It's been noted that most of my blog posts of late have been only remotely garden-related. I am aware of that and while I prefer to post about gardening subjects, as I've said before, there are many more facets to my life. But I really do have A Good Excuse and to satisfy those that want pictures of flowers, I'm posting some today.
First the pictures, then My Excuse.
Dahlia 'Hawaii'
Delphinium 'Magic Fountains'
Gaura 'Whirling Butterflies'
Threadleaf CoreopsisOkay, let's talk about My Excuse for not posting much gardening news. I could say it's because of The Flood. We've been busy cleaning up from that mess and it's taken longer than I ever thought it would. We're not quite done with it yet! But that's not My Excuse.
I could say it's because we've been getting ready for our garage sale which is this Friday and Saturday. Garage sales are so much work and every time I do one, I say it's the last and then I get suckered into it just one more time. I do enjoy the sale itself, but not the pricing part. Give me a garage sale to put on and I can drag out the preparation for it until the wee hours of the morning it opens. But that's not My Excuse either.
Now if I said I hadn't actually spent much time in the garden, that would be true. And if I also said that my garden isn't very attractive right now and there isn't much worth getting excited about flower-wise, that would be somewhat true, too. But these things are still not The Excuse I'm going to give for the lack of posey posts.
So, can you guess just what it is then?
Give up?
It's a little thing, really. Well, lots of little things - annoying things . . .
Anopheles
We are in the midst of The Great Mosquito Invasion of 2007. It is akin to the locust plagues of Bible fame. And for those of us that are allergic to their saliva, even a few of these are enough to keep you in the house. Where are the bats when you need them?
They're so bad right now in our area that they made the evening news last night. Cities are spraying for them. We live out in the country, but we're also spraying a little bit, mostly around doorways and windows. They like to cling to the doors for some reason, so when you open them, one or two manage to get inside and there is nothing more irritating than to be awakened from a sound sleep by a whiny mosquito circling your head. That requires pulling the sheet over your head and hoping you don't suffocate before morning.
I could cover myself in DEET and laugh in the face of these vampirical bugs while tending to the gardens, but if it's not good for them, it's probably not all that good for me either, so I'll just wait them out. The gardens will survive without me.
Those blurry pictures? Those are the fault of the mosquitoes, too. If you hold still for more than half a second, you're sure to be skeeter bait. Actually, I did manage to get a few good photos of things and I'll post those a little later.
So is your garden looking a little ragged about now? What's your excuse?
I could say it's because we've been getting ready for our garage sale which is this Friday and Saturday. Garage sales are so much work and every time I do one, I say it's the last and then I get suckered into it just one more time. I do enjoy the sale itself, but not the pricing part. Give me a garage sale to put on and I can drag out the preparation for it until the wee hours of the morning it opens. But that's not My Excuse either.
Now if I said I hadn't actually spent much time in the garden, that would be true. And if I also said that my garden isn't very attractive right now and there isn't much worth getting excited about flower-wise, that would be somewhat true, too. But these things are still not The Excuse I'm going to give for the lack of posey posts.
So, can you guess just what it is then?
Give up?
It's a little thing, really. Well, lots of little things - annoying things . . .
AnophelesThey're so bad right now in our area that they made the evening news last night. Cities are spraying for them. We live out in the country, but we're also spraying a little bit, mostly around doorways and windows. They like to cling to the doors for some reason, so when you open them, one or two manage to get inside and there is nothing more irritating than to be awakened from a sound sleep by a whiny mosquito circling your head. That requires pulling the sheet over your head and hoping you don't suffocate before morning.
I could cover myself in DEET and laugh in the face of these vampirical bugs while tending to the gardens, but if it's not good for them, it's probably not all that good for me either, so I'll just wait them out. The gardens will survive without me.
Those blurry pictures? Those are the fault of the mosquitoes, too. If you hold still for more than half a second, you're sure to be skeeter bait. Actually, I did manage to get a few good photos of things and I'll post those a little later.
