headlong into summer. This year has had some weird weather. We got no rain at all in March, so I've been watering my lawn to get it to grow. We have already had a few days that hit 90, and then this morning it was 50, with a forecast for 41 tomorrow morning followed by 80s during the day. Typical ups and downs for this time of year I guess. I could wish the temperatures were a little more consistent. Of course periodically in the blog I feel required to post pictures of Addy and Zoe. You can see how my lawn's struggling by this first picture of Addy. She likes to lay in the grass and so here she is, mostly surrounded by weeds. You can almost see her saying, "This is less than acceptable!" This pic was about a month ago though. The grass is finally starting to grow up amidst the weeds. I've even got some St. Augustine runners coming back in areas that were totally dead or weed-covered late last year. I'm delighted to see them. There may be some hope that St. Augustine will take over the back yard again. I'll be a little more proactive if I see chinch bugs out there again, now that I know what to look for. Last year when the St. Augustine started dying, I just waited for the Trugreen people's normal scheduled visit. The front yard is slowly coming up Bermuda. The weather vagaries this year are clearly demonstrated by following my attempts at growing things. Of course I probably can't blame it all on the weather. I've never had a green thumb, despite having two sisters who can grow anything and everything. One of those sisters brought me some little dogwoods and a small holly from east Texas, which my friend and I planted in my back yard on April 2nd. The holly will probably live. If it does it will be due entirely 
to it's own hardiness. I can't say the same about the dogwoods. They looked fairly good the day after we planted them, but have gone steadily downhill since then. This first picture was taken the morning after they were planted. Not too bad, I thought. Then the wind blew hard that whole day. The next morning before sunup we had a major storm. It was like all the March rainfall we didn't get in March hit us within about a 2 hour time period that morning. Plus I got hail. Needless to say, the little dogwoods didn't do well. Then for the last two weeks it's been windy and warm with no rain, and yesterday it was 60-mph-gusts windy. There's a picture further down in the blog on the right where you can see what the baby dogwoods looked like this morning. Poor things. And those cracks in the ground are not due to dryness. Water runs off out there right now. From the looks of them, it's pretty amazing that they're still alive at all. So even though I'm still trying, I'm not expecting too much from them. Truthfully, I didn't pick the best spot for them. I know dogwoods like the protection of other trees so I put them close to the fence where the neighbor's tree hangs over. Except, I had that tree cut back so it's not hanging over. And that spot gets late afternoon sun and heat right now. The poor little things have sun-burned leaves, and also I noticed this morning that something is eating them! I sprayed them, so hopefully that will help. I'll keep hoping they somehow make it. I may also go to Home Depot or Lowe's and see if I can find some sort of something to place out there to block the late afternoon sun and maybe some of the wind from hitting them for a while.
to it's own hardiness. I can't say the same about the dogwoods. They looked fairly good the day after we planted them, but have gone steadily downhill since then. This first picture was taken the morning after they were planted. Not too bad, I thought. Then the wind blew hard that whole day. The next morning before sunup we had a major storm. It was like all the March rainfall we didn't get in March hit us within about a 2 hour time period that morning. Plus I got hail. Needless to say, the little dogwoods didn't do well. Then for the last two weeks it's been windy and warm with no rain, and yesterday it was 60-mph-gusts windy. There's a picture further down in the blog on the right where you can see what the baby dogwoods looked like this morning. Poor things. And those cracks in the ground are not due to dryness. Water runs off out there right now. From the looks of them, it's pretty amazing that they're still alive at all. So even though I'm still trying, I'm not expecting too much from them. Truthfully, I didn't pick the best spot for them. I know dogwoods like the protection of other trees so I put them close to the fence where the neighbor's tree hangs over. Except, I had that tree cut back so it's not hanging over. And that spot gets late afternoon sun and heat right now. The poor little things have sun-burned leaves, and also I noticed this morning that something is eating them! I sprayed them, so hopefully that will help. I'll keep hoping they somehow make it. I may also go to Home Depot or Lowe's and see if I can find some sort of something to place out there to block the late afternoon sun and maybe some of the wind from hitting them for a while.The peach seedlings I transplanted into pots are doing well, and so are my roses. So I'm not totally 
incapable of growing things. *laughing* Although I probably shouldn't speak too soon. They could all still curl up. The peach tree itself continues to struggle to survive also. Some of the budding limbs came off in the strong winds we've had, but at least one area of growth is now looking like true limbs rather than a few leaves. You can see how it's doing in this picture. So the peach continues to try to keep growing.
