweat”, think again.

I just gratuitously took the weekend “off”, perhaps in anticipation of the weather from hell.  I figure, if someone needs or misses me, I’ll hear about it.  If that sounds lazy and self-indulgent, well, think what you like.  I did get a lot of necessary things done–including sleep.

Actually, yesterday S was insisting I come over because he was bored and needed a “funny old lady” to “keep him entertained” (help him kill time).  So that’s my purpose.  He then proceeded to give me a long psychotherapy discourse (text) on how he felt and what he needed.  It was impressive.  Needless to say, I was not amused or persuaded.

I had to cancel my upcoming cardio stress test at the hospital, because my insurance wasn’t convinced by my doctor that I needed it.  Hey, one less medical expense to add to all the others!  I’m running out of medical spoons to give.

I’m staying alive to outlive the psycho-criminals who run our country now, but also living for the day when my son and I are able to talk and hang out again.  I may be here a while.  I won’t hold my breath.

Gardeners all over the country are reporting an unusual absence of seasonal pollinators this year.  Each one thinks they’re doing something wrong, but it turns out these are not isolated phenomena.  My unscientific guess is climate extremes and use of pesticides working its damage up the chain.  Things are accelerating.  Normally these flowers would be covered in bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.

This is when all the gardening pays off.  The beds are mostly full, or being filled in.  Veggies are being discovered and getting incorporated into meals.  Mystery flowers and squashes are taking over and starting to reveal their identities.  Trees I left alone are tree-ing.  Natives are filling out all the spaces.  Pollinators,  little critters, and birds are busily keeping the whole web functioning, despite human attempts to poison them and destroy their habitats.

But more fun than all that is when my son gets a chance to go outside and suddenly discover what’s new out there.  “We have black hollyhocks!”  And when he’s able to find plenty of photogenic flowers and plants right in his own yard to use in posts and articles, I feel like my work is worth it.  Plus being able to produce food at a time we have to tighten the budget is one of the few ways I can contribute.

I’m also enjoying the garden collaboration with E.  He is discovering and using the food I’m growing, while also growing his own, partly from all the leftover seeds I gave him.  He ran out of room in his garden for some of his seedlings, so I planted them in mine, in this case red chard and peppers.  Sometimes we’re just out there walking around talking shop, which is gratifying.  He’s learning the same way I did, trial-and-error, plus research, and maybe a little guidance sometimes.

On another front, I’ve been doing more driving and rides, but my eyes are really starting to fail me.   I can’t see the signs until it’s too late, so I end up either lost or almost getting in accidents, sometimes with Gkid passengers.  I can’t afford the routine cataract surgery I need, even though it’s mostly covered, because I’m still paying off dental bills.

I finally paid off my credit card dental charges, but had to postpone paying off Avdi for the rest of my medical debt.  There’s no money after I pay my bills each month.  Ironically, my credit score is the highest it’s ever been, for what that’s worth!  It all balances out somehow.

Today was so cool out, it could have been early fall.

Out in the garden, E discovered lots of new potatoes in the veg garden and dug them up, which was amazing.  He also sighted some unidentified baby squash on the monster plants in the strawberry bed.

I did some weeding and puttering.  E worked on his area, and mowed the lawn.

The three sisters area has quite an assortment of corn, beans, and squash coming up.

The wide round leaf with the funny little red knobby thing is golden seal.

Correction: Those were NOT chickens.  You did not see any poultry.  It was a hoax.

Happy Summer Solstice/Father’s Day!  All the kids get to be with their Dad this time.

A beautiful large doe just strolled through the yards!  She just glanced at me as I greeted her, as if to say hey back, and continued her stately stroll.  Sorry I didn’t get a photo.  I did get some other summery pics, like these pipevine swallowtail caterpillars, swarming all over the Dutchman’s pipe!

I “slept over”, minus the sleeping, but other than that, all is well.

Stacey got the house!  J&C (with cat) will move in (“temporarily”) sooner, while she takes school exams and finishes out her work.  She (and one of the girls) already have jobs lined up here.

Y came home from camp yesterday.  He seems to be happy from the experience.  He even interacted briefly before retreating back into his cave.  The kids were off from summer school for Juneteenth, so it was a full house again.

I did the usual erev preps.  One of the dishes featured carrots and beets straight out of the garden, with peas.  Everyone but E, who had a rehearsal, was at the table, at least briefly.

It was so hot out, Loucious and I spent most of the day inside, L lying on the AC vent.  I did manage to take some photos, though, including this elephant ears that managed to winter over and come back up, as did some other bulbs that I left in the ground!  I guess that tells you something about climate change.

I barely spent time at the Avdi’s today, what with doctors interspersed with giving rides.  I had a lab in the morning, and a cardiologist in the afternoon.  The last was at Mercy Hospital South campus, which is vast, and my first time driving myself there.  I was so exhausted just from all the driving.

I still have more tests to go, but it doesn’t seem to be too serious.  Now if I could just afford the eye surgery so I could see where I’m driving, that would be an improvement!

Look, the black hollyhocks finally started to bloom!