Rain, rain

The rain continues to fall. It has rained most of June and now most of July, too. We're not at the midpoint, though, so there is still hope for a July that was mostly summery. Yesterday, in a humid and buggy interlude, I was able to weed the first bed and prepare to add more planting soil and manure before planting. 

The watering can is superfluous. It was necessary yesterday, when the soil in the pots the plants came in was dry as a bone, somehow. I had watered them all the day before. Not very well, I guess. 

The other day, I posted a photo on Facebook of my horse walking back out into his field to join his friends, and I thought nothing more of it. Not until, that is, a friend in California asked if the turn-out fields are irrigated. I stared at the photo for awhile, also wondering if it really had enough interest to even be there, let alone as my cover photo; I was going to tell about putting the fly sheet on poor Qalypso, and thought better of it. Who cared? Then, I saw it: the green. Green grass all around the group of horses. I forgot the Pacific Northwest and NoCal are crisp and cooked right through, while we need shoes and a sweater, and a hood or an umbrella. Or, just to stay inside. 

It's depressing. Some are melting, practically on fire, except there has to be so little left to actually burn after the last years' fires, while others are wading to get out of the subway, and my plants sit and wait. Some things I will do in the rain, like prune the edges. Planting is not one of them. 

It's also depressing because while a year and a half ago, we were waiting for an estimate, and a few months ago decided to withdraw the building permit application and change the project, we were now waiting for the revised estimate, in no need of a building permit, and waiting for the work to begin at the end of this year, but now we are back to square one, with seemingly no place to go. The builder "forgot" to tell me that he had left the construction business in the few short weeks (endlessly long to me) since his last communication May 20. 

He offered to recommend someone, but it would depend on when we wanted to start because his experience means he is "very much in demand". Experience or not, everyone seems to be "very much in demand", and nobody is able to come do the work. I didn't tell him that, in case he told someone else, and they raise their prices as a result, except that I suspect they know this. 

I haven't told my husband. I know what he will say, and I really don't need to hear it. It plays nonstop in my head already. Sometimes it's really hard to maintain the good humor and optimism. 

It's depressing.

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