See, it did manage to rain a smidge, but nothing like the warnings and watches issued (by salivating weather geeks) had us believing. Somewhere it must have rained - as if Noah had another ark built - but it wasn't here.
We all slept with our windows open last night, and the attic fan on high, cooling off the house to a tepid 71*F. It felt exquisite, and the temp inside hasn't risen past 74* for the day, so I think we have the heat beat! The boys have ceiling fans and windows at bed height and I have digs in the lower level, so everyone was comfortable through the night.
Today? Well, today is just perfect, and the mail lady and I agree that the rest of the summer can stay exactly like this. Sunny, breezy and just the right sort of warm.
So can anyone please explain to me where my lawn guy is? He was supposed to be here and mowing by 9AM, and there's been no phone call or text telling me he is hung up somewhere else, or planning to change our work date.
Argh! It's now a quarter to ten and still no mow! [stamping foot impatiently] I'll explain later why this is so imperative and why it is making me so tense.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - UPDATE
Lawn Alex arrived about quarter past eleven and got to work straight away. His large riding mower chewing up and spitting out the knee- to thigh-high grass, and a good deal of the thatch underneath it all, too. Once he completed the first pass he blew the mounds toward the apple tree and set about gathering it all into bags. Then he began to weed wack the edges to find the dastardly hiding cement chunks and paver brick bombs before his blades found any more. Yikes!
After this first mowing and grooming, he will get busy helping me clear out the debris (weeds and obnoxious Hawthorn trees among other quick growers) under and around the deck, and along the south side of the garage. He has also agreed to dismantle and remove the old shed in the back (hurrah) and get the berm at the very back of the yard cleared out.
What a lifesaver. Later today, or tomorrow early, I will be able to trim up and neaten my now 5-6 year old Privet hedge along the back fence. I have been hoping/trying (unsuccessfully) to Pleach block the hedge row, and that meant staking and biding my time while they grew up and filled in. Over time I have lost one or two, and found one needing retraining (if it can be done at such a large size and misshapen form). If not, I have 10 more Privet volunteers (one to take the place of the rogue bender) to plant, completing the wall in back and rounding the corner back up towards the house.
I wanted something to mark the property line and to block the view of the yard kitty-corner to the southeast (and the yard directly in back at ground level), but nothing that would alienate my nicest neighbor next door.
Upon inspection of the old Mulberry tree in the north side of the backyard, I am thinking this may be its last year. Every year I am surprised at how long after all the other trees Mr M takes to leaf out, but every year I make a note that it is a late start sort of tree. But this year, more of the branches - a shocking number of them - seem to be without leaf buds, and I am pretty certain it should come down. It's a shame, too, as it provides a good deal of privacy and separation between us and our too-close-neighbor to the north side. At the very least, many of the low hanging limbs need removing in the worst way. Ah well.
It's time for me to head back outdoors and pull some more young maple trees and weeds in my back perennial bed. Maybe head down the hill and clip some of those Privets while I am of a mind. Let's see how pretty we can make it look in one day and go from there. Photos tonight.
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