Thursday, July 17, 2025

Hot day, tai chi, drawing and flowers

Wednesday felt very humid early, so I checked before deciding whether to walk 

This was 5.30 am. I'd got up thinking it was 6.30, no glasses on. In the high 70s but not very breathable.

So I looked around the patio and found 





As you see, blossoms all over. This hibiscus is in her second year. Last year two blooms, this year at least a dozen buds.

The morning glory is starting to flower. Zinnias, too, and while I was there I hauled the lavender plant over to be propped up in the corner. It fell again during the storm, and I don't want it falling on the hibiscus.  The coleus also fell during the storm so now it's sitting on top of a container of lemon balm and they can fight it out.

And while I was there, I noticed how bad the gate looked, covered in algae and looking neglected, which it was. So I thought while I was there why not wash it. This is an index of not having enough to do, when you start washing gates.

So off I went indoors in search of cleaning materials. Then I saw my neighbor coming out of her front door in search of the newspaper and completely forgot what I'd come in for.

I remembered something about water but not what. Retraced my steps, sat on the patio and caught sight of the gate. Ohh. Quickly ran back for cleaning spray etc before I forgot again. It was quite easy to clean, one of those jobs you postpone for months then it takes two minutes once you remember it.

Algaegate, then Cleangate! 


All this early morning hot humid activity definitely suggested a shower, but first, since I wasn't walking this morning, I did some tai chi with Don Fiore, same man I'd done qi gong with earlier.


That calmed down all my joints nicely, and one shower later, I was ready to follow up on the car and house issues.

House contractor, no response to text, but I think the contractor's on vacation this week. Anyway I've registered my need to know. 

Called the body shop, they're waiting for parts, maybe ready end of next week. So that calms the brain that's pushing to know more and not just sit there. I've done what I can. 

Then I was wondering what arty thing was next and I didn't feel like fiber arts today. So I thought maybe I'd draw what was happening on the patio, around the morning glory. Pilot pen fine, black, little drawing, about 7" square,  first in ages.

That was a nice few minutes. The paper is bright white but doesn't register that way.

Wednesday galloped by, mid afternoon before I noticed it. Audiobook, a very nice reading of Georgette Heyer's  The Nonesuch,  tea, and a snooze may have ensued.

Happy day everyone, life's a banquet! And here's a hilarious website, Than Average, in case you want to compare yourself to a lot of strangers.






30 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos. Here in Montreal it has been extremely hot 🔥 🥵 and humid for 3 days now....40 Celsius 104 Fahrenheit and yesterday we had one of the worst air quality in the world 🌎 due to wildfires.
    Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. Stay hydrated and safe.

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    1. You're very uncomfortable. I hope for some relief soon

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  2. Jobs like gate cleaning take a lot more thought, planning and remembering than the time to actually do the job.

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  3. Average? not me, I'm pretty low on the "smarts" ladder. I like your deck and the pen sketch.

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  4. Oh, I’m going to have a good time with ThanAverage! Your drawing is wonderful. You’ve got such a nice touch. Humidity of 96%, wow!

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    1. I think you'll like Than Average. I burst out laughing several times, feeling so seen! Thank you for the nice words about the drawing.

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  5. Of course, I had to look at Than Average. It's funny, but too black and white - no room for aberration.

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  6. Your patio looks lovely and inviting amid those blooms.

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    1. I'm looking forward to the end of the current heat so I can sit out again.

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  7. Replies
    1. The work of a moment! After the thinking of about a year.

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  8. Your high temp so early in the morning, Boud, was even higher than here in NH, but even here in New England we have been experiencing 90+ temps all week, so not much outdoor walking is happening now. Nice job on the fence cleanup and well worth the required effort. The patio blooms are lovely to see.

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    1. It was the humidity reading, and several people read it as temperature. I did say temp was in the 70s that early but not good for walking because of the dewpoint. I still get up early in hopes of walking though.

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  9. I’ve been watching Outrageous on Britbox and thinking of you. One of the Mitford sisters is nicknamed Boud, at least some of the time. IIRC, she’s the communist while two sisters were Fascist. It’s supposedly based on reality. Series one, which is all there is, gets us to about 1937 when one sister is in Germany cozying up to Hitler and the other is about to set off to Spain to fight against fascists. Anyway, it was Boud that stuck out to me, and they seemed to pronounce it a little closer to bowd with a w. How do you say it?

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    1. I say it as the short form of Boudicca -- bood. I don't know where they got their family nicknames from. Or their ideas!

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  10. Your patio looks inviting. Flowers make everything seem right, even an algaegate!

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    1. I can't tell you how long that algaegate's been annoying me.

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  11. Lots of blooms to celebrate! I have the Good Trouble Lives On protest tonight - luckily it has cooled off a bit and the weather should be great for our march. I'll let you know how the turnout was tomorrow! ;)

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    1. Good luck on the march. Yes please bring back news.

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  12. This is truly a lovely post. Your patio/garden is luscious. All those blooms. It is so cold here this summer that my flowers haven't even started to bloom yet. Ohh and I do love your drawing. Have the best day today.

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    1. We've had so much heat and rain that the foliage is huge this year. Thank you for the nice words about the drawing.

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  13. So funny--just went to Than Average and admitted my memory is worse "then average". I do what you mentioned often...start to go do something and get sidetracked and forget what it was or only remember a part of it and have to wait for it to come back--lol!
    I LOVE your patio sketch! Your flowers are beautiful--especially that hibiscus. Have always loved morning glories.
    Have a wonderful day! :)

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    1. I'm glad you like the average site! And thank you for the nice words about the drawing. I love drawing those shapes for morning glories and daylilies.

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  14. Gate looks fab, but, yes, seriously, you don't have enough to do?

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  15. The gate looks much better! I'm not at all surprised 79 percent of participants think they're smarter than average. Then again, perhaps mostly smarter than average people seek out and use that site. So they may not be wrong!

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  16. I think the question referred to the people using the site, rather than the general population.

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Please read the comments before yours and see if your question is already answered!