Late summer doldrums

[GoodDaughter]

This time of year they always set in. It's so miserably hot that I don't want to go out and sweat in the heat while the mosquitos bite my ears. The garden is long since over except for some okra that will need picking and some fist-sized watermelons I found down in the vines today which I will baby and fuss over in hopes of getting them to mature without rotting. I planted the okra and watermelons the 3rd week of July.

The last of the tomatoes, peppers and onions were picked the other day; straggly misshapen things that were quickly put out of their misery and mixed with the never-flagging chile pequin peppers to make a mild salsa. I got 6 half-pints out of it, hardly worth the effort.

I got some of the strawberry plants I'd ordered last month in the mail today. They're considerably early but, whatever. I potted them up in 4" pots and will grow them in flats until early October. I'm expecting another order from another nursery but not until sometime in Oct., I will plant those directly in the garden.

Peas will be planted first or maybe second week of Sept. This month's copy of 'Texas Gardener' magazine says to try planting fall potatoes in 4" pots and letting them get a couple of inches of top growth on them before planting out, it's supposed to make them grow better. Might try it with some Red LaSodas I have left over from spring harvest.

I cut out a couple of pair of tab-top curtains this evening to be sewn over the rainy weekend coming up. They are to go with the very old shutters I cleaned up and installed in a few of the rooms. Very early American, colonial-primitive looking, so I chose a rich brown homespun for the curtains in a check pattern.

I am really looking forward to autumn. The late summer doldrums really drive me crazy. It's so hot and boring and nothing to do of any warrant outside except sweat, get drained of valuable blood, and drink so much water that my stomach actually sloshes. >:(

[chloe3388]

I have been feeling the same here. Canned everything but dirty dish water and am now in a holding pattern. Living by natures actions. Hot and dry until a few days ago, now somewhat cooler and wet. At least the ground has softened up enough to do some tilling.. This must be done very early or I will need an IV to replace fluids..

Your shutters and curtains sound very nice. Really love the primitive style, guess I'm just a primitive at heart.. LOL I have been cutting up old Levi's to make some window quilts and some quilts for the grandkids.. Wishful thinking maybe to bring on some cooler weather?

Yes wishful thinking as I stand and stare at the garden and plan.. And wait...

[Deberosa]

Wow, it's so different in different climates!

I am finally getting my first real tomatoe crop (like half a dozen a day from three dozen plants!) First zuccini are coming on, cuccumbers only have small fruits on them, the carrots and beets and root crops are just starting to mature. The only real crop I have right now are the purple green beans which I will be freezing this weekend.

It's been cold and raining - pouring rain since yesterday early morning. At this rate I think our summer may be over early - by the time September comes around the rains are here to stay and I no longer need to water anything.

Even when it gets in the 80's here for a day or two it seems suffocating, I can't imagine how you deal with it in your area!

[LeatherneckPA]

Hopefully, we've seen the last of the 90's here in PA. I just don't want to do anything when it's that hot. Have to agree with Deb. on that one. I could NOT survive in the deep south. Heck, I'm not even sure I could survive in MO, KY, TN.

[chloe3388]

Sometimes it feels like a battle of wills.. And I lose!! ;D ;D But I think about winter and don't think I would survive the cold you guys live with.. Me big sissy when it comes to cold.. In the winter I still grow root crops and greens here. Very seldom does it stay below freezing for more than 24 hours..

So I greatly respect your ability to deal with all the snow and freezing weather there.. :o

[bee_pipes]

Not too hateful. Short work days outside - you get stuff done in the morning. You do get tome tollerance to the heat - the humidity is the killer. We've been flirting with upper 80's and low 90's. Our heat wave broke a week or two ago - dropped the temps and humidity. They are creeping back up. Still better than it was during the heat wave.

I've been working on a slavage job. A fellow wants to get a doublewide out of a spot - it has sat empty and long since been stripped of larger copper and other pilferables. He wants the porches and deck removed so he can pull the trailer out of the spot and sell for salvage. Me and a buddy are doing the demolition in exchange for the lumber. Gotten some really nice stuff and a good look at the construction - nice job. The spot is enclosed by trees on three sides - lots of ticks and the humidity collects there like a steam bath. We can't keep at it for more than two or four hours with an early start.

We have also gotten good at identifying shady spots around the house for working. Jobs that require standing still and working on things can get done in these places. We have a nice big proch in front of the house, but it has a tin roof. On sunny days that roof radiates heat and the shade it provides is questionable.

One major plus - no mosquitoes! We have buffalo gnats, but they usually don't get bad until after noon. On a real stinking hot day we have usually packed it in by then.

Still - I get kind of anal about jobs, and when I find my rythm I hate to quit. My wife has a greater tollerance for cold than I do, but she has less tollerance for heat. When I get going and have a couple of objectives in view, I'll keep grinding through the heat and she'll pack it in. I make a gatoraid type drink for summer work, and lately have been on a sweet tea kick. Can't start working in the heat without something in your stomach too - usually a sausage biscuit and OJ.

