The Year is Flying Away

2014 is flying away from us, friends. 

It's nearly fall, less than 30 days now. 

Soon, Christmas will be just around the bend... 133 days! 

Here's Billy, this morning, the only male in the litter of English Pointers I 

have had the privilege of taking care of this summer... 

Billy won First in Show at his first puppy match last night! 

Today, he is enroute to Minnesota, where he will 

be boarding with his owner's sister while she moves

the kennel and her belongings to Michigan and her 

new job. 

I got to say goodbye this morning. 

Here's Billy and Shandy, the lemon-headed girl. 

We didn't keep them out in the hot sun for very long, believe me. 

Sandy wouldn't hold still for her picture. 

And little Austin... cone off her head, and cast off her leg!  She has to be kept separate and

quieter from the other puppies until her leg is completely healed.  

These sweet little puppies, their mother Uno... their cousin Mia... helped me to 

cope with the sudden loss of our beloved Abby at the end of May.  

How I'll miss them, but I hope one day to see them in the show ring at 

Westminster... I can say "I knew them when!". 

It is beastly hot here again today... 101 at one point when I went to do an errand... 

and can you believe this?  The ball fields at Basehor's "Field of Dreams" (it's real name!) were 

packed with a football tournament!  There were numerous tents set up on the sidelines, and 

I know that the parents and coaches had to be taking extra care in this intense heat. 

This is the corner by our front door.  It is horrid to cut... the big mower 

doesn't fit in very well, and the small mower doesn't work well, either. 

It is also full of toads, many toads. 

See those bushes on the side?  On the right side? 

They never recovered from the butchering they got before we moved in, they 

are all dead in the front bottom.  

We have an upcoming project we can't wait to show you.... it involves a

local nursery and some work to be done in this corner that 

will make this part of the yard beautiful, and much easier to care for. 

It will also fix this:  the steep terrace by the side patio... and the leaking into the basement when it rains. 

Work will start in mid-September. 

And now, I'm off to church so I can sleep in like all the other old folks tomorrow morning! 

A Rainy Wednesday

We have a game tonight. 

But look...

Oh, yes.  

Not complaining, but the season is almost over, and we have missed a bunch of games with Keith's illness. 

He's feeling much better, and has worked at the old house the last three evenings. 

I have not been out there, since we had workmen coming here... so 

maybe tomorrow I'll see it. 

Here was something on the front steps I had seen in many months...

a horse fly.  This doesn't show the size of the darn thing... it was huge. 

I'm helping take care of sweet little Austin.  The birdbath fell off its pedestal 

on Monday and broke her leg at the hock, and she is in a cast for a month. 

She can JUST get around and go potty. 

She can't play with her sisters and brother... and cannot fly to her new family this weekend. 

Hurts me. 

The coleus on the front steps have bolted now.  I should have pinched them back. 

Coulda, woulda, shoulda, as Keith would say. 

You can see the shaved spots on Lil in this picture.  The stitches are under 

her eye, on the left in this picture.  It was seeping a little today, so I am keeping a close eye on it.  

So far, she has not torn her vet wrap off the leg wound, that has seven stitches in it. 

Not lookin' good for our ballgame tonight... but we sure needed this rain!