Scene on the North Platte

Finally we are getting rain in Penrose. I nearly abandoned my garden last week after spending time trying to decide if it was best to just stop watering or if I should pull the plants. I watered every day last week when afternoon temperatures were reaching up to 106. It just felt like I was wasting my time and the money that will pay for the water used. But Sunday, when no one home, we received two inches of rain, according to the neighbors. We could see the run-off residue and by Tuesday, the soil was still damp.

Arkansas River Scene

This meant that the weed pulling was good, actually not just good but great. And as I pulled the weeds from the desired plants in my garden, I discovered several volunteer tomato plants and even some misplaced lettuce.
It rained again on Wednesday and then quite a bit on Thursday. Three times in one week. This is unprecedented for this year. Can it be that the drought is over or is this just a teaser? There is another eight weeks of the growing season, so possibly I can still get tomatoes, peppers and corn. The cabbages are getting larger and this rain will certainly help out the onions and carrots.

My Weedy Garden

My hope has been restored, at least for this week and now “I’m singing in the rain.” (I just wish I could do that wall flip that Donald O’Connor does.)

The Capitol building was the starting point

Riding in the annual Moonlight Classic ride Saturday night in downtown Denver with over five thousand other riders, was a fun unique experience. The bicycles there were of every shape and size; many were decked out with lights and everything else imaginable. The same can be said of the riders.
As one who generally rides alone, I was initially apprehensive, but it was lots of fun. The night was a perfect 75 degrees and the clouds lurking over the mountains didn’t even block the full moon. I don’t see clearly at night, but this wasn’t an issue because most of the streets were well lit.
It was our night. Cars were banned from the streets on which we were riding and police held back traffic so that we could run stoplights and stop signs.
I’d only tried riding at night a couple of times before – once in junior high I snuck out of the house and rode to my friend’s house about a mile away. I was surprised that it was so dark and how little I could see. (duh – I didn’t have a headlight or even a flashlight). Her house was dark, so I rode back home. As an adult, I put a self-generating bike light on my ten-speed and did some night riding, but discovered that even with the light, I couldn’t see as distinctly as I needed to.
However, this was enjoyable. Other riders were friendly and courteous, the night air was comfortable and the synergy was hypnotic.
Yes, I’ll do it again.

Greenwoman Magazine - Primiere Issue

The best thing that happened to me today was getting to see the first issue of the exciting new literary garden magazine, “Greenwoman.” This magazine was created completely by my friend, Sandra Knauf. I had the privilege to see the process from the seed of an idea to its publication and it is a work of art indeed.
I urge and encourage you to purchase a copy or to go online and get an electronic copy,

especially if you like smart, snappy writing, unique art and/or reading about the art and process of gardening. (It is an art, you know. Some people can grow anything and others cannot coax anything to grow.)

Showy Milkweed

The next issue will be the winter/spring issue in early 2012.
The address for subscriptions is: Greenwoman Magazine
PO Box 6587
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-6587
The cost is $12.50 for two issues or $24.00 for four.

Lupine

To purchase a single copy, a digital issue (only $3.95!), or a subscription, go to http://www.greenwomanmagazine.com

Roring Arkansas River - just a few miles away from my parched garden

We actually got rain yesterday here in Penrose. As I whined about last blog, all the surrounding areas have been getting rain, except for us. So finally, at 4:00 on Thursday the dark skies burst forth with wet drops. (Fifteen minutes later a lightning strike took out our power for four hours, but that’s a different story.) Of course, we haven’t had rain in so long that we didn’t have a rain gage out or even a bucket, but it looks like we probably got at least ¼ inch. That meant that I didn’t have to spend hours watering all the trees on our five acres using metered water. Hallelujah.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that now that it’s remembered how to rain, it will continue. Now that it’s rained, everything is easier: the weeds pull easy, I can more easily make wells around my two and three-year old trees, and the air smells fresh and clean too. What’s not to like?

Mr Bullsnake climbs the door jam

Last week a Bull snake visited us on the patio, drank from the hose and then decided to try out some of his climbing moves on our brick house.

Mr Bullsnake does a figure-O

This guy was good – I’ve never seen anything like it.

Mr Bullsnake forms the Letter Q

The Amazing Mr Bullsnake - isn't he cute?

Maggie, cooling off in the stream

I’m not a big fan of July. If it’s going to be hot, July is the month for that and July is usually when the bugs start appearing in large numbers: mosquitoes, flies, grasshoppers. I especially hate the bugs that bite.
I’m not a big fan of hot days. Temperatures in the 80’s are fine, but when the thermometer goes into the 90’s and even beyond the century mark – I start feeling like a swollen, limp noodle.