Dressing the right way is important too. I stick with a cotton tee shirt and a cotten long sleeved shirt. Keeps down the sunburn, bug bites, briar scratches and wicks the sweat off. Long-legged blue jeans, high top boots and a broad brimmed hat - straw in summer, wool in winter. The shirt and twousers sound like they'd make you hot, but found (from many trips to 29 palms) that keeping the sun off your skin actually keeps you coler (well, less hot). When you do come inside or work in the shade, shedding the long sleeved shirt drops about 10 degrees of body temp.

Regards,
Pat

[pinetreefarm]

My tomatoes are ripening as are the peppers. Onions are done and drying in shed. Beans are also done. Pulled the last and will sow some fast growing greens. Our first heavy frost is October 15th or so.

Usually preparing to teach the school year but now that that is done, I have been eyeing my looms and yearns...Thinking I may have some time for that now. Possibly converting the schoolroom back into my hobby room. Sigh. Mixed emotions about that.

Hot and humid here...at least there is the convention to watch or maybe even visit.

Pine

[GoodDaughter]

Chloe, I love the country/prim look too. Kind of hard to fit a sofa into that scheme, but I'm trying! I wish I could be a purist, but I have to have a comfy sofa because I often sleep on it when my joints hurt too bad. I have a pair of awesome wing-back chairs with carved arms and legs, but they are upholstered in an awful 1980's pale pastel floral print. I can just see them in a navy blue/off white check print. Maybe someday I'll get around to reupholstering them.... ::)

Well, it started raining hard here about 5:30 a.m., and it's been pouring down intermittently ever since. We're starting to have flooding in and around. I let the poultry out this morning to roam and peck, but I bet they're all huddled up under the pole shed, except for Ducky Doo. He likes rain.

I am trying to think what I can plant along with the peas to maximize the use of garden space. I didn't plant carrots last fall and I really missed them.

[chloe3388]

It is hard to make a sofa look right in the setting, but really need one here too. We have way to much family that stop by to not have a lot of sitting area.. I try to make it look more country with quilts and pillows. Those wing back chairs sound like a good place to curl up with a book.. Like that pattern and color, I reupholstered one last year that was a job.. My first try at doing upholstery, but everybody survived LOL...

Hope the flooding doesn't mess up your place or put you in any danger..Be careful. We lost electricity most of the afternoon, not due to weather though. Sure got hot..

[Dawgus]

IT hasnt been to bad here in Ohio, usually we have bad humidity in August, but it's been unusually cool. Some nights have dropped into the low-mid 50's, and days have been averaging around 80.
We've been busy as all get out canning here too. The cukes are done, but gave us a good amount of pickles this year. Peppers are hanging full, and are slowly being pickled or made into jelly, pepper spread, or relish. If the %$#! tomatos ever decide to all ripen, we can get a start on salsa, and all the other tomato products the wife cans. (should be a LOT since thanks to last years heirlooms we have 61 plants out there lol) The potatos are done, as are the onions, beets, turnips, and parsnips. We're gonna try to get on the sweet corn this weekend between finishing the peaches and grape jelly.
Grrr 9 years here and we just found out last month about the grapes on the other side of the orchard next door. First picking brought me back with 4 or 5 bucketfulls, and I'm going after more today when I get home.We HAD plans for pear preserves, but the big tree in the same orchard decided to fall 2 days ago, right into the neighbors fence and goats. Looks like we'll just make more applesauce and pie filling instead. It still amazes me that there are all those apples, grapes, and blackberries next door and no one does a thing with them. The owner just rents the tiny house and 4 acres cheap and has them mow it, I dont think the trees have been taken care of in at least 40 years, what a shame. I'd love to buy it, but the owner is outta his gourd and wants 165k for it! The place is landlocked by a shared easement so its worthless for breaking up in lots.
Weekend canning might be getting put on hold soon as my 22 year old stepdaughter just bought a house. Ya know good ole' stepdad is going to be moving all the big heavy stuff lol. Of course mom is already elected to measure and make curtains...

[MNMOM]

It's been very dry here this summer, and the coolest summer in five year's, so the newscasters say.

I'm still doing beans from the garden. I planted Blue Lake green beans and I have never had so many. I have froze a lot and dehydrated a lot.

Tomatoes aren't doing that well this year, same for the cucumbers and squash.

I'm going to have a lot of brussel sprouts, there are so many on the stalks. The broccoli did really good this year and I am still getting some cuttings from those plants.

I haven't had a chance for the doldrums yet, just too many thing's to do. ;)

[bookwormom]

not exactly doldrums, but it has been oppressively hot and uncomfortable. we have to stay inside in the afternoons and today we had to go to town and our car does not have AC, not pleasant at all. It has been hot and dry for too long and I have been fighting an uphill battle trying to keep bushes and fruit trees alive. this is the second dry summer and worse than last year because last year I had mulch material and this year I do not. August is not my favorite month.