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I have failed to avoid lashon hara this morning upon the news the president and first lady contracted COVID-19.
Thursday i spent time in the presence of the second and third not-family persons since mid March: a nurse (who, i can't tell if she really believes Covid is just like a bad flu or thought that was politically expedient to say) and a occupational therapist. The therapist was very careful, and of course he's not one who will be returning (he was out of his coverage area for whatever reason for his organization).
My folk's broadband died as did network access on my phone as both are served by the same company. I note the wisdom of ensuring the cell phone network is a true alternative to broadband if we ever get off DSL (and i am still working).
A little pass of anxiety Friday morning of what will i do if i loose my job in a few years. I trust my employer will weather the pandemic, but i do expect the financial impact to hit once governments and academic organizations have to redo budgets and struggle with decisions of renewing contracts. I hope by then i can have a decent yield from the garden.
I discovered a chestnut tree within a mile of our home. I'd thought it was a chestnut leaved oak. I'd never been introduced to a Quercus castaneifolia but i knew chestnut leaves from my two tress. Walking Carrie down Saralyn Rd there were the spiny cases, crushed in the grave. Critters had likely claimed any nuts. One fruiting tree implies another pollen donor somewhere near. My hopefulness for my two trees increases, as does the thought of getting some others started in the woods.
On the same walk, acorns and hickory nuts as well as black walnuts. I suppose if i didn't have som much to do, i could try to get at the black walnut meats. Christine is allergic to walnuts, but i can imagine some sort of fig-black walnut concoction satisfying my sweet tooth through some future winter. Right now though, the black walnuts are for the squirrels. I have some young oaks and kicory on my property, but my woods are younger with the early populations of the fast growing pines, sweetgum, and tulip poplars. I've found a good sized maple and plane tree, and a 1
I took Friday off and got some Quaker work done. I dug up lemon grass and a holy basil to transplant. Due to feeling lethargic, i didn't get the holy basil planted until Saturday. I hope it takes.
Friday afternoon we ran some errands. i felt very lethargic in the afternoon, set up the fire pit, and sat outside reading with it running*. Unfortunately, by the time Christine came out i had managed to put in a large log but not kept up with keeping it hot.
Saturday i eventually got outside and puttered, moving plants around. I moved sedges and gladiolas away from the blue-eyed grass colony at the end of the south berm, and planted the tiny "baby" plants that arise on the flower stems. I fought the weeds around the plants right off the deck. I think i will lay paper down and cover that with rotten wood, hopefully creating some barrier against the cursed Indian strawberry. I found clumps of cut leaf cone flower and moved those to the south side of the south berm. Clumps of my favorite grass were transplanted along the bases of the drystacked rocks retaining the berm and to other paths.
anyhow, i should post this before another day goes by.
Oh, box turtle going around the outside of the orchard! Carrie is now carefully double-checking each fallen leaf, certain it to is a turtle. Christine too. I would love to see many more turtles, but just the one was a delight.
* a battery powered fire pit -- the battery drives a fan to keep oxygen on the coals. Yes, crazy purchase. It sure looked cool in the online videos. I think it would work great with grocery store firewood.
Thursday i spent time in the presence of the second and third not-family persons since mid March: a nurse (who, i can't tell if she really believes Covid is just like a bad flu or thought that was politically expedient to say) and a occupational therapist. The therapist was very careful, and of course he's not one who will be returning (he was out of his coverage area for whatever reason for his organization).
My folk's broadband died as did network access on my phone as both are served by the same company. I note the wisdom of ensuring the cell phone network is a true alternative to broadband if we ever get off DSL (and i am still working).
A little pass of anxiety Friday morning of what will i do if i loose my job in a few years. I trust my employer will weather the pandemic, but i do expect the financial impact to hit once governments and academic organizations have to redo budgets and struggle with decisions of renewing contracts. I hope by then i can have a decent yield from the garden.
I discovered a chestnut tree within a mile of our home. I'd thought it was a chestnut leaved oak. I'd never been introduced to a Quercus castaneifolia but i knew chestnut leaves from my two tress. Walking Carrie down Saralyn Rd there were the spiny cases, crushed in the grave. Critters had likely claimed any nuts. One fruiting tree implies another pollen donor somewhere near. My hopefulness for my two trees increases, as does the thought of getting some others started in the woods.
On the same walk, acorns and hickory nuts as well as black walnuts. I suppose if i didn't have som much to do, i could try to get at the black walnut meats. Christine is allergic to walnuts, but i can imagine some sort of fig-black walnut concoction satisfying my sweet tooth through some future winter. Right now though, the black walnuts are for the squirrels. I have some young oaks and kicory on my property, but my woods are younger with the early populations of the fast growing pines, sweetgum, and tulip poplars. I've found a good sized maple and plane tree, and a 1
I took Friday off and got some Quaker work done. I dug up lemon grass and a holy basil to transplant. Due to feeling lethargic, i didn't get the holy basil planted until Saturday. I hope it takes.
Friday afternoon we ran some errands. i felt very lethargic in the afternoon, set up the fire pit, and sat outside reading with it running*. Unfortunately, by the time Christine came out i had managed to put in a large log but not kept up with keeping it hot.
Saturday i eventually got outside and puttered, moving plants around. I moved sedges and gladiolas away from the blue-eyed grass colony at the end of the south berm, and planted the tiny "baby" plants that arise on the flower stems. I fought the weeds around the plants right off the deck. I think i will lay paper down and cover that with rotten wood, hopefully creating some barrier against the cursed Indian strawberry. I found clumps of cut leaf cone flower and moved those to the south side of the south berm. Clumps of my favorite grass were transplanted along the bases of the drystacked rocks retaining the berm and to other paths.
anyhow, i should post this before another day goes by.
Oh, box turtle going around the outside of the orchard! Carrie is now carefully double-checking each fallen leaf, certain it to is a turtle. Christine too. I would love to see many more turtles, but just the one was a delight.
* a battery powered fire pit -- the battery drives a fan to keep oxygen on the coals. Yes, crazy purchase. It sure looked cool in the online videos. I think it would work great with grocery store firewood.
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