Between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning we got 3 1/2” of rain accompanied by lightning and thunder. Saturday night another 1/2”. Consequently I got very little sleep the last two nights what with the trembling panting constantly on the move dog as she shifted from side to side of me. For hours. This morning it looked to be clearing but quickly clouded over, dark and dismal, listening to the distant thunder all morning. It’s closer now, thunder louder and a flash or two of lightning but still no rain. Neurotic dog stuck to me like glue, wants to sit in my lap facing me. At least it’s not the middle of the night. Oh, raining lightly now.
I didn’t actually get out in the yard Friday like I planned besides pulling a few weeds and the only thing I accomplished yesterday was running a few errands and cutting away the second third of the dead rangoon creeper off the fence across the street. Doubt I’ll get anything accomplished today either, indoors or out. Certainly not out, too wet to do anything out. There is so much I could do in the house but...meh.
I finally finished the book Jade gave me to read which took freaking forever because it didn’t appeal to me all that much, all 260 pages of a monologue by an older woman recounting her late childhood and early adulthood from which home and life she left without a backward glance or word to anyone, painting herself as an unappealing character with pretend interactions and conversations and sexual obsessions and when she finally gets to when she leaves, that’s the end of the book. Maybe I’ll start one of the books I got at the library yesterday or maybe we’ll watch the next episode of Shogun.
Tomorrow I grab up the last wildling, Twin, for his appointment at the vet on Tuesday. I’m still not sure how I want to go about it as he will only let me pet him while he eats as he is facing me. Doesn’t let me approach from behind and while I have managed to pick him up several times, it’s only for half a minute while he struggles so I don’t know if I can get hold of him long enough to shove him in the carrier. The other option is putting the other two kittens in the shed and baiting the live trap with food and see if he goes in after it. And then what, take him to the vet in the live trap? So we’ll see how this all works out.
This is the far back of the big backyard, behind all the flowerbeds and banana trees (which you can’t see because they are only about a foot or two tall so far), a nice thick patch of evening primrose. Behind me is a large area of just thick weeds...cleaver, clover, and another thing I don’t know what it is but it makes tiny flowers and seeds that stick to you...and hay grass and off to the right of that are some bluebonnets. This area is really part of the big pasture behind our lot, behind all the houses on our side of the street, but we have incorporated it into our yard for the wildflowers because our back is not fenced like most the other houses on the street. It will eventually all get mowed down after it goes to seed.
My flag iris are starting to bloom, white in the front
and blue in the back.
The purple japanese iris is sending up it’s bloom scapes but none have opened yet.
As it turned out, we watched the next three episodes of Shogun on Hulu and are now caught up with the subsequent episodes being released on Tuesdays. It’s based on the book by James Clavell which I read long ago when it came out. It’s very good so if you’re looking for something to watch I recommend it.
Your growing things always amaze me! something and some one good in that state! Pretty little hill of lavender color!
ReplyDeleteI have always liked the sound of a thunderstorm, but more so, I like listening to a gentle rain.
ReplyDeleteThose flowers sure are beautiful.
I have never owned a dog, but they do seem to be unusually intimidated by thunderstorms. It’s a common theme from friends who do.
ReplyDeleteMaybe get a second person to help with the kitten. A sheet to throw over the cat used to do the trick for us but you need to be quick and have someone with you who opens the cat carrier. I admire your spread of blossoms, the shape of things to come.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that boy cat. Be careful.
ReplyDeleteThe rain will ultimately have been a good thing. As I know you know. Your flowers are gorgeous.
I remember the earlier TV movie of Shogun -- from the '80s, I think? I never watched it though. Good luck with the kitten! Did the entire Rangoon creeper die, or just the exposed parts? Will it come up again from the ground?
ReplyDeletethe rangoon creeper freezes to the ground every winter and comes back from the roots. it's starting to send up new shoots so this is just last year's growth I'm cutting down
DeleteI love evening primrose. It's too bad you can't use ear plugs on dogs - they're just so sensitive to all that racket. Although probably the vibrations bother her too.
ReplyDeletethunder, fireworks, and gun shots trigger her. other noises that seem similar she ignores and if it's on tv, doesn't bother her at all. so weird.
DeleteWe're watching Shogun over here too. We also both read the book when it first came out. I found myself unaccountably moved by your photo of the evening primrose—by the way nature gives such beauty unasked, and thank you for sharing it here.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could get a picture of a segment along business 59 heading out of town to the highway, a regular mosaic of pink, blue, yellow, and red/orange but no place really to pull over.
DeleteI hope Twin's trip to the vet is easy and successful.
ReplyDeletetook some patience for him to enter the trap but he did and then went berserk until I got him in the car where he laid down and rode peacefully to the vet.
DeleteI loved seeing that white iris. Today I posted some of the blue/lavender/purple I found in Brazoria county recently, but I've never seen a white one. Did you buy those, or did they just pop up. It doesn't matter, of course; white flower loving me is just as impressed!
ReplyDelete