The CountDown Begins

9 years ago

180 DAYS TIL SPRING!! The best season of the year has ended, and the "F" season has arrived. But the final weekend of summer permitted a beach party finale and pleasant Happy Hour activities, which pushed my tally to 19 consecutive weekends at the sand box. A record that will be tough to match. If you had superb weather, and didn't go, that's your problem. If you had superb weather, but don't have a beach, now that's a problem.
The experts have already presented their unusual forecasts for the new season. Check the map, and good luck with whatever weather comes your way.

Comments (11)

Georgysmom
9 years ago
O.F., You love the beach so much, you should live somewhere you could go all year round. On the other hand, maybe it wouldn't be so special then. Now you have 180 days to anticipate the glory.
PKponder TX Z7B
9 years ago
I am loving the rainy and wet forecast for Texas. I love it when it cools to the 60s and 70s and our lakes are really low.

You must live in a northern climate, OldFixer.
Related Discussions
And sow it begins...
Q
Comments (36)
Congratulations cAROL!! You got a good start this year! Several of those are the seeds I sent you aren't they? I got 32 jugs done between yesterday and today. Tried to stick with things that need cold stratification but it's tough to nail it down with one or two seed types. There's conflicting information available so I just put those aside. I have far too many to get done to worry about the ones I'm not sure of. So far: Rudbeckia hirta 'Autumn Colors' & 'Cherry Brandy' Gaura lindheimeri 'The Bride' Pansy Penstemon 'Huskers Red' Russian sage Apple Pear Tricyrtis hirta/toad lily Phlox paniculata 'David' Stokesia 'Blue Danube' Hypericum Maiden grass Blackberry lily Trollius ledebouri/Chinese globeflower I'm most excited about the Russian sage. I harvested seeds--it's a lot of work getting at them so they'd better sprout! I've already had a comment from a neighbor who spotted the container ghetto on the breezeway. I would never have got so many done if I didn't prep jugs & write labels out way ahead of time. That's making a big difference this time. Silly me last year wrote out one label for each seed type when I actually needed multiples of each. Smartest thing I did was drag a bale of Fafard growers mix inside back around Thanksgiving. I've been taking snapshots along the way to share with everyone as the winter rolls on.
...See More
Help, I am trying to root....
Q
Comments (7)
If there is slimy stuff you need to take those cuttings out of there and rinse them off in lukewarm water under the sink. Then if there is any mushy parts on the bottom, you must cut it off up to where there is firm tissue. If you are water rooting the water has to stay very clean. Sometimes when it is warm out still, the bacteria will grow easier. It is hard to say the reason the water got bad in the bubbler. I always try to bleach out everything before I use it and rinse well. This can keep some of the bacterial count down to begin with. Once they are all cleaned up you can either continue to water root in a glass but you must change the water daily. I only put a few inches in the glass or sometimes they will rot. Or you can try putting them in some potting soil with perlite mixed in for drainage. Do not over pot. If you root them in dirt make sure not to overwater, just keep them slightly moist. Give them some indirect sun. If your branches wilt you can mist them slightly a few times a day.
...See More
Security System - dos and donts
Q
Comments (27)
Before I thought to even ask or research about a security system on the forum, we already signed a contract with ADT. I was pretty happy because it was half the price of the first quote, and we are 2 miles from small town, and 20 miles for next largest town, so just never thought to check on a more local outfit. Okay so anyways, we just finished up our install the other day. So we are still on the learning cycle, which means we are not "live" with any alarms calling anyone unless it is fire. Okay so yesterday morning, my DH forgets and opens the door. So the count down begins. He keeps punching in the code, and telling it to Stay, like it was the dog. I guess he was thinking that since he was Staying, that should shut it off. Well it didn't. It was engaged so it needed to be code, then OFF. So the countdown has begun with the initial inside alarm, and it is talking to you, so everyone in the house hears it. I kept thinking, okay he is a highly intelligent fella, it is just a matter of time before he shuts it off. I guess everyone else in the house was thinking the same thing, but eventually I got up and the teenager in the house had also already begun his crawl out of bed and he turns it off, but not before the BIG siren goes off outside. Okay so anyways, this was at 6:40 yesterday morning. We don't have real close neighbors breathing down our neck, but they are plenty close to hear this blarring alarm going off inside and outside at 6:40 a.m. on a Saturday morning. So THIS morning, at 6:40 in the morning, guess who was out mowing his yard? Coincendence? Maybe lol, but I think not. haha We wouldn't be able to hear his mowing too awfully much anyways if we were still in bed, we are insulated pretty well, but I had already been up with the horses, but anyways, we got a kick out of it :-)
