Thursday, July 2, 2015

Tinder dry



In the past two months Seattle has only had 8 days with measurable rain, and measly amounts at that.  It's going to hit 90 again today, and even hotter away from Puget Sound.

Our "lawn" looks like this:


Oh well. At least it doesn't need to be mowed! More like vacuumed. I'm keeping the flower beds and pots going with daily hose watering (quite a chore) but it's obvious I need to rethink city gardening if this weather is the new normal.

When the bamboo is gone, it will be even hotter and drier in the yard.  I look at the incredibly lush flower photos from past years, and realize that couldn't have happened without abundant rain.

 2009

These white lilies are just a shadow of their former selves.
Oh, the things we once took for granted...

Fireworks, anyone?

Everyone is concerned about fire danger over the 4th of July weekend, and rightly so. Fireworks are still sold outside Seattle limits, primarily on Indian reservations like the Muckleshoot in Auburn. It is a big seasonal business.   We don't begrudge the First People trying to make an honest buck, but really?


At Muckleshoot Reservation, the Yahoos like to buy their fireworks and then run out in this field behind the stalls to set them off.  Nice, huh?  But at least it keeps all the merrymakers in one spot.

Unfortunately, some people resist immediate gratification and bring their fireworks back to Seattle. I'm starting to hear them at night.  The plain, big, ugly bang ones are always the most popular. Go figure. The ones that sound like guns to the people who can't tell the difference between fireworks and firearms. 

In past years we've gone to Twisp for the 4th of July, but this time we'll stay home and keep an eye on things.  The holiday falls on Saturday which is nice, because John has tomorrow off. We might go out for a steak dinner. Or maybe have a barbecue.

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