Another Lovely Weekend

Your blogger is back, I think, and I now have a new Sony Cybershot, not the expensive model, by any means, but a small red Cybershot bought at Walmart this afternoon.  I am cautiously optimistic, however, when I loaded it, it got caught for a while and kept trying to "find the photo programs" (there are many!) on my computer.  I finally shut down and restarted, and it was fine.  It is currently loading the 12,000 pictures from the last three years into it's program, and I am waiting for today's to come down so I can see how to find them for the blog.

There has been a lot happening here, and we are enjoying wonderful weather.  Cool mornings, and warm afternoons, but we still need rain badly.  On my way back from Walmart today I saw two farm ponds now totally dry.  Beans have been harvested from most of the fields around us, and corn has been gone for weeks.

I did not have the camera this morning, but can show you the result of Jim's bringing Jake, Nate, and Jax out when he brought Nate back to our house this morning.  We paid each of the boys 5.00 per bucket of walnuts picked up, and Jacob's hands FLEW... he made 20.00 from his four buckets of walnuts.  I told Keith tonight I am going to hire him one more time to do clean-up... I am so tired of turning my ankles on the darn things.  We may clean and crack a few for their wonderful nut meats, but are trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the bounty.  Keith DOES use them for putting practice, though!

Little Jax earned ten dollars with his daddy's help, and gets to use it at the bowling alley when they bowl Friday night!

Grandson Chris and Grandpa Keith have been making great progress on the new henspa.  Indeed, there was little else done this weekend while Chris concentrated on getting the windows placed, the siding up, and the rest of the tyvek taped and stapled.  He is learning as they go.  In two weeks, they will put the roof on, building it instead of using ready-made trusses. 

Chris, of course, had left by the time I got the camera into action.  Keith had Chris help him with getting the larger sections of siding up, and the two windows on the north side in, as you can see here. 

There will be three windows, one on the south and two on the north.  There is a door on the east side, and a door into the henyard itself on the southside.  There will be no door from the yard into the henyard.  Keith and Chris will be painting the siding, and after the roof is on and everything is caulked and tight, then he will have an electrician come back and hook up the electric which he is going to wire himself. 

Here is Chris getting into the car as we were going to meet their mom outside Lawrence. I just don't know what we would do without this young man's strong shoulders and willing attitude.

Here I am, having just gotten back from taking the boys, and deciding to "lay down and take a little rest".  The three girls decided to join me.  Hannah, completely blind now, just likes to be near us.  Abs and Gertie spent almost the entire weekend outdoors... they are so worn out tonight that they are exhausted.  Here's Gert about two hours later...

The two "little" girls... Abby and Gertie, LOVE running around in the yard.  It was so hot this summer they could never be out for very long... and you see how good it is for them.  Gertie was truly worn out.  Even Big Ranger got into the play this weekend, and with the help of his Tramadol, he was able to stay outside almost the entire time.  He and Abby were finally so worn out they collapsed in the kitchen this evening.  If you look past Abs, you'll see Ranger on his pads.

I picked a full bucket of tomatos off one of our plants today.  I'm going to make them into salsa tomorrow night, thanks to Mrs. Wages.  I cut them up into chunks, no skinning, and mix everything in our blender.  It makes wonderful fresh salsa, and will keep in the fridge for a week or so, or freeze. 

And on a sadder note, Keith, who lost his boss literally two months ago, lost another good friend this week to a heart attack.  The two gentlemen were two of those  responsible for the plan to save the small town of Elwood, Kansas, which is across the Missouri river from St. Joe, Missouri.  Craig Shepherd, who passed away suddenly last week, was a person who was very knowledgeable in the ways of the river up in Doniphan county, and the levees thereof.  When he passed away, they lost a huge resource.  Last night we went up to Elwood to his memorial service.

These two deaths have made us both reassess things, and realize we want to make full use of the lives God has given us, and live the best way we can with the time we have left. 

We are trying to change the way we eat, and not fix so many "comfort foods" because we are tired and rushed after work.  I made an effort today, and fixed a simple Waldorf-type salad for dinner... apples, celery, chicken, grapes, and some low-fat Hellman's with a little lemon juice.  It was very delicious.  (It had almond bits in it, too).  I did make an apple crumble this morning, but the menfolk around here cleaned it up so fast I only got to taste the back of a spoon!  Ditto with a batch of chocolate chip cookies!