This is a Martha Washington geranium that I purchased the other day. I repotted it and placed it on the bench on the Funky Patio.
Last night, we had a rip-roaring thunder storm with high winds. I was reading in bed and the wind kept hitting the windows in the bedroom, so I got up to see what was going on. Opening the window nearly knocked me over! So, I guess it wasn’t much of a surprise when I went outside this morning and saw the geranium and another plant on the ground. The wind was too much. So there I was, in my pajamas, no garden gloves on, shoveling potting soil from the ground back into the pot. I’ll have to add some more later. Then I checked out the porch and the calibrachoa had tipped over as well, but it had remained on the table, so that wasn’t so bad.
Yikes. I’m just glad there wasn’t more damage. No tree branches down, thank goodness.
The grass is very wet, so I may have to table mowing until tomorrow.
The fight against the ‘glamping’ developer continues. My neighbor went to a Planning Board meeting the other day and she was alarmed by how gung-ho they seemed to be about the project. Last night I went to the zoning board meeting (we’re appealing a decision to classify it as a lodge and trying to get it classified as a camp – because that’s what it really is. As one guy said, no one is going to stay there in the winter.) We were instructed at the last meeting to send any letters in support of our plea to the zoning board, with a deadline of May 12th. So, when the head of the board read just three letters last night, our hands shot up. It turns out many, many of us sent letters that they never saw because of a glitch in the email address. The town’s website has an email address listed that the zoning board is apparently not using anymore.
Don’t get me started.
So, we’re resending our letters/emails, which have a time stamp, of course, proving that we sent them by the deadline, and the meeting adjourned early and the next time we meet will be next month. As it was extremely hot in the room (no a/c) I was quite happy to leave.
I figure the more delays, the better.
Then there’s the story about a possible coaching job that I was in negotiations for. My day rate was okayed, I asked to see the script before I made the final decision, and then I found out (the next day) that while the person I was in contact with was sending me the email saying they’d agreed to the rate, they hired someone else because of a ‘time crunch’ they had never once mentioned to me.
I was not happy and I let them know that. Completely unprofessional. It wasn’t a big job, in fact, it was only a couple of days, so it’s okay in the long run, but it certainly has given me pause. I don’t think I’d welcome any future offers from this company. And I’ve worked with them before. (And no, it wasn’t Hartford Stage. Never!)
Happy Friday.
Lucky you were able to get the soil back in the pots fairly quickly. The weather does have our attention these days; seems to be just one extreme after another! Your new geranium is gorgeous; what a beautiful color. Those of us who love and appreciate flowers, are so very grateful for the peace and joy their beauty gives us .
Hope you and your neighbors ‘ concerns will carry weight with the decision makers. It can be an uphill battle when the bottom line is the anticipated county or city income/revenue. But if no one spoke up about these issues, heaven knows what our neighborhood environments would be. I have seen the destruction of way too many once pleasant very livable neighborhoods , I always get angry with this subject. No one seems to take into account long term property value increases in stable, attractive areas rather than those with new and questionable developments that are almost certain to deteriorate in a few years. Preserving single family residences only seems to apply to ultra expensive areas but how long even that will last is questionable. Money making business, no matter the blight they eventually produce, have the upper hand over the preservation of single family areas. Doesn’t seem to matter to many the long term ugliness being created. Good luck and hope everyone has their say.
Hope you and Don will soon be enjoying California together. Dianne
Yes, they just want the revenue, never thinking about our property values.
Oh gosh…when it rains it pours…sorry, but it was so obvious. Such a beautiful geranium….love those colors. Glad you were able to save it. Weather here has been difficult…air conditioner one day, heat today. Too much rain…I can’t seem to finish any projects. The glamping situation is bonkers to say the least. Were they trying to pull something….or was that an innocent mistake? You can tell I’ve become a suspicious person. And that coaching business…sounds like another ‘who’s running the show’ moment. Take a deep breath….and have a cuppa. That’s the best I got today! ;)
I think it was an innocent mistake. They’ve since retrieved all the emails.
what pretty flowers … glad you could rescue them after the storm.
i am glad for that time-stamp showing you all care/are fighting the “glamping” camp and sent letters in before the deadline. hope it all goes in your favor – and that someone corrects the contact information on the website (hopefully that problem was just an innocent oversight).
and the job offer being pulled out from under you? sorry and booooo!
hope you have a nice weekend anyway!
kathy in iowa
Thank you, Kathy!
The storm was fast and furious in these parts. Wind, rain, thunder and lightning. No harm done and the power stayed on throughout, thank you very much Storm Gods! My new pots of million bells were weighed down with water this morning, but are perking up nicely as the day goes on. Glad you were able to save your overturned plants!
It’s a lot cooler today, but no rain or wind, thank goodness!
Wild! That seems to describe so much this spring. Just wild!! And not just the weather…..
I love MW geraniums. I love the slight ruffle to their flower and their foliage. Just so different than the “usual” zonal ones. I do love all geraniums and all of their colors.
