Summer Blackberries

It would seem that the heat of summer is finally upon us.  Wicket and I attempted a walk, but it feels like trudging through a sauna and we only made it half a mile before returning for an ice cube and popsicle, respectively.

Before it got too hot we spent some time in the backyard picking blackberries.  When we first moved into our home two years ago there were just a few blackberry bushes in the backyard.  I thought they had exploded last year, but this year they seem to have taken over the back fence.

They've even cut off the access to the part of the yard behind the guest room, where I'm afraid to go for fear that the weeds are waging a war of their own.  I'll have to be really merciless this fall when I cut them back, make them a little more manageable for next summer.

I hope that Richard fares well on his second (official) day back at school getting everything ready for students, and isn't too affected by the heat.  He and I spent two days last week unpacking the new keyboards for the library computer lab and scrubbing down every last computer monitor.  I think its safe to assume that for a least a day that will be the cleanest, shiniest computer lab in that school.

Gardening and Blackberry Jam

This day started out strangely indeed.  After a night of fitful sleep I wound up staying in bed till noon.  A combination of back pain and exhaustion must have hit me just right, and left me feeling downright useless.  But at least the afternoon was more productive than my morning.

A few days ago Richard's Uncle Roger and Aunt Nancy let us know that during their recent landscaping they removed a lot of day lilies perfect for transplanting.  We were excited to use them in some of the barren spots in our front garden.  My in-laws kindly picked them up while they were out fixing Uncle Rogers' computer...at which point we discovered there weren't just a few day lilies - there were more than forty full-grown plants.

We spent hours this afternoon getting them planted, and we still have seven more lilies to plant in front of the railing by the front door.  But first we need to get that dirt loose enough to dig up.  All this gardening reminds me that I really want to start keeping a garden journal.  Especially as we add more to our already plentiful gardens.  Currently the day lilies are less than photogenic, so for now here is a rose, the tiniest rose growing at the edge of our lawn a couple inches off the ground.  The bloom is about the size of a half-dollar piece.

I spent an extra couple hours in the backyard cleaning up all the overgrown mess that happened while we were in Maine.  Oh, right, we just got back from a two week vacation to Maine, but that's another story.  While I was out there Richard made another batch of blackberry jam.  Judging by how heavy the  blackberry bushes are this season we'll have to make a few pies and buy some more canning jars!