The Yard

The rains last week had me cruising around on Monday for most of the day. I was flying formation with squadrons of dragonflies as I made my rounds on the Deere…The summer numbers are here at last. There must have been a couple of thousand of the flying marauders circling and diving over the back acre. It was good to see them back in force.

One thing I noticed…The species I was doing my Red Baron impersonation with were not the same ones I see cutting the trails through the weeds next door and along the bayou behind the back woods.

It is really amazing what some good rain and a few 90+ degree days can do for a grass crop. There were places out back that had grown over a foot in the last week. It really makes the standard recommendation that you not cut your grass back more than a quarter to a half unrealistic. At that rate I would be riding the Deere almost daily during the “height” of the growing season.

Yea, I know I should be doing away with the “suburban” type of lawn. I have been letting the woods expand a few feet each year. But Mother nature, in the form of Hurricane Ike, expanded and “improved” my grassy lawn by taking out a number of mature trees that had kept the grass in check by shading a large section of our yard. Now those areas are some of my thickest grass crop.

The Muse

Yesterday started out cooler than any in a couple of weeks. I even enjoyed my first cup of muse out under the gazebo as the sun came up. I was serenaded by the local mockingbird the entire time. He was in full voice as he did his aerial acrobatics around the yard, even venturing down to the wisteria to do some tumbling flight.

The Work

My writing time this week has gone into studying the Pennsylvania mountains as I try to define the coverage area for my Pennsylvania Mountain Dreams site. I look forward to spending some more time exploring the Pennsylvania Mountains as I add to my understanding of the state.

Next I need to spend some more time with the Tennessee Mountains. At least in Tennessee, I have already figured out my coverage area. I only have to write the post and edit the list. Of course, once I have all of the lists done, I still need to build the county pages for each of the counties up and down the Appalachian chain…It’s a good thing I have the time to spare…