So we finally got the promised rain

 Of course yesterday turned out to be another hot and humid day just like most days this July and August. I might have mentioned before that the grass on our property looks dead and the only green spots are the weeds that are determent to hold on regardless of how much sun is scorching it. When the meteorologists told us that this Saturday and Sunday we could be expecting some rain, as they had done numerous times before without it coming true, I didn’t believe them and watered my plants in the evening as always. Benno had spent some time this week in his “man cave” aka his workshop making a bucket level indicator for the Kioti tractor. This gadget is meant to show the operator of the tractor if the bucket is level with the ground. When we sit on the tractor it is difficult to know or see if the bucket is level or tilted, as the lever for the up/down does not display it. Yesterday evening this “level indicator” was finished and Benno had the tractor in the garage to make final adjustments and our truck was parked outside. Just then a noisy warning came over my iPhone for severe weather with fierce winds, lightening, heavy rain and hail for our area. 

 

                                        Benno is rushing the tractor into the shelter

It didn’t take much convincing for Benno to realize that it might be prudent to move the tractor into its portable shelter and our truck back into the garage if we were to get some golf ball size hail like some folks had last week somewhere else in Ontario. We went into overdrive and hustled to move the equipment, brought flowerpots and garden chairs into the garage and even took the big sun umbrella from its stand and into the shelter. 

                      Following pictures show the parts made in the man cave

               The white ring on the rod indicates that the bucket is level with the ground

All these above gizmos Benno fabricated in his shop and even painted them and the rod in the same red paint as the factory painted tractor came with.

 

And then we waited, and waited for the predicted storm. Finally, after the late evening news we gave up waiting and went to bed. Looking out this morning, everything looked just like yesterday, all dry but I noticed a refreshing cooler air. Yes, it was again the storm that never was. So, all that excitement for nothing!

 

Today, however, we did get a good dousing and even a heavy downpour by 10 a.m. that lasted for a while. The ground just absorbed it like a sponge and I believe there is a shimmer of green where we had parched grass before.

 

                                 Monarch and Black Swallowtail butterflies in my garden

My vegetable plants are slowing down now in their production but some peppers and a zucchini are in the making as are some green cherry tomatoes waiting to ripen. I decided to sacrifice my dill plants to the 4 Black Swallowtail Larva hanging there and eating them up so we will have some more beautiful butterflies among my flowers. 

 

                                       Look at this bumble bee loaded up with pollen.

Today, for our afternoon coffee, I baked a peach and cherry galette that we ate while it was still warm from the oven. It smelled and tasted heavenly. 

 

Hoping everyone had a good Sunday and wishing you a nice week ahead.