Over in the garden on the other side of the house.
Today? Mowing. Without a working front-wheel drive, it is truly a pain in the tush. We can’t send the mower to the shop right now because we simply can’t be without it during this unbelievably rainy summer. The grass grows very quickly, it gets way too long, and we can’t mow when it’s raining every day. So we have to be ready to mow when we can and – you guessed it – we’re supposed to have another deluge tomorrow, so today is the day.
I guess the positive, if there is one, is that I’m getting some muscles in my arms.
We have a hilly, uneven lawn, so that makes it harder.
What else? Not a whole lot. I have about 4 books here from the library that I can’t get into. I’ve tried, but they’re just not clicking with me. So I pulled out The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies. I have a new copy from Penguin Books and I’ve had it on my TBR pile for a while. I read everything by Davies about 40 years ago and I think he’s one of the finest writers ever. This is a reread and it’s obviously been long enough since I read it the first time to make it seem entirely new. I’ve written before on this blog about my love for his writing. And I’ve been slowly gathering copies of his books as somehow mine went missing over a lifetime of moves from this apartment to apartment, city to city to country. Plus, he’s Canadian and my Canadian roots are very strong. Three out of four of my grandparents were born in Canada, as well as my mom.
Speaking of Canada, I found my photo cube (remember those??) with photos of Gordon Lightfoot in concert. My friend Scott gave it to me long, long ago. I’ll try to take pictures of it when the light is good.
Stay safe.
Happy Thursday.
you need a break! hope you get one soon.
also hope the mowing is already done today so you can enjoy some favorite books and have a good day.
yes, i never had one but do remember photo cubes. also the bit of nervousness i’d feel making sure to wind back the roll of film before opening the camera so i didn’t lose the photos, taking the roll to the grocery store (where it would be sent to a developer), waiting a week to get photos developed, then looking at negatives, ordering copies (after making sure everyone in the photos had a chance to look at them and order copies, too), waiting another week to get the copies and then cutting them to fit whatever frame(s) i could find. :)
quiet start here this morning (appreciated after not enough sleep) … knit a little, read a chapter in a new book … :) good, because this afternoon and evening will be busy (but also good).
hope everyone has a good, safe day.
kathy
There was so much to do when we used to get photos developed!
Stay safe, Kathy.
Good luck mowing!
I found a photo cube last week! It had photos of my nephew as a toddler. He is now a doctor.
Photos of Gordon Lightfoot, very COOL!
Take Care,
Kaye
A souvenir of a different time.
Stay safe, Kaye.
My son just had the same thing happen to his mower. He watched a YouTube video and ordered the parts on Amazon. He said it took him about ten minutes to fix. If you and Don are handy at all, you might try it. Probably save money too. Have a good day and stay cool!
We don’t have the necessary tools, Jana.
Thank you!
Stay safe.
Golly, the rain gods have got to give you a well-earned break soon. With our lack of, we’ve mowed once in the last month! It’s due for a cutting this weekend.
Your floral pictures as always are so beautiful and reminds me to get up off my duff and go photograph ours. Our cone flowers and Shasta Daisies are going strong but I was shocked to see a few Brown-eyed Susans blooming by the front porch a month ahead of schedule. Summer is slipping away for sure. Though it’s been many years since I’ve had to back-to-school shop, I’m sad to see all the school supplies filling the stores the past 2 weeks. Can just imagine how it makes the kids feel seeing it.
Take care,
Kay
I feel like our brown-eyed susans are early this year, too.
Stay safe, Kay.
I can’t believe how much rain you are getting! Please send some this way. I finally gave up watering my plants in pots yesterday. It is just too hard to go out in this heat and keep them watered. All I care about now is our pond. Our fish are out there happily swimming around in 80 degree water. And we have babies, lots of them! Can’t wait to count them as they get a little bigger. Please take breaks when you are mowing your lawn. Try to stay cool. We are sizzling here in Phoenix, breaking all kinds of records……how fun. Stay dry!
It’s endless. More today. Then about two days off and then more. I’ve never seen a summer like this one. And you are dealing with triple digit temperatures, Deb! I’m so sorry. Stay inside!
Stay safe.
dear Claudia/Don — sorry re frustration w/mower — so thankful Mr has some mechanical knowledge (even tho he was an electrical engineer in another life), he does really well keeping mowers/tractors here up and working. I have a photo cube w/pics of long ago kitties in it — very dear to me now — didn’t everyone have them??? haha!!! had much rain down in West Ky yesterday so flooding was everywhere — so far, no deaths reported. good luck w/your weather. Stay safe
I heard about that flooding. I’m so sorry! The fallout from the flooding here is still going on. Such damage to property and roads.
Stay safe, Linda.
Totally love the vibrant color in your flower photos today; thanks for posting them.
I know nothing of Davies; you prompted me to just look him up and read something of his life. Which of his published works is your favorite, Claudia?
I can’t pick one, Vicki. Though The Deptford Trilogy books are the first I read and I have a soft spot for them.
Stay safe!
Hope your mowing wasn’t too onerous today, Claudia, and you were able to relax with a good book in the afternoon. It’s raining here now but supposed to be cooler tomorrow. One can only hope. Stay safe. Hugs, Elaine
It was hard. There’s no way it won’t be very hard until we can get it fixed. We’re wiped out for the rest of the day.
I hope it’s cooler for you! Raining here today.
Stay safe, Elaine.