Hot, Hot, Hot!

I know we have no right to complain, since some of you have been going through intense temps (as we did last year) for a month already.  

I can see here that the growth of things has slowed down, and the grass is not getting as long. 

It did come back well from the drought, all things considered. 

Some of you have read about my bucketing out the duck pond daily. 

It is now 100 yards away and downhill from the gardens. 

This is what it looks like when I start.  Swamplandia is much reduced, and the birds are actually benefiting from it in this heat.  I fill the duck "pond" to the brim, and some sloshes out as the ducks get in and out.  

You see the ducks are taking advantage of the cool ground in back of the pond. 

Of course, I had helpers. 

Kody, can you pull forward about two feet???

Kaycee, can I fit one more bucket in there? 

After I bucket most of the water into these buckets on the cart, I drive over to the garden area. 

Every day, I vary where I put the water.  Every other day, the tomatoes get all of it, at least usually the morning water. 

I bucket the pool out again in the afternoon, unless we are going somewhere and pressed for time, then it gets sent into the pasture. 

The ducks no longer swim in front of me... I managed to catch Donald when I went out and came back in.  He promptly jumped out, so I could finish filling the pool. 

Here's my corn "On Deck Hybrid" from Burpee, planted in the old horse trough right outside the door of the henhouse.  Keith bet me it was way too shady there for it to grow.  Despite a slight propensity for it to lean to the west... it's doing fine.  We'll see if we get a harvest.  It's the first "container" bred corn. 

I also have some planted in a planting box, which is not quite this high.  Interesting. 

Duck water goes on this, too. 

Duck water goes on these every other day.  I would say this tomato weighs a pound already... and is absolutely HUGE.  It's Burpee's "Super Sauce" hybrid.  

My Baker Creek tomatoes are also going nutso with the duck water and good weather. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be very hot, and Keith has asked me to please take it easy and stay in if I can.  I'll do chores, check on the babies (I changed out iced water bottles several times today) and try to get everyone through the heat.  Wednesday should be cooler. 

Lilly has the right idea. 

So does Abs, on whom the heat is very, very hard. 

Ranger was in the kitchen, too, on the cool tile floor. 

Everyone stay cool, especially those of you in the KC area!