I got up at six this morning and had coffee on the deck with the dogs. I'm pretty sure we woke up the neighbors' chickens. The dogs were barking at something out there in the dark--not just our dogs, all the dogs in the area. It may have been coyotes or it may have been deer, but the dogs didn't like whatever it was in their territory.
My morning was spent repotting plants in the greenhouse. I wanted to get some work done before time to watch the eclipse and before the heat of the day and I've been neglecting my repotting duties. I transferred my celery starts to gallon pots and divided my chocolate mint, planting the main plants to hanging pots.
I went out to the garden and the neighbors' new rooster was between me and the compost. He showed off his crowing. He has it down. Last year's roosters never mastered crowing. The new rooster is a beautiful Buff Orpington.
Later we had lunch and got set up for eclipse viewing. Kathy texted our neighbor Trish to come share our one pair of solar glasses. We passed them back and forth between the four of us (including son Patrick). Kathy set up a cardboard with a pinhole and a white canvas to project the image on. That was good for photographs, but not as impressive as the view through the glasses. At maximum (82% in our area) we ate chocolate Moon Pies.
When the party was breaking up, I returned some empty egg cartons to Trish and traded a pumpkin for some patty pan squash. It's nice having a neighbor with similar interests, but slightly different crops.
The eclipse was my second, but still a once in a lifetime experience.
When it cools down a bit I'll get out and get some more work done.
I got my tilller repaired yesterday. It feels good to have it back in working order. I've got plenty of work for it to do.
Our local box turtle was out on the driveway yesterday and I tried to get a picture, but he wouldn't slow down even for a second.
Our blurry ornate box turtle. We see him almost everyday, mostly in the front flower garden. We also have a pair of three-toed box turtles we see crossing the lower driveway occasionally.
I try to have my camera ready when an opportunity arises. This grasshopper on the gate was a very cooperative subject.
This afternoon I need to get some watering done, rake up more grass clippings, turn the compost and start prepping several beds for next spring's planting. Right now it's 89 degrees with a heat index of 98. It isn't even September yet and I'm already looking forward to laying out my 2018 garden.
Stephen
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