A VISIT FROM HERMINE

LATE SUMMER - EARLY FALL 2010

Mindy sent out an email about a plant sale near her with great bargains.
Karla couldn't go to the sale, but she shared an odd happening in her parking strip:

I don’t know what happened but realized one day that I had 3 stalks of corn growing in my bed between street/sidewalk...Hope everyone is having a great summer!!

Sugar was surprised: Corn?... do you actually have corn on the stalks?

Karla replied:
Yep...thought it looked like corn stalks, but ...it was right beside those deep red daylilies ... thought they had multiplied ...it kept getting taller and taller and the foliage no longer looked the same – one day..I noticed that something looked like an ear with silks coming out top ... maybe I should have used that area for a veggie garden!...

Buffy's September turn was fast approaching but the date set at the January planning meeting was now impossible for Mindy and Sugar.

Buffy offered to make it a week earlier:
I am really ready for some cooler days... Are you all ready to start gardening again? ... My back yard looks terrible and I can't wait to have you all over! I will try to keep us in the shade and I will have plenty for us to drink

Karla was fine with the new date: I really doubt that your backyard is terrible but I could understand if it did ...too many mosquitoes and then the heat – ugh!!
Looking forward to seeing everyone and hearing about the summer fun!

Glinda said: My only gardening has been watering just enough to keep some stuff alive... soon as it's done I'm ready to run back inside. The plants are downright shabby looking - never saw so many shredded leaves from caterpillars!

Diva-Annie: I'm ready to get back into the garden, the garden of somebody that still has some living plants. mine was doing pretty well for most of the summer, till we got to the really high temps and poof almost overnight everything has died!!

Mindy was happy with the change: I'm totally on board ...brilliant!..Let's do it!

Buffy had a good project plan:
I think I would like to extend my veggie/herb garden area and clean up some beds along with adding compost and mulching....
but she also indulged in a little garden fantasy:
I also want to build a greenhouse, make a path with decomposed granite, extend some beds in the front and add a new bed on the side by the kitchen. Also, add a layer of compost over the front and back yard. Who ever has the tiller don't forget to bring it. Do you all think we can get all of that done in a day??!!

Diva-Annie was not daunted:
Sounds like a great project for the morning! Only question is .."what will we do in the afternooon?"

Hurricane Hermine became Tropical Storm Hermine - arriving in Austin the week before Buffy's project day, dumping inches of rain in a few hours.

Glinda: ..there is no doubt that the ground at Buffy's house has been softened up a little! Oz ran out twice to empty the rain gauge & it added up to almost 12"... Our rolling trash cart (and a few others) floated more than a block down the street...I think Sophia's okay since she's wisecracking on FB ... hope Karla is okay, too?

Sophia chimed in:…12 inches-yowsza! I guess we will be lightly tugging on unwanted plants/weeds on Saturday! I kept waking up thinking we were going to flood but Roger reassured me that we are up pretty high. How is everyone else?

Karla's house stayed dry inside: ...I could not believe that it continued to rain that hard for that long - every time I woke, still going!..Hope everyone is ok!

Sugar's neighborhood is flat: ...my house is dry on the inside as well...however, i have a swimming pool in my backyard! i didn't think it was ever going to stop...feast or famine!

Diva-Annie was fine: ...OK here too, although there are lots of muddy footprints on the carpet!

Mindy reported in: 8 plus inches here... high and dry on the hill, low water crossings went down quickly and all my mud puppies are out in the dog run ...get them in ... for a bath tomorrow...heard I-35 was shut down both ways at Jarrell...Will see everyone Saturday...hear it's gonna be a sauna!!

We were ready for Part 2 of the Diva of the Dirt year.