Araucaria Appreciation Thread

[Araucaria]

Good Tuesday morning Gary, Frankie, and Thad!

Well, another storm has missed us, with Debby swinging out into the Gulf and hitting North Florida. They had us under a flood watch this weekend, and I don't think we even got a 1/2" of rain here. We just got a little wind of no consequence.

Except it blew over my cashew tree, for the third time in two years. It's obvious that the tree hasn't established a root system to anchor itself in the ground. So I can do one of three things: 1. Cut it down and get rid of it. 2. Cut it back severely and prop it up again, this time tying ropes to stakes driven into the ground to prop it up and secure it for the next blow. This would mean constructing a ring which won't cut into the bark. Or 3. Just let it lie where it is, and let it grow back up. The new branches would grow vertically, and I think it really wouldn't hurt to sacrifice that extra ground it's lying on.

My rose now has a second bloom on it, so it's doing well.

Thad, I know you're looking forward to your Chicago trip, the Northalsted festival. I hope you have a good time there.

Frankie, I'm sure it was delightful when your grandparents did that grafting on their roses. That is a skill I never learned. That would be good not only for roses, but also fruit trees, where you can get several varieties on one tree.

Gary, I hope you're enduring the heat inside your air conditioned home out there. Just take it easy, and remember that winter is coming.

 

[The Loner]

Good morning! ️

 

[Eaglex]

Good Tuesday evening, @Araucaria!

Yes I am very much looking forward to my vacation. I just wish everything was going right, the hot water heater is apparently leaking somewhere. Not sure when it started, but definitely after my brother took his shower this afternoon.

Hope all is well with you, my friend.

 

[Thad1527]

Hi John!

Sorry to hear about the cashew tree blow-over. Maybe it's a "rich people problem" but it's kinda sad. I love trees.

I fly to Chicago Midway tomorrow! Although it's stormy here now it should clear in the morning. I'm packing very light since I'm flying the airline where baggage costs more than the airfare. (Read: not Southwest!) Chicago has Salvation Army stores if I need clothes, anyhow. One on the South Side is where I bought my favorite Blackhawks t-shirts.

Hope you are feeling well and happy as we go into Wednesday.

 

[frankifab]

Hello Johnnie , I'm sorry for the winds and storms hitting your area ... Keep your tree well secured , you must know what the best option is to keep it alive .
It's pleasant to see when one's Roses are blooming , sometimes I clip a semi blossomed bud and put it in a water-filled glass bottle in my dining table to enjoy its beauty ...
It was truly delightful growing up with my grandparents in spite of the issues I had as a kid , growing up with them was special to me ..
My grandma's let a tattoed print inside of me with her hyper empathetic , modest and kind treatment ... it's hard to find people like her ...
it may sound blasphemous but I wish she had been my actual mum as she was the only person who treated me like a real mother should , and it's sad to acknowledge I can no longer interact with her or have long conversations , learning stuff from her when shopping or ... learning from her cooking , that's all over ...
I see her everyday , occasionally I sing a lullaby I made up for her when she was at the ICU five years ago ... If only it was 2004 again to be able to be by her side for longer time , I would have liked to learn more stuff from her as she was a very skilfull lady ... I feel hypersensitive ... 2024 has been a difficult year for me and I'm aware there are way harder things to come but all I can do is to keep on standing in spite of the heartache and lack of understanding I get inside this house ... I know I said I wouldn't rant but I needed to get this off my chest

Thanks for writing Johnnie ... I hope you have a pleasant day later My Friend

 

[Triple G]

Good evening, John

The heat continues. The large high-pressure area is still parked over us and keeping the usual monsoon rains away but letting some moisture in.

When I returned home from pew duty Sunday, the power was out, and the temperature was 121. I drove around a while then rode an electric cart around Walmart for 2 hours. The power was back when I returned home.

Yesterday I made a round trip to Needles. That requires driving 2 hours through a desolate wilderness where the pavement is 140F+ My tires are good, but in that heat anything can happen.

Today we hit 112, down about 10 degrees.

Staying cool inside, tomorrow there is folder duty.

