The Lair of the Emerald Serpent

Nostalgia for grey and rainy wintry Amsterdam is looking very attractive in the last few weeks. The solstice has well and truly unleashed the evil yellow beast and it has graced us with at least 8 sizzling days of over 36 celsius including 3 39s and a rather nasty 41. More of the same is predicted for the coming week so the Izzie has prepared by filling an assortment of plastic bottles to dole out to the prize weeds tomorrow morning so that they don't die of thirst when the serpent is not around to water them.

One good thing is that Christmas and New Year's Eve did not get caught up in the heat wave. But not to worry. Easter is just around the corner. I used to find it totally ridiculous that the supermarkets had the hot cross buns on the shelves for the first shopping day of the new year. Now they have truly excelled themselves and put them out for New Year's Eve. I should have gone and complained to the management about the lack of Easter eggs. (I am sure they will have arrived by the end of this week)

Also been busy planting an assortment of climbing beans with the intention that they will provide shade for their neighbours and cop the brunt of the sunshine.

The fact that every single tree planted since early May is still alive and thriving is a first for this serpent and the plan is to keep things that way. Getting to the end of February with no tree funerals will be the true test of progress.
There are still pecan seedlings popping up all over the place and only one of them has bit the dust.

Today was the first day back at the book store and that New Year's resolution not to add any more to the collection did not last very long.

But most of the other lessons of last year have been learned such as having a regular routine to lurk around the lair watering and looking after the weeds. In summer, either very early morning or between 5-8 in the evening are the best times to be doing stuff in the garden.

It is so much nicer outside in the evening since inside is so hot and stuffy. Even leaving a bunch of windows open to let the breeze through is bugger all use when the weather is all still and clammy.
I cannot really justify getting an air conditioner when there are only about 15 days or so in the year where the ceiling fans alone do not do the trick. It's the times when we have 3 or more days in a row over 36 or when the overnight temperature does not drop below 22 that are the killers. It's then like living in a double brick pizza oven.

Maybe we need to find some more magic beans that will grow and cover all the windows in summer and then die off in autumn.
I guess if I had planted those 3 pecan trees 10 years ago, they would already be doing that.

Yesss. Yesterday is always the best time to plant a tree but today is better than tomorrow.