Still dry and an IDC

Today has been cloudy and cooler- only 89 today- so I've spent most of the day outside until I'm about ready to drop.  Anything that needs done outside in the near future needs to be done today since we are forecast for 100+ for the next few days.  Sadly with the clouds we had today there was no precipitation.  There was a band of showers on radar for a while but it dried up before it got here and we got only a few sprinkles.  I think it's probably too late for most of the corn crop here even if we did get rain.  I need to water my newly planted shrubs later and probably the tomatoes and peppers as well as the vining crops.
Work has been brutal this week- we've been short staffed and my patients have been particularly challenging.  It has been a long time since I have been SO ready for a weekend.
I have been making progress in my Independence Days Challenge this week.
Plant something- Got my shade garden planted but nothing food-wise.  My little seedlings for fall planting are doing well. I should be setting them out in a few weeks but I'm worried about them in this heat and dry weather.
Harvest something- eggs, potatoes, peppers, kohlrabi, zucchini, a few herbs, a few tomatoes and a single cucumber.  The cukes aren't setting on- I'm not sure if it's the heat or the drought- could be either.  I'm excited that I've got a few little eggplants out there but they're not quite ready yet.
Preserve something- my sanity???  Froze a bunch of chicken that I'll talk about later.
Waste not- the usual.  I did bring a whole bag of old produce home from work for the chickens.  We do meal preparation with our patients with eating disorders and sometimes have left overs.  We were cleaning the fridge and I couldn't bear for wilted lettuce and a slightly slimy bag of spinach to be thrown out.  The chickens thought it was grand!   I keep asking my co-workers who do the meals to save stuff but usually they forget.  This week, since I had been covering meal groups, I knew what was in the fridge.
Want not-  I've been stocking up on chicken this week.  The local grocery chain is having dollar days sales this week and have chicken (breasts!!) for $1/lb.  It is bone-in but I've been skinning and boning the breasts, repackaging them and making packages of the bones as well for making broth.   They have also had some good deals on other things that I've snagged.  Canned chili beans, pasta (even though I can make my own sometimes it's nice to not have to!)  They also have peaches for $1/lb. I've been hoping for some local peaches to make some jam but I may make do with these.  We got some for eating and they are quite tasty.
Eat the food- Eggs, sauteed zucchini and onions, chicken fajitas with peppers and onions
Build Community food systems- got some wonderful sweet corn from a farmer selling it in the parking lot of a local store.  Eggs to work and home with Roger and Sharon.
Skill up-  The latest issue of The Herb Companion arrived with great articles this month.  Most interesting are articles on alternatives to antibiotics and one on natural medicines for colds and sore throats.

I know I've been bad about reading and commenting on others blogs this week.  I'll try to catch up.  Now I'm off to do some laundry.