We went out into the garden and yard just at sunrise this morning. Got the yard mowed and weed whacked. Watered all the vegetables and fruit with a slow hose or the installed soaker system. Pear tree seems to be perking up a bit more as I have been running a slow hose on it twice daily at the rate of about a half gallon an hour. It is dug into a huge hole, eight feet wide by six feet deep and then filled with real dirt and compost versus the clay and sand that had been there before. I will have to get out there either late this day or very early tomorrow to tie up the heavily laden limbs. Looks to be a nice first crop of pears come August.
Heat indices are still running at 106 to 108F by mid-afternoon so we are grateful for the air conditioning. I don't remember this much heat from the two or three other times we lived in Houston area. Maybe because the builders cut down all the old growth trees when they built this subdivision and then put in baby live oaks. Live oaks live a long time but are slow growing. Of course we gave away our live oak and put in a pear tree. I want trees that produce something to eat AND make shade, the pear has grown four feet taller and wider since it was planted three years ago.
Alas, the vegetable garden is slowly dying, mostly because of the heat I reckon. Still getting a few cukes, no tomatoes, no squash, sweet peppers are very small and not doing well. The crowder peas are still producing and putting on new blooms so they are okay. The bay tree cutting we planted in 2013 is now almost three feet tall. I think we will have enough bay leaves for all the family now. We only use bay in gumbo or the odd soup so a jar full can last a long time.
George, hiding from the heat already at 11:27 am CST.