Your Neck of the Woods 2015 Part 4

Ha ha ha ha ha!! Very funny word play, everyone.

It's raining bucket loads here! We got 1 1/4 inch in what seemed like 10 minutes - the gutters couldn't keep up and my lowest bed had 2" of water in it - then we got a lull. It's raining even harder now though!
I am soooo glad I took the time to stake up some tall plants yesterday!
Ooops lights flickering....

Rumbling here---air is so thick you could cut it with a knife....5:10PM.

Went bargain shopping yesterday at "Savers". if you have one near you--GO!!!
Scored big on 3 pr. of tennis shoes.

1--two New Balance tennis shoes--one of them was A RUNNING SHOE AND had the
"rollbar" heal support my Podiatrist said i should get. Kaching! $9.99.
$149 at the fancy shoe store...

2--The other New balance (mens)had a "mid-foot strike system"--felt
really snug around the arch when i tried them on. Kaching! $5.99

3--These were by "Timberland"--a heavy duty tennis shoe that looked like
it was made for outdoor use. It was black suede and gray nylon fabric.
I think these will be weatherproof.....(Dah! Timberland!)--and they will come in
handy when fall and winter arrive. I need a fairly waterproof shoes to do all the watering...
kACHING! $7.99. i AM VERY HAPPY!

Took out the insoles and washed all the shoes and insoles in my laundry load.
Look as good as new!!!! Got lots of other stuff too....like 6 nice summer tops...
Two by White Stag. (prices $2.99 to $5.99)

I know there are people who have hangups about using pre-owned clothes and shoes.
To me---once I wash the items--they are just like mine I have always gad..
Great way to save loads of money.

The greatest little Gizmo I p/u was this B&D rechargeable single whisk mixer.
How great to just grab it and mix up some eggs. Only 1.99.

LOVE Thrift Shops!!!! Yeah! g.

Now it is 6PM--nothing happening...Sun is kind of out even. It will come! it will come!

This message was edited Jun 18, 2015 4:58 PM

I'm glad you lucked out, Gita.

We got 2" of rain here! I won't need to water new shrubs for awhile.

In my yard, June beetles seem to leave Montauk Daisies alone, and I think it's because there are other plants they find tastier. They defoliated my Joe Pye Weeds one summer, but ate little or none of the leaves the following summer because they were more interested in the Goldenrod I had just planted.

We got around 2 inches here as well.

This rain is great for the newly transplanted plants, but it was a rough drive home. There were dark intersections and quite a bit of debris (from fallen leaves/small branches) on the roads.

I bet it was! I was thinking about what crummy timing it was. It seems like most of our recent torrential downpours have been during rush hours. I'm glad you got home safely.

Wow, you guys got quite a nice rain. We clocked in at .61" last night. It woke me up at 1:18 in the morning but it was a welcome noise. Combine that with the previous night's rain and we're sitting at 1.34" for the past two days. I'm interested to see what's in store for Sunday. They say we might get some decent rain then.

Just saw the weirdest thing. I had no idea that they did this. Picture is a bit blurry as he was swinging in the breeze. It is a slug hanging from a tree branch on a string of (I assume) slime. Much like a spider would hang from his silk thread. The branch he is attached to is a good 4 to 5 ft above him.

Holly--That looks like huge slug! Or--is it just the close-up?

Gives a whole new perception of slime...

It was pretty big for the slugs we find around here but it was completely stretched out from hanging so it probably looks a bit longer and skinnier

That's pretty cool... wonder if he slid off the branch on purpose or accidentally (and is trying to slow his descent).

Water in the basement again... partly due to clogged gutter, and we have somebody coming to take care of that... but it seems part of the problem is that I put plants on the steps down to the door, and even though they are in trays or mesh flats, the potting soil is mixing with dead leaves and clogging the drain... sump pump can't keep up. Guess who is going to be moving some plants this weekend? oops

Hi Honey, I'm home!! < =)

We had a WONDERFUL trip; the drive was really nice, light traffic, not a lot of rain, great music when we weren't enjoying lots of fun chatting. The visit itself was really relaxed and productive at the same time. We spent more time hanging out at Mama's house (and less out and about) than in previous visits, so we got to get all sorts of "Help Mama" things done, which was great. While DH was doing that, I got to spend more 1-on-1 time with Grammy, and I LOVED that. She is doing really well; as gentle-and-sweet-natured and stubborn-as-all-get-out as usual - very good news. =) One of the mornings was planned to be a bit of a late starter, but DH and I woke up early anyway, so we wandered around ourselves for a bit, and enjoyed visiting a nursery that was right across the street from our hotel. What a sweetheart DH is, it was his idea that we enjoy a leisurely stroll there.

