respublica

About the Dog Days of Summer

About the time the high heat of summer hits, we start hearing about the Dog Days of Summer. It's so hot, it must be the Dog Days. This may have started after someone with a big audience told of how much his dog was panting during part of the summer. But, actually, dog days of summer isn't about dogs or heat, but they movement of the stars.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Dog Days of summer are traditionally the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, which coincide with the dawn rising of Sirius, the Dog Star.

But it's still normally the hottest time of year so there's that.

Gardens dry out fast

Yesterday I was doing some more planting around the campus (basil because it's so popular) and I noticed how dry the garden ground was even with the moisture we've had. With high temperatures it doesn't take long to dry things out. So this morning my plan was to get the new sprinkler hooked up in the big vegetable garden next to Sieck Hall. It's kind of an effort dragging the hose from the wall of Sieck, hooking it up, going back and turning it on and then replacing everything afterward.

So hurray. All of a sudden were getting a nice downpour of rain which means not having to go through the sprinkler effort and just leaves it easier to weed later today.

Speaking of sprinklers, what junk they mostly are. Very rarely do they keep working for a whole season. The ones I'm referring to are the oscillating kind which go back and forth or you can set them to do only one side. For some reason no matter how fancy, they quit doing what they're supposed to do after some weeks of use. I"ve googled to find the most reliable sprinkler and as always the reviews will say, "It worked great until it didn't."

And that's the truth. So I decided to get a fairly sturdy one, but I wasn't going to pay more than 15 or so dollars, they just aren't worth going higher. I got this one at Home Depot for 14 dollars, it beat Amazon's price by 6 dollars. It has a metal base and a brass fitting for hose attachment. I'm interested to see how it works, but just as happy to put it off for another day. Thanks rain!

Actually the best sprinkler is the small flat one like this:

We have a couple of these but they do best in small areas not big garden beds. They saturate quickly and last forever and we use them for the flower beds we have circling trees.

 

Memorial Day in Collinsville

Lots going on in Collinsville this past weekend. The big news was the official opening of the water park, now under the auspices of the city rather than the now disolved park district. There were food trucks, swimming, bands, and fireworks which wowed the big crowd. I'm very happy about how well done this day was put together.

Then on Monday, there was a short parade and program honoring those who died in service to the country. Quite a few people lined Vandalia street to be a part of this.

Dale and Mayor Miller

Ferdie and I with the mayor

People were really nice with Ferdie, especially giving him some shade in the heat.

Downtown looks so good with the banners recognizing local service people who served through the decades. Each has a photo and times served.

 

 

A question about Memorial Day

Why is this weekend so big on mattress sales?

It's that time of year

So many things going on right now, most of which having to do with the end of the school year. Yesterday a wonderful group of people from Village Lutheran Church in Lacombe Louisiana arrived with a truck load of Jambalaya food and proceeded to cook on the campus patio all day. At 4 they began serving the entire campus, students, faculty, wives, husbands, kids, staff and on and on. This event is probably one of the most looked forward to and popular of any of our food oriented special times. The Louisiana folks work really hard all day cooking and setting up and serving and more cooking and then the clean up.

Thankfully we have lots of students who help in any way they can.

Tonight is the concluding class's big dinner off campus. This is a dress up affair and marks the last time they will really be together in one room. Next week is graduation and all that goes into that.

Much of these two weeks have food connected with each thing and I'm playing poor me...for the last time...I promise...but with this stupid tooth extraction and implant I won't be able to eat any of it. I'm sick of this tooth thing. Hoping Monday's dentist appointment will let me eat more normally.

 

Wonder why you're sneezing?

The green dust is back with a vengeance, it's covering everything including you.

It's why you walk through your house and think, "I thought I just dusted, it sure doesn't look like it".

And, does everyone but me realize there is an 'a' in vengeance?

Spring no winter

Finally.

Spring cleaning on steroids

There is an article on spring cleaning in The Taste of Home magazine which I saw linked online, and it includes a checklist for things to do in every room. Quite honestly after a winter stuck inside and closed up against the cold and snow, I'd agree the house needs some shaking up. But this is list is beyond my ability to even attempt.

Here is a look at all the things we should be doing. click to enlarge

 

What is the German word for...

Someone asked this question the other day, someone who like most of us is just fed up with this winter. "What is the German word for spring lust?"

And there is a German word for the longing for Spring and it is Frühlingslust. It sounds kind of harsh, but so is the winter we've lived through.

In Spanish it's primavera lujuria

What does bi-monthly mean?

I was scrolling through Twitter and came across a post by someone who asked the question: "What does bi-monthly mean? Twice a month or every two months?"

That brought about lots of responses many saying it was twice a month others every two months. I liked this answer: "If it was twice a month it would bi-weekly." The response to this was, "Twice a month would actually be semi-monthly."

"Doesn’t biannually mean twice a year though?"

and on and on and on