A Spider, A Freeze, and A Tree Removal
Hey, Friends! How are you today? I hope you all are doing well.
It's been very cold today. The night before last we were under a freeze watch for possible sub-freezing temperatures, so I covered the roses. Last night we actually had a freeze warning, so I just kept the roses covered and protected from the day before. The last couple of days have seen high temperatures more appropriate for mid-March, not late April. I hope this was Winter's last gasp (finally!) until December. Our official last frost/freeze is not until May 10th, so anything could happen; however, looking at our forecast, it looks as if we may have one more chilly night and afternoon before temperatures consistently stay in the 60's during the day.
Remarkably, the freezing temperatures did not blight my lilac blooms; which reminds me...I meant to clip some for the house. I'll do that tomorrow. While I was outside, I took a good look at my roses. The Knockout rose is thriving, as expected. This variety is very vigorous and sturdy! I thought my Miranda Lambert rose might have some problems, but she's well on her way; not as far as Knockout because I gave her a rather good pruning, but she's doing well. My Don Juan rose, however, looked like he was gone, but lo and behold! I found a green cane on him with new leaves! My dear little underdog is hanging on! So I'll put the trellis by him to see if I can train him onto it when he gets bigger. Seeing his new growth truly made me happy! The established rose bushes in the driveway planter and on the east side of the house are thriving since I pruned them, as are the hydrangeas at the front of the house. They had a lot of dead wood on them from last year, as I was unable to get out and take care of them, thus they're looking a little bit spindly, but they also look happy. They're really leafing out now that they can concentrate all their energy on growing. My favorite mock orange is almost in full leaf, which means it won't be long before I'm enjoying the delicate scent of its sweet little white flowers. I can't wait! I look forward to it every Spring! Some of the tulips Aunt and Uncle planted are popping up, as are the grape hyacinth. I have to stay clear of those because they make my allergies play up, but their cheerful color sure has been enjoyable. I just love flowers of all kinds.
I was resting in my recliner after helping Jon put away groceries when I noticed a broken blister on the underside of my right forearm. I gently rubbed the remainder of the blister away and saw the two telltale holes. Spider bite. It was probably a yellow-sac spider; we have them in spades around here. They are poisonous but not dangerously so. The bite bled for a bit and was rather angry-looking, but it's okay now...just a little sore. The little turds are great for insect control. On the whole, they keep the bugs to a minimum, but they can be aggressive sometimes. Somehow, during my sleep, my brain must've registered that something was crawling on me, and I swatted at it, making it mad. I need to ask Jonathan to take a duster to the underside of my bed and the area surrounding it to clear out any webs that might be there.
Yesterday, the tree by my bedroom window came down. My heart hurt seeing it being cut. I really loved that tree. It provided a cool shade for my bedroom, and the woodpeckers often ate from it. I got a good look at them a couple of times. Polo loved to stand at my window and chatter at the birds. But, it was a safety hazard at only six feet from the house. Miraculously, it survived being struck by lightning and was leafing out for the season, but Uncle correctly felt that it was too risky to leave it. I watched the whole procedure from my window. It was fascinating. The boon truck was able to park at the front of the house and stretch over the roof to pick up the tree. One guy cut the trunk at the base and all of a sudden, the tree was floating upward. It didn't quite go as planned, though. The trunk shifted and struck the gutter of the office, causing the roof to make a very unsettling cracking noise. It went from the door all the way back to the house. But Uncle and the guys checked the roof and the gutter, and it's all okay. They also helped Uncle clear up some brush at the back of the property, and they trimmed a few low-lying limbs from the big maple by the back door. Overall, this group did a very nice job; they were fast, efficient, and left the property looking nice and clean. I was impressed with them.
I had to laugh at one moment. One guy, who had a reddish-blond beard, was lifted up into the tree to help remove some of the higher limbs. Barely a minute later, I saw the same guy walking from the back of the property with a cigarette in his mouth. Huh? They were twins! LOL. That definitely made me do a double take.
I suppose I should end this diary entry now. May each of you reading my diary be blessed today.
Always,
Kelly