Garden exercise

 

The climbing rose "Joseph's Coat" reaches a short peak of beauty in June. And you better appreciate it because like most roses, he's ugly as sin the rest of the year.

In July, we're having new fencing built along the front side of the house and I'll have to cut everything back then find a new support for old Joseph. 

If you have a climbing rose, then you know they don't really "climb" like vines at all. The prickly, brittle canes need to be attached to something with string or wire, not the nicest chore in the garden.

Speaking of work, today is National Gardening Exercise Day. I have an Apple watch and it lets you track all types of esoteric exercise, everything from boxing to fencing to equestrian activities. For some reason, it doesn't list gardening as a work-out option. An insult to the hard-working gardeners of the world. Has Tim Cook never put on a pair of gardening gloves?

Anyway, when I'm working outside I set it to something called mixed cardio so at least I get "credit" for the exercise at the end of the day. Of course, you have to be careful or the Apple watch turns you into an obsessive person, especially if you have hypochondriac tendencies. 

Well, what can I say about the weather? Not a cloud in the sky and so intensely bright at our latitude, with just a few short hours of semi-darkness in the city.

Extremely low tides at Alki Beach this week, which attracts thousands of people to walk out on the muddy flats and check out the exposed critters.