Every Blooming THing, Early July 2021

Well, I actually had to cut the grass last week as after it turned brown during an extended drought, it had caught up quite well during the extended monsoon season we just had.  And, let me tell you, that grass/weed mix over the one line we use in our five line septic field was something else.  Took four passes to cut that mess down.

Right now, the mums are blooming their first bloom session (I have  to cut the blooms back in a few days in order to get that fall blast of color). 

The wild tall daisies are blooming.  Each one has anywhere between 50 and 100 tiny blooms on it.  (I don't actually know what they are called.)  Nor do I know what the pink or red flowers are that are blooming right now are called.

The daisies are blooming as are the tiger lilies, blue salvia, dianthus, potentilla and some spirea.

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GETTING READY TO BLOOM

hostas

purple cone flowers

blackeyed-Susans

daylilies

And, I have easily 100 of each, probably more.

Oh, yes.  The lovely Japanese beetles are back.  Just love those guys.

Getting Ready for the Big Bloom!!  --RoadFlower

JSS: Boating-- Last Gouge?-- Rain-- Poinsettia-- Blow-Outs

JSS--  Just Some Stuff


1. BOATING-- Boated over to Electric Harbor yesterday and sat out at the tiki bar out by the lake and enjoyed the $2 cheeseburger and fries.  This was the 31st time out boating for us.  We always have a goal of 40 outings a season, so most of the way there.  Not bad considering we were out of the lake for five weeks because of low water from the drought.


2.  LAST GOUGE?--  The GRBs had the gall to raise gas in Fox Lake from $4.10 to $4.16 this past weekend.  Don't they know the price shoould be dropping, not going up?  Somebody go tell the jerks.


3.  RAIN--  A welcome relief after this summer's drought.  We had rain Saturday, Monday night, last night and another storm just rolled in.  We sure needed it, but could have used it a month ago.  Unfortunately, the grass needed cutting yesterday and really needs it now.


4.  POINSETTIA--  We had a short, mean little storm comethrough last night which blew my prized poinsettia of the table on the front porch and broke just about every branch off.  I've had it for four years now and it blooms with those neat read leaves every year.  Hope it comes back.  Mean Old Storm.


5.  Blow-Outs--  Rough time for our Chicago baseball teams last night.  The Sox were blown-out 18-9 by the Twins and the Nationals beat the Cubs 11-5.  Oh well, if I'm going to lose, I'd rather it be a blow-out than just one run.

Leave My Plant Alone!!  --RoadDog

Ta-Dah!!...Boat's Back in the Water

Yesterday, we put the boat back in the Chain Of Lakes at the Legion where we have a season pass.  It has been in our driveway since July 9th, the day before I drove to North Carolina.

This is the first year we've ever felt that we had to take it out of the water because of lack of the wet stuff.  We are still in one of the worst droughts ever in the Midwest.  That, coupled with extremely high temperatures has caused out channel (which is fairly shallow anyhow) to really go down.  We only had an inch of water under the keel when we took it out and were worried about getting stuck in the mud.

We were on line easily to make the 40 times a season we like to have in the boat to make it worth it.  We took it out on the 22nd time and now have 23 and will be going out again in a couple hours before heading down to Wauconda to see Terry and Gregg Spizzirri playing out at the Docks Tiki Bar.

Getting in the mood listening to 94.9 The Surf out of North Myrtle Beach. SC on the internet and Saturday Morning Flashback on WXRT to 1984.

A Boating We Will Go.  --RoadDog

JSS: 1969-- Land of $4+ Gas-- Them Storms-- 512.1 Miles-- VJ Day Video

JSS--  Just Some Stuff


1.  1969--  Bob Stroud does 1969 on his Ten at Ten show at 10 AM today on WDRV.  www.wdrv.com. I'll sure be listening.  Maybe record it on my cassette tape.


2.  LAND OF $4+ GAS--  You can always tell when you're getting near Chicago by the price of gas.  Once we got north of Morris, gas went over the $4 mark and was mostly at $4.20.  One BP station was $4.27!!!!  The GRBs got us good right now.  Gas in Springfield dropped from $3.84 to $3.80 Tuesday and was at $3.78 yesterday.  Gas in Pontiac was $3.70.  Of course, I get gas downstate whenever I can.


3.  THEM STORMS--  Was planning on cutting the grass and putting the boat in the water, but we've already had a big storm come through and others forecast until evening.  But, we sure need the rain.  We need more water in the Chain of Lakes, always a good thing for boats.  Ours has been out of the water for over a month as our channel is too shallow.


4.  512.1 MILES--  On our three day trip to Springfield, we put 512.1 miles on the '11 Malibu with 32.5 mpg average.


5.  VJ DAY VIDEO--  Well worth watching to commemorate Japan's surrender, 67 years ago to end World War II.  http://vimeo.com/5645171.

