Well, the strawberries are coming almost faster than we can pick and process them, as well as the peas and broccoli. The spinach has gone by, and the lettuce is next to go. But tonight, in 80 degree weather, with a slight breeze, we had strawberry daiquiris (our own berries, of course) and dinner on the side porch, and watched the bluebird and cardinals. It's 8:15 PM as I write this, and we have another 45 minutes of sunlight, so Barry is out in the front garden spraying the tomatoes, beans, corn, and whatever else he has planted out there.
This is like an ideal Maine evening in late June or early July, only we don't have any mosquitoes, and the sun sets about 50 minutes later than in Maine. Of course, it also rises about 50 minutes later, but I'd rather have the extra light in the evening. In late June, we can work outside until 9:15 at least!
Went to Paducah last weekend for Barry's grand-daughter's second birthday. Great time, beautiful decorations and Rick has really done wonders with the back yard, where the party was held. It was a very nice time.
Now, we're picking peas and strawberries, and probably beets by the weekend. Have to get in most of the work by noon, because the hottest time of day here is 1PM to about 5PM, and it's brutal -- the sun is at a 6 degree higher angle than in Maine, and it's VERY easy to get burned. Sunscreen and a hat (Yes, Maureen, I wear a hat when working outside since I have NO HAIR to shield my chrome dome from the sun's rays) are both necessities.
Interestingly though, for the past few days, it's been 5-10 degrees warmer in Maine than here. We have central air-conditioning, which almost no one in Maine has, and we set it at between 75 and 77, so we notice the difference when we come in from the outside, but it's not set so cool that it'll run all day. It just reduces the humidity a bit, so we come inside for a bit, then go back out. Today, for example, we were out most of the day because with the intermittent clouds it really wasn't that hot, though the humidity WAS very uncomfortable. And it's only MAY!
Tomorrow, we finish the mowing, picking peas (enough to freeze this year), more strawberries (when will we get a second freezer?), and some greens.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Just like "High Summer" in Maine, only it's MAY!
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By all means, find a second freezer! :0) We have two large freezers in our basement that we bought for a steal in the newspaper. One is a chest freezer for meat (we like to buy 1/2 a cow to have on hand) and the other is an upright for garden produce/fruit, homemade baked goods from my kitchen, and make ahead meals that I prep. It's great!
ReplyDeleteThe strawberries and peas sound marvelous, I cannot wait until our garden starts producing. The pumpkins have sprouted as have the spinach and the strawberries are looking healthy. YAY! Got a tad of rain last night (we needed it) so perhaps I will not have to water today. We will see! Have a blessed weekend!