Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

Thursday evening, it has been way too windy for a fire. Way too windy for a skinny old man out there. There was a stretch today when I was turning my flowers sideways to the wind so they wouldn’t blow over that I had to bend over double to keep from blowing over myself. I’ll wait until tomorrow to rotate them back to where they belong. Here is my view of them for tonight.

It does not look like there will be much for a sunset as far as bright colors are concerned. You know I like the after sunset shot just as well anyway. This is about the best I got tonight. 

I think some of the plants are getting tired from trying so hard not to get pulled out with the wind howling like did most of the day. I had to try and clip the sugar peas back to the stakes because the wind was pulling their tendrils away from where they were holding on. It is a struggle to deal with the wind, I do get good sun but between the sun and the wind everything is always dry.

I grew Candyland tomatoes a few years ago and Carol really liked them. Good producers of real small, sweet tomatoes. I have not found them since. Every year since though, when I see small tomato plants from the previous years drops, I transplant them. I staked these yesterday and am in hopes I get tomatoes before the frost gets them. If I do then I can save some seeds and start some a lot earlier next year. I liked the old days when I would have been picking tomatoes in March and April in the greenhouse. 

We have figured out what is destroying my short sunflowers in the back raised bed. We noticed that the plant could not stand on its own which is not normal for a sunflower. We have now figured out that the same culprits that destroyed them out front last year are doing it out back this year. The little gold finches sit on the flowers and it weighs the branches down as they chew on the blossoms and the seeds. The stems now weakened do not stand up again. End result, I no longer will be buying and planting sunflowers again. 

Not much else going on. I have been continuing to cut up and split the old pines over at the neighbors and bringing it back to the hill and stacking it. More for something to do than anything else. The pile is getting bigger, I’ll try and remember to get a photo sometime.

In the studio I finished #37 for 2026. The size is the same 46” x 54” as the last four. This one was made from framing 4” blocks to get to 6” blocks then using a 2-1/2” sashing. I guess still following the progression I have been following of first one pop, then two, then three etc. For this one I popped first at 5 with Corner Pop II. After popping both sides of one end at 5, I then popped both sides of the same end at 3 to get this double star effect. 

2026-37

For #38 I am changing the format somewhat but not the size. It is coming along good except for one small section. Oh well, I’ll figure something out for there I’m sure.

At midnight I will be leaving to go to Portland to pick up grandson Parker who is returning from a visit to Chicago to see his girlfriend. I need to be at the bus station by just before 1:30. That should give me plenty of time to get there. I hope it turns out to just be a nice ride.

It is supposed to rain on Saturday, this is a good thing as everything is still quite dry. Hopefully, Canada is gaining on their wildfires. We don’t need any of them around here.

Stay safe and enjoy the summer, we will be shoveling again before you know it.