August - What's happening in your garden? Part 4

We had a high of low 70s today. Gloomy all day and no humidity. It was a bit chilly outside today.

We had a shipment of mums come in this afternoon so I went out there and arranged them in front of the windows. While doing that I had a few people come up and buy some. I had literally just put them out!! LOL. I was going nuts before I got outside though. One of my coworkers was laughing at me cause I wanted outside soooo bad!! And several of my regular customers from the greenhouse came by and noticed I was outside again too. LOL.

I think Bernie is right--fall is on the way. There was a hint of fall in the air when I took Friday outside earlier. It felt good. It's mostly cloudy here with a patch of blue sky here and there. Currently 76F heading to a high near 85F Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow we will be mostly sunny with a high of 80F.

This is a view of a portion of the highway I take when I go to Conway, AR (about 35 miles from here). This is Hwy. 107 south of Vilonia, AR. It's a nice drive.

This photo was taken from the highest point along Hwy 107 between Cabot and Conway. This particular spot is being developed as a housing subdivision--even on down into the valley where you can see the pond. They are still working on the streets--no houses have been built in here yet. They sort of stopped development for a while after the housing crisis this past year but they appear to have resumed working on it.

50*F cloudy and looks as if rain is on the way. Fall is here as leaves and foliage is changing. Trees turn yellow; blueberry and highbush cranberry bushes turn red.
Rann~I add my shock and (((hugs))) to those comments previously posted. It's such a stressful time in your life and it's difficult to see a good ending at this point; but it's bound to come.
Please let us be your place to vent and to come for "positive" thoughts.

A cold rainy day at Portage Glacier earlier this month.

HI! Everybody!

Rann, I'm sorry to hear about your DH losing his job. Like all the rest here ... if there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to let me (us) know. I, like Ric, know what it's like to be w/out a job...Since Mar. of 2005 I have not had a 'real' job intil now. My Dh got permanently furloughed (laid off) just before Christmas last year. Remember...when a door closes, another door opens! Hang in there, honey. We're here for ya! And Ric's right...deep breaths & have faith.

Ric, the pond looks WONDERFUL! :D I would like to see pics of your fishies, too! ;)
Bernie! Love all of the neat things you found at the auction! Wow!
Kelli, I haven't listened to the news since yesterday...how is the fire? I hope all is well...Stay safe!
Mau, between FB & HGTV, I've not been getting much accomplished! ;)
Sharon, Hope that your thyroid gets straightened out real soon...I know you're terribly uncomfortable.

We had an interesting week at work....the 300 gal. tank in the break room downs stairs sprung a leak! And the co's prized possession was in there. A baby fresh water Ray. It was also an explosion waiting to happen! We had to get the fish & ray out ASAP ( they are now up in the lab w/me) & they ordered another 300 gal. tank to replace the old one. So Monday, we'll have to move them all back down stairs...probably won't be until Tuesday...cause we'll have to 'sanitize' the new tank.

Gotta go pull some weeds...
BBL
Joey

(here's the babay Ray trying to warm up)

High of low 70s and mostly cloudy.

Worked on my lily bed today and am almost done. Hit a patch of rocks where one lily needs to go and I can't get thru it or around it. It's like trying to dig up concrete. lol. I'll have my dad work on it when he gets home and then it will be done.

Kelli, Yes he (Ace) is a Sting Ray from the Amazon. He seems to be very docile, but I feel sure he could 'get' ya real quick. Glad the fire is many miles from you.

Some of the Koi...we also have some of the fancy finned ones.

Fishies! I used to have one like the one in front. His name was Shaq. A heron got him.

Looks like we're thru the wet weather.
72° now after an absolutely beautiful day.
Highs will slowly rise thru the 70 to mid/upper 80's by next weekend.
Lows around the mid 50's. Clear.... this is mid Sept weather.

I didn't find my filter so the fish shots are not very good.
But you'll get the idea.
Here's the little guys

One of the large comets.

Here's the pair

And the Koi.
It's kind of a dark brown w/ orange/red speckles on the scales.
The weird thing is the yellow highlights.
Right under the dorsal fin is a yellow line you can just see here.
Since it's color just about matches the pond bottom the only thing you can usually see is that yellow line.

That weird yellow line.

And that's the fish...lol!

Kelli, These 4 little ones are my favorites...I've been babying them. When I was hired in I checked out all of the tanks & these poor little guys couldn't even be seen...too much algae on the glass! I cleaned their tank 1st. Their about 6" long.

Ric, Nice lookin' fishies! Neat-O! I know you're really enjoying them! :D

Don't know if you can tell, but these are the fancy finned Koi. They are all personality! :D

Out here, those are called butterfly koi. I've heard that the Japanese don't care much for them but Americans like them.

It's funny how tastes range.
The Butterfly Koi command bit bucks here in the USA.

