Need Your Palm Read?

I took another walk today. Yes! I am so proud of myself. 
Not really. Whatever pride I may feel is completely drowned by the shame I feel for being so lax with my physical activity lately. 

I wanted to walk down to Lloyd Creek road and see what was happening there. It was pretty intense. I've lived here a long time and I've never seen water this high for this long, even after hurricanes. I took that photo at the top from Highway 158, aka Old Lloyd Road, which is the road I live on. That's the railroad track that goes right behind my house. And I do mean right behind. As I was crossing the bridge there, I heard a train coming so I paused my walk to wait for it to get its picture. See how high the water is under the bridge? 

Lloyd Creek road dead ends into Highway 158 and directly after you turn on to that road there's a little area where people used to go to swim, or actually, mostly wade. The creek is generally just a very shallow thing, running gently down a carved out channel, fine for kids to play in and cool off. Here's what that area looks like today.

That whole area right there is where cars generally park. Actually, the property is now posted. I have no idea who owns it. 

The woods across the road are flooded too.

But, the roads are open and the trains are running. 

All that water made me long to get my body to the Wacissa. It's getting hot here. Mid-eighties which is not nearly as hot as it's going to get but oh, haven't we loved having highs in the seventies and lows in the forties and fifties? Yes we have. But we know what we're facing and there's nothing to do about it except turn on the AC and grimly accept our fate. By the time I got home today, I was soaked in sweat. Then again, I'm a profuse perspirer. 

Here's something else I saw on my walk today. I'd seen it before but hadn't taken its picture. It's in the window of the My Gypsy Soul Boutique. 

Well. 

I especially like the part about $25.00 a palm. 
I had no idea that palm and tarot readings were so expensive. I looked up the licensing rules on such activities and there are indeed rules. Pretty loose rules. I have no idea if whoever's reading palms and tarot cards in Lloyd is licensed in any way and I really don't care. If people want to be separated from their money in such a way, that's their affair. I remember there used to be a fortune teller in Tallahassee who lived on one of the main roads and she had a sign in her yard. Madame...Someone. I can't remember. Madame Ruth, maybe? Anyway, once I drove past the place with Lily to see that a huge tree had fallen in the yard, taking out part of the carport and Lily said, "You'd have thought she'd have seen that coming."
I'll never forget that and it still makes me laugh to remember. Lily is truly one of the funniest people I know. 

Anyway, I do want to give the My Gypsy Soul Boutique lady some credit- her Saturday farmer's markets seem to be doing far better than I ever imagined they would and that's a good thing for the venders and for Lloyd. 

I spent some time in the garden this afternoon, murdering (pulling) turnips, kale, and lettuce. The kale hasn't bolted yet and I only took out one row of that and trimmed back the row I left. That row has far more than enough kale left in it for us to use. The turnips we are not going to be able to eat and the lettuce is bolting and getting bitter. I left the flowering collards because the bees are still courting those blossoms like crazy. When we get our field peas and crowder peas to plant, I'll pull them too but why take them out when they're still attracting pollinators? 

My cucumbers came up nicely and now they're just sitting there as if waiting for some celestial even to happen to actually start growing. The tomatoes are all coming along and as Mr. Moon said the other day, "Hey! We could have a fried green cherry tomato for supper tonight!" Slowly, they are putting out flower and fruit. The pepper plants we bought must be bonsais, I'm thinking. They are making peppers but the plant are tiny and look weak and pathetic. I will point out that neither they nor the cucumbers were planted in Mr. Moon's magical bags but right into the ground which obviously does not have the best soil. 
The squash are looking very good and they are planted in the bags. 

Teeny baby acorn squash. 

Mr. Moon has also planted zinnias for me because I love them, and another row of a different variety of cucumbers. Thoughts and prayers, people. Thoughts and prayers. I want to make some damn pickles! 
Speaking of pickles, the green bean kind at least, my rattlesnake beans are climbing to the top of the fence already. Soon they will be putting out their tiny flowers and making us beans. 

The garden was in full sun and after I did the small amount of work in there I felt I could handle without dying of heat stroke, I moved back to the shady front yard where I pulled a few things and dug out a few things and snipped a few things. Few being the keyword here. But you know- a little here, a little there, and it all adds up to...a little. Which is better than none, I suppose. 

I've got a spaghetti sauce made up and on the stove for tonight's supper and I suppose I feel worthy to eat it after my day of suffering in the heat. Yes, I am a martyr and no, I have no idea why this is except that my mother also had a deep need to suffer and tell us all about it. Which is exactly what I am doing here. At least I recognize and admit this. 

The Carolina wren in the camellia bed is telling me "You're sweet, you're sweet, you're sweet!" and I can't believe that such a small bird can have such a loud voice. He must mean it, right? 
Oh, if he only really knew me...

Spaghetti for supper tonight. Life in Lloyd. 

Love...Ms. Moon