Frog Stranglin' Gully Washer

[jinman]

Yeah, and I just sold my boat last week. It was a relatively small storm cell this time, though, and has already passed through and gone and I only got 1.05" of rain in the gauge this time. The trouble is that the ground is so saturated that no more can hardly soak in.

Bird, my "little" garden is so spoiled. It thinks we always get at least 0.2" of rain every other day. I worked several hours on Sunday cleaning, tilling, and spraying insecticide. That's the only day without rain. I hope the insecticide had a chance to do it's "thing" in 24 hours because we got just over 1/2" of rain in about 15 minutes yesterday.

Kathy pulled some turnips yesterday as big as cereal bowls. One is easily 6" around. My tomatoes are still doubling their size every week. A little over a week ago we put them in cages and now they are over 1/2 way out. We should probably build cages for our squash too. It's huge! I just cannot believe the phenomenal growth of everything.

...anybody in N. Texas interested in a garden field trip? ...if it stops raining long enough.

 

[Bird]

Jim, do you need hip boots to get in that garden? I met a very interesting character Friday. I was in Home Depot looking for a cheap, lightweight tool belt when a fellow who appeared to possibly be older than I am came walking down the aisle. I spoke and he stopped, grinned, and said, "Did you ever go to the store for 2 things and then forget what one of them was when you get there?" I asked, "Isn't that normal?" So we got to visiting about the weather, the grass growing so fast and needing mowing so often, and he tells me about his garden growing so fast, and squash getting too big, and his wife thinking he should get out there and harvest squash and some other things, but it's too muddy . . . AH HA! He remembered that rubber boots was the other thing he was shopping for! We also got to talking about all the kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews graduating from schools this month and buying gifts for them (or giving them money) and he said it was getting too expensive. He said he and his wife have 17 great grandchildren (I didn't ask how many grandchildren) and just got an invitation to one of their daughter's golden anniversary party. He is 90, his wife is 89, and in November, they'll celebrate 70 years of marriage. I don't think there's too many 90 year old fellows still working a big vegetable garden.

 

[jinman]

He said he and his wife have 17 great grandchildren (I didn't ask how many grandchildren) and just got an invitation to one of their daughter's golden anniversary party. He is 90, his wife is 89, and in November, they'll celebrate 70 years of marriage. I don't think there's too many 90 year old fellows still working a big vegetable garden.

Bird, it sounds to me like that fellow is just too darn busy to get "old." His being active is what is keeping him going. As long as he gets lucky and doesn't get an injury that puts him down for a long time (like a broken hip), he may be around for many more years. You can tell how old you are by how long it takes you to recover.

...and yes. I do need waders to go into my garden. I'm about to decide that I need to put down some mulch just so I don't pick up 25 lb of mud on each boot while walking up and down the rows. Kathy put in our sweet potato slips yesterday (two or three weeks late, I'd guess) and I couldn't even get into the garden to look at them before leaving for work this morning. I built the planting beds on Sunday and I'm hoping we have some nice home-grown sweet tators by October 1st. If the Colorado Potato Beetles don't get my Irish potatoes, I plan to have a big dig about June 1st.
All this is if the darn garden doesn't float away...

 

[billbill1]

I've always heard of "toad stranglin' " instead of frog, but I've heard it all of my life. My Mother has 13 grandkids and 14 great grand kids with #15 on the way. She fell and broke her hip on ice this winter (shoulder too on the same side) but is slowly recovering. Doesn't garden other than some patio stuff anymore. She was in a nursing home (rehab center) for a couple of months and she hated it. She is an independant woman.

 

[jinman]

She is an independant woman.

Bill, I hope that independent spirit sees her through the recovery and she gets back on her feet soon. I know you are helping her keep her spirits high and having #15 great-grandbaby on the way is a good thing too.

 

[EddieWalker]

Jim,

My experience with waders is do not buy the cheap walmart ones. They will keep your feet dry, but they are so uncomfortable that they become painful in just a few minutes!!!

We're in the same weather pattern as you. Every afternoon for about two weeks or so, it starts to cloud up and thunder. About every other day we get a shower of about 1/8 of an inch to a quarter inch. Last night it was half an inch.

Kind of nice. I like it!!!

Eddie

 

[Bird]

We're in the same weather pattern as you. Every afternoon for about two weeks or so, it starts to cloud up and thunder. About every other day we get a shower of about 1/8 of an inch to a quarter inch

Yep, we've had that for some time now, the ground is saturated, still puddles, but the National Weather Service has no rain the forecast for the rest of the week! So I just finished washing both vehicles.

 

[redlevel]

We're in the same weather pattern as you. Every afternoon for about two weeks or so, it starts to cloud up and thunder. About every other day we get a shower of about 1/8 of an inch to a quarter inch. Last night it was half an inch.

Kind of nice. I like it!!!

Eddie

Send some of it to us.

It is so dry here we are going to start dusting the catfish for lice. My neighbor has a two year old kid who has never seen it rain. The creek going through my place is only running three days a week now. The trees have started fighting over the dogs. My Baptist Church has started sprinkling instead of baptizing. The Methodists are just wiping them down with a damp cloth. We only got an inch and a half of rain when Noah's flood happened. And on, and on, etc.

It really is dry, though. I am about 175 miles from the Southeast GA fires, and it is smokey and hazy here today. Last Saturday was extremely smokey.