Heat wave

Heat wave! It’s crazy hot and dry. There was a brief sprinkle yesterday, just because the humidity had built up so much and the clouds had rubbed each other the wrong way. It felt very refreshing. And then it felt hot and more humid afterwards. The wind is blowing, which helps, except that it also feels hot. The ground is dry; the moles throw up dry dirt mounds. The air feels weighty.

The mulberries have come and gone. Black raspberries are ripe now; in a few days the gooseberries will be ready. I planted pecan trees and bush cherries; the bush cherries are two sticks covered with leaves in neat rows. The pecan trees are two sticks with a crown of tiny leaves at the top of each. It will be years before either of those produce food.

I took the garden hose out and watered the ground under the pecans and cherries; they don’t yet have deep roots. The outside faucet only drizzles; there’s not enough water pressure to spray anything. It used to have lots of water pressure, but the roofers dropped a gutter on it. They immediately dispatched an employee to repair the faucet. He did a good job of ensuring no leaks inside the house, but maybe put too much adhesive in the plastic pipes? Anyway the water dribbles slowly now.

The furnace repairmen came to give the furnace and air conditioner unit their yearly once-over. The furnace passed with flying colors; it works! It should; it’s only five years old. The air conditioner needed the outside unit cleaned. They pulled out a long black hose and tried the outside faucet. I told them it didn’t have decent water pressure. The laundry sink in the basement has wonderfully powerful water pressure, and is threaded, so they attached the hose there. They showed me how to clean the air conditioner by spraying the outside in a downward slant, knocking off any cotton from the cottonwood trees. I appreciated that. And I may, if I think of it, spray it again next year, using my hose with the laundry sink.