So is your garden looking a little ragged about now? What's your excuse?
"Bejeweled"
13 comments:
we have the same problem! i guess it was all that rain but I swear I can't stand to go outside when I get home from work becuase they just swarm me.
I am so sorry about your mosquito plague. We are fortunate that we do not have them here in England.
You may not realise but all your photos are blurred. Thought you would want to know this. I'm sure they would be worth a peep otherwise.
Gina, yes it's from the rain here, too. The one that caused the flooding in our basement. It's like they were dehydrated, just waiting for water to plump them up and bring them back to life. We had commented about how we hadn't had them all summer due to the dryness, then all of a sudden they're everywhere because of the rain. I don't know if I've ever seen a mosquito swarm before this. They're AWFUL!!!
Barbara, they're supposed to be blurry. You must have missed the end of the post where I explain. ;-)
That's also my exact same excuse! Rotten bugs. I've harvested in long pants and sleeves, but just like you I don't stay still if I can possibly help it and I don't stay there long. I'm tempted to hope for frost to get rid of them.
I had to giggle when I saw all the blurry photos and then read your reason for them. I wish I could send some of my wonderful dragonflies your way to eat all nasty skitters (they've kept me bite free this year). Hopefully, you'll get an autumn cooldown soon that makes those nasty things leave alone. Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage
You aren't kidding, Kylee. When I was home this past weekend (for a very brief visit, or I'd have made arrangements to visit you) I was trying to hurry the dog up while she was outside because I was mosquito bait--even in the middle of the afternoon! I can't imagine what it was like around dawn or dusk (when it is good picture lighting) since they're supposed to be the worst then.
Kylee, I thought something was wrong with my computer because your pictures are always so wonderful. I kept waiting for them to become more clear. Too funny! We are beginning to have problems with them too. I've been bitten the last few times I was out at dusk. I swell up and itch for days afterward- not fun.
Giggle! That was clever, Kylee! OUr mosquito population is modest (they don't like the hill, the wind, the salt water, the frogs and dragonflies...but we do still have no see ums.)
My excuse is a happier one--the garden is still in Monarch nursery mode, though they're poppin' out of their own personal chrysalis each day. I know the chrysalis is hard-shelled and could probably stand being bumped by the clumsy gardneer, but what if I pulled up a weed and there was a chrysalis on it? So yes, things are a bit rumpled, but it's okay with me!
We are suffering from mosquitoes here also. They suddenly appeared and now we just run from the car to the house. The pugs have to hurry up and take care of business or they will be carried off. I'm killing them inside all of the time. I am glad we had the rain though - guess it's the price we pay.
Kylee, those are not excuses, they're reasons. You've got a good case of reasons, all legit.
The skeeters are SO big in my garden I swear I saw one fly off with a bird ! A wee bit of an exaggeration but they prevent us from sitting out in the garden this past week. It was all the rains we've had recently.
Glad to see that you've got your basement cleaned up after that terrible flood.
I love the way you presented the possibilities before showing the real reason!
My life is deet, too, Kylee - guess the Austin bats are sticking closer to downtown.
Lighting the citronella torches and cones does give us a little patio time in the evening.
I hope you're making a bundle at the garage sale.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I have no excuse for why my garden is ragged. I just haven't been getting it done. The mosquitoes definitely have had an impact, and yes! we have a plague of them here too. Perhaps it is all the time I have been spending playing in the blogworld. . . Hmmm.
I think you've got all the mosquitoes that we normally have. There have been next-to-none around, even though there has been a spike in West Nile virus here. I've worked many nights on the stenciled wall without being plagued by even one mosquito. It is truly odd. I am not complaining though because I would never have been able to be out at night otherwise.
So I guess I'll say my wall is my excuse for not doing much in the way of gardening ... oh and the weather too. It has been really chilly and overcast, always threatening rain ... and I like sitting in my chair.
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