In Japan these are the varieties most prized.
http://www.dorsetkoikeepers.co.uk/css/KoiVarieties.html

http://www.usakoi.com/buyKoi.php?id=200552&page=2

In Japan the 'Big Buck' Koi have gone for $250,000 and up.
These are private sales and for tax purposes the prices aren't definitely known.
But a friend was over there and she knows of a sale where the tickets were $100,000.00.
Ticket price refunded on your purchase! Jeez!

We will probably get another one next Spring.
Robyn wants a White Butterfly....lol!

Ric

Good morning!

It was a beautiful sunny day yesterday and it's sunny again this morning. Supposed to cloud up this afternoon. Practically calm this morning, and about 46°F.

Thank you Joey and Kiska. Your support means so much to me and I'm very grateful for your prayers. We really need a small miracle. My DG angel renewed my subscription for another year ...... I'm at a loss of words. Whoever it is - Thank You! :-)

Ric - your fish look great - that Koi is BIG! lol Unbelievable how expensive they can be.

Joey - those butterfly Koi are pretty neat! Never seen them before. You have the coolest job! I'm so happy for you :-)

The stress overload of the last two days is already taking its toll ..... I'm a total wreck at the moment. The fibromyalgia makes me very vulnerable to stress, to keep it under control I need to be pretty much stress free ..... this overload is making it flare up again. Big time. Woke up this morning with a splitting headache so I couldn't fall asleep again. I'm off to the pool for a swim, hopefully that'll do some good.

Well, hope you all have a wonderful day! This is Potentilla nepalensis 'Melton Fire'

Rann

Good Morning! All! It's nice & foggy again this morning...as it has been for a full week. It's hard to drive in it when it's right on the ground for 35 miles. It's rather cool this morning, w/a temp of 61°.
Fog: 61°F
Feels like: 61°F
Barometer: 30 in
Dewpoint: 61°
Humidity: 100%
Visibility: 2 miles
Precip in last hr: NA
Precip last 24 hrs: NA
Wind: 0 mph
Sunrise: 6:52 AM
Sunset: 7:55 PM
UV Index: 0 Low

Thanks Rann, It was well worth the wait! :D Your DH will find something good as well. :D

I don't know where my boss gets the fish that we have, but I can guarantee that she doesn't pay that much! :-O Well...she doesn't pay for them..she has an expense account.

Here are some more fish...All I know is that they are bottom feeders.

Such pretty fish! I have only a few Gupi in my small aquarium , but they are cute too!
Thanks for the good words, guys! It's been hot again, about 90, but it felt like 100 in the city. I worked yesterday and believe me it was unbearable...lucky we have AC in the office. Fall is coming here too, I just saw the first yellow leaves...ugh!
My DD is leaving tomorrow and we are having a Fish Meals Day today...I guess me and DS will starve, we don't like much fish in any meal like DD and my DH do.
I took some pictures from the garden this morning .
Sorry I can't comment now, I'm on the rush these days!LOL But so happy to have my kids at home!
Adina

Another view.

Cosmos.

Tomatoes.

Rose balsams and tomatoes...and the spaghetti vine on the fence!

Another corner in the garden with some of the last sunflowers from which the Robins ate almost all seeds!LOL They are so funny when they are arguing on them and one is usually chasing the other!LOL

I managed to save some of them, but also left some for the birds. I also had 2 ripe tomatoes .

Some of the sunflowers are starting new blooms!

They are so pretty together with the MGs!

Adina once again I am amazed at the progress there in your yard.
Having seen the progress of both the house and property from a dream to reality has been a joy!

Joey those are Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus).
I assume your owner knows to triple bag them as they have some serious barbs.
Beautiful fish but only once have I seen them kept correctly.
Our Local Aquarium has a 1000 gallon tank w/ about two dozen.
They get huge (about 16") and love to be w/ other clowns. Say 5 or more.
A tank the size of our pond would do it! LOL!

Bernie – Hard to believe it is getting cool now in the Northern climes. We’re baking like a loaf of bread!
Ric – The pond looks amazing!
Rann- Your lilies are gorgeous! {{{Hugs}}} being sent your way
Mau – Don Juan is beautiful! Fall is nowhere to be seen here LOL!
Pepper – Envying you your temps! I would have been chomping at the bit to get outside too!
Kiska- That is a great pic of the flags and mountains.
Joey – Glad you were able to rescue the ray…poor baby : (
Rann- I’m so sorry you are going through this. Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. We’re here for you.
Adina – Your garden is beautiful!

84.7 °F
Scattered Clouds
Humidity: 55%
Dew Point: 66 °F
Wind: 0.0 mphfrom the SE
Wind Gust: 5.6 mph
Pressure: 30.01 in (Rising)
Heat Index: 87 °F
Visibility: 10.0 miles
UV: 7 out of 16

Rest of Today
Partly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 90s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

I'll start a new thread on Tuesday. Amazing September is just around the corner!

