The Summer Wind

 Today's forecast:

Scattered strong thunderstorms. Storms could contain damaging winds. High 91F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

At mi casa I am assessing the damage from Monday's storm.

Raspberries: still hanging.

 Sungolds ripening.

Fig tree: down.

When I walked out on the little deck Monday night about 8:30PM my breath stopped.

The back yard was a lake and the fig tree had fallen.

My brain couldn't make sense of it.

That night I had nightmares and would wake up to fret about what the fig tree had damaged in it's fall.

The peach tree? The little red currant that had finally produced its first few clusters of fruit?

Could I crawl over the fence on the berm from the alley and get to the drain to clean it out of the mulch and dirt that had washed there during the worst of the rain?


The cats, who were overexcited beyond belief by the new view from the back bedroom window woke me up at 5:00.

All was peaceful. The back yard was a yard again and the fig was slumbering gently over the garden beds. The peach tree standing tall.

I'm hoping to organize a funeral in the 'hood this weekend. It will involve a chain saw. This is a power tool I don't care to use.

I'll save some cuttings and hope to propagate another.

Just when you think you're having a good garden year, staying somewhat abreast of the weeds, Mother Nature comes along and lets you know otherwise.

Pride goeth before a  fall.

 P.S.How ironic. I'm off today. After a fast hour of cutting down some past bloom plants, I took down the umbrella, the chairs and rushed inside just minutes ahead of the first onslaught of rain.

At which point the fence guys arrived.

Go home I told them. It's going to be impossible to work outside. I would have felt it necessary to hold umbrellas over their heads as they dug.

Though I did fell it was necessary to show them the fig tree.

Que lastima we all agreed.

Then they drove away.

The fence that never was and never will be. I have been scheduled for last Friday, this past Monday and today.

All these dates have produced strong storms.

I'm feeling kind of responsible.