Beating Selene

Or was it the other way around?  Check this:

Wednesday was nice, warmish & very dry air.  I checked the radar and saw all the radar from Selene.  Forecasts said heavy rain would start after midnight.  I wondered what I could get done before that.

I started at 9:00 a.m. First up, I TWP'd the new framework on the last section of the privacy fence. (See Garden projects page.)  I figured at least 12 hours for the sealant to penetrate would do some good.  

After than I crawled around spreading fertilizer under the evergreens, rhodys and burning bushes.  Halfway through the neighbor boy came over (Spring break) and I gave him $$ to gather up all the down limbs and branches.  That would save my back for other projects.   Like more perennial trimming.

Later that afternoon (after a rest & an Advil), I decided to get the Snapper ready early this year.  After all, the grass never did go dormant and it was starting to take off.  Installed the battery, checked the oil, gassed it up and connected the spark plug.  Vroooooooom.  What a great sound!

I checked the radar.  Selene was still hanging back so I put on the bagger and picked up a ton of the ping-pong ball sized spiky sweetgum tree seeds.  I hate those things this time of year.  It's like walking on ball bearings.  Nasty stuff.

By then I called it a day.  I was pooped.  But at least a lot got done.  Let it rain.  I would do some inside stuff Thursday.

Thursday a.m.  No rain.  Radar showed Selene still holding back.  Overnight a LOT of the daffs opened up and looked gorgeous bobbing in the breeze.  Even half of the ones I transplanted along the golf course just a couple weeks ago where opened. What a nice day.  Not at all what was predicted.

Hmmmm.  At 7:30 I gathered up all the Wednesday trimming hustled over to the yardwaste depot before breakfast (while the depot area was dry, not muddy).  I had the place to myself. *heh*

Selene still hadn't moved an inch eastward, so next I took down all the deer-deterring chicken wire from around the hemlock hedge; rolled up the fencing and pulled stakes.  And, since the Snapper was up and running, I hauled all the stuff up to the shed.  Needed a another (longer) break then.

But by 10:00 I wondered what else I could do before this 'awful storm' got here.  The mower was gassed up.  Yep.  You guessed it: mowed the side and back lawns.  That killed a couple hours.  I found a lot of deer droppings and mountains of mole hills.  Crap.  Another vermin to add to my worst enemies list this year.

Anyway, I was, again, pooped.  I rolled the Snapper into the garage, right in front of the snowblower (really, this time of year it's 50-50 which one will get action next). But, boy, the trimmed lawns really showed off the daffs!  But if this darn storm didn't get here soon, I was going to work myself into a heart attack!  Finally weather intervened.  A little after noon the winds started up and got worse and worse.  Sure it was warm (65ish), but you could barely stand up in it.  Finally I went inside.

Winds howled and whipped all day and then sometime before midnight the huge storm arrived.  By then the front it was long and thin and lasted only about an hour as it drove through dropping a mere .6" of rain.

Weather forecasting.  I want that job.... *sigh*

Anyway, I got so much done.  Yay me.  I've earned some serious sitdowns for a while.  Now everything looks nice so when Mom comes for Easter we can sit out on the deck and enjoy the flowers.  (And some nice ham and scalloped potatoes; homemade applesauce; basement greens salads and chocolate brownies.)

How about you?  Trying to second-guess this year's weather?  How's it going ... extreme warmth? Too much rain?  Under a foot of snow?  Tell me about it....

Happy Easter!