We had the air on the other day, and this morning we turned the heat back on for a bit. Seems there is rarely that Goldilocks day when the temps are just right. Extremes. (Again, not just in the weather.)
Hope you have a fun Friday and that the winds will be tame. I have so much planting to do, but I don’t think that is going to happen today or tomorrow with our forecast. ugh.
They’re such pretty geraniums!
Oh, no. It isn’t often your post is full of things that went wrong! I hope today is better and started with a nice hot cup of Peet’s. I’m moving a carload home from my daughter’s dorm room today. How much stuff can amstudent cram in one room???
Answer: a lot!
Yes, that was quite the kicker of a storm last night! I sat on my deck swing for as long as I could, watching it blow in, until the rain started….then I blew out the candles and headed for cover! I slept like a baby, nothing like a good rainy night with the windows open!
Yes, great sleeping weather!
Hey Claudia,
What a time you have had in a matter of a couple of days…I watched the weather and now since I know your area, I pick up on storms etc.
I swear; our weather is getting hotter and hotter and I see where NY has has itself a bunch of days in a row of heat…and just like us will get this “odd coolin” off time…? We are not having wind whipping up tho….
My son picked a hot day to move today. His in laws are visiting from Vermont so I know they are not used to our heat!
I am keeping the family dog for the day…Ahhhh… she and I will walk around a bit.
I will always be the lover of the 4 legged type of friend.
I have to get brave and go adopt one of my own again.
One more note I wish to share for whatever reason..?? is I put a photo of my late mom at age 25 ish on my FB page. She was the wow of the FB page; oh how I wish she could know how many thought so kindly of her or better yet (according to her!) were very impressed with her classy outfit and her beauty. “Dot Shomaker” She worked until she was 87 yrs old at the VA hospital (extrovert!) I am my dad’s blue eyed introvert to my brown eyed extrovert lovely mom. Her energy came bursting forth in the company of people. How on earth she stayed standing 8 hours a day……I guess it was the E n e r g y force of others!
I hope you a have a sweet weekend. and thank you for letting me share.. I had a” mom memory.”
I love the story about your mom’s photo on your FB page. Mom memories are important and than you for sharing yours!
We had some high winds that I thought would blow my bird feeders off the crooks! Lucky they didn’t. Glad you were able to rescue the plants. I found a couple of cute inexpensive pots at the rummage sale today and will put some plants in them next week. Having to water daily now and we need rain!
The job thing sounds annoying. I hate it when things are not communicated correctly. The Camping project needs to be defeated, just not right for your community it sounds like to me. I hope things work out.
I’m exhausted but had a good day at the church rummage sale. I love talking to people! One more day and we are done with this project and I will be happy! My feet and back will be even happier! Hugs!
Have a restful weekend, my friend!
You were treated rudely by that company; to heck with them!
Your weather certainly has a lot of personality; ever-changing…
I’m hot and I’ve been hot all day; it’s almost 80 degrees out there right now after 9pm here in SoCalif; if it wasn’t for the bugs, you could be walking around in a bathing suit outdoors. There goes the rest of our green on the mountains…’way too much heat today.
It was in the high eighties yesterday – today? In the high sixties! What a change!
Writing this Saturday night; we did go to the beach this evening to escape the heat. Wow, so many tourists; that’s a new change…but it IS the week before Memorial Day, isn’t it. I guess a lot of kids are out of college now, off for summer; and a family with a rental vehicle walked by us speaking what I believe was Swedish (although my husband thought it was French!), so people are likely starting their vacations. Lots and lots of people at the beach (more crowded than I like but, you know, everybody was having so much fun!) because, even slightly inland from shore, temps were pushing 100 degrees here in SoCalif today. Many boats going in and out of the channel…excursion vessels, fishing boats, sailing yachts, dingys, jet skis. It was busy! Somebody was getting married on the sand. Surfers were coming in and showering off. Lifeguards are back on duty now (the slow, quiet, winter beach has come and gone).
Anyway, I felt like I was watching a movie; so much activity. But, oh-my-gosh, couldn’t believe how much cooler it was at the water; divine. Tonite, back home, we were ten degrees cooler than the same time last night, so I’m hopeful each day will cool down a bit. Not everything new in my garden likes such sun intensity. These swings of temps as you mention are just crazy! My mom would say, “It gives you the bends…” (whatever that means; I think she meant from one extreme to another, with the body trying to adjust). “In the old days” we were usually fogged in here for the month of May. (“May Gray” followed by “June Gloom “) Some forty years ago, I spent one Memorial Day at a beach house in this locale and ‘lived in’ a heavy wool fisherman-knit sweater the entire weekend, coming in drenched from a walk in the drizzle, then playing board games, drinking hot cocoa…and just staying indoors (which was actually kinda nice and a whole different experience than the usual suntanning, swimming, ice-cold sodas and barbecue grills going strong).
So glad you got to the beach!