...See More
Food Photo Tips: Part 10 Self-timer, Flash & Silverware
Q
Comments (2)
I have a problem with the camera I am using now in that I often accidentally set the flash because of where the toggle wheel is place. My camera looks very similar to yours, and I find it very easy to press the flash without realizing it. Sometimes it is difficult to turn off the automatic flash, and this is most irritating. Most of the photographing I do now is of furniture and of cardboard models of furniture that I make at work, and I really do not need a flash for this. In the past, I have photographed wall sconces for tear sheets and these were difficult because the finishes were often polished silver plate or polished nickel. I had to be very careful about what was reflected in the mirror finishes. Of course I had to be even more careful when I photographed mirrors, and I often did those on a dock with the background very far away, so that it would be blurred. That was before I could fix them in Photoshop. Lars
...See More
rob333 (zone 7b)
9 years ago
I went to the beach. And loved it. I have lived on the beach and loved it. I love autumn. No point in trying to fight what is so fantastic. Apples, pumpkins, warm spices, crackling fires, trees ablaze, Halloween fun, Thanksgiving meal with my kind and loving family... Yum. I have no problem. I'm happy to enjoy another fantastic season! Your map looks the same as every other year?
lindaohnowga
9 years ago
I will be counting down right with you until spring arrives again. Love the sunshine and heat of spring and summer. Can't stand being cold.
Fun2BHere
9 years ago
I'm looking forward to cooler weather. It's foggy and cool here this morning which is a great relief after days of unseasonably hot temperatures. I hate summer and hate being hot, so I welcome autumn and winter. I live in a temperate zone, so I don't have to make my way through snow and ice. I feel bad for those of you that do.
chisue
9 years ago
A special messenger of autumn showed up on a plant under my kitchen window yesterday. It's a long-haired chartreuse caterpillar the size of my little finger, and he was looking for a place to build his winter home. He has a little black 'tail' and black tufts along with black dots along his body. Now he has scaled a nine-foot stucco wall to just under the fascia board and is resting. I don't see any others. (He may have been delivered along with a big yellow mum brought to my front step by a friend.) I think he will become a very plain moth, but he's absolutely gorgeous now.
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
9 years ago
I like the rainy and wet for Texas too except Houston is in that red area along with all of Louisiana for Severe storms.
I wish for a nice long mild and beautiful fall and very little winter.
I hurt so much worse in the winter cold. I would love to live in a more tropical environment with a nice beach! I would love to be able to go to the beach every day.
party_music50
9 years ago
Even summer comes with bad weather here... I enjoy every season, as long as the weather isn't extreme and/or dangerous.

I love being outdoors and love the sun too, but you will almost never find me at a beach.
dex215
9 years ago
OldFixer ... where do you live? We live in friendly Manitoba with cold winters and short summers with lots of mosquitoes. Hubby and I are fortunate that we have a little place in Florida along the gulf. We go there for six months and have been doing that for 22 years. I love the beach which is about 10 minutes away. Especially like it in November when the water temp is in the 80s. Got my bathing suit in the suitcase already.
joyfulguy
9 years ago
I live in that gray area to the north.

I note that the area to the south is sort of gray, too.

Is the U.S. the only colourful area around?

o j
oldfixer
Original Author
9 years ago
First time I've seen the map, so can't say that it looks the same as every other year. Since it was obviously US predictions, guess other areas are not included to have any color.

The CountDown Begins

Comments (11)

Georgysmom

PKponder TX Z7B

Related Discussions

rob333 (zone 7b)

lindaohnowga

Fun2BHere

chisue

ravencajun Zone 8b TX

party_music50

dex215

joyfulguy

oldfixer
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

The CountDown Begins

Comments (11)

Related Discussions

oldfixerOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

oldfixer
Original Author