Well, I just got back from spraying the outer forty...not acres, but feet...maybe it is more like four feet. Anyway, because if you see something on FB you know it has to work, I just did my DIY spraying of weeks. I mixed vinegar, Epsom salts and blue Dawn dish detergent together and put it in a big sprayer. I mainly stayed around the house and up on the gravel road but I did go down to the road and spray just a tad on the embankment of weeds. Mike the Mower Man began clearing that area out today but I think he gave up. He might need a stronger weed eater or something. I am sure he will email us and let us know the progress. He did a great job in the back, so I decided to spray as many of the weeds as I could and wait to see the results before buying more industrial strength vinegar. Yes, I had to go to Walmart yesterday for the vinegar and the Epsom salts. The vinegar was on the bottom shelf and only two bottles remained. The two bottles were way in the back. I had to wait till an employee with good knees came my way to get that precious liquid that does so many things. I came home with a few more things I hadn't planned on purchasing but that is the risk of big box stores. As soon as I got in the truck the phone rang. Dang it, I thought. Roy always catches me when I go to Walmart. He teases me unmercifully that I've always been a secret Walmart shopper. Thankfully, it was Vivian but as I was driving home he did call. Must be some kind of alert that goes off on his watch or something when I go to Walmart. I tried to find what I was looking for at Lowe's, I thought they would at least have the vinegar. We bought an outdoor rug and we needed to add a couple of more to get the deck looking the way we want it to. For smallish type rugs, they are certainly heavy. When I got to the truck a gentleman sitting in his car, got out, ran over to put them in the truck bed for me. I was so appreciative of his help.
I need to rinse out the sprayer but will wait till this evening when it is a little cooler. I need to add the splitter to the outside faucet so I can not only water the new trees but also water plants or clean out a sprayer with the other hose.
*********************************************************************************
Well, what do you know? It is Wednesday morning. The DIY weed control spray works. I see a couple of big places that I should have directed more at the roots of the weeds. All the weeds that were coming up through the weed barrier and rocks are longer with us in this world. Guess I need to make another stop at Walmart. I finally got the splitter and the extension on the faucet to work together. It took a bit of work. With the temps and less humidity the air felt a bit fallish last night. We have two days of cooler temps and then it will ease up into the high 80's by the weekend.
Since we don't have anything mailed to the house I rarely check the mail box on the road but since I was down that way yesterday, I gathered all the junk mail and brought it in. Among all the junk was a notice from the Elizabeth River Tunnels, a toll charge. Until that moment I hadn't ever heard of the Eilzabeth River Tunnels nor could I tell you where they are located but I figured it sounded like a Virginia thing...a state I have never been to. A letter was transposed from the picture of the license plate to the invoice. So I did the online dispute thing and they responded they would be investigating and would respond by letter. Like a snail mail letter. Really? This is all over $3.75.
I finished up a book I have thoroughly enjoyed reading, The After Party. The setting is Houston in the 1950's mainly with the emphasis on life of the 1% in River Oaks, an affluent, if not the dream of many to live there area of Houston. It is a great place to see Christmas lights and the scary angel. The story is mainly concerned with two friends and their world as they navigate life, one accepting of the role presented and expected, the other a wild child with secrets and all the material and wealth that anyone could desire. Mix in complicated family relationships and the second tier of wanna be's. The point I was at in the book last night was the major plot twist which meant I would have to finish the book before going to bed. Loved the way the author revealed the secrets to us the readers. Well done. The author is at Malaprop's tonight speaking about her book. It is tempting to go but I probably will elect not to. I'd be bugging asking if the story is based on anyone or a smattering of any one's from back in the day...Houston stuff. I played tennis with several friends who lived in River Oaks and there are some bizarre stories. One time the pastor of First Baptist said in one of his sermons, "who drives through River Oaks feeling sorry for the people living there?" I wanted to say I do because some of their stories would break your heart. Of course there are other stories that might make one envious.
And on cue I just got an email from Mike the Mower Man and yes, he needs stronger string to work through the overgrowth on the embankment.
No comments:
Post a Comment