Ha! Neither do I.
My sarcasm didn’t print well. We came home one day after a dust storm had passed through only to find we had left the fan of the evaporative a/c on and the air was sparkling with reflective beams of light when we turned on the lights. Sigh…
I think in the 13 years there, 9 were in drought. It could be dark as midnight during one of these storms. Herself and I even experienced one on the ocean on our way to NZ. That was extraordinarily weird.
but to think about it, there is one good thing about sandstorms = they’re HOT!
not like the northerners, storm plus freezing…
our girls were here over the fiestas. the one from germany boarded the plane at 39°C and 18 hours later stood in Berlin, wating for a cab - on slippery ice at -2°C
since then in every message she mentions the cold.
What are the Fiestas?
sorry, that is spanish. fiesta = festivity
in this case the advents, 24, 25, 26 and 31. dec. 1. and 6. jan plus uncounted BBQs and other reunions with all or part of the clan.
at the goodbye-party we were 36 or 37 plus kids.
sweating, drinking, eating, singing “jingle bells”, gossiping - or short: x-mas (this year mostly at our home)
I sure hope so Bill. Tbh, the only day on my radar is Saturday at the moment. Lunch at ours for 60+ garden train nuts…
Cheers
N
sixty plus…
i wish you a good saturday and a quiet sunday.
Good luck Neil, and please post a bunch of photos.
Will do Cliff.
I think an official photographer has also been nominated (he forgot to duck), we should have a great record of the event.
Cheers
N
Wait,
Your gonna have ducks there ? Are they all hen’s or a mix of mallards?
Well, if anyone brings a model of the London North Eastern Railway’s speed record holder (as designed by Sir Nigel Gresley), the A4 class express locomotive, then there will be at least one Mallard there!
Ducking and weaving, David Meashey
There’s always ducks Rooster. Paradise Ducks… Noisy poop machines that return every year and have a dozen babies… 
If you wanna grab some I’ll pay you? 
There is an unconfirmed rumor of a live steam double Fairlie making visit this weekend Dave, not a Mallard (we got the duck bit covered), but definitely something to look forward to.
Cheers
N
Ha! My broad hat is rated at 50 spf. I have hidden beneath its shade for an entire day without getting sunburned! I like this one: Sam Houston Hat – Living History & Reenactors | SunBody. The first one last several years before being retired to garden wear. The second one is facing retirement from work / church wear, too, after years of faithful service. Oh, no batteries, no reservoirs, just good, old-fashioned shade!
As for plants. We gave up, went native, and waited to see what grew. Our “trees” are rosemary and various native shrubs. The grass is whatever grows. All of it survives in our desert-to-mud microclimate. No hoses, black, white, or otherwise to cut!
Eric
Remember, Right Now You Could Be Otherwise Watching Paint Dry.
Plenty of energy spent on the DÜRR today, with little to show for it. The visible progress is mostly darker shades of brown: compost and mulch added around the planter box after weeds got out of control.
I’ve rediscovered most of the watering system and am continuing prep for sprinkler placement. The hill still needs more work. Once irrigation is in, we’ll see what survived summer and start planting. After that, the ballast—currently waiting in 20-litre (5-gallon) buckets—can finally go down.
Then DÛRR (Part III) can restart. That said, I’m leaning toward Eric’s advice: get something running first and bring the two garden beds (Parts I & II) online independently.
Eric @Eric_Mueller, what a great plantation hat! 
that would certainly allow us to work in a Gone With the Wind theme!
oh, yeah!
wide brimmed hats were an even better invention than sliced bread.
Bellisimo! Fantástico!
…
In case you are not aware, the Sedum variety at lower left of this pic…
It will grow form small cuttings. Just bury and keep moist for several weeks for it to root. It can get out of hand easily! It handles winter well, even in an above ground planter.
Is that what it is?! Thanks Jon, I’ve found it pulls out easily, though. All our labels blew away one night.
The sedum and mini-mondo grass is the only thing that survived in this bed. We temporarily had some lobelia and alyssum.
We have semi-successfully plated bonsai ash and olives, however their roots continue to escape our double pots and weed mats.
