Things they are a changin...

The chickens were in bed last night by 7:30 pm...not sure why they went so early, usually its 8pm and sometimes 8:30 pm before they finally decide to head to the coop. I was surprised. Hmmm, wonder if it is due to fall being just around the corner? Haven't really been around chickens since I was a little kid, so I'm not sure, just thought it odd based on their normal habits.

Was supposed to take a short 'road trip' with my girlfriend this morning, but it has been changed til tomorrow. There is a place north of us where our family has held gatherings and camped that is so beautiful....L's daughter is coming in and is wanting to camp there this weekend. It's called Princess Place Preserve http://www.flaglerparks.com/princess/history.htm, the link takes you to the Flagler county site and gives a bit of history on the place. 1500 acres on the water that is just so awesome...one of the reasons we were going up is to check out if it is too flooded for a camping trip. Tons of wildlife, hiking trails and canoe trails as well. It is strictly tent camping and is very primitive. There are shower houses and porta-pottys, but you have to haul your water to the campsites...my kind of camping. The sites are huge...we've had as many as five tents on one site and still had plenty of space.

Our morning is beginning like every other day this month...cool and breezy til the sun begins to draw the water from the ground to the air....temperatures are expected to be in the high 80's and the heat index is supposed to feel like 100...I'm sounding like a broken record. Last night the humidity was once again so mucky that the house stayed closed and the A/C was on. No afternoon or evening rains means the steam just hangs until the wee hours before sunrise.

Hubby was up early, before the alarm, in the shower with the steamy hot water trying to ease his aching head and back. Some of this is from the accident injury with the chipped vertebrae and the head is mostly allergy/sinus. Nothing was giving him relief this morning...he popped a couple Advil and headed off to work. My heart goes out to him as I know too well how debilitating pain can be. He's afraid if he gives in to the pain, he'll be down for the count. SIGH...guess I'd be down for the count as I am over doing the things that create the pain....but he's working to support us.

All the water from Fay is still making things a challenge in our yard. Hubby put the mosquito baits out the other day and it seems to have made some difference. Hard to tell though as we have so much water in various places. Get rid of the ones on our place and they'll visit us from the neighbors....HA!

It looks as though I've found something that Four o'clocks don't like....two weeks of heavy rains...the poor things look withered and curled out by the split rail...that area doesn't even hold water that bad, so I'm surprised there! The ones in that area almost look as if they have suffered from extreme drought. I'm sure there is a bit of heat stress going on there as well. Time to cut them back...still time for them to come back before it turns cold. The ones at the end of the trailer sit a bit higher and they look pretty good. Even the Lavender is suffering...poor thing is wilty since all the rain and it was really looking nice just prior to Fay slapping us around. The Rhubarb has disappeared entirely, guess it had to be the rains as it is still protected with the cage.

For now, I have Cantaloupes starting to flower in the urns out front....these were the transplants from the chicken yard. The tomato starts continue to show progress and must have sprouted roots as they are all three looking good. Now to see if they will produce. I'm hoping this will happen and if it does, then definitely will be taking cuttings as I seem to have a hard time getting them to grow from seed....could just feed the seed to the chickens and let them do the work.

Haven't been out to the garden plot lately. All the water and the humidity just make me want to stay inside. Its been so miserably hot and mucky, even with the A/C....a sign I'm getting older I guess. There was a time that the heat and humidity didn't bother me much at all....just making it that much easier to want to head for the mountain.