It's so hot, even this snake wants to get inside the house

The best gardening times are early morning and late afternoon and evening. My problem is that I like taking a bike ride first thing in the morning and by the time I get back from that, the temperature is rising rapidly. So, that leaves the end of the day for my gardening efforts.
Occasionally I try braving the sun and heat, but usually I only last twenty minutes before I feel like I’m getting a heat stroke.
Whine, whine, whine. I know – the main problem here though is the lack of moisture. I understand from my family and friends that Colorado Springs and Denver have started getting afternoon rains, but here in Penrose we get the edges of the storms. We hear the thunder loudly enough to make our dog retreat to the house and we get strong winds, but so far, no moisture.

Now that's a pool - - Glenwood Springs Pool

This is the month when I’d love to have a backyard swimming pool.

The Vegetable Garden

I have high hopes for July and am thinking rain. I’d do a rain dance if I knew one. Our ditch water was turned off last week for the second time and I have a feeling that this time it is permanent. There just isn’t much water in the system. I’m using ‘city water’ to try to keep my garden alive.
I dug some of my garlic because the tops died back. They are

Garlic patch in May

rather pathetic little clumps, but certainly eatable. I got only one picking of spinach. It bolted in this oppressive heat. I figure that at least I paid for the seeds and garden-fresh spinach is priceless.
I had a picking of strawberries and quite a few more raspberries than last year. I was surprised to find snow peas still blooming and producing. Generally they don’t like the hot days. I guess the cool nights we’ve still be having have saved them. I’ve been just eating them for a snack.
There will be no apples this year, the frost saw to that. I will miss them and now that I’m addicted to eating cooked apples every morning, will have to buy a bushel or so when they are available. It won’t be the same, but we do have to adjust to our environment.
My tomato and pepper plants are hanging in there. They seem small but I’m seeing blossoms, so I’m hopeful about that.

Kale - Pretty and delicious

Kale is my new surprise vegetable. It’s easy to grow – it’s pretty and tastes wonderful raw. I read that you can cook it, but so far, I’m too busy enjoying it in my salad.
The carrots are finally looking good. I think I planted them too deep – again.
A big problem right now is the weeds. I’ve had very little time for weeding, but need to get on it.
Why can’t the days just slow down for a bit, so that I can get caught up on all the things that I’m trying to do?

Picture from Day One

A week ago I was zooming down Rabbit Ear’s Pass towards Steamboat Springs. In one way it seems like ages ago – another world and yet, I can put myself there, on the pass. I can feel the cold wind on my face and look in wonderment at the gorgeous scenery. Each breath a blessing, each vista a glimpse of the vast beauty that is Colorado. With each revolution of my pedals, I am taking in as much energy as I am exerting.

Camping in Frisco

That is why I am addicted to riding my bike in Colorado. For me, the week-long BTC is a week-long meditation. In a few weeks the memories of this experience will fade some, but never completely. Smells, sights and sounds will trigger it and once again I’ll be sitting on top of my bike while sitting on top of the world.

Black Lake near the top of Vail Pass

Yes, thank you for asking. It was a wonderful week.

BTC 2009

Tomorrow I leave Penrose and drive to Central City to check in for the BTC. This will be my sixth. In 2005, when I rode in my first BTC I had no idea that I was starting an addiction. In fact, for several years I’d tell myself as I rode, ‘this will be the last time that I do this.’ But when a new route was posted and it contained Colorado towns that I’d never been to and always wanted to visit – I’d sign up again and start the rigors of training.

Aid Station - BTC 2010

I’ll get up early on Sunday morning and start riding with daylight. I’m nervous, but I feel ready.
Dale has agreed to water while I’m gone and that is going to be a big thing because our ditch water was turned off last week. He also stays home and takes care of Maggie as well as driving me to the starting point and picking me up a week later. It’s nice to have support.
I’m looking forward to riding on Colorado roads that are new to me and spending time in Colorado mountain towns that I’ve only driven through or in the case of Steamboat Springs, never even seen.

BTC 2010 - On the Road

Our day off is in Glenwood Springs and I plan to take advantage of the healing waters there.
I won’t be blogging again until June 28 so happy Summer Solstice to you all.

A few weeds - hanging out

I think that weeds should be included in the list of things that everyone must endure. So it would read “there are three things certain in life; death, taxes and weeds. Of course if you don’t garden, or try to, then this wouldn’t apply.
A weed is really just a misplaced plant. I always think of the lonely petunia in the onion patch, but I’d leave the petunia there, in fact last year I had several volunteer petunias in my vegetable garden and they seemed happy.
Keeping up with weeding takes diligence and persistence. I enjoy weeding, especially the day after a nice rain. The plants are still wet and the ground is muddy, but one day later the ground is still moist. Right now, the tansy mustard (thanks Lucy) are out and they are the perfect weed to pull – tall, straight with one root. A gentle pull and they easily come completely out of the soil. No dirt clings to the root, a clean pull. There is something sensual about this, the clean pull.
I pull two handed, wearing gloves which soon are full of grit. I’m not sure how this happens, my glove fingers fill up with soil unless I’m wearing brand new gloves. Sometimes the material of the gloves impedes getting close to the roots and it’s most satisfying to yank those pesky plants up. Last year I tried weeding while wearing the thin plastic gloves that come in hair dye packages. They worked fairly well, but my hands got hot and wet because they couldn’t breathe.

