…we’re trying to get the front lawn project at least ready for winter. We’re going to spread weedcloth and mulch across the front, and that will be 1/3 of the project ready for plantings.
Then we have to move those trees.
Mischief managed! The site is now fine. 7am and Jane's up raking rocks…
by CJ | Sep 3, 2010 | Journal | 12 comments
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When you say ‘raking rocks’ I assume that they are fairly small. Visions of Jane with a huge pull behind rake they use in the turf fields. 😉
We have been prepping for the edge of Hurricane Earl. Took down the various umbrellas and chairs, took all the plants off railings and shelves, turned the potted trees on their sides, set up the rain barrels to collect water. Unless it goes a little more to the west I don’t think this is anything to worry about. Winds are expected to reach about 40m.p.h.; we had worse than that a few weeks ago. However, with hurricanes YOU NEVER CAN TELL! Therefore we have gas for the chain saws and brush cutter, drinking water on hand, plenty of batteries and Aladdin Lamp fuel, propane for the camp stove, and food. As I said I don’t really expect this to be huge, but there is nothing like feeling like a fool due to lack of preparation. Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are likely to get the worst of this. I just hope that people don’t lose track of their brains and stay out of the water! 8)
You be careful, smartcat! and watch those downed power lines—they can be sneaky.
I didn’t know you could grow rocks in your yard. I’d think that’d be frustrating to have to try to keep the proliferation rate down.
Rock is the Washington state flower. They grow overnight.
Once you’ve excavated a really big one and gotten it up to admire, you can form a real relationship with it. Look at that ‘un! I dug that! Ain’t been seen since the last Ice Age!
Just as Clay is the Oklahoma State Flower. You can feed it, amend it with all sorts of good things and there it is again next spring, as faithful as ever.
I can see a cartoon of neighbors discussing the current rock crop over the fence with various captions! “That bit of granite has come back faithfully every year for the last century.” “We found that one when we dug the pond. It makes a nice focal point for the fish.”
I want to check this blog on Monday and hear that everything is ok at your place Smartcat!
OT: Glad to hear you are taking precautions, smartcat!
I have smaller rounded rocks, walnut to golfball sized, that appear magically in my lawn. I have no idea where they come from; we aren’t subject to the freeze-thaw cycle that works them to the surface, nor do we have burrowing beasts to eject them. If you dig down more than about 8 inches, you start seeing a progression of increasingly bigger rocks in the sandy loam. Go far enough, you’ll likely hit lava rock.
No hurricanes so far this season (touch wood).
I concur: be safe, Smartcat!
I have to look into some suitable tall shrubs or short trees to plant along the western side of the property. The afternoon sun comes straight into the house there and really makes the rooms uncomfortable, and running the a/c extensively isn’t practical.
WELL! As I predicted, Earl was the *hurricane that wuzzn’t*. A very little wind and about 3-4 ins. rain, which was entirely welcome. No power outages or trees down. Now it’s a beautiful day, will be in 80’s, humidity way down.
The only problem with a miss like this is that people will be way too casual when the next one comes. We have not had a real disaster since Carol in 1954. In that one the ocean came up to the corner about 200 feet away. I remember my parents made us stay out of the sun room because they were afraid if a nearby maple came down it would hit the corner of the house.
Thank you all, for all your thoughts and good wishes.
Has anyone heard anything about the earthquake in Christ Church, New Zealand?
Hurricane Earl was really Hurricane Kahoutec: utterly boring. Some heavy rain for a few hours while we slept last night (just outside Boston (may have hit Smartcat in Rhode Island earlier), but that’s about it. The four day (but mostly mild) storm we had a few weeks ago did more damage to my garden. Still, the water’s highly welcome and now it is indeed a gorgeous day: the air feels scrubbed clean!
We’re glad you two are safe—and those who piffle the next one should remember the operative word is ‘miss’! After a storm, indeed, the air is wonderful.
I’ve been somewhat in touch with Alex von Thorn and Marah, who were just poised to go to Christchurch: they are still in Australia. Now they’re trying to figure what to do: the New Zealand area where LOTR was filmed is next on their itinerary, a special part of their trip, but their hotel is in Christchurch.