I can almost smell the fragrance of that rose. Yum.

 

[Thad1527]

Hi John!
I'd forgotten you know frankfrank! We hung out all day yesterday. He invited me to a barbecue with some of his delightful friends in a lovely courtyard off Lake Shore Blvd. The only thing odd was the Air Show going on over the lake. Those planes are LOUD. Conversations were interrupted. (Kinda cool in its way.)

Then I dragged Frank to Northalsted Market Days. I especially wanted to see Ariana and the Rose and she did a high-energy set that did not disappoint.

We walked all over North Halsted St. At one point we were in a pedestrian traffic jam, so turned around. A little later, Frank said, "I don't think I've ever been surrounded by so much beef."

It was a pleasant happy crowd and I like that kind! Our visit ended with Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press, a local band who impressed us with their musicianship and entertainment. I missed them at Market Days last year so was happy to be wowed by them.

I'm doing Market Days alone today, but Frank and I will visit the South Side Monday for a meal in Chinatown and a White Sox game. The Sox are awful this season...they tied an AL 22-game losing streak record, won once, and are on a new 3-game losing streak. Oh well. They play the Yankees.

It's perfect weather. Today's high is 80°.

I'm here until Wednesday.

Hope you are well and not broiling. Remember how jealous we will be of you in November.

 

[Araucaria]

Good Monday morning Thad, Gary, Frankie, Eaglex, and Loner!

Thad, it sounds like you're having a great time in Chicago. Glad you could hang around FrankFrank. He doesn't seem to be posting on here quite as much lately. I'm glad you enjoyed the Northalsted Market Days Festival. It's great to take in the performers and all the hot men around you. It's also good that you had great weather, sounds like a nice winter day in Florida.

Gary, I'm sorry you're having to deal with power outages in the heat. I'm glad you could get out of the house and go to an air conditioned Walmart. Being without electricity with that kind of heat can be dangerous.

Frankie, I'm glad you had that great experience with your grandmother growing up, and that she could be the positive influence for you that your mother couldn't. Nothardup has written on JUB about having a similar experience. It's sad when we have to see our loved ones go into decline like your grandmother, when they can no longer be the person they once were.

Eaglex, I hope you're having a great vacation, and that you got that hot water heater leak fixed, so you don't have to worry about that.

 

[Eaglex]

Good Monday morning, @Araucaria

Yes the hot water was fixed on Thursday before noon. And my vacation is going very well.

Hope all is well with you, my friend.

 

[frankifab]

Hello Johnnie thanks for your words ... they made me sob a bit ... If only I could turn back time ...


I hope you have a pleasant Tuesday later My Friend

 

[Thad1527]

Hi John!
Before last night, the White Sox lost 25 of their last 26 games. So Frank and I went to see them play the first-place Yankees.
The Sox won 12-2.
What fun! My two favorite White Sox players, Andrew Benintendi and Andrew Vaughn, had good games. You'd wonder why the awful record!

I fly home tomorrow. Do I gotta?

So how are YOU? Your last post gave no clue, so I'll assume all is well and you're still air-conditioned.

 

[Araucaria]

Good Sunday morning Thad, Frankie, and Eaglex!

Eaglex, I hope your vacation is going well. Isn't Helen, Georgia that place they made up to look like a Swiss Alpine village? Sounds like a fun day, and you probably went home with lots of chocolates.

Thad, I'm glad you had a good time in Chicago. And you're going to Southern Decadence in New Orleans? Sounds like a wild time. I once went there on an "off" weekend about 20 years ago. I can only imagine what the place is like at Mardi Gras.

Frankie, I hope you're having a great Finde, and that everything is going well for you.

Here's something Eaglex will appreciate. My hot water heater died this week. Fortunately it's August in Florida, so taking cold showers right now is not an issue. And I'm having to wash my dishes by hand, instead of loading the dishwasher. But aargh! I have a gas water heater, and they're crazy expensive to replace. But then again, it was very old, and I knew this day was coming. I think my parents bought in the 90s, could it have even been the 80s?