Home again now, and after a bit of recovery yesterday, we got out and about grocery shopping today (and long-term shopping at Costco to refill the fridges and freezers and pantry), and now we will enjoy the next 2 days "OFF". (which means I may be able to get outside to play a bit tomorrow). =)

Welcome back, speedie! It sounds like a wonderful trip. I really enjoy my "Help mama" time as well. :)

Sounds like a really nice trip.

warm fuzzies from reading about your trip

Batten down the hatches Jill and Muddy! Tornado warnings in your area!!

Just heard the first serious rumble and saw the flash of lightening....

Everything in my back yard is hunkered down. Cushions on chairs under cover...
all plants still in pots under cover....Not much else i can do...
I expect the downpour will hit any minute now.

Going to bed soon--up at 5:30AM tomorrow. hope I can ignore the storm
and all the noises....but--knowing everything is functional and secure makes me feel safe.
There is an odd feeling of being "safe and secure" in my bed when a storm hits.
The only thing I worry about, if there are high winds, are the trees and potential damages.

You all--stay safe! Hunker down with your lovey-dovey and enjoy the security of your home.
g.

We were enjoying watching the storm approach both on radar and on the deck- until DD called and said she crashed her car (15 mins from home, on her way home from work) and needs a ride home. She's fine ==more details later as Mark heads out just at the big band of storms hits. Mark was on the phone with her and left immediately, so all I know is she's OK, sounds fine, and needs a ride. And now it is POURING.

Sally--Glad your daughter is OK!

Still dry here--but I KNOW it will hit any minute. Radio says there are torrential rains...

Frankly--I am tired of rain! I also know I will regret saying that any day now.

G.

Sally, so sorry about your daughter's car, but relieved that she is OK. Cars can be fixed or replaced!

Joyanna and I were up the street at her "big sister" Meghan's graduation party when the storm hit... it held off until most of the guests had left, but we were still there 'cause I was playing badminton with the kids. We didn't mind being "stuck" until the thunder and lightening backed off, but we had a great time. They had young cousins visiting that Joyanna hadn't seen in a year, and I enjoyed catching up with everybody too, much more relaxed then during the "official" party with a full house.

Water in the basement again... hopefully that will be less of an issue after the gutters get cleaned next week. It just came down in such buckets that the sump pump couldn't keep up. Bad design... the only way to get water out of the basement stairwell drain is to pump it out. Maybe we need to figure out a way to cover the stairwell, especially if we ever finish the basement!

Geez glad your daughter is ok Sally. Hope everyone gets some decent rain out of this minus the damaging conditions.

Sally, I'm so glad your daughter is okay!!

We've had 2" so far and it's still coming down. There was some pretty spectacular lightening earlier. I was outside before it started to rain, and during sheet lightening I heard a "zap!" on the roof and saw a spark. It touched something metal up there. Yup, I went inside right away.

Yeah, just driving a little too fast, in the dark, unfamiliar road, and who left that telephone pole there? The car was on its last legs, , no A/C, no airbags.... we had offered to help her replace it with a 'less used' car but she was getting the last few miles out of this one. Well, with a bumper pushed into the right front tire, it probably has to be let go now.

Another wave of really heavy rain, overflowing the gutters. DS said we've already gotten an inch.

We've had basement water many times, but with dedicated examining all the drainage, extending the sump outflows, and directing gutters to an underground drain to the driveway, we are usually OK.

Frogs and toads are singing all around, feel like we're in the rain forest! I guess we are, for tonight.

If she has collision insurance, it'll probably be totaled. Sounds like a good time to go used car shopping!

We're up to 2 1/4" here, but our sump is bone dry and the backyard is draining like it should be. The grass on the lower part of my back yard will be half dead in about a week because of all the rain we've had, but I'm used to that.

Sally, I'm glad your daughter wasn't injured in the accident. And it sounds like it happened before the worst part of the storm hit your area. There were quite a few tornado warning in AA County!

We take them for granted these days, but thank goodness for cell phones! Imagine being stuck in a storm, not being able to contact your family, waiting for a stranger to pull over and help you after an accident.

Muddy, lots of tornado warnings in Fairfax County, as well! I was most impressed with the endless rumbling of thunder.

