We awoke on this Saturday morning to beautiful sunshine, but the temperatures weren’t so beautiful. At my house, it was in the low 30s at our wake up time and even now in mid-morning it’s only 55. It’s a cold 55, though, very much unlike the nice weather of the last couple of weeks. In fact I remember just a few days ago when 55 seemed like a beautiful day. What’s worse, we’re heading into a week of showers with one day of rain coming Tuesday. I guess Wednesday might be clear, but the morning TV weather gal said that beginning tonight, every day except that Wednesday will be showery.
I’m not complaining…yet. My yard is powder dry and if I want my lawn to even think about turning green, it must get some moisture. The lawn is too large to water by hand and the irrigation guy won’t be here until late next week to turn on and check my system. I think showery weather will be just right. It’ll rain for a while, then stop so it can sink in before starting again. That cycle will be repeated all week, except possibly Tuesday, so I think it’ll do more wonders for the lawn and gardens that a downpour which would roll off.
Since this is a Saturday, we know our daughter will be over with her dog. She gives her dog the chance to romp and play with ours and she and my wife will spend much of the day outdoors where the dogs can keep an eye on them. The dogs seem happier outside when they have human company.
I suspect my daughter will use my lawn tractor to tow around our fertilizer spreader and put the spring feeding down. Although I mow all summer, it’s easier for her to do the fertilizing as she can reach behind herself to manage the controls. Back problems hamper me.
That’ll be the last task she accomplishes. First she and my wife will till the vegetable gardens for the first time this season. That’ll loosen the soil for the showers. The garden will be tilled again next month before they plant the veggies. My wife, being the good farmer, always waits until after the May full moon before putting the veggies into the ground. There are some, like tomatoes, cukes, etc., that she seeds earlier but keeps then under protection until transferring them to the gardens.
Meanwhile, my job for the day is to make Italian sandwiches. My daughter loves they way I make them and her only request to work around here today was I make them for lunch. My sandwiches aren’t true Italians, but they contain the same ingredients. For anyone who may be reading this, I have learned that people in other parts of the country have a different name for those sandwiches which are slightly different than the famous ones invented by Amato’s in Portland.
You may recall my discussing my son’s and his family’s visit a month ago. When he called from Boston to say his plane had landed and he would be here about supper time, I asked if ‘Italians’ would be satisfactory. He said they would be most welcome but not to call them “Italians” with his sub-teen daughter around as she wouldn’t have any idea what they were. They were ‘subs’ to her. After being here for a day or so, she found the ‘Italians’ better than the ‘subs’ primarily because in the difference in the bread and a few of the ingredients.
“Subs,” incidentally, as you know, are also available around here. But a ‘sub’ isn’t an ‘Italian.’
Our dog will be happy for a few minutes as our daughter prepares to head for her home. Doggy Gator is heading for a sleepover with his sister. DG loves going to daughter’s house, but when we head over there the next day to pick her up, she’s ecstatic to see us and races to the car for the ride home. It’s probably not necessary, but we like to give the fertilizer at least 24 hours before our dog is on it for a variety of reasons. Health safety is the primary one.
Thus is another Saturday in Maine’s Gatorland. Hmmmm! Gatorland. That brings back very long ago memories of a little establishment in Gainesville. But I’m off the track.
Enjoy your Sunday and we’ll be back Monday.
GiM
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