We're finally getting a break in the heat with 80s predicted for the next several days. No rain. And, that's a problem, as it always is this time of year. Bill received a call late last night that they need a fire information officer for the 200-acre wildfire near St. Maries. The gentleman who called assured Bill it was "just one day."
Bill's taking that with a grain of salt because he remembers the year when he got called down to Coeur d'Alene to help out temporarily. Thirty days later the job ended. We never know when the calls are going to come during August and September, but we do know not to plan that life will follow a normal routine.
Two or three times this summer, Bill has gotten geared up to start that new fence west of the house. Yesterday, he gave it a try again, getting all his fencing equipment and supplies ready for a weekend of work. So far, "geared up" is about as far as it gets. Maybe in fall.
I'm glad for the cool weather but hoping it doesn't cool down too much, cuz I've got cantaloupe. Well, they're pretty minuscule right now. If you look closely, you can make out the shape and know that they're not cucumbers or squash. I planted several cantaloupes back in February, and only one plant survived. It's covered with blossoms and has a couple of the iddy biddy fruits.
I read Alice's garden suggestions on Huckleberries Online and surrounded the plant with lots of compost. She says that helps it retain water, and I'm sure it will also keep out the cold. I'll probably go to some more aggressive measures with plastic in the next few days, but I'm not holding much hope to be cutting open a ripe homegrown cantaloupe come September. The neighbors have told me the only real successful cantaloupes they've seen were grown on a manure pile, so maybe that will be next year's strategy.
In the meantime, the beans keep growing faster than I can pick them. So far, 18 bags in the freezer, and I'm sure we'll double that before it's over. The carrots are getting so big that Miss Lily has to chomp off a bite at a time to avoid choking. She's enjoying two or three carrot treats a day, and we'll have plenty for our own needs.
It's definitely August with the smells of tansey and Japanese daisies and sounds of constant grasshopper hopping in the pastures. Taylors have their cows in the harvested hayfield across the road, and there's no prettier sight in the evening to see the herd, including Gary Finney's two longhorns (they're over to schmooze with Taylor's bull) grazing on lush green grass with their calves alongside and the Cabinet Mountains in the background.
And, in August comes the North Idaho District 4-H Show here in Sandpoint. That's today, and I'd better get moving cuz I'm going to be announcing the show. So, have a happy Saturday, be careful with fire, eat your vegetables and stay cool.
2 comments:
Marianne, back in the 60's Spokane Valley was famous for its Hearts of Gold cantaloup. They were the best, but of course all those fields are just houses now. But I wonder if the extension office there might have some info from those days, and maybe even an idea of whether or not any seeds are available. I know the altitude and Sandpoint's microclimate is different, but there was at one time a kind that grew well in the valley.
Florine, the challenge is on. I'm going to do everything I can to nurse these little cantaloupe along as far and as long as possible. This area where we live grows stuff better than any place I've ever seen. We're in a zone where the soil is the best for growing, especially trees. My garden, even though I did lose a few items to light frosts in early June, is miles ahead of any garden I could ever muster over on Great Northern Road. So, as the years pass, I'm confident that we'll find a way to enjoy some cantaloupe from our very own patch. And, when that happens, I'll share.
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