Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub, and who do you think they be?
Jadon, Isaiah, and Jonadab all play happily!
By early afternoon, we were all puddles of sweat. I don't remember sweat ever dripping off my nose, but it did today. I used to read missionary biographies about people in Cambodia or Thailand or India, and wonder how they dealt with such extreme temperatures. I think I realized today that they just do what they have to do. I can't change the weather, so I endure it.
It's a good indication that I have more margin in my life now: I decided it's time to potty train Joe. That requires many pointless trips to the motor home bathroom. He refuses to use the rough box in our construction trailer; it hurts his legs, I think. He didn't have a single success today, but I let him run around naked outside, so he didn't have many accidents-to-clean-up, either. He's asleep in a cloth diaper; we'll see if he's a bedwetter tomorrow morning. (None of my sons so far have been.)
I've also started back in with homeschooling. During the tree planting, we took our "summer vacation" early; there was no time for anything else. It's quite fun to read about Peter the Great and George Washington.
Phil dismantled the chicken coop. We're hoping to get neighbor Butch here to scrape the winter paddock, and make a large compost pile with all the manure. Before he can scrape, though, we need the area cleared. The chicken coop, six inches deep in dung (mostly on the outside), wasn't moving anywhere, so Phil took it apart and designed a new one. Joe delighted in bringing Phil screws, one at a time. Such a helpful guy. For its construction, he started to use the logs along our driveway. Good thing, since I think they're getting termite damage.
What else? I dug up and replanted one of my decorative crab apples (it's in its new home, below). I had put it right in front of the electrical box, and I suspect it was getting hit with too much stray voltage. Another crabapple, mere feet away, thrives (see it in the background).
I think I realized why the bees are so ravenous. Worker bees usually die off after about six weeks in the summer, literally working themselves to death. I hived them both six weeks ago; one hive, certainly, hasn't had a queen laying eggs for more than a week. I suspect they are trying to conserve energy, trying to give the queen and the brood as good a chance of survival as they can.
We ate a delicious watermelon for lunch, and I overcame my antipathy for planting, and stuck some watermelon seeds in the ground. I didn't turn over the soil or do anything fancy; I figure they might sprout despite imperfect growing conditions; might as well give them that chance. They certainly won't sprout if they're not in the ground!
I also finally got some tomato seeds into egg carton "planters" (punch a hole in the bottom, fill with soggy potting soil or compost, and plant). I was vastly encouraged to see the corn, okra, and lima beans that I planted last Saturday poking up well above the soil already. Great! I planted more limas randomly on the hillside wherever the spelt didn't take well. And a few zucchini seeds, so the boys can indulge in zucchini bread.
I also planted tromboncino summer squash along the fence. It's supposed to climb and provide both decoration and delicious squash. Bring it on!
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