Topsy-Turvy

Summer brings its own upside-down schedule, rising an extra hour early, trying to beat the heat, getting as much done as possible before the sun comes up.  Every day begins by filling the hummingbird feeders.  Trying to survive, they drink quarts of juice a day.  I've put additional waterers in the chicken pens; they drink gallons of water.  Milking has been moved up a couple of hours from the winter program, and still I drip sweat.  Working with Inga is the worst...she has a tendency to lean into my shoulder; nice and snugly in cold weather...not so much in the heat.  Tessie should be due to deliver her kid fairly soon, and adding another hour in the barn milking her, too, as well as bottle feeding the baby...hmmm.  Breeding her so late was a big mistake.  Watering the garden is now an every day chore...I skipped a day and last evening the tomatoes were wilting.  The pumpkins and cantaloupe have sprouted.  The beans are up about four inches.  Turnips and peas are ready to pick (must put that on the To-Do List), and if I don't get to the lettuce soon, it will bolt.

Dave is coming up today to help me with some things for which I have neither the required strength or knowledge.  The weedeater is balky coming out of winter retirement, and I've not been able to get it started.  This is an annual event; once it is fired up, I have no problems the rest of the season.  Star thistle is getting waist high around the perimeter of the feed barn and the tractor mower can't get close enough.  As much as I'll appreciate getting some necessary chores off the list, I'll enjoy Dave's company even more.

Tire Guy brought Joel's tractor tire back yesterday and I've lost my biggest piece of yard art.  The tractor had been left in the sun, and I think Tire Guy was grateful for the leak in the hose he was using to fill the inner tube with water, as it gave him a rather pleasant shower during a hot job.

I took advantage of a similar situation in the early evening.  The sprinkler was on in the herb garden as I was weeding...closer and closer to that cooling spray...so that I was fairly soaked by the time I needed to put the kids to bed, cooled by evaporation.  Bess and the cats found freshly turned earth to lie down and watch.  When I turned off the water, they all moved over to cooler, damp spots.