A very hot day yesterday, another nearly as hot today. A quick short neighborhood walk to get a photo of an Agave flower stalk. I ventured out at 7:30 am and the heat was already awful.
Yesterday, stuck indoors I happened to find a photo of the above area taken in November, 2000, with a film(!) camera. Lawn, weird!
There's the 'Mr. Ripple' Agave flower stalk I walked to admire. It must be close to 30' (9 m) tall:
A different neighbor's young birch tree has died. Birch like plentiful water, something that is costly here:
Another neighbor's Lagerstroemia tree, in better health:Back at home, one of the Drimia flower stems, now curving and twisting. Every day the shape differs as the flowers open.
A little Mantis was looking for breakfast on an Echinopsis:
Peek-a-Boophane:
When I took a photo yesterday of the 97F temperature reading, this is what was happening next door:
That must have been blistering work. There but for the grace...
I'm glad to hear you got an early start on your jaunt! The heat is awful (albeit worse still in some of the inland valleys). I need to make another trip down my back slope to check on my own Drimia but I've been hoping for a little bit of a cool-down before I suit up in protective gear to enter the den of the fire ants.
ReplyDeleteWe took the pups at 6:45am, then I went back with a camera. It was hot even at 6:45am!
DeleteAt least another week of this...what a miserable end to a month that started so nicely. Must remember, could be worse.
Stay cool.
We have similar temperatures here too and am not loving it. Am able to only spend a few morning hours in the garden. Can't imagine having an outdoor job in this heat. Looking at the picture of the giant agave stalk noticed the opuntia in the foreground with a ton of fruit. Must have been a gorgeous bloom. Stay cool.
ReplyDeletePrefer the current landscapingr Way more interesting.
Opuntia, a lot of that fruit is from last year when the plant had a massive and extended bloom. It had relatively few flowers this year, and some fruit also.
DeleteFun story about the Opuntia--the neighbor drove her son to college in SLO some years back, and stayed at a motel where the plant was growing and not paid much attention. A pad was broken off of it, so the neighbor picked the pad up and brought it back home and planted it.
Thanks, I too think there are a lot more interesting plants than a lawn.
We just had close to 100 temps over the weekend but it is better now. Your garden and neighborhood look great regardless of the heat!
ReplyDeleteThe plants can take a few days of heat, but this is the 8th, and another week at least to go. :(
DeleteHappy your extreme heat did not last too long!
The grass does look out of place in your garden. Your garden is so much prettier now. And oh mercy, I have been seeing on the news about the heat out your way. I admire those that can get out and work in any kind of extreme weather but a roof in this weather...sheer hell.
ReplyDeleteThink so? Good to hear, thanks. The grass never looked all that good because the soil drains so quickly.
DeleteThat man on the roof, oh did I feel bad for him! The neighbor scheduled the repair back when the weather was quite mild, and then...it wasn't.
Yay for Agave stalks! And your Drimia flower stems are crazy cool.
ReplyDeleteSomething fun to distract from the heat wave. It does help.
DeleteAs I mentioned on another of your posts recently over 110º for now almost 4 weeks. And I too feel so sorry for those working out in this terrible heat. It must be so difficult for our wonderful landscapers, roof workers, and others outside working. I don't have anyone come at this time. I couldn't bear seeing them out there.
ReplyDeleteIs it still that awful? Very sorry to hear that. We're getting slight relief here two or three degrees--if only it would cool down at night it would be a lot easier.
DeleteI have some repairs I would like to get done, but between the heat and Covid-19, it isn't going to happen for months, maybe until next year.
Take care! 110F just isn't safe for any amount of time.
That heat would get old fast! Glad to hear you are able to get a few outdoor things done, even if it's for just a few minutes in the morning.
ReplyDeleteThat grass! So much more interesting to use the water for roses and other goodies.
Yep, one day of it is one day too many. I spent some hours reading about David Foster Wallace and his notion that
Delete“Bliss—a-second-by-second joy and gratitude at the gift of being alive, conscious—lies on the other side of crushing, crushing boredom. Pay close attention to the most tedious thing you can find (Tax Returns, Televised Golf) and, in waves, a boredom like you’ve never known will wash over you and just about kill you. Ride these out, and it’s like stepping from black and white into color. Like water after days in the desert. Instant bliss in every atom.”
Lately stuck indoors, every day has been like Televised Golf. Bliss is right out there in the garden. It just needs to cool down.