Sunday, July 12, 2009

Aerie Report, Sunday evening 7/12/09

Gorgeous day here at the Aerie today. Late yesterday afternoon we had a cold front move through with some severe T-storms and heavy rains. One moved from west to east just north of here across the NY state line and produced penny sized hail. We just got some strong winds and one torrential down pour that yielded 0.83 inches of rain in about 40 minutes.

This morning we had a low temperature of 53 degrees but that quickly went up to 68 degrees this afternoon after the sun got over the hill.

That's cool for a July 12th but it sure beats the cold that hit Key West yesterday! The weather station at the International Airport reported -11 degrees. As Watts Up With That asks: Will they keep that false reading in the NOAA books just like they kept the false "record highs" from Hawaii earlier this summer?

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I didn't go blue berry picking last Friday because the eel work at the labs took longer than I expected, the lawn needed cutting and the forecast was for rain on Saturday. (It did finally arrive very late in the day.) Terry and I will be heading over to the blue berry farm early tomorrow morning to see about getting two gallons of berries for the freezer.

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I spent a couple of hours this afternoon cutting some long, straight posts and poles to support a chicken wire fence across the front of the garden I built into the side of the hill. That's where the tomatoes, cucumbers and most of the beans are planted. I caught a small bunny in there last Thursday and want to make it a little harder for it to eat my beans. I'm told that nothing will eat the tomato plants being as how they are related to belladonna which is, of course, poisonous. I've planted some marigolds along the edge as well. Still, two-foot high chicken wire may make it more difficult for a bunny to steal sting beans. It might also do a little something to deter raccoons and even deer. If they can find some other food source nearby. (Who am I kidding? This little fence will do nothing to keep the coons and deer out. And if a bear wants in/ It's all over.)

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Speaking of lawn care.... It's time to head up to the Bolt Hole to cut some grass--again. I'll be hitting the road right after lunch tomorrow (Monday) with plans to do just that. Tuesday and Wednesday are supposed to be lovely days up there so I'll spend time walking behind the old Craftsman lawn mower getting some exercise in.

Maybe I'll get some roof tar and see if I can stop the garage roof from leaking so much if I get the time. Mark's got a bucket of barbed nails with rubber washers some place as well as a half tub of tar.

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The Mets won two in a row? Holy Cow! As Rizzuto would have said.

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