Saturday July7

Damn!! Someone turned on the cold. The temperature went down to the high 50s overnight.

I plan on gardening today and I might be doin it in a sweater. I want to trim some of the plants and get the beetle damaged leaves cut off. We had to make a trip to Ace Hardware yesterday and they had the remains of their plants free to anyone who wanted them. I got in just before another customer took their entire flat of chives and snagged two four-packs for myself. I have some places in mind for them where the beetles have been most destructive. I notice that the basil and cinnamon basil I planted near three other pots of chives aren't as badly chewed on so the companion  planting guides seem to be right on the deterrent value of chives for Japanese beetles.

Nice opinion piece in the Daily Beast about the exit of Scott Pruitt. I read his resignation letter and I must say I have rarely seen such a masterful piece of sanctimonious sucking up to the soon-to-be ex-employer composed by the quintessential toady.

Although I complained a bit about the very cool temperatures last night, I am enjoying getting out in the garden without wilting in the heat. I have already drowned or squashed a dozen beetles, trimmed damaged leaves off one tower of strawberries, trimmed one strawberry plant and transplanted it to an empty cell along with three chives in the last three cells of the tower. It is full now which I like. I hate empty spaces. I tied up one of the tomatoes that escaped the cage and the two pepper in spaces too close for a cage. That is just the beginning of my plans for the day.

Found this during my break from the garden. It has a nice sarcastic ring to it but pretty well illustrates the case with any technology. I doubt most people realize the demand for smooth paved streets came not from automobile drivers but bicycle riders. It was hell riding those first bikes on cobblestones or brick. We have often changed both our built environment and our behavior to accommodate our technology.