Yesterday, I specifically went shopping for another thermometer. The greenhouse now has the sensor formerly in the tarp shelter. With a “cold front” moving in, I want to monitor the temperature in the tarp shelter. More than thirty plants under cover; I can’t control the weather but I can protect the plants.

Note the time: Four in the morning. I was wide awake for about two hours before deciding to get up and “do something.” Sometimes my mind is spinning with thoughts–and plans–and I can’t sleep!!

Technology is so awesome!! The new thermometer automatically set itself to the correct date and time–from a satellite in the sky. So many features in that little instrument!! Walmart had it marked down from $17.88 to $10.00. I’d planned to buy another small single function (for $9.88) but couldn’t resist a bargain.

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I believe the greenhouse is “warmer” because a much smaller space and completely closed up. By contrast, the tarp shelter is very large with lots of ventilation around the sides, and large opening for a door.

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~ ~ Later ~ ~

…and that is an indication I’m extremely tired!!

I was in my yard, and the neighbor’s yard, from mid-morning until mid-afternoon. Details tomorrow?!

If we have an extended period of cold weather, I may need to put a heater in the tarp shelter?! The heat lamp bulb does not appear to elevate temperature inside the tarp shelter.

No rain but cloudy and cold all day.

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“Timely” because we are tired of the dark clouds and rain!! But the Houston TV meteorologist’ repeatedly say “Rain moving out; now get ready for cold weather.” Freeze warnings for Friday. So, Thursday (weather permitting), I’ll cover the plants in the large planters. (Who am I kidding? Even if the weather is miserable, I’ll be outdoors covering the plants!!)

FYI: My yard rain gauge, here in southeast Texas, did not record as much rain as I indicated in an earlier blog message. LOTS of rain in the Houston and Galveston area. The eighty-four hour total (in my yard) was slightly more than four-and-one-half inches (6:15 PM Friday ’til 6:15 AM Tuesday). ~~ Postscript, eleven o’clock : No rain, no sunshine.

Tomato cage Christmas tree.

Lorraine has several tomato cages but didn’t think to use them in the Winter. So-o-o, using a discarded display rack for a Christmas “bottle tree” may not be so peculiar?

(Below) This is different: An old ladder decorated as a Christmas Tree. This is only a short walk from my trailer home–in the CARE garden.

Tonight was the season finale of the hit new TV program “This is us.” The ratings indicate that I’m not alone in my love for the show. 

Now I have the opportunity for another “play on words” : This is me.

Me: Lorraine the blogger, the gardener, the “bottle maniac,” etc., etc.

A little comedy: I wore a silly umbrella hat yesterday. Compassionate and considerate: Think of all the plants given to me (because the owner was tired of them) and I gave the plants tender, loving care. I’ve fed the starving birds and squirrels (well, maybe they weren’t “starving”). Me: Serious about faith, family and my country!

It’s all documented on this blog site: Pictures and narrative. “This”  is my diary, my journal.

This is our third day of gloom: Dark clouds, misting rain, cold and disagreeable!! Hoping to put a smile on CARE resident’s faces, I wore my silly umbrella hat to lunch. “Yes,” lots of smiles but one individual said “Don’t you know it’s bad luck to have an umbrella up in the house?”. My reply: “It’s a hat.”

Live and Learn (4/03/16) has an early reference to the Christmas Cactus.

This was a neglected cactus given to me to nurture; received in February, or March, 2016. Transplanted into a larger planter on April 2, 2016–from a four-inch pot. 

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Early afternoon, October 16th, I moved three Christmas Cactus into “the basement” of my trailer home. I’d heard of need to put them in the dark so checked the Internet for information. Here is one link. ~~ Actually, the plants were probably already getting enough “dark” but I put in the basement before reading web sites. Less than three weeks later I observed that this cactus appeared to be dying. I planted a number of the broken branches–and hoped to revive the parent plant.

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Now that the cactus is beginning to bloom, it has been identified as a “Thanksgiving Cactus.” A friend tells me her cactus is in full bloom–and beautiful.

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This transplant will have special attention in hopes I’ll have beautiful blooms next November.

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“You can take the girl out of the garden but you can’t take the garden out of girl.”

It’s a soggy Sunday and I can’t work in my “yarden” but I **can** prepare several blog messages about several of my plants. (I can [and did] search for the origin of the quotation.)

Poinsettia

Confession: I’ve always been a good speller. I started this message on June 22nd and “spell check” told me I misspelled the name of the flower I was writing about. Really?? So I went to the Internet to get information. Okay, I didn’t spell it correctly but I must be doing something right. The plant remained attractive from December through May. Seemingly overnight, I saw the new growth. ~~ When I added a picture on July 22nd, I questioned (myself) about earlier (earlier) pictures. I did a thorough search December through June and, strangely, no picture of the plant when I received it as a gift. (I take so many pictures of my plants; how did I skip this one? Especially while sitting at my computer, I see it dozens of times a day!!)

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For two months, the Poinsettia has been hidden away “in the basement”–in total darkness. I hoped the leaves would turn red. The plant is healthy but absent of Christmas color. Rereading the instructions re: plant care, I’m encouraged. With the plant indoors, getting daylight, the leaves may change?!