Back at the Aeire

Back at the Aerie after a semi-productive several days at the Bolt Hole. The ride down was an uneventful 4-hour jaunt that has become remarkably routine--almost boring.

Arriving home, I found that there had been absolutely no rain at the Aerie at all. Terry had been watering the garden, but, perhaps, not enough. Everything (cucumbers especially) was wilting in the bright, hot, almost 90 degree sunshine. After we went through an picked (another quart) string beans and a couple of zucchinis, I watered; completely soaking the ground around the cukes and beneath the beans. Late this afternoon, everything was perking up nicely. I'll give everything another dousing in the morning as there's only a 30% chance of late afternoon T-storms on Monday while the temperatures will soar into the 90s.

While picking and watering, I noticed there were some a lot of leaves missing from the cucumber plants (although the beans right next door were untouched) and wondered what might have decided to supplement its diet with fresh greens. This evening I found out when a ground hog appeared on the lawn right in front of the garden. Being a good little horticulturalist, I grabbed by Gammo air rifle and (hopefully) put an end to that marauder's existence. I say hopefully because it wasn't a completely clean kill. While my shot rolled the critter, it managed to drag itself into the raspberry thicket where I could not get a follow up shot. Still, I believe it was a good hit and the beast will expire. I knew I should have brought the .22 home from the Bolt Hole!

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Tomorrow, Terry and I will be going blueberry picking at the nearby Murphy's U-Pick Blueberry Farm in Mansfield. We want to go early so as to avoid the heat of the day so will be there shortly after they open the gate at 8 AM. Monday is usually the best time to go because they are closed on Sunday and, therefore, the plants have a double bounty of ripe berries ready for plucking. We missed going last year because we were on the road, but two years ago we were each able to fill a two quart bucket in less than an hour. Tomorrow won't be the only time we'll get there this summer. Cousin Joe and his wife Pat want to get in on the action. They can't make it tomorrow, but might be able to do so next Monday.

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Oh yeah, the new furniture. The color is remarkably complimentary to to both the carpet and the stone work in the fireplace. The thistle green goes well with the slate-ish greens of the faux stone and the few natural stones. And the chairs are very comfortable. Just ask the cats. If Chester ever gets off the sofa, I might see how it feels to lay down on it. The old love seat was just a tad too short.