Dot`sThoughts

My Day


Here it is Saturday again and I didn`t plan anything special to do today.
So, I got up, fed and watered Sassy ( for those who don`t know who Sassy is-- well she is my 10 year old border Collie. My great protector.)
Then I went outside to uncover the plants. I noticed a few pepper plants just starting. I should have started them and the tomatoes in the house a couple months ago. but I didn`t. It`s too late to think about that now. Lots of the flowers are starting to grow, so I should have plenty to plant in the flower beds this time. When I uncovered my Rhodendron I noticed a few more blossoms opened and a few more buds are there. Pretty little purple flowers. So far all the new buds are on just the one side where the blossoms are. So, I am still hoping that more buds show up on the top and the other side of the small bush where all the other buds had died from the freeze. But the bush is now a pretty green and all the brownish effects are now gone. So, the plant is again looking real healthy.
Next, I was looking at one of the smaller trees that is covered with lots of tiny white flower clusters all over it, when I noticed a tent worm nest on one of the branches. Since this tree is one that I have cut down numerous times in the past few years, I really don`t care that much about it. So, I got out my long tree cutting saw and just removed the whole branch as there was no other way for me to reach the filled web. Well, I cut off the section where the tent worms were and the rest of the branch goes into the branch pile for the town to pick up. There was just one worm so far, but there would have been a lot of them if I hadn`t found it when I did. Now, I have forgotten what I used to use to kill tent worms before they even have a chance to hatch. That shows how long it has been since I have seen any in my trees. Right now that section of the branch is inside a garbage bag awaiting to be disposed of. I still have a couple more of those small trees and I have dug up a couple new ones that were just starting. They must have blown over from the woods across the road from my home. Had to quit as it started to rain. May have to look up tent worms on the net to find what kills them. I am trying to remember the name of those trees.
Raining means time for more inside work. So, decided to check the bedroom this time. That starts out with me washing the mask, hose, water container and all for my C-PAP machine. Should breath better tonight with such a clean machine. Then I am sure you have all heard the expression " under the bed, the burgler crept", well when I looked under the bed, I found no burgler. He was probably chased out by all those dust bunnies that had taken up residence there. I am so glad I keep stocked up on end-dust. I got my long handled duster and my can of end-dust and headed out to the back porch where I sprayed the duster well. That long handle worked well and reached clear across under the bed and snatched up those little dust bunnies real fast. Then it was back to the back porch to shake and shake the dust bunnies off the duster. One more job done for a while.
Then I found a little more raking to be done as my bean tree decided to drop more of th-ose real long bean pods all over under the tree. This tree causes a lot of raking every year, but I still love it. I love those pretty large white blossom clusters that cover the tree every spring or early summer. And when the tree is covered with green leaves, it is a wionderful place to sit outside out of the sun. The lower branches come downward and would touch the ground all over if I didn`t keep the very bottom trimmed. It is like sitting inside a round enclosure where even the rain doesn`t get you wet unless it really pours. So nice and cool out of the hot sun in the summer. This was just a little tree about 6 foot tall when I dug it up from the farmhouse forest area where I lived when the twins were born. This large farm area has been in my family since back in my grandfathers days. I forget exactly when that was without looking up the family history, but my Dad was born in 1903 and he was a tiny tot when his Dad bought the farm, so somewhere in the very early 1900`s. Today that tree we carried home on top- of our car has gotten so tall that it towers way up , much taller than my two -- guess it is called 1 1/2 story home since only the back half it that tall. I have tried many time to get a picture when the tree is almost white colored with so many flower clusters, but the tree is so large around that I would need to stand on the next road to capture even half of it.
I thought I was smart when I planted that tree about 25 feet from the back corner of the house. Little did I know that this tree would grow so much larger than those did on the farm. Also, I forgot to allow --incase we wanted to add a porch back there. Well, the time came when we did remove the steps and add a larger porch, so now that tree is only about 12 feet from the porch. Of course part of the room was used up when the tree trunk grew to cover over a 2 foot radias across in all directions. I actually thought my tree would never do as well since I have white sand and the farm soil was great for growing things. Sometimes I wonder if the backyard sewer has anything to do with it. I feared it would kill my tree and my lilacs when it was placed so near them, but it never did.
Oh, My Lilacs are another story. Some of the limbs have some grayish growing on them . I fed them some acid plant food last year and they look better this year, but I think they still need a more acid style soil to look greener. They are all in buds right now and will be opening soon. We only get a very short time to enjoy the smell of the lilacs as the first rain after they open always turns the blossom rust colored. I can remember when we had weeks of cut lilacs in the house and how wonderful was the smell. Now, only a few days of enjoyment. I heard once it was the acid poluted rain that kills them so fast now. These bushes have been growing since my Dad gave me some back around 1956, I think. Where I grew up, there was lilacs all along part of that real long driveway. The last section of them even used to hide the old outhouse. WOW, was I really around back in those old days? Well, guess I was. So, my parents had plenty of Lilac bushes and they were expanding more every year. and I was happy they shared some with me. My lilacs are all the purple shade and there scent is wonderful. I used to cut them to share with my daughters who also love smelling them. But last year I was only able to get a few cut before the rain ruined them I am hoping to see them last longer this year.