It didn’t get too terribly bumpy overnight. Bad weather rolled over us but, for the most part, the heavy stuff went around us. This morning, our rain gauge showed that a quarter-inch had fallen on The Mountain.
The worst storms to track across Arkansas were 60 miles to our south.
I stayed outside as long as I could this morning. Clouds were thick, gray and low. The air was heavy. Winds were dead-calm.
For a time, I sat still and absorbed my surroundings. Resident birds, which got a bit of a late start today, were out in force — my Merlin app identified the songs of ten species in less than two minutes. (Click here to see a rundown of what Merlin heard.) And that doesn’t count the screech owl and mourning dove that were quiet while I was recording.
I heard a cicada crackling close — very close. It sounded like it was on the ground near my feet, but I didn’t see it on the gravel.
When it chirped again, it gave away its position. I pulled up the cuff of my left pant leg and there it was, clinging to my sock.
With no wind, damp air and more rain on the way, it seemed the perfect time to do two chores — burn trash and sow more grass seed. I stuffed the burn barrel with the combustibles we’d collected (a considerable amount this time) and went to the soft shed to get my Bernzomatic.
As I reached for the torch where I always keep it, on top of our wood chipper, I noticed a wad of twigs and grass next to it. I was still contemplating how that could’ve gotten there when one very startled house wren burst from the clump, flew past my face and out the open door.
That was cool as shit. I laughed out loud. Guess it’ll be a while yet before I pull the woodchipper out and get it running.
The trash quickly reduced to ashes, and I turned my attention to the new grass on the lower level. I had two aims today — over-seed what’s already doing well and address areas that need help.
I wasn’t stingy with seed. In fact, I re-filled the broadcast spreader ten times, making sure I had good coverage everywhere I wanted grass to grow. That included the bank below the driveway.
It was 10am when I finished. An hour later, it was raining.
Then the wind picked up, steady at 30mph and gusting over 40mph, and the gentle rain became a downpour. Thunder rumbled. Lots of lightning close by.
At 11:30am, hail. It lasted all of five minutes. Reports I read later said it was penny-sized, though I didn’t see any on the ground. No damage here.
Because the rain came down so hard — an inch in a little over an hour — I’m sure that runoff displaced most of the seed I tried to sow on the bank. Given how much straw mulch remains on the rest of the lower level, however, that’ll be fine.
I still have a half-bag left, a little less than 25 pounds. I can put down more if I have to.
Volunteer of the Day: Heartleaf Skullcap (Scutellaria ovata). A member of the mint family, and a common part of a wild medicine cabinet.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB