What does the English weather have in common with Queen Victoria?
It rains [reigns] and rains and never gives the sun [son] a chance.
Of course, it's not exactly the same here. The sun does get a chance, quite a lot, in fact. It breaks through the blinds in the morning and brings with it intense heat. Invariably, I step out of the house with Tippy for our morning walk, and I think that it's not so bad, almost pleasant. Within 5 minutes, I am sweating profusely, my air-conditioned skin finally registering just how oppressively hot and humid it really is.
And then, at some point in the day, it rains, in torrential downpours. The rain barrels are in a persistent state of overflowing. The mounting pressure inside them sends the rainwater back up through the downspout, and it shoots out several feet into the air. There is a hole in the yard now where the water finally lands.While I type this post, I'm draining the pool, as last night's crashing storm (the third of the day) brought the water level within an inch of overflowing.
I've traded the miserably cold winters of Michigan for the miserably hot summers of Florida. Rather than jumping from the frying pan into the fire, I've gone from the freezer to the fire, which may make me a lobster. I'm not sure. And with all the rain, it's possible I'll need to start swimming for my life.
This is the time of year when I must surrender to the power of nature. The weeds in the vegetable garden path are gargantuan and widespread, but I just can't get up at 5 am to pull them. Any other time of the day may induce heat stroke. My views of the gardens are increasingly limited to this perspective.
So I spend my time indoors with inspirational books, and I plot, plan, prepare for the cooler days to come.
And then, at some point in the day, it rains, in torrential downpours. The rain barrels are in a persistent state of overflowing. The mounting pressure inside them sends the rainwater back up through the downspout, and it shoots out several feet into the air. There is a hole in the yard now where the water finally lands.While I type this post, I'm draining the pool, as last night's crashing storm (the third of the day) brought the water level within an inch of overflowing.
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| The rain hole. A foot & a half wide, and 6 inches deep. Ankle breaking potential is high. |
This is the time of year when I must surrender to the power of nature. The weeds in the vegetable garden path are gargantuan and widespread, but I just can't get up at 5 am to pull them. Any other time of the day may induce heat stroke. My views of the gardens are increasingly limited to this perspective.
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| Viewing the garden from the comfort of air-conditioning. It's almost like visiting an aquarium. |
So I spend my time indoors with inspirational books, and I plot, plan, prepare for the cooler days to come.
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| Some not-so-light reading |
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| Getting ready for the fall planting season. |
Love the joke! I have a friend who just got back from England and said "we sunbathe by the layer method...first remove your overcoat..."
ReplyDeleteStay cool! We're evolving with webbed feet here.
We would have webbed feet, but the sun is out enough to dry our toes!
DeleteI'm writing a character in my novel who has a garden, and though she knows fall gardens come with the near-certain threat of hurricanes in southeast VA, she prefers fall gardening - different weather, less oppressive heat, and no June bugs. Can't wait to see what the fall will bring to your garden!
ReplyDeleteIs her name Becky??? :) I sure hope I'll be able to show photos of a super-healthy garden this fall!
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