My Domesticated Raspberries - June 2007 (Everything is ripening about two weeks later than previous years)

Word of the Day

Insparation - Thinking up a great idea while sitting in a spa or sauna.

HTP and I won't be leaving The Lake for The Big City until sometime after breakfast. His cousin's wedding in The Big City isn't until late afternoon. Plenty of time to wash and style my hair, drop Gypsy off at my folks' place and blog. I even may be able to blog tomorrow night after we get home. Maybe.

MC Daughter called last night (actually, early this morning but that's OK because I was getting worried and it was good to hear from her). She called to let us know that despite some alternator problems with D Buddy's truck (alternator was brand new and had a warranty), they were able to get the repairs done and continue on their way to Kentucky. The call was to let me know that they'd arrived at their destination safe and sound...a bit later than intended due to rush hour traffic in Chicago and some other traffic tie-ups. I was afraid that they'd run into some heavy weather. There were some really bad storms crossing their drive path yesterday. We even got over a half inch of rain. I enjoyed the Nature's fireworks a lot more because I knew that MC Daughter and D Buddy were safe.

We got over an inch of rain out of last night's storm. I guess I should drag out the lawn sprinkler more often. It started to rain before the lawn tractor sprinkler had barely finished it's task and HTP packed it up. It took a long time to bilge all that rain water out of the boat this morning. We really needed the rain. On the other hand, it doesn't seem to matter how much rain we get when it comes to my Earthboxes...at least the one with the zucchini. Zucchini are REALLY thirst plants. I may have to set up a timer system if HTP and I have to leave town for more than a night. I don't dare skip a day. I almost lost them the other day. They looked like dishrags attached to the top of stalks. Thankfully, they recovered but I don't want to test it. Sis and I noted that the new directions for planting zucchini state that you should only plant four zucchini per Earthbox. Unfortunately, I used the old directions which stated that you should plant six zucchini per box. I'm beginning to think that it isn't a space issue that made them change the directions. It's the fact that you end up having to fill the water reservoir so often (daily to twice daily) when you have six thirsty zucchini sipping out of one water reservoir. Sis only planted four zucchini in her Earthbox and doesn't seem to be having the same problems as I'm encountering. Of course, her yard is a lot shadier than mine. My deck (where I have my Earthboxes) gets really hot during the summer months. No shade at all...except in the early morning.

I noticed that I have my first ripe raspberry on my tame raspberries by the side of the house. I didn't pick it...yet. I didn't want to wade through the bushes to pick just a single berry...not this morning. I need to be wearing berry picking clothes to do that. And a hat to ward off the deerfly. I'll worry about taking a closer look at the raspberries on Sunday. Maybe there will be more raspberries ripening by then.

Murphyism of the Day

Syrus's Leadership Principle

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Be courteous, be obliging, but don't give yourself over to be melted down for the benefit of the tallow trade.

- George Eliot (1819 - 1880)