A Good Labor Day

I had a good day yesterday - a profitable one.

I got the geraniums all dead-headed on the big deck, scrubbed the tabletop out there, and swept the whole thing (lots of downed, sticky pine cones).  I need a pretty centerpiece for that table - one that can take all kinds of weather and is heavy enough to not blow off.  Suggestions?  The potted pansies that I bought at the beginning of the summer haven't done well out there.  I thought they wanted full sun, but apparently not.  The leaves are very washed-out and unhappy and the blooming is minimal.  They'll come inside soon, and I'll see if I can keep them happy over the winter.

 Mixing outside work with office work from home, I also got all the remaining (8 of 10) Riverbank Grapes planted.  I know, I know, all that is supposed to happen at the BEGINNING of summer - not the end - but c'est la vie.  I also scoped out the places I want to plant the 10 Mountain Ash - one of which was just southwest off the pub (garage upstairs) deck.  Planning ahead, I wanted to have a good station from which to photograph Waxwings eating up the berries.  Hit NOTHING but rock, though, and eventually realized that the area I was trying to dig was built up and made up of nothing but huge retaining-wall boulders with only a couple inches of sandy soil on top.  I ain't gonna be able to dig THOSE rocks out!

I thought this was hilarious:  this mouse was stretched out flat in front of the garage . . . deader than a doornail!  Now that's not how we normally see dead mice, is it??? 

There were still a couple of skeeters trying to get me during the tree planting, but I prevailed with no headnet nor bug dope AND, get this, I had to wear a SWEATER outside while I worked yesterday!  Cah-RAZY wonderful!  I think I may actually take the canopy off the bed . . . although, so I don't jinx things, I may just wait until after the first hard frost.  ;)

Weed / shrub / plant ID, please!  When this first started coming up, it looked like some sort of wild rhubarb:  large leaves & stalk-like stems.  It was unusual, though, so I mowed around and left it to grow.  Maisy's here for size comparison:  it's pretty big!

The flowers look like thistles but aren't sharp.  They are "sticky", though (more in the shape of each individual spine to catch insects than anything), and I've seen grasshoppers get caught on them.

After blooming, the flowers dry up but keep the same shape.  Just brown in the centers now instead of purply-pink.  So, anyone have any ideas?!

During my office work-from-home, I got 3 projects finished and sent off to the newspaper and printer, respectively.  That felt good!

In the evening, I made two loaves of round Irish Soda Bread with sultanas.  Turned out a little heavier and less scone-like than I would have preferred.  Wonder if that's because I used bread flour instead of all-purpose?  Either way, it's yummy (and surprisingly stick-to-your-ribs).


After dinner, I called an old, dear, hilarious girlfriend who's experiencing some health problems.  Had a terrific, long talk.  Suddenly, those colored ribbons that reflect support for different diseases mean everything to me.  Grrrr.

Then, I finished up some photographic note card assembly while listening to my most current audio book, Nevada Barr's '13 1/2'.  Closed up downstairs and crocheted in the library while watching some old episodes on DVD of 'The Lucy Show' and 'The Loretta Young Show' until my eyes were crossing.  And . . . went to bed!


I hope I can have as productive a day today!