kittycafe

Corner View : Grass

I'm very happy to post today. The camera, which has been tempermental-to-completely -not-working decided to oblige yesterday when I was called outside to see something under the apple tree. I grabbed the camera automatically, and ran out the back door carefully, expecting the opossum. 

Last year the porcupine was eating the windfall apples there and this year, with the very few apples even on the tree (remember this late storm that killed the apple blossoms?) an opossum  was taking what he could (I think about three)

So I was surprised when I hear a "No need to be quiet" as I opened the door and I found this:

He was quite a distance from the pond. He may have come from the neighbour's pond. I shot off several photos and checked to see that the camera was indeed working!

But this Corner View is about "grass". Our grass is parched as you can see in this draught. I'm glad Mr. Photogenic here saved this from being just one yellow crunchy grass picture.  

We have had much heat and very little rain. For us it's just a yellow lawn but the farmers around here have been forced to feed their cattle hay, something that doesn't usually happen until November! The weather is very unpredictable this year.

So we followed the turtle down to our pond. He seemed to know the way and made pretty good time for a turtle. The grass there is dry but is more the customary colour, as it is mostly in shade.

And of course, just before he slid into the bull rushes and into the pond, The Boss had to check him out too.

(Bonus turtle eyeball photo just because it's very cool!)

 

 

More Corner View: Grass at Francesca's.

Corner View: Hot

When it is too hot in the sun, be like a cat:  

sleep in the shade without moving for several hours, preferably in a bug-free zone like the screened in porch. Only get up if someone has prepared you food or a cool drink.

Summer is here and it is indeed hot.

 

yesterday

(meaning I should have posted this yesterday but then the camera batteries died)

Does it feel like summer is flying by fast to you?

I am taking a break from the hot sun on this long weekend (Happy Birthday Canada!) and sitting down in uninterrupted silence at the computer. It's been a while since I have been able to do so. I dropped the graduate off this morning for her senior trip. She has been hard at it studying and been nudging me off the computer after a few moments of sitting down.

Unless I am to edit an essay, that is. Then I got a little longer :) Never I have I seen so many sticky notes!

It seems ages that I took this photo of the first little harvest from the garden and never got to post it. The garden is in full bloom now

So much so, that there is a collective groan when I bring in more lettuce. Just wait until the kale and chard gets picked tonight.

I'm also sitting here having a cold glass of elderflower cordial. 

It had to happen sooner or later.

After being obsessed with elderberries it was time I used the flowers.

Remember if you will that I always had a bit of a drive to find elderberries, ending up near a friend's house, wading through deep streams and mosquitos to get them. Last year there wasn't enough to make wine, which was the next logical step after jam and cold syrup, right?

This year there just may be wine because I have seen elder flowers everywhere. I noticed the large growth just around the corner from me late last year but even better this year: on my property at the edge of the woods! The husband spotted them first. You have to be in just the right spot in the yard to see them, around the corn field. I went to confirm. Yes, definitely elder flowers!

There are a million recipes on the net so I won't post one here. The sugar and citric acid seem to be in wildly different quantities. There are oranges and lemons or just lemons added (I used both) but all the recipes seem to work. 

I'm also harvesting an early bit of lavender to dry. This sleepy tea sounds like just the thing.

Apart from cleaning closets (we are planing to sell our house - it's a long process, don't get too excited)

Speaking of which, my most photographed dilapidated farm is for sale, (83 acres  for $ 899K,  if you are interested...) And I've never shown the summer view:

I walked over in the heat to take this, right before the camera battery died, trying to stay in the shady spots and eating a few wild raspberries along the way. They are early, in this heat.

 

I have been working a little on knitting in the evening.

After struggling to find a good fit of pattern to yarn, I think third time's the charm. More details on this later. Hopefully it will be finished soon as it not for cool weather but I am not wasting a moment of Outside Time in summer. The only problem is, I think someone took the only bottle of sunscreen with her. So a shady tree it is or maybe The Porch.

Gosh it's hot.

What is summer like where you are?