Not So Fast, Sun Lusters!

Mr. Liam, having a ball under the old Ford tractor

Well, yesterday turned out to be somewhat like the bold promises and false hopes put out by certain politicians. 

Excitement was reigning aplenty about all the May Day possibilities, thanks to that morning sunshine.  

While throwing balls to dogs in the field, I was moving with an extra bounce to each step, albeit with the same heavy barn boots I've been wearing since October.  

Then it started raining AGAIN. 

May Day morning sun completely fizzled by afternoon, giving way more gray skies and more rain showers and---I'm guessing---a giant collective 

"UGH!"

A few other words may have been uttered as that all-too familiar ominous cloud cover came rolling over Schweitzer and began dumping wet stuff right about the time I had arrived home with two buckets of white barn paint.

I had figured that mowing lawn/hay field was at least two days off with the entire yard surface still sponge-like. So, maybe getting a start on adding a new coat of paint to my barnyard boards would be a good project.

Well, Mother Nature had other ideas.  I did, however, manage to get the last of my stand-up garden planters topped off with new potting soil. 

And, an ongoing project of removing dead grass and plant stems from the three big flower beds in the front yard got a lot of attention, in spite of the rain.  

While I raked and pulled grass, Bill used his chain saw and nippers to aggressively prune several out-of-control, giant AND AGGRESSIVE shrubs which have been attacking me for the past few years every time I drive my lawnmower through the area. 

This summer they'll just have to behave and thumb their noses at me as I roll past with the mower, which, by the way, received its spring maintenance from Tony, everyone's favorite repairman. 

While installing new blades and changing the mower's oil, Tony told me some news I didn't want to hear.  

Actually, I hope it's "fake news," cuz he said that he had heard that after all this rain, we're supposed to have several weeks of extremely dry, hot weather this summer.  

That's not good to hear.  If there were anything I would desperately wish to change about North Idaho, it would be to go from extreme to moderation.  You've heard it before---whatever we get in weather, we get a lot of it. 

Oh, by the way, speaking of Tony,  for anyone who may be reading this morning and thinking they're in the know, MY HORSES ARE NOT OUT.  

Another example of fake news coming from the Albertson patriarch/matriarch house up there in Gold Creek. 

Good try, Don!

Speaking of news and some really good news, our daughter-in-law Debbie has sure been appearing in the local paper a lot lately.  

This morning she made front page, along with a cast of volunteers who put the initial touches on a garden at the local food bank this past weekend.

Debbie and her volunteers, including Michele Murphree (who has helped various community entities get their gardens started) installed boxes and hauled dirt.  Another garden expert came up with a list of proposed veggies, including various colored carrots.

When the garden grows to maturity this summer, Food Bank clients will be able to pick fresh supplies to take home.

Neat project, and if you want the whole story, check out the link. 

  http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/front_page_slider/20170502/colorful_crops

Hats off to Debbie and the garden gang!

As for me, I'm planning to take on this second day with a little more caution and less exhilaration.  If I do that, maybe the sun will replace those clouds I see out both windows.

Happy Tuesday.