And yes, my cashew tree is still laying on its side, waiting for me to make it upright again. I think the thing to do is to make a ring around the trunk, and anchor it with wires going to boards or poles driven solidly into the ground. I will probably consult some people at the Rare Fruit Council on the right way to do it, since I haven't done this before.

 

[frankifab]

Hola Johnnie , thanks for writing to me My Friend

I am same old , fortunately this week has been more calm than the previous one

The idea you have for your cashew tree sounds wise , nonetheless , like you said it would be better if you first consult the Rare Fruit Council

About your water heater , maybe you could have a new one installed ( either gas or electric ) My advice would be to do it in early September since Mercury is still retrograde ...

Have a nice New Week Johnnie

 

[Thad1527]

Hi John! I'm feeling silly. When I read of your cashew tree, I thought, "If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it."

I went to Southern Decadence two years ago. The actual parade is kinda sweet, a community thing. But the parties? That's the wild. I am going to Bearracuda this year, which I did not do last time because it sold out!

I know little about water heaters. Bradford White water heaters are advertised around here. They sponsor the Phillies.

Have a good week!

 

[rmcrae]

Hey John!

 

[Araucaria]

Good Friday morning RM, Thad, and Frankie!

Thad, I hope you'll enjoy Southern Decadence next week. I'm sure Bearracuda will be quite the party.

Frankie, I hope all is going well with you. Speaking of Mercury in retrograde...

I'm feeling sort of whipsawed after yesterday. I called somebody out to check on my water heater, figuring it needed to be replaced, but to check on it first, in case it turns out to be something simple to fix. But he checked it and said that I have no gas. Which is funny, since the propane tank was filled up last month, and it usually lasts at least 3-4 months. Come to think of it, I thought I smelled gas for a few days after the refill, so that's probably when I lost it. But anyway, I called out the gas company to report a possible leak. Their guy said there was no leak, and replaced the tank. But when he tried to light the pilot to the water heater, the gas popped out at him, and he immediately shut the gas off and said I need a new water heater. So I'm going to have to call the first guy today, and tell him getting a new water heater is on. Right now I figure he's not going to be able to get the new water heater installed until after the weekend. But like I previously said, it's August in Florida, and taking cold showers is not a big deal. But it's good to take care of it right now, because I don't want to delay it until I have to take a cold shower on one of our chilly December mornings. Though I'm not looking forward to shelling out all that money to getting it replaced.

And if that wasn't enough, the dental company canceled my teeth cleaning appointment scheduled for this morning without bothering to tell me. I got a hint that something was amiss only after they sent me emails telling me to schedule an appointment. Don't you hate it when somebody sends you emails or phone messages and you're supposed to read their minds? Well, I called them up to find out what was going on, which was when they informed me that my appointment was canceled because everyone was attending a dental conference. I was quite annoyed. Actually, this is the second time they canceled an appointment on me. Anyway, I went online and rescheduled for Monday, with the attitude of let's get this over and done with.

Speaking of which, I told the other guy who covers my genealogical society volunteer time that I would not be in today, due to the dental appointment which they canceled. Actually, I think I'll go in anyway, since doing my regular routine might be good for me right now.

 

[Thad1527]

Isn't it a full moon? Things happen.

 

[frankifab]

Hello Johnnie thanks for writing to me My Friend

Well Life feels the same , to me every day is the same there's no difference with a Monday or a Saturday ....

I hope you can get a new water heater installed , be finicky and make sure you have it well- installed

Have a Pleasant Sunday Buddy

 

[Triple G]

Good morning, John.

Good timing on the water heater failure when cold showers are a good thing. Our temperatures are coming down a little. Only 75 this morning, which is down about 20 degrees.

The dentist will be charging you extra to cover the cost of the conference.

Lucky that gas leak didn't blow you up.

Off to pew duty.

 

[Thad1527]

Hi John!
Jersey City Pride was very busy and lots of fun. Not nearly the abundant prime beef of Chicago's Market Days, but a great atmosphere and plenty to see. I put most of the pictures in my thread, but here's two extras...one general scene and one drag queen.