Thursday, July 14, 2011

Living Slowly on the Run

Good morning from West Virginia!

I know I've been AWOL.  But if you saw our garden, you'd sympathize with me!  It's huge beyond words! Dimensions are 280 by 60 feet plus the vineyard and gourd patch.  And amidst the recent heat wave, weeeeeeeeding and weeeeeeding and weeeeeeping water out of my forehead about as fast out as I can drink it back in...well...I just plain played out the energy into making our food for the coming year!  Thought I would stick my head back in here and look around the empty room to see if anyone noticed my absence and tidy things up before going back to the salt mines, so to speak! 

We don't have air conditioning so we keep doors (with screens on them) open all night, watch the Atomic clock in the morning for convergence of outside and inside temperatures before closing all the doors when outdoor and indoor reach balance.  It's the art of keeping cool in a fabulously designed house that takes the hot air out the tromb wall and out, and sucks in the cool when evening arrives. We've been able to maintain a 20-degree difference:  94 outside 74 inside.  Not bad.  I've draped old tablecloths and sheets (both white) over sun-splashed windows, keeping the living room and dining room in total shade.  And, it's really paid off!  We've been very comfortable downstairs.  Upstairs (where the computer is located) has been another matter.  Toward sundown, things have heated up to where it's stuffy and too warm.  So.....open the doors and wait for evening to bring relief!

The tomatoes are blooming like crazy.  Same with the cukes.  Canning season is just around the corner.

How are you all doing through this summer so far of drought and exotic thunderstorms and dust bowl conditions?

Beth, that flower is an Astilbe.  Perennial.  And it was truly that bright.  It's faded now, and I look forward to more flowers on it next year.  This was the first year with it.

Don't wait up for me.  I'll drift in and out of this blog-home as I can grab some photos that you'll enjoy.  Taking life slowly while on the run!

Love you all,
E.

4 comments:

  1. Elora -- your engineering feats of defeating a "hot house" atmosphere in your home reminds me of my mom and her tricks to keep the "hot" out of the house. She pretty much followed your recipe except for the white sheets. I would walk into the house from playing outside and it would be all hushed and dark. I liked the feeling -- it was so peaceful.

    I don't have air but I've never been as successful as my mom (or you) in keeping the heat out.

    Your garden is bountiful despite the rainless days. Do you water the garden? We have a man about 1/2 mile down the road that never waters and always has the best looking garden for miles. Wonder why that is?

    -- barbara

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  2. We don't have a garden, but if we did we would have to tend it very early in the morning and since we are having almost daily thunderstorms, we wouldn't have to water at all. When we do much of anything outside our shirts and shorts get soaked within a few minutes. We had a bit of a break today. Hope it lasts and brings you some cooler air as well.

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  3. Yes, indeed, we have noticed your absence, but know that you are BUSY, busy with your garden and all. And the heat has been dreadful for working outside. Today was wonderful though. We took calves to market today and Farmer mowed second cutting of alfalfa yesterday to bale tomorrow. I try to cut thistles and trim bushes, etc. a little each day until I melt! Take care. SW VA

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  4. I can readily understand your lack of time to blog, Elora. Our garden is nowhere near as big as yours, but it consumes a lot of our time. I haven't blogged for quite a while. We've had a terrible lack of rain here lately and it's been uncommmonly hot, so I spend a lot of time dragging our water hose about, trying to keep things alive.

    Thank you for the information on the astilbe. I feel a bit foolish---I thought it was a shrubbery! We have almost no shade here, so I suppose I can't have astilbe, but yours certainly is lovely!

    Try to stay out of the noonday sun! :-)

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