Not a weed-free garden

It’s still early in the growing season and I have visions of a weed free garden. In my dreams, yet as I walk from task to task I often see a weed that just has to be pulled right here and now. Then I get hooked and continue the process for much longer than I intend. Pulling weeds is addictive. I fill buckets, garbage cans and wheelbarrows with them.
My husband keeps suggesting that I should use a hoe instead of weeding by hand and he likes to mention that we have five acres and I cannot possibly weed them all. But its not about that. There’s something basic about having my hands in the soil and bending down to pull the weeds, then looking back at a clean flower bed, tree well or vegetable row. It’s very satisfying.
There’s even something cathartic about weeding. I constantly think of analogies and sometimes assign bad habits to the weeds. “These weeds represent the bad foods that are in my diet, or these represent my self-doubt.” I like listening to the birds and watching the day while I’m weeding. I have so many places to weed, that I frequently start at one spot and then end up somewhere else, but it really doesn’t matter. They all need to be pulled eventually.
One problem with having rain is that the weeds grow faster than the vegetables and flowers. If you don’t stay on top of the weeding, all the desirable plants disappear and then it can be difficult to identify the plants you want. Last year I pulled all my basil because I didn’t know what it looked like and after being gone for a week of no weed-pulling all my vegetables were overrun with bindweed.
Just like I have my favorite weeds to pull I also have those that I hate. Last year at the end of summer I concentrated on battling two weeds: goat heads and fetid marigolds. My mission was to eradicate them from my property. The goat heads have a delicate yellow flower that produces an excruciatingly painful thorn. They are also called puncture weed. I’ve found that a dandelion digger was the best tool for getting most of the plant without getting stabbed by a thorn. Fetid marigolds are a fall plant too. I am allergic to them so everytime I walked through one I knew it immediately and I stopped to pull it up. I’ll find out in a few months if I was successful in my battle.
Another noxious weed that I hate is the Canadian thistle. I’ve battled these for years in several yards and found that the best thing is to just continue to cut them off whenever I see them. It doesn’t kill them, in fact they come back thicker, but if they don’t bloom, they don’t spread. I only have one area in my yard where they are growing and I’m hoping to keep them contained. They are so persistent that I have been tempted to use “Round-up” on them, but I refrain.
My dad was the one who taught me how to weed so I often think about him when weeding. As a girl I remember talking to him when he was weeding and then starting to help. He showed me which plants were the weeds. Last year he had some annoying shamrock flowers growing in his garden area. They were delicate and tedious to pull. He told me that he accidentally got them started by discarding a winter flower arrangement and he’s fought them for ten years.
Dad still weeds his yard as much as he can. I know that it bothers him that he can’t keep it up to the showplace level that he used to achieve. My yard will never be a showplace, but I do enjoy being outside and watching things grow, including the weeds. I’d be out there weeding now, but it’s dark. My husband suggested that I could wear my headlamp, but even I’m not quite that addicted.

Frayed Flag in Penrose

When I first saw this flag in our Penrose neighborhood, I was shocked. I thought about all the flag rituals that I learned as a Girl Scout – how to properly raise and lower the flag, proper reverence and what to do with a worn out flag. (I believe it was supposed to be burned.) These thoughts reminded me of the lyrics from ”Don’t Put it Down,” a song from the ‘60’s Rock Musical, Hair.

“Folding the flag is taking care of the nation, folding the flag is putting it to bed for the night….” **
As I rode on and thought about this pathetic, shabby, ratty flag, I felt like indeed it is the perfect symbol for our country today. I feel like we are overstretched with our involvement in more than three wars, our overextended economy, the housing crisis and on top of all that the tremendous havoc that is being caused by record breaking tornados, flooding and other natural disasters.
Yet, we still are proud, strong and most importantly free. We hold ourselves upright and fly proud, of who we are and what we can do. And we try to help out other countries, even those that don’t like us, and there seems to be plenty of them. For the most part, we do the best that we can.
Yes, the more I look at this picture of this well-worn flag. I see the beauty that shines through it and am no longer shocked. Instead I feel proud and humbled.

(For complete lyrics for “Don’t Put it Down,” visit : http://www.burbler.com/hair-soundtrack-dont-put-it-down-lyrics.html