Ok Boo tell me how you really feel about getting your picture taken

Rann, you're in my prayers. The beauty of nature reminds me that God is good and will work things out for the best in the long run.


It will be hot again today. It smells like smoke outside.

Van Nuys, California (Airport)
Updated: 8:51 AM PDT on August 30, 2009
79 °F
Smoke
Humidity: 29%
Dew Point: 44 °F
Wind: Calm

Rann - a coworker once told me - breath deep, walk slow & drink plenty of water, I have and it has helped, still having been recently "laid-off" myself, I know the worry and pain.
OK it has been a year, but I still remember all to well.

No rain today

Care to all

58°F under cloudy skies this evening. We have had some nights with lows in the high 40's this past week. and it sure feels like fall is lurking today. Looks like highs in upper 60's to low 70's the next 6 days, lows in the upper 40's with plenty of sunshine and no rain forecast until next Sunday.

Looks like the heirloom tomatoes I started from seed last spring are falling prey to late blight. Luckily I've already had quite a few ripen so it won't be a total loss.

rann..........So sorry to hear the bad news. Follow Dyson's and Ric's advice and hang in there. I have no doubt you will make it through this. After all, you wouldn't be living in Iceland if you weren't tough!

ric..........That pond looks like it's been there for years! Amazing job!

adina...........Your gardens look like they have been there for years! Amazing job! (seems like I'm repeating myself)

Joey...........I'm glad you love your new job. You put in a lot of hard work and effort and deserve it!


Photo: Mrs. Robison's German Bi-color tomato. These are amazing! Like eating a big piece of candy.


early_bloomer






This message was edited Aug 31, 2009 8:19 AM

Photo.........Autumn Sun Coneflower growing in the new garden.


early_bloomer

Great looking tomatoes, E_B. My tomatoes are always small. Even the Big Beef is smaller than a tennis ball.

Still hot this late in the day.

Van Nuys, California (Airport)
Updated: 4:51 PM PDT on August 30, 2009
99 °F
Scattered Clouds
Humidity: 13%
Dew Point: 39 °F
Wind: 10 mph from the ESE

We took a walk up the hill to see if we could see the smoke. This is the best view we got. This is smoke, not clouds. This is probably on the order of 30 miles from my place.

Thanks e_b the natural 'aged look' is what we're going for.
Lovely window shot!

Cool here too.
66° at 9 PM going for 50°.... Brrrrr!
We should be back to the low 80's by Friday.

The fish in and finally settling in and starting to feed a little more heavily.
It's fun to watch the little guys scream around the pond.
We cleaned the filter today.
The water is still a bit murky but should be clear by morning.
Tomorrow we'll start hiding the hoses and foaming in the rocks.

For some reason these Spring Clematis decided to rebloom.
Ric

Some people have more money than they do sense--I doubt seriously if I will be buying one of those $100,000 tickets for the fish sale! LOL

I'm behind again--great photos everyone--love all the pretty fish and the flowers. The pond is coming along nicely Ric--you and Robyn are about to work yourselves out of a job! LOL

Rann: I'm so sorry about the extra stress affecting the fibromyalgia. You'll be in my prayers!

Wow , we were considerably cooler today--it was only about 78F at 5 p.m. with lower humidity. A beautiful day, all in all. We could use some rain, though. I had to water the flowerbed along the back fence yesterday.

A bit chilly today. Low in the low to middle 40s. Mostly cloudy.

You guys up North are killing me with your low temps! I’m so envious LOL!
E_B – That tomato looks delicious. You garden is so pretty!
Kelli – My tomatoes don’t get that large either. I hope they get that fire under control soon.

75.4 °F
Clear
Humidity: 87%
Dew Point: 71 °F
Wind: 0.0 mph
Wind Gust: 0.0 mph
Pressure: 30.01 in (Rising)
Heat Index: 75 °F
Visibility: 8.0 miles

Today
Partly cloudy then becoming mostly cloudy early in the afternoon then becoming partly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning...then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs around 90. West winds 5 mph shifting to the north in the afternoon. Chance of rain 60 percent.

We had a storm move through last night, lasted about an hour. This was good since I forgot to water the lawn (hanging head in shame).

Spent yesterday in Wisconsin. We were at Maxine's, (Maxine). Also there were Marie, (marie_), & Jeff, (allnitro). Maxine served a great "farmer" Sunday dinner, Boiled potatoes, corn on the cob. & pork roast. She topped it off with homemade apple & pie & ice cream. We all tossed a few of her fresh raspberries & blackberries on top as well.
After dinner we toured her gardens. She has hundreds of Lilies of all types, lots of peonies. & assorted other flowers. Maxine has had health problems this summer, so her gardens are not up to photos right now.
Here are Marie & Maxine busy putting things away after dinner.
Maxine has a beautiful log house, she & Archie built after retiring from life long farming.
Bernie