incapable of growing things. *laughing* Although I probably shouldn't speak too soon. They could all still curl up. The peach tree itself continues to struggle to survive also. Some of the budding limbs came off in the strong winds we've had, but at least one area of growth is now looking like true limbs rather than a few leaves. You can see how it's doing in this picture. So the peach continues to try to keep growing. Seriously, anything around me that grows . . . it's due entirely to it's own ability to grow and thrive. I have the exact opposite of a green thumb, whatever that may be. Black thumb, maybe? But I do love Spring and growing things. I'm not so happy when things are dormant and skies are gray.
I thought I'd better get a blog post in because I'm about to start some traveling. The first two weeks in May are hopeless. San Diego for 6 days, followed by Charleston for 3 days, back here for 4 days, then Berlin for 4 days. Can you say jet lag? I suspect that by May 16th when I get back home, I'll be TIRED. Still. I enjoy the stuff I'm doing, and my colleagues. The traveling will be worth the meetings and the socializing. These are all people and associations I'm fond of working with and for. Then the third week in May I start teaching my Summer Biochem class. I've already started putting that together and updating lectures since it starts so close to when I get back from my travels. 
I had a period of time in March where my stomach was seriously bothering me, almost all the time. I've had reflux for years, but this was the first time I couldn't control it with antacids. (well, it wouldn't be me if I didn't discuss my medical issues at some point in a blog). So the Monday that I was hurting all day and had been for most of the weekend, I gave up home remedies and made an appointment with my doctor. The upshot is, I probably have an ulcer (very positive test for H.pylori), so today I'm doing the antibiotic therapy. Hopefully this will clear it all up. I also had a sonogram since the pain was in a gallbladder-like position. The sonogram showed a possible cyst or polyp in the gallbladder which we'll follow up if the antibiotics don't work. Easy fixes first, I always say. Actually I'll have a follow up ultrasound in 6-ish months even if the antibiotics work, just to make sure. If the antibiotics don't work, my Doc wants to follow up sooner.
Here's the prerequisite picture of Zoe in one of her favorite places, inside the coiled up hose. I'm not sure why she likes that but she does. This year the birds are disrespecting her as much as ever, but she never 
gives up trying to be the mighty huntress. She's a little more handicapped this year without the overgrown peach tree to hide in. Hard to believe that tree went from massively overgrown and healthy last year at this time to barely, maybe surviving this year. Interestingly, I found out peach trees are difficult to keep alive anyway, having a relatively short life span for a tree. The life span for a peach is 10 - 20 years and I've been in this house 10 years now. So I suppose my little peach tree's demise is not entirely my fault. It may have just been it's time. I guess I'll see if I can grow some more from the little seedlings, and in the meantime consider what type of tree I might want to replace it with if it completely dies.
gives up trying to be the mighty huntress. She's a little more handicapped this year without the overgrown peach tree to hide in. Hard to believe that tree went from massively overgrown and healthy last year at this time to barely, maybe surviving this year. Interestingly, I found out peach trees are difficult to keep alive anyway, having a relatively short life span for a tree. The life span for a peach is 10 - 20 years and I've been in this house 10 years now. So I suppose my little peach tree's demise is not entirely my fault. It may have just been it's time. I guess I'll see if I can grow some more from the little seedlings, and in the meantime consider what type of tree I might want to replace it with if it completely dies. My weeds in the backyard need to be mowed again already, but I'm not going to do it yet. The front yard doesn't need it, and the grass in the backyard (what there is) needs to grow some more before I cut it. I'll just have to struggle getting the mower through the overgrown weed areas when I do mow.
I guess that's all for now. Later!
:) Live little dogwoods - live!
ReplyDelete