Wednesday - 131st

Today I learned that Sparrow will do pretty much anything to get a laugh out of you and Snowdrop is not that opposed to egging him on. In other words, you could say that the grandkids had a very playful day at the farmette.

And this is good, because I was near cranky. Oh, not at them. Not at anyone in particular. Just too many bugs, too big a rush to get the garden cleaned up, too many bad news stories circulating out there. I hadn't devoted enough time to clear my head in the way that you need to on such messy mornings.

Let's roll back to the beginning. For some reason, I thought that if I only snipped lilies faster, I'd get through most of the garden in less than 90 minutes. I snipped at demonic speeds and still needed the 90 minutes. Honestly, I needed more like two hours, but never mind. No one will ever know that the back row lilies in the some of the beds weren't clipped.

(After the clean up.)






We've had a string of beautiful weather days, but the bug problem has swelled and so you can't really exhale while taking in the loveliness of the outdoor world. You're too busy fanning yourself or belatedly slapping at bugs that have landed. Ed and I spent our handful of free minutes discussing whether or not to have the place sprayed professionally with the oils that repel the bugs. I should have known better than to imagine the problem would then disappear: Ed doesn't make decisions lightly. And after doing extensive research on those natural oils used by the pros, Ed grumbled his dissatisfaction and vowed to take on the job himself, using only one product: garlic oil.

Sigh. We've been down this path before. Though he promises he'll do a much, much more thorough job, I have my doubts.
We can always resort to the pros if my spraying is ineffective.
We are into the last weeks of July. I feel like there is very little summer left to consider alternatives.
Let's try my method anyway.

I don't push him to reconsider. I know how much he dislikes disturbing anything at all in the outside world. But, our breakfast is late and therefore very short, and I know too that this summer will go down as one with stress coming at you from all sides and, in addition, it will be the summer of bugs. All of which makes me mildly cranky.


(Our very quick breakfast.)






(Our very pretty lilies.)





As always, the kids first find me in the courtyard. I'm deliberate about this, because once they are inside, it's very hard to get them to go out again, so it's a now or never deal.






Snowdrop grabs the hose and does some watering (of the tomatoes, of us...)










Sparrow wants so much to find the cheepers.



(Here they are! He does his cheeper dance.)





Both kids propose going down to the barn and we do it, but there is that buzz that drives you nuts, so we do not linger. Ah well, the farmhouse is always such a fantastic oasis of cool and calm after the brutally buggy outdoors.






(both chose to do art. yay!)











It is evening. Ed takes off on his bike and I cook up a soup for supper. I know, a winter dish. It seems out of place now. But, it's a mindless cooking job. Chop, dice, wilt, cook.  Perfect for those of us who are feeling foggy in the brain department right now.

There's a lovely nip in the air tonight. A reminder that July will soon be done for the year. And it's okay. Every month brings something special to the table. Really. Every month. I promise.