Wednesday, July 2, 2008

It's Hot - Must be Haying Time!

The Bag Lady had to set her little thermometer out in the sun in order to photograph it - the one that hangs in the shade wouldn't show up properly. But it was reading the same temperature.




One good thing about the heat is that it is making the peppers grow!





The Bag Lady's garden is suffering a little, though. She has had to resort to watering it with well water, which isn't the best thing for it. The well water has a lot of soda in it, which is hard on the plants. And the water is really, really cold, which is also hard on the plants. But the Bag Lady decided that soda water is better than no water. And her plants seem to agree.

Today is supposed to be the warmest day yet. The Bag Lady thinks she might have to find errands to run in town so she can bask in some air-conditioning for awhile! Her house actually stays quite cool for most of the day. She opens all the windows when it cools down at night, then closes them again during the heat of the day. She also turns the furnace fan on to circulate the air. It would be ridiculous to invest in air-conditioning that would only be used for a few weeks out of the year!

She knows that you folks who live in the warmer places are laughing at her, but she just isn't accustomed to this heat. She is not complaining, because she knows damned well that it won't last much longer, and before too long it will be winter again. At least, time seems to go that quickly.

It appears to be haying season. There are people cutting hay everywhere you look. The Cowboy decided to go cut a few rounds, even though he's been saying for months now that he wasn't going to! (It's in his blood, but a total transfusion probably wouldn't be much help...) He didn't get a lot cut, though, before the chain on his hay-bine broke, so the Bag Lady has to go to town and get a replacement chain. She is the official go-fer. She goes to town fer parts, and she takes lunches and twine and anything else the Cowboy needs out to the field for him. Sometimes she wonders what on earth they did before cell phones were invented! She even had to run to town once to buy a new cell phone because the Cowboy called her, set the phone on the tractor tire and forgot about it. When he got going again, he ran over the phone! (That particular trip took the Bag Lady quite a long time...it was so peaceful without the cell phone...)

16 comments:

Crabby McSlacker said...

As long as the water has soda in it, maybe the plants would prefer scotch & soda?

(Or maybe not).

I'm with you on the heat--I have to hide in a cool house when it gets too warm. I'd never make it in the tropics!

Anonymous said...

dang.
who knew you were going into town as I need a chain for the Toddlers leatherlookslikeahorse swing.

next time....

M.

Leah J. Utas said...

Ah, the world without cell phones. I still live in it and am holding out as long as I can.
Happy haying. Maybe once you get the hay cut you'll have a good old fashioned soaker.

the Bag Lady said...

Crabby - don't know how the plants would feel about the scotch.... nah, probably wouldn't go over well!
Temperature today is supposed to be 31C, (and it's always warmer out here in the country than it is where they record the temp.) but it has clouded over, so maybe it won't get that warm...

Miz - too bad you didn't let me know sooner...

dfLeah - cell phones are wonderful things, SOME of the time. In the case of an emergency.
And you're probably right - as soon as the hay is knocked down, it'll take to raining before we get a chance to get it baled and ruin it!! :)

Missicat said...

It's funny for me to hear about folks not having a/c - in this area you definitely need it, as it is sometimes warm in October/November.
When I visited my grandmother in ND, they were talking about something "combining" - sound familiar? I sound like such a city girl, I know!

Emily said...

You have some crazy weather up there! It's only supposed to be 88 here today but with the humidity it will feel close to 95. Is it humid up there or just hot? I can stand the heat, I can NOT stand the humidity.

I miss well water. My grandmother always had a well and the first house my husband & I lived in (the house he grew up in) was on a well. It was the coldest water you'll find anywhere : )

the Bag Lady said...

Missicat - they use a combine to take grain off - it cuts the stalks off, then separates the grains from the stalks, and spits the stalks out the back. The "hopper" on the combine fills up with grain, which is then augered out either into a truck or directly into a bin. They can then also go back over the field with a baler and bale the straw, if they want to. Some combines will chop the straw up quite small, which they leave on the fields to help retain moisture.

Was that more information than you wanted?

Emily - our humidity today is supposed to be 76%. Still breathable.
And yes, well water is the best for coldness, isn't it!? Just let it run a few minutes and it's almost as cold as if it came out of a fridge!

Unknown said...

I'm not very big on the air conditioning; it usually ends up making me feel too cold and its all drying and such. Plus ours at the condo is SUPER noisy. I really like fans though. They seem more friendly!

Hilary said...

Our temps are close to yours today too. I love it, but then again I love my A/C.

So far, I've avoided getting a cell phone too. I don't feel the need.. it's not like it's air conditioning or anything! ;)

Those peppers are coming along nicely.

the Bag Lady said...

Sagan - I don't feel the need for air-conditioning at home. Our house has a big over-hang on the front deck, which really helps keep the house cool. And when it gets unbearable, I turn on the fans, too!

Hilary - if I lived where you live, I'd probably want air-conditioning. The humidity would get to me, I'm sure!
The peppers really are coming along - I took that photo on Monday, and that pepper is almost twice as big this morning! :)

Reb said...

It is 24 C outside, 28.4 C inside. Tomorrow is going to be another scorcher. Part of me wants a/c, but it is only for a few weeks a year and would have to be a window unit.

Your plants are looking good Sis.

the Bag Lady said...

Reb - I've been in your apartment! It's awful when it's hot outside! If anyone needs a/c, it's you... occasionally!
Thanks, they are starting to suffer from the hot, dry weather, though. And I've run out of rain water. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

I love opening the windows whenever I can! However, I'm not as far North as you are, so I need to have an a/c. Oh, how grateful I am for that wonderful invention! :)

(But you're saving a ton of money!!!)

Hope your plants get some good rain soon.

Maggie said...

I can take the heat. The humidity not so much. Glad you're plants are doing "well" with the soda water. :)

Keep cool!

Carpe Diem said...

I can't stand the heat. I was just at the inlaws (southern BC) and MELTED in 38c weather. It has been warm here the last few days too. I've been shutting all the curtains on the south facing wall to help with the heat (plus the furnace fan) to keep the house cool.

Ahhh, just think - only 2 more months until winter ;)

the Bag Lady said...

Susan - we are pretty lucky, actually. Our weather in the summer is usually darn near perfect - 70F, low humidity. We are just going through an extreme patch right now...

Maggie - thanks! I don't like the humidity, either, and we don't usually have too much of a problem that way!
By the look of the sky, my plants might get some rain today. Maybe even some hail.... sigh.

Carpe D - that's how I cope, too. Amazing what a difference it makes, too, if you keep the sun out and turn on that furnace fan.
And thanks for the reminder that winter isn't really all that far away! *sob*