Holly Ann looks like your slug was up to no good. He/she was making baby slugs and the other he/she had just detatched. I caught two in flagrante dilecto in my yard last year and video'd them at it. They were writhing and twisting and changing colours and dripping slime all over. It was really a sight to see. I didn't have the heart to disturb them, so I just let them be and kept rolling film.

Glad all is well Sally, these things happen, I know with 4 children they all smashed up a car or 4. I think Josh has the record for the most crinkled cars, it is a miracle that kid survived to be an adult.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads and sons and daughters!

Wish we had sump outflows to extend... that's part of the bad design... the sump pump puts it down the house drain, pretty sure there's no drainage out into the yard as you'd expect. If the threshold were higher, the "well" at the bottom of the stairs could hold more overflow... but there's just a sill, not a step up. I'll have to look to see if there's anything I can do to make the doors themselves more watertight... sandbags, maybe! LOL

the sump puts it down the house drain? that's possible? check and make sure. and yeah, a sill alone, an inch or so, sounds totally inadequate.

Our cellar steps have flooded a number of times, so we've learned to be diligent with checking that, and we keep a large perforated mat over the area to trap leaves above the drain. (a package of ten interlockable hard plastic squares, so it's nine square feet plus one extra to annoy the perfectionist in me. I put the one down centered over the drain, then the nine) It also slows down sediment so not all of it goes into the drain.

That was really a storm! The gutter overflow washed dirt and mulch up against the house front, I have some cleaning up to do. One tough problem here is the house front and front sidewalk not having enough elevation from the yard. It's tolerable when gutters carry the rain.

At least the storm gives passersby a reason why my DD car went off the road, not just young driver error. Mark and DS are off to see if they can drive it, now that there's not driving RAIN to also deal with.

Glad everyone made it thru the storm with now worse than a cracked fender and leaky basement. That's crazy the lightning was so close to you Muddy. We got .95" here. During the peak of the rain we were leaving the wedding we were at. It seemed like our car was a mile away. I was drenched getting the car and then even more so going back with an umberella to get Darcy. Good times.

Oh, Sally, VERY thankful your dear daughter wasn't badly injured.

An extended grate/mat to trap debris is a good idea, thanks Sally!

I got in late and tired, so planned to deal with the basement this morning... a lot of it has already evaporated, thanks to the dehumidifier on the A/C, so I think I'll let the remaining puddle just dry up since nothing is sitting in it. The new, extra-efficient A/C seems to do a better job drying up basement wet than the old one did -- hooray!

So, I didn't have to run the shop vac for Jim this morning... but I did clean up the kitty upchuck... seems Eliot fished an onion ring out of the trash and ate it. ?!

Ewww Or is that just what all kitty upchuck looks like upon exit
X-D

LOL... no, Jim threw away a couple of onion rings in a napkin, and Eliot fished them out during the night.

Oh Sally, I'm so glad your daughter is ok, even if the car is not. That sure was a heck of a storm last night.. hit us just as hard down here as well. The power went out at about 10:30.. and we were RIGHT in the middle of a movie!! =( (on the plus side, the tomatoes sure look happy today!) :)

Critter - left-over onion ring upchuck...uuhhh... eewwwww. But, aawww, I hope Elliot is feeling better now.

I heard today is a BGE Smart energy cycling day or whatever that is called. A/C cycling from 1 to 7 pm.
I'm looking forward to the break in heat this weekend!

Oh Sally, I'm not looking forward to the 'cold' weather coming. I LOVE this heat. It's been a great summer so far. Hopefully the cool spell is short lived. Plus, it looks like it might shower on and off all weekend. That's no good for gardening activities.

Sequoia - you love this hot, humid weather? You are indeed a very sick man! ;-)

Haha, sure do. I am cold most of the time so I definitely enjoy the heat. It's too early yet for me to be looking forward to cool weather. I think I was supposed to live in the tropics ;-)

I just went to the Food Lion (a grocery store) near work and outside they are trying to sell fruit trees for 10 bucks. None of the trees have leaves....

Not much but sweating going on in my neck o' the woods, and I see Seq talking about liking this heat; GOOD GRAVY, I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Greenthumb! < =P I am sooooo looking forward to mid-80's and lower starting tomorrow, wheee!! I have work to do outside tomorrow (perfect timing for a day off), and I'm looking forward to getting out there while it's still below 80. :)
Today at work I watered, helped customers, water, helped customers, watered, customers... watered customers. =)