Monday Heat Wave

  After a solid month of daily rain, often heavy enough for flooding of the creeks, the sky is clear and the temperatures are soaring.  The forecasters are predicting a heat wave.  According to them, that is a string of 3 or more days of temperatures at 90f and above.  Today is predicted for 91, tomorrow 95.  They are right on so far, it is 3 p.m. and it is 92f.  The entire week until Saturday is predicted to exceed 90.

     This is just as my young hens are just beginning to lay.  Today, I got my fourth pullet egg, they are so small that it will take to two to equal a large egg.  The heat may slow down the laying process, just as it started.  Most of the girls are hiding out under the coop in the cooler bare earth.

But one is sunbathing.

The rain has caused the weeds to flourish in the garden. Eldest son and I made a big dent in the weeds in the beds, but left the aisles due to lack of time. I will not use RoundUp or its generic equivalents, so this morning, I mixed up a gallon of vinegar with Epsom salt and dish soap and attacked the aisles that I had weed wacked late yesterday. A few minutes ago, I went out to see if it had done anything and was amazed by the success.

In the cool of tomorrow morning, when I go out to let the chickens out, I will add a thick layer of straw to the aisles in hopes of keeping the weeds down.
I’m glad I got it done this morning as hubby and I both had visits with the orthopedic specialist, hubby for his knee, me for osteoarthritis in my hand and trigger finger in my ring fingers. He was released to continue to rebuild his strength and do whatever he is comfortable doing. My wrist is doing better since the appointment was scheduled and so that problem has been tabled for now, except to leave with a splint/brace to wear when gardening, knitting, or spinning. The right ring finger received another cortisone injection. Normally, injections don’t bother me. I have had cortisone injections in my wrist, my shoulder and previously in my ring fingers, but that is the most painful injection possible, it totally takes my breath away. Now I sit holding ice and hoping it is less bothersome tomorrow.