What's that smell?

I can smell Canada! The smoke has led to an air quality alert and makes a thick haze. It wasn't too bad this morning, but now it's pretty bad.

Yesterday was our hottest of the year; over 100, humid and with a feels like temp in the 120s. Miserable. So, when I woke up early today my first thought was firewood, of course. I've had a pile of wood in my yard for two months. It's very, very dry and we might get rain tomorrow (fingers crossed) which is why I wanted to get it put away. I worked for two hours and got through most of it. Then, when I got back from a grocery run to the city, I decided to finish it off. My feet are tired (and very dusty) but my bad knee is acting up and not happy.

Now I'm trying to find the energy to take a much needed shower and maybe eat something before I fall asleep.

Shrimplets!

One of my covid hobbies was setting up old aquariums from the basement. I have a 29 gallon community tank and a 10 gallon shrimp/snail tank. 

Tonight as I was turning off the lights I looked over the 10g to see how things looked. I have three red and one black shrimp plus 4 nerite snails (and lots of volunteers that came with the plants). While laughing at a snail stealing the shrimp food, my eye was caught by a flicker of movement. The teensiest wisp of a shrimp. I spotted a few more moving around. 

I'm so happy I set up a tank for them without any fish to eat the babies.

Yep, still hot and dry

 Sunday I decided to treat myself and went to town to buy a Subway (never as much a treat as hoped for, but edible). While there I spotted a clearance sign painted on the side of a plant polytunnel and called mom to ask if she would like to check in out the next day. Sadly, she was down with a headache so we waited until Tuesday to return to town. I suspect we would have found the same thing on Monday; an empty lot. A quick drive to the other independent plant sale; also gone.

We ended up stopping at Lewis for a few annuals. They had some lovely perennials but not on sale. Mom didn't get much because in her words "I don't want more things to water." I've been watering in the evening when the heat eases up.

Out of curiosity I looked up the average temps for us in June and this year we are about 20 degrees warmer. You know it's bad when even the mosquitoes don't bother breeding.

Dryyyyyy, splish splash, dryyyyyyyy

In case you don't understand my cryptic title, after weeks of hot, dry weather, last night it rained! Sadly, that was the only moisture forecast. I'm questioning if there is such a thing as normal weather anymore. My sister in Texas has been enjoying much cooler weather and lots of rain while we are in the high 90s and even a few 100s in early June. When I was younger the heat didn't bother me so much, but now my ideal temp is in the low 60s which means I'm uncomfortable in the 80s and miserable any higher. At least today I shouldn't be so crabby!

In a more personal insight; I was thinking about going to the local bakery since the covid cases are way down here. This morning I weighed myself and I'm down another three pounds, so, of course I can't get rolls. The part that makes me wonder about my psychology is if my weight had not gone down I would have been eating donuts today...what??? I confuse even myself.

Yesterday, I took cool water out for the chickens a few times. Mostly for the sake of the three chicks which are just a few days old and cute as can be.

It's the little things

Twice today I read my water meter while in the basement. Both times I forgot to write it down when I came upstairs. My brain has let me down. 

Catching up

 This is what my wood stove area looks like in the middle of winter. Surrounded by chicken water buckets thawing out and stacks of wood with a big pot of water for humidity. Cleaning definitely takes a back seat to function.

Eventually, winter staggers off and it's time to think of better things to come. Cue starting seeds. I have to protect my aerogardens from Loki who thinks anything in the house is fair game for her to play with, hence the fence.

I already gave some of the pansies and marigolds to my mom. I'm about to give up on the lemon tree seeds though. No activity at all.

Wild times weather-wise

Monday was warm and windy, reaching the 80s with 40+mph winds. It's night now and the temp has dropped over 50 degrees!

It's too soon to plant out but I did pot up some seedlings so they can continue to grow.

More soon.