Hello rain

I hear you on the roof and in the yard. The plants are grateful, I'm sure. I know I am. I've had a hard time sleeping tonight, but thanks to you, I'm a step closer.

Another rainy day in Henderson

I love how rainy it's been. I spent most of the daylight hours outside today in the soft drizzle with the chickens and chihuahua, who was much happier once I put his sweater on. I started chopping wood so that we could have a fire inside tonight, but quickly realized how much work it was and decided to quit and hope for a reciprocating saw in my future.

I successfully repaired the dog-damaged irrigation in the first vegetable bed, leveled all the soil out, planted 1 nasturtium, 2 broccoli, and 5 swiss chard seeds, and then covered it all with a light layer of compost mulch.

Recently, I have had the good fortune to acquire a plot at the Boulder City community gardens. It is about 60 sq. feet and before we got started was completely engulfed with geraniums, mint, and some sort of tuber plant. There was also a pathetic citrus tree. My dirt partner, her family, and I have spent some good time out there cleaning it out. Yesterday, I brought home a bucketful of mint. Today, I planted them in the holes on top of the cinder block retaining wall in the backyard. I am hoping that they will grow and spread and smell amazing all over the wall.

The multi-grafted fruit trees that I recently planted are blooming and growing green leaves. They look so happy. I hung up a clothesline between the pine tree and a wooden ladder and used it yesterday to air dry the bed sheets. I absolutely loved how the sheets smelled when I crawled into bed last night. They smelled like wind, the pine tree and the oncoming thunderstorm. Louie suggested I grow something on the ladder and I thought, "Why didn't I think of that?" Maybe some cucumbers or squash?

I spent last Wednesday evening designing my gardens for this year. I used two books that I scored at a library book sale for a dollar each for research. One is the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, published in 1969. The other is a Better Homes and Gardens Gardening Guide (it reminds me of my mom's cookbook, three ring binder style with clipped articles from the magazine included) that was published in 1978. I found the Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening to be completely amazing and useful and I already have tons of pages flagged with sticky notes for future reference.

A rainy day in Henderson...

I couldn't decide where to start today, so I decided to make cupcakes instead. I am so glad I did. I used the Peanut Butter cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Moskowitz. I have to preface that I am throwing a Mustache Bash for my husband's birthday this weekend. So, the peanut butter cupcakes are decorated with chocolate mustaches. You never knew a cupcake could look so manly. I would most definitely have a picture if my camera didn't decide today was the day to croak.

The weather was extraordinarily dramatic today for southern Nevada. The sky is almost always clear, dry, and painfully sunny. Last week, conveniently coinciding with a cloud lesson I taught fifth graders, heavy cumulus clouds crowded over Mt. Charleston. It rained so much yesterday that my carport flooded. I spent at least 40 minutes squeegee-ing (new word!) the water over the concrete into the front yard. It makes me want to jackhammer all that concrete more than ever. As part of this urban homestead project, I want to try to harvest what little rainwater we get here. Currently, I have trash cans, coolers, buckets, plastic bottles, and watering cans set up around the perimeter of the roof overflowing with water. Normally this impromptu and primitive rainwater harvesting system I have suffices because the water comes in little spurts. I am glad that Lou and I picked up all of the concrete pavers on the back porch before all of this rain. The dirt back there is eagerly soaking it all in. I fantasize that one day I can get rid of the concrete in the carport and replace it with gravel and brick tire paths.

Back to the weather... Lou and I were standing out back around our newly built fire pit with some friends this afternoon admiring the filtered sunlight and drizzly air. (Anyone reading this from the Northwest United States is shaking their head right now. ) The chickens were contentedly preening themselves in the drizzle while clucking happily to each other about all of the fat worms they gorged on. Rain makes Henderson kids happy.