Wednesday, July 22, 2015

It's Hot in Texas

What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance. 
Jane Austen
 

One might seriously define me as inelegant at the moment. As well as covered in sweat. I've returned from a walk and watered what remains of my garden. I say "remains" as the heat has hit. After a cold and dreay March, beautiful April, wet/dangerous floody May and a not-so-bad June, it is now hotter than hell in Texas. 

I'm too sweaty to get in the shower. I will sweat in there and sweat when I get out so I figured while I await my body temp to come down, I'd write a blog post. Seems to happen about this time every year. I have nothing better to write about than heat and dying plants. Perhaps I need a new summer gig.

In past years I've discussed the demise of my tomato plants. The ones that never really did anything anyway. 

This year offers no exception to the others. I thought my luck might change -- a little compost and more water. An early start. But the May rains brought all kinds of creatures that love to feast on tomato leaves and blossoms. My plants have limped along, but as you can see, my black thumb in the tomato department still earns a blue ribbon.

Aren't they beautiful? Too bad there isn't an award for the weeds growing at the bottom.

While I waited to cool off, I decided to take photos of what was still blooming in my yard before it all looks like my tomatoes.

Found one of these.

A lone geranium.

Pentas are hanging in there, but the zinneas are losing steam.

Five oranges-to-be on my tree

Turk's Cap should survive

This cactus is about to bloom. Right now that bud looks like... well, nevermind what it looks like.

It will look like this when it blooms.

I thank you for enduring this de-sweating time with me. I'm headed to the shower and then back to my Summer Reading List.  Too hot for the hammock. I'm cranking up the AC.

(Note about the Summer Reading List. I'm nine books into it. Highly recommend Euphoria by Lily King and Honeydew by Edith Pearlman. Currently laughing and enjoying The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.)

 

33 comments:

  1. Okay, when a gal sweats while IN THE SHOWER, it's time to head north for a while to cool off!

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    1. Hahahaha! Indeed.

      Actually, the water coming out of the cold inside is not very cold when it gets this hot. I was always shocked when I got to my parent’s in Green Bay or elsewhere up north and recalled how cold the water out of the hose was. Froze my feet. Piss warm down here.

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  2. Been hot here with 110 heat index. I just started getting tomatoes, wish you were closer , I would share. Been going out on my bike, it seems too hot to drive my cars.

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    1. I'd love your tomatoes. I get mine on Saturdays at a local market, but they just don't have the flavor of the Midwest.

      Have fun on the bike. Drink lots of water!

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  3. What is the white flower, first up?
    I'd forgotten "too hot to take a shower." It brought the early days of my marriage back to mind; a fourth floor walk up. Only the movie theaters were air conditioned in 1964.

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    1. African Iris. First time it has bloomed since planting it in the spring.

      And, yes. So glad you understand the showering.

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  4. I can relate to the tomato situation. Mine are healthy looking but on two plants I only have three tomatoes. I love the heat and would prefer to be hot any day than cold. I think you need to go jump in the lake to cool off. Stay cool, cheers, Beckie
    P.S. I like your cactus.....very kool

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    1. Ha! Go jump in the lake. Perfect idea. However, as the air heats up here, so does the lake. Not quite so refreshing, but when the sun goes down, much nicer.

      Long story with that cactus. Will have to write about that one day.

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  5. We usually have a hot and humid summer, but these weeks have given us nice breaks and just now we are missing the rain. Maybe your tomatoes need more mid-day sun?

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    1. Mid-day sun. That's what my oldest son says. I've moved them all over to different gardens though. I think it is just me. And Texas. There, blame placed.

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  6. Many northerners spend time down south in winter, so why not reverse the trend in summer? I love your flowers, but I know how hard it is to tend them when it's so hot.

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    1. Trust me, that was our original intent. Then we found our cabin here and it is so close. But, haven't been up in your neck of the woods for a couple years. Could be time.

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  7. when I turn on the a.c., you know it's a little preview of hell around here. I still need to get in the shower and not much enthused over the idea. sometimes it's just easier to go to bed dirty. but then the smell wakes me.
    oh well. might as well shower

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    1. Yeah, you guys have really good heaters, though. Ours not so good.

      As I get older, the shower can sometimes be a chore. That is a little scary.

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  8. To me, your garden looks pretty. I never bothered to plant one thing this year because I knew I wouldn't be around to water with all the travels I had scheduled. Nuthin' but empty flower pots here. And damn yes, it's hot! I stay indoors and paint!

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    1. I'm thinking it is time to let it go. Even my herbs in pots are looking rather sorrowful. Will regroup in the fall.

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  9. We could do with some warm weather here but not that hot thank you.

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    1. No, it is brutal. You just get used to sweating several times in the day -- or all day as it goes.

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  10. I can dig it! The sweat in the garden thing. :)

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  11. Leave it to Jane... words of wisdom for anything life throws at us! Hope Texas cools off soon.

    Oscar Wao is in my tbr pile. I picked it up at a library book sale after loving This is How You Lose Her (audio version fabulously narrated by author). Think I'll move it close to the top!

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    1. I am enjoying. A most fun voice.

      Yup, sometimes you just have to defer to Jane.

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  12. I wish we could share some of our cool rain. Yes, reading inside by the AC sounds a wise choice. I do hope your lovely garden survives.

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    1. Yes, please do share the cool rain. I think the garden will shrivel away as usual, but there is always the winter and early spring to get something. Gotta have faith.

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  13. I heard that it finally got really hot in Texas. My commiserations. Now we are getting the first rain we've seen in two months, but it will only be a teaser. And I live in the Pacific Northwest!! :-)

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    1. I hope it becomes more than a teaser. Drought is no fun.

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  14. Reading does go well with the AC or a good strong fan for me too.....;)

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  15. Oh, your cactus bloom is gorgeous! I will spare you gushes over this year's herb garden/deck as I have no idea how it achieved its current fecundity (I expect it's because I've mostly ignored it). Anyhow, I am sorry to hear that you are sweltering & hope the weather breaks a bit soon. Meantime, enjoy your hammock, and your reading!

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Yikes, haven't figured out how to fix my own words in a reply after I post it. You'd think....

      I like the ignore idea. How I used to fly. Perhaps I need to go back to that. Good to hear from you.

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  16. Hi Julie! It's so nice to meet you. Thank you very much for your kind visit and comment. It's hot and HUMID over here in Hawaii and driving me crazy. I've got a cactus almost like yours but it has fuchsia flowers.

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    1. Nice to meet you, Kay. Thinking about Hawaii. Mmmmmm.

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  17. You can send some of that heat this way. It is in the 70s this week and I like it much hotter than that. Maybe we could do a house swap for a few weeks. My tomato plants are huge over here! ;)
    At least your flowers are looking fabulous! Wow!

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