Friday, June 7, 2013

School’s out, school’s out - No more pencils, no more books



Gears are changing here, and I’m not talking downshifting.  Hamilton and Emily have landed exciting summer jobs; more about that when they’re in uniform and off for day one next week.

The girls have been signed up for some summer art classes at the academy.  Glass fusing, needle felting, fashion design.  Hamilton sniffed; I’m not offended.  There will always be yard work.

Here are some end of school year housecleaning notes that could make you smile.

For Jane and Chris.  I spread the joy.  Isn't it lovely.


For Lo.  It’s not a coronet, but maybe the next best thing.  For Excellence.  The director awarded four trophies to his band.  The little trumpet player managed it home on the bus, with her trumpet and year end paraphernalia.  It’s half as tall as she is.



And last, I think I have moles.  I meant to question shovel wielders when I saw one pile of dirt cast into the garden and forgot; today I see it is a tunnel and goes somewhere. No good deed goes unpunished.  Give 'em a garden, they take it. Suggestions.


20 comments:

  1. Mole? I hope not. I don't think they exist in Hawaii. I guess our yard is safe. Lol.

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  2. My mother swore by Wrigleys gum put in the tunnels. Her neighbor, old school Italian grandpa used to sit in the yard and get them with his shovel. Yes, he sat for days. I would call the nursery.

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  3. I, being the deer-feeding, crow-loving, mouse-removing-but-not-killing, spider-relocating person I am, would probably live with the moles until I reached a breaking point. I'm surprised your cats are not ... ah ... enjoying their company, though ...

    P. S. I don't precisely feed the deer; I just don't keep them from feeding on my shrubs, rhododendrons, and sprouting bulbs, which is very nearly the same thing ... and I do not abide ants or earwigs in my house; I become a murderous wild-mannered housewife if those show up :)

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    1. And - congratulations to the trumpet player - that is quite the honour! The newly edged lawn looks excellent, good for the edger-wielder.

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  4. That really is a cool tool!!
    Jane x

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  5. You forgot the last line, "No more teacher's dirty looks!" Of course, that would be restricted to bad children. My kids used to love all the nature classes that were offered in the summer.

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  6. My kids would be shouting "No Fair" if they read your blog ;) They still have one more week. Enjoy your summer and hopefully you'll be able to find some way to get rid of the moles.

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  7. Love the trumpeteer's trophy.
    We don't have moles so I will watch with interest. If wombats invade a garden, the solution is to give up. I hope the same is not true of mole infestation.

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  8. Yes, school is out. I have my grandkids coming one at a time. What is that tool in the first picture, an edger? Congrats on the band trophy. One of my grandgirls started playing the trumpet when school started last year.

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  9. I love the sweeping curve of that pathway - and the wonderfully neat edges. What a trophy - well done that trumpet player!

    We use some bulbs to repel the moles - apparently they really smell bad (to moles) and send them off somewhere else. I believe they are called Sork. On the odd occasion a mole breaks through then either the cats sort it out, or we plant another bulb or two.

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  10. I guess "cousins camp" will be a bit different this year?

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  11. I DETEST moles. We had them once. Tried EVERYTHING to get rid of them. Nothing worked. Finally, on their own accord, they moved to my neighbor's yard. Which was okey dokey with me....

    Summer is busy, busy, busy here too. My daughter is wrapping up her soccer and softball seasons and just starting her swim team meets. She also attends basketball camp every week day from 8-noon. She will spend all of July with her Father in Spain on a geological dig. My partner will spend all of July in North Carolina at a seminar on Appalachian music. She and I will meet the last week of July in Nashville to see The Grand Ole Opry and do some touristy things. I seem to remember Summer as slow moving and lazy. Not so anymore, huh?

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  12. I never found miles to be much of a problem but for gophers I used buried aviary wire lots of work but worth the effort it might not be small enough for miles lots of good summer fun coming up

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  13. Whatever you do, don't hire Bill Murray to get rid of those moles.

    The garden is looking lovely and congratulations to the trumpet player.
    Woo-hoo for summer jobs!

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  14. Congratulations to your newly-employed. May they work long and prosper. Congrats, too to you little trumpet player. Excellence. Wonderful!
    And you're right. If you build it, they will come. Moles. In all shapes and sizes. Never had to get rid of those, so I'm not sure what to tell you. Sorry!

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  15. Thankfully I don't have to worry about moles in my garden. Just pesky crows.

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  16. Oh my! What a proud thing for your adorable trumpet player. That is a wonderful honor.

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  17. MOLES- had them in Scipio and now here..OSU says there is now way other than professional...I put moth balls in the yard and waited until they moved to the neighbor's yard...Good luck..Tell Toby to be on the look out.

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