Summah Lovin....

Is here. Truly. And I have high hopes that this summer will be a grand summer. The familiar feeling that starts off with plastic peeled off of the windows and allows a cleansing breeze to waft through your home. Some things that have got me positively glowing for this summer will comprise the bulleted content of today's blog. So read on, and let's start our summer off right:

The mower is out and has been tuned. Already I've had two epic mows, and already I need to fill the gas can to power me through the remainder of the summer. Edging has been made, and the impervious weed barrier underneath the cedar chips has failed in the sense that it is more creeping Charlie than mulch. My new lilacs, planted in 2005/06 are still budding. A good sign indeed. Outside of napalm, a good creeping Charlie remedy would be appreciated. The ginormous boxelder tree in my backyard is dropping whirligigs by the ton, and I've made a careful note to keep the herb pots cleared lest they get choked out MMA style like the cilantro and mint of 2008. I've sprayed weed killer, ant killer, and have been brewing ideas from other gardens I've spied on my daily jogs.

How doth my garden grow? Well, thank you. The garlic bulbs were bigger than my tulips in the front planters (RIP, btw) and we had milk jugs protecting the hydroponic tomatoes Moda was gifted at work. A trip to the Mill City and Lyndale Farmers markets yielded the following bounty:4 more heirloom tomato plants
cucumbers
zucchini
jalapeno
hot banana peppers
another hot pepper
3 varieties of sweet bell pepper
oregano

...To name a few.

We have an abundance of mint, and while our purple basil is a little mealy we have regular and Thai basil to make up for it. Otherwise a healthy dose of Osmacote has started us on our way. I have my planters planted for pretty decoration. Some of my annuals are returning. (Asiatic Lillies, wtf?!? You were dead to me!) And we've only had a few mishaps with bun-buns and squirrels. (The fencing went up a week or so after our first planting. Thankfully, I had enough left over to cover the remaining expansion. I just wish that I had put in asparagus in 2007 like I'd planned)

Getting up in my grill- It's been fired up almost every weekend these last few weeks. Asian turkey burgers, chicken feta spinach brats, chicky boobs, asparagus, and summer vegetables have all tasted the fiery tongue of the Char-Master. I have a ginormous frozen salmon plank from my parents that's fixing for a night to share with buddies...(And fresh potted rosemary. Swoon!)

Spring cleaning- I've scoured my house from top to bottom, getting the dust bunnies from under chairs, vacuuming vents, bleaching the bathroom, and generally making sure corn isn't growing under my bed or behind the couch. Since it's completion last year, my front porch was the lowest cleaning priority, but upon sweeping up massive piles of dirt (where did YOU come from when no one has walked in the back corner since October?) and using the hardwood sweeper to finish the job, we had our first breakfast on the porch with the windows thrown open.

The first a/c running of 2009. I hadn't noticed it, but I guess we had a few uncomfortable nights. Good thing I tuned the a/c and that my roommate was home more than I was to fire it up. Only an hour or two, but the house cooled of spectacularly for a wonderful night of rest.

Sweaters have been stored, as have the heavy winter coats. Shorts now adorn their former closet space. I've also been donning more short sleeved work shirts. Pip.


Lastly, heart health- After crashing at home when my shift ends, I've been able to muster enough energy to go on daily epic jogs. It's been hard. In spite of stretching my buns off, taking a day off to go on a 2 hour walkabout in lieu of jogging (wound up near HWY 280 from my house) and a few days off here and there I'm still a sore pampy. My goal is simple- Get a size down in my jeans so I have more short options and obtain more visible definition by mid-to-late June. (A Memorial Day weekend set back, to be blogged about later, will explain my shortcomings.)

I look forward to more summery-vibed blogs going forward. Mill City bike trips for momo's, Farmer's Market brat-fueled shopping, future garden bounty, river boat trips with DeeG and DeeB's, bonfires, nights whiling away on the front porch, and discovering more of MN's epic trail hiking system have all found their way on to my radar.

Yee Haw. Bring it, summer.