Yep, it is SUMMER --

[Copperhead]

Today was the 1st day in a 10 days with no rain, and man the yard needs to be cut. DH went out to crank up the rider and finished the front before the thing just died. So he checks it all out and nothing. Guess it needs a trip to the doctor. So he gets out the push mower (dreading it with all his might) and it spudders for a minute and nothing.

If the weedeater doesn't start, I guess I will be out there with my scissors to get the worst of it down.

 

[Proud Texan]

It used to cost me so much in equipment maintenance plus took me two days to cut and weed eat everything that we finally figured out it was cheaper to hire a crew to come in and do it. Not to mention the costs if I got injured using a chainsaw or another equally dangerous tool. The crew gets it done in 45 mins. and it looks better than my hack job ever did.
I still get to do the bush-hogging with the tractor, but that's a piece of cake.

 

[Morticia]

We have a person come in to do the lawn. SO much easier. How about a goat, then? A couple of sheep?

 

[Copperhead]

DH loves doing the yard, gives him something to complain about. Really, he loves doing the yard! He worked on the push mower and got all the garden and detail areas. Guess we will hire someone until he can get the big boy repaired.

 

[JBloggs]

Send us some of that rain! PLEASE!

 

[wendydk]

It's worth it for me to hire mine out, and it's never looked better!

 

[Don Draper]

I am at about 1 hour daily of watering, no rain for over 3 weeks. Supposed to hit 99 today...poor plants! But hubs is not missing mowing the grass, so I guess it's a glass half empty/half full thing.

 

[Copperhead]

So DH told me last night he was going to mow the last of the yard after we got breakfast served. Five o'clock this morning - rain! And there was no rain in the forecast until tonight.
Wish I could send some of this your way JB. I don't want to say 'rain go away' because we have been on the other side of that coin too. At least when it rains it keeps the temps down a little.

 

[Don Draper]

So DH told me last night he was going to mow the last of the yard after we got breakfast served. Five o'clock this morning - rain! And there was no rain in the forecast until tonight.
Wish I could send some of this your way JB. I don't want to say 'rain go away' because we have been on the other side of that coin too. At least when it rains it keeps the temps down a little..

Just had CNN on and I heard them give the high today for your neck of the woods...it's about 15 degress less than here, I couldn't believe it! I'll be happy if we even get a shower at this point.

 

[Copperhead]

So DH told me last night he was going to mow the last of the yard after we got breakfast served. Five o'clock this morning - rain! And there was no rain in the forecast until tonight.
Wish I could send some of this your way JB. I don't want to say 'rain go away' because we have been on the other side of that coin too. At least when it rains it keeps the temps down a little..

Just had CNN on and I heard them give the high today for your neck of the woods...it's about 15 degress less than here, I couldn't believe it! I'll be happy if we even get a shower at this point.
.

I noticed that as well - my weather tab keeps reverting to the default - near you! I thought it was our forecast and thought OK it will be an A/C day. Then noticed the city. Hope you have plenty of ice and water.
It is going to be an interesting day. As I said 5 am woke up to rain, as daylight approached, the skys were beautiful blue. By 10am, rain again. Now just hot steamy. Hopefully the rain will clear out. We are doing our 4th celebration today with friends over...BBQ and pool. But even if it rains it will be fine - one afternoon, evening off and good company!

 

[Samster]

We had that with the new mower at the beginning of the mowing season. It had to go to the shop under warranty at least. It's always a pain when any equipment doesn't work when you're counting on it! arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
If someone has a great lawn service, that is tremendous. I keep firing them because they start off doing a great job and then they slack off and it's just like burning money......
I'm back to doing both our lawns now that I have more time since we closed the biz and the yards look so much better. Guess it's the quality of the lawn services we have here.
We had perfect weather here for the Fourth...neighborhood pool party and then the party continued with watching our local fireworks show from a neighbor's front yard and guitar playing and singing on the porch. Great day!
Hang in there....your lawn will get done eventually.

