2011 - Day Two Hundred Five; Sunday...

I can think of very little redeeming qualities of the continued heat (and no rain) that we are succumbing to here in central Texas. The high temperature in Austin today was 105 degrees, and that makes the 40th day this year with temperatures over 100 degrees. The only thing I can think of that is a good thing about the heat and no rain is that the grass has not needed to be cut in quite some time. The weeds are doing wonderfully well, but the grass and the cultivated plants are desperate for a good general rain. I am still not convinced that my attempts to keep things watered are going to be triumphant. I still think I am losing the battle, and the evidence is growing not only by the day, but also by the degree.

Some things are doing well with the watering I am giving them, like the purslane. I absolutely adore purslane, and it seems to thrive with nothing more than water and sun. The four o'clocks are wilting and puny, the roses we planted are either not getting enough water or I am drowning them (can't really tell which), I think I drowned the New Guinea Impatiens, but the geraniums seem to be doing nicely. The gardenia has new blooms on it today, and the lab-lab bean (hyacinth bean) is doing wonderfully well. The grapes for the most part, are doing well and are beginning to climb. As reported a few weeks ago, all the peaches are gone (trees are surviving, just the fruit has been robbed) and we now suspect raccoons. We have it on good authority that it was most likely raccoons. Bless their hearts... Whatever...

It was really much too hot to do much of anything today, but it seems I got a lot done in spite of that. Cattle fed, fresh hay taken out to them, unloaded the truck of eleven bags of feed and two molasses buckets (200 pounds each). Fed chickens and chicks, and let the chicks loose in the chicken coop and covered pen. They seemed to like that very much, and a couple of the big girls paid attention to them and did not seem too aggressive with them. I will keep this introduction to the outside going for another couple weekends, and then they will be pretty much on their own. Within three weeks, they will be integrated with the big girls, and roam free during the days. My little ones are growing up!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HOT HOT HOT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!