Come On Rain!!  --RoadDog

JSS: Keys or Sabbath?-- 66-- Cut the Grass?-- Drought

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  KEYS OR SABBATH--  Lyn Braemer and newscaster Mary Dixon have been talking a lot about this weekend's Lollapalooza show in Chicago on their morning show on WXRT and are planning to catch some of it.  Not me.  Evidently, fest-goers will have to choose between seeing Black Sabbath and the Black Keys.  Braemer says he would base the decision on whether or not you own a turntable.  That would be a good indicator.

I bought the very first Black Sabbath album back in the early 70s when you had to play it on a turntable.  I listened a lot to the El Camino CD by the Black Keys on my recent North Carolina trip.  I like both groups and I own about seven turntables and seven CD players.  What to do?  Well, I'm not going anyway so guess that's a moot question.


2.  66--  Always a good thing to hear that great old "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" song, which I did on Lyn Braemer's WXRT morning show yesterday at 7:57 AM. It was the Rolling Stones' version.


3.  CUT THE GRASS?--  Believe it or not, I believe the time has come for me to actually cut the yard, well, cut the weeds, which seem unaffected by the #4.  I did have to cut one small strip of the yard last weekend and that was the grass over one of our septic lines which was growing fine.

Well, at least I wasn't having to buy gas for the lawn tractor so the GRBs didn't get more of their beloved money.


4.  DROUGHT--  Just heard that over hald the counties in the whole country are under drought.  Here in Illinois, 98 of the 102 counties are classified as under drought conditions.  I can believe it.  We've greened up a little bit (see #3), but still having the stuff die.

Just Some Stuff.  --RoadDog


YOU CAN RETIRE TO CALIFORNIA WHERE when someone askes you for directions, you tell them how long it will take them to get there rather than how many miles it is.

Every Blooming THing-- End of July

I was definitely figuring that most everything in the yard would be dead when I finally for back from my two week trip, July 10th to 24th, or, at the very least, all the flowers in containers.  I mean, I really watered them heavily every day the last three before I left and even put the containers together in the front and back of the house so Liz could water them.

I found out she never watered them once as she is paranoid about how much water we have left in the well, although at almost 300 feet, I think we'll be ok, even if neighbors continue to water their grass.  Hey, grass will come back after a drought, except maybe that located over the septic lines (I found out this the hard way).

Other than the three container vegetable plants, everything survived.  Fortunately, we did have a little rain on several occasions while gone.

Sure Glad the Yard Pulled Through.  --RoadDog

So, It's Come to This

Sad to say, but earlier today, we pulled the boat out of the water here on the Chain of Lakes here in northeastern Illinois.  In our 27 years of boating we've never had to pull the boat out because of low water.

The water level all over keeps dropping and our boat is in a very shallow channel by Dino's Den and 92 East to begin with.  I'm going to be out of town for awhile and am worried that when I return, the boat will be stuck in the mud if this drought continues.

Plus, I have been watering the trees and plants a whole lot of late, trying to tide them over until rain finally comes.  Once I'm out of town, I don't see much hope for anything in the yard unless we get some welcome rainfall.

Come On Rain!!  --RoadDog

How Hot and Dry Is It?

We are in the midst of quite the heat wave here in northeastern Illinois, with temps at 100 degrees and more the last two days and on its way there today.  And, that on top of a week in the 90s.  Some relief tomorrow with drop to 80s.  We've been staying inside a lot more than usual because of the heat.  And, we have a peristent drought.

Things are getting bad with water levels in our Chain of Lakes.  The Waerway Agency let the level down another foot and a half last fall, fearing spring floods.  Well, there was little snowfall this past winter and a dryer-than-usual spring, and now a severe drought.  Folks are wrecking props in the much shallower water.

I even hit bottom coming out of our channel and something that shouldn't have been there, but only dented the prop.  I was thinking just minutes beforehand that I had had no prop damage in about 15 years.  As a matter of fact, Monday, we will be taking the boat out of the water before I leave for North Carolina.  Liz won't go out when I'm not here and I figure by my return, we'll be stuck in the mud at the bottom of the channel at the rate we're going.

Fireworks have been cancelled in several area communities due to dry conditions.

Hot and Dry Here in Illinois.  --RoadDog

Weather's Gotta Go

This weather around here is really getting to me. Day after day we have forecasts of rain and thunderstorms. Day after day it is just a threat or maybe a spattering of drops, but that's it.

The bad part of it is that it really affects our boating. I'm not too worried about rain if we're in the car, but in a boat it'd a whole different situation. I like floating on the water, but don't like water falling ON ME. Plus, in a car, the land doesn't get to be a problem,. But, on the water, nothing is static, and, if it's a storm with high winds it is downright dangerous.

In addition to the constant threatening, we really do need the rain. Everything is drying out and I'm getting tired of all the watering. I been watering the plants and soaking the trees and bushes. I learned the hard way that I can't let the grass over the septic field get too dry. The last drought we had, it took about three years to get the grass going back over the system. The rest of the grass greened up in a couple days once the rains came again.

If You're Gonna Rain, DO IT!!! Otherwise, Knock Off All the Threatening!!! --RoadDog


REMEMBER WHEN you had your milk delivered to your house in glass bottles?