 

[gillumhouse]

I hire a local teen who I probably over-pay, but except for this week keeps it nice. I kept expecting him to come over and by hte time I called, he was visiting grandma out-of-town. So I spent Saturday, in the heat of the day because that is when DH finally finished HIS routine to be ready, using an electric hedge trimmer for the first time in my life with doit this way, do it that way coaching from his lordship who does NOT catch poison ivy that I just look at and start scratching trimming hedges that are full of poison ivy! It was constant criticism - but now he has decided I did a decent job. Then it was time to mow so I could mulch the debris. Guess who is, as she speaks, using every ounce of control in her body to NOT scratch the arm that is now full of poison ivy.
This week JJ is going to clear out more poison ivy, whatever that other ivy that is trying to take over my place, and clear the weeds out from the curb area at the alley so we can transplant a flower that spreads as a pretty ground cover.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

I hire a local teen who I probably over-pay, but except for this week keeps it nice. I kept expecting him to come over and by hte time I called, he was visiting grandma out-of-town. So I spent Saturday, in the heat of the day because that is when DH finally finished HIS routine to be ready, using an electric hedge trimmer for the first time in my life with doit this way, do it that way coaching from his lordship who does NOT catch poison ivy that I just look at and start scratching trimming hedges that are full of poison ivy! It was constant criticism - but now he has decided I did a decent job. Then it was time to mow so I could mulch the debris. Guess who is, as she speaks, using every ounce of control in her body to NOT scratch the arm that is now full of poison ivy.
This week JJ is going to clear out more poison ivy, whatever that other ivy that is trying to take over my place, and clear the weeds out from the curb area at the alley so we can transplant a flower that spreads as a pretty ground cover..

A poison ivy trick that saved me more than once is this.
Dissolve an aspirin tablet in your palm with water (just enough to make a paste). Rub it on the patches. The aspirin reduces the inflammation (and with it the itching) and exfoliates just enough to remove some of the remaining poison ivy lacquer.
It will come back but if you're diligent with this, it really reduces both the itching and the healing time.

 

[JBloggs]

ITG I will put that to the test, thanks for the tip. We have poison ivy on person, here right now. For those that get it in their bloodstream...another story. I have seen people force themselves to become immune to it, not sure how - eat the stuff or something! African Americans I have met locally have no problem and can put their arm right into poison ivy with no reaction.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

ITG I will put that to the test, thanks for the tip. We have poison ivy on person, here right now. For those that get it in their bloodstream...another story. I have seen people force themselves to become immune to it, not sure how - eat the stuff or something! African Americans I have met locally have no problem and can put their arm right into poison ivy with no reaction..

ITG I will put that to the test, thanks for the tip. We have poison ivy on person, here right now. For those that get it in their bloodstream...another story. I have seen people force themselves to become immune to it, not sure how - eat the stuff or something! African Americans I have met locally have no problem and can put their arm right into poison ivy with no reaction.

Try it. It really has saved me more than once.
It's an amazing thing, the immunity many people have. I had immunity for all of my childhood but it disappeared in adulthood. I had to learn to be cautious of something I'd felt safe just ignoring while growing up.
Native Americans knew how to use poison ivy, especially at extracting the lacquer, without having a reaction to it.
Your new pal Captain Cook was the first to write back home about the cursed plant, never seen before by the Europeans. In fact, it was right in that neck of the woods (on the Chesapeake) that I first became sensitive to it. Go figure.

 

[JBloggs]

On the photo weekend we had, the naturalist had built an immunity from having it way too many times to count. He would reach right into the depths of it and I would cringe and say "NO DON'T!!!!" That was how HE dug up the ramps to show me what they were. In this part of the country you have to go by that old rule "Stay on the path!" Funny the overlooks along this scenic road here are always covered in it, as they cut the area back for look outs and then it grows back with a vengeance and people stop and take photos in the stuff. Btwn that and the ticks...oi veigh.
I reported your aspirin method to DH next time he mows the lawn he will end up with it. We have a child with it on her arm and neck currently as well, she doesn't have a bad reaction, just mild. I had it on my face for the last 3 weeks in three places, it has been so embarrasing.

 

[JBloggs]

Have had my share of poison oak...not happy memories. One Day mentioned Palm Springs, I got it there and had it for over a week where I had to be covered in calamine and out of the sun. Misery.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Have had my share of poison oak...not happy memories. One Day mentioned Palm Springs, I got it there and had it for over a week where I had to be covered in calamine and out of the sun. Misery..

Funny how memories work that way. We will always remember the first place we got that and how miserable we were.