The limelight hydrangeas are in bloom. A small bush, planted maybe 7 or 8 years ago, is HUGE! Every year it gets fuller and fuller.
But my little hydrangea that I planted in the chicken wire fence garden had only one bloom this year. That has never happened. I do believe it gets too much sun, especially this year, but the blooms weren’t appearing even before the heat wave. I’m scratching my head on that one. I may need to move it.
This heat wave is never-ending. On and on it goes, through Monday or Tuesday. It’s too miserable to be outside except in the early morning. We did get a bit of rain yesterday. A bit. We had a gentle rain shower early in the afternoon. It probably lasted 10 minutes. Then in the late afternoon, we had another shower of 10 -15 minutes. But in each case, there was lots of thunder off in the distance and neighboring communities had big storms. Nothing here.
If only this could happen in the winter instead; everyone else gets big snowfalls, and for some strange reason, we get nothing. That I would be happy about.
But some rain is better than none and I’m grateful for it, if only for the fact that I don’t have to hand water this morning.
I’m going to do some prep work this morning on one of the shows I’m coaching. At some point this weekend, I am going to put the puzzle back in the box and free the kitchen table for tax deduction work.
Exciting weekend, right?
We’re going stir crazy, but only because the heat and humidity is so bad and has been for over a week and a half.
Sigh.
Stay safe.
Happy Saturday.
It must be hard to acclimate to those hotter temperatures where you are, when you and your plants aren’t accustomed to those highs. It’s hard here, too. Yesterday, we hit another 104 reading, not that unusual for this time of year. What’s unusual is the number of 100+ readings we’ve had since early May. We have a tarnished silver lining, though. We can no longer mow our acre ourselves, and it costs a lot to have someone mow it from February through early November, which is typical for us. The weather has been so extreme, though, that we schedule our mower for only one or two days a month, saving us a bunch of money this year.
This week, I had an appendectomy, so I’ve enjoyed sitting outside on the covered porch several times a day for a brief warmup, as I’ve been cold ever since. Otherwise, I’ve been feeling better than before the surgery. Yesterday, I binged on Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s 20th Century Fox movies, something I never would have allowed myself to do all day otherwise. One of them was a Sidney Poitier movie, and another was the 1949 movie “A Letter to Three Wives.” Stars in that one included Linda Darnell. Mom was a movie aficionado, and she loved Linda Darnell, who starred in two hit movies in 1949. I’m fairly sure I, born on Christmas Day in 1949, was probably named after her and ditto for one out of every four girls in my classes in school who were named Linda. I’m no Linda Darnell at all, if Mom thought I might be. There’s nothing so dramatic about my looks.
Interesting comment, Linda! Wow, I had forgotten Linda Darnell. My mom, same age as her, was a film lover and from L.A., so she was always on top of the movies of her day as well as the popular actors of the time. I remember that Linda Darnell died in a house fire. (Made me think of actress Anne Heche being in that terrible-fiery car crash yesterday here in the L.A. area; hard to believe that she didn’t die too although her injuries must be horrific.) You prompted me to look up Linda Darnell just now (Wiki in a hurry!) and it says, take it with a grain of salt or not, that Linda Darnell was in fact romantically involved with Joseph L. Mankiewicz (how is he related to Ben Mankiewicz of TCM[?]; need to look that up too) but he refused to publicly acknowledge her nor leave his wife for her; I think I read that correctly just now. Sounds like she had a personal life of tumult and tragedy. She was in that old movie called Forever Amber and I remember when I was a younger girl in school how some of my 13-yr-old friends had read that historical-English romance novel from which the movie was derived; it was a popular book even though it had been written several years before we were born.
Feel better soon! I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of an appendectomy in mature life (my ignorance!); I seem to associate it with ‘young people’. I wonder why? I always try to remember to tell a doctor, that if I ever have to have gallbladder surgery, take my appendix, too! (Somebody told me that once; just get rid of it!)
I was surprised, too, to find myself having an appendectomy at 72. My brother had his before age 2. My nurse told me that’s not uncommon, but online research confirms that most occur between 10 and 30. I wish my body had found a more pleasing way to emulate a 30-year-old’s. I’d don’t mind being older, but I’d love it if I someday woke up with the toned upper arms of a 30-year-old.
I saw some of A Letter to Three Wives on tv just a couple of days ago. It was fascinating and I had to leave it in the middle but hope to see it again.
Well, I hope the tax deduction work goes along okay, and I sure hope you can get some cooler weather soon, Claudia!
dear Claudia/Don — sorry re those awful temps — same here (BIG sigh!!) really like your latest puzzle, but it looks difficult, somehow my puzzle-making has taken a huge vacation this summer, maybe when it is cooler. Re — Linda Piazz comment above: I am a Linda also, lived in a very small town (less than 500 people) in my grade there were FOUR Lindas, in my class of 30 students. Have read that name was very popular for girls — more than one movie star had the name. hoping for cooler temps soon for you and us. stay safe/healthy
Hydrangeas prefer morning sun to afternoon. Although, I have quite a few that get afternoon sun and still bloom but they are behind a stonewall that protects their lower half and roots. Everything looks pretty crinkly here except for the natives like Queen Ann’s lace, black eyed Susan and wild primrose. Glad our small lawn is mostly weeds, it’s still green thanks to them. My daughter’s new house has a huge lawn that is brown and crunches when you walk on it! My region in CT usually is all about humidity in August but this year it’s been humid and much higher then normal.
Glad you are staying cool! I’ve been painting my kitchen cabinets in the basement. Nice and cool there!
This weather is crazy. It is nearly 11PM here and the temp is still 87* with a “feels like” of 98*. Now we are supposed to get 1-3 inches of rain overnite. We do so need the rain, but with the ground so dry it will run off and flooding is expected. So much watering this year!!!!!!
My best friend in life is Linda. I have another best friend Linda. The first one:we met when we were toddlers. Her uncle married my great aunt and her aunt married my great uncle…I was supposed to be Linda. Mother was supposed to have twins…alas…Linda was born three months before I was and named Linda. Mother did not have twins just a huge baby at age fifteen. Therefore my name. I love the name Linda.
I’m glad you got a touch of rain. Yes, some is better than nothing.