A RAMBLER

Another perfect Summer day! This has been the most amazing late Spring and early Summer. It has been a little too hot at times, but mostly, it has been ideal. It is 74.1 F at this moment. It has been down to the fifties at night, perfect sleeping weather. When it is nice like this, I forget about the three to five days in a row, where we might have excessive heat.

Everything is so lush! Which puzzles me. With so much natural food, why are the deer coming into the yard to dine on our perennial gardens? We probably have fifty Hostas planted in several different places. The deer have found most of them and have eaten them down to stalks. What is so interesting is that, we lived here for 42 years and had Hostas, most of that time, and this is the first time they have eaten them. Deer are interesting creatures. For twenty years they ignored my apple trees, then they tormented them for five years, now this year, they are leaving them alone. I am talking about young trees. They can't hurt old trees, except to nibble on low branches.

The deer may have given my Mock Orange the death knell. I love Mock Orange bushes. We are bordering zone 3 and 4. I planted a Philadelphus virginalis some twenty years ago. After 3 or 4 years it wasn't thriving. I moved it to a better location [more Sun]. It thrived, after a couple years, it reached about five feet and had a few blossoms. It should have bloomed profusely the following year. However that winter was open, meaning no snow, and very cold. {2001-2?} It was dead in the spring, however, it came up from the root. Ever since then, one disaster or another, would happen. Once, I backed over it with the mower. It takes a long growing season and a favorable Fall for the new sprouts to harden off, well enough, to survive the Winter. This Spring it looked good, it was a few feet high and it looked like it could make a comeback. Well, it was this year the deer decided it was a delicacy. If I plant another Mock Orange it will be a hardier variety.

We are trying an herbal deer deterrent. I will let you know how it works out.

We didn't make it up to visit my sister Sandy, on Saturday. We were hoping to lounge on the shore of Mille Lacs lake. I couldn't get my brakes repaired. The grinding noise continues and I don't think it is advisable to drive it more than I need to. I have an appointment with the garage for this afternoon.

Instead I mowed the lawn. I got half of it done on Saturday. I checked out the weather forecast for Sunday and it was supposed to be clear in the Morning with a chance of rain after 1PM. “Good”, I thought, “I will get the lawn finished on Sunday Morning” On awakening, yesterday Morning, it was raining. It rained or drizzled all Morning. It cleared up about 1PM and the grass was sufficiently dry that I could mow by 2PM. I was happy to have the lawn all cut at once.

I don't mind that the weather predictors get it wrong occasionally. They are spookily accurate most of the time. It is nice to know Nature has a few tricks up her sleeve.

I know this isn't a typical blog. I don't feel like getting into anything heavy and I don't feel particularly profound. Well I never actually do, any profundity, whatever that is, is by accident.

All that I know, is to live my life in the most loving way possible. Love everything. Forgive anything that displeases and have a kind word for everyone I meet. It's the way to be HAPPY.

Love and Peace, Gregg