Chopping

Oh, I don't think this is how everyone wants to spend their Labor Day weekend. 

That, my friends, is a fourteen foot high weed next to the little henhouse, the red one. 

See the stalk?  Well... I cut them very close to the ground, otherwise they are trip hazards.  As in 

tripping and falling. 

Here I have cut a bunch and let them fall over the henhouse and the little white chick-grow-out hutch. 

I let them stay there, because there is a wasp nest in the henhouse, and I did not want to get them too 

worked up.  I'll pull them out tomorrow. 

See how close the lightening-downed tree in the pasture came to the fence of the henyard?

This is one of the bales of straw I put out for the ducks to break the wind last winter.  See how nicely it is deteriorating?  Well.. believe in straw bale gardening, friends.  I had intended to try it this year, 

but next year I am going to use just three bales as an experiment.  When you are finished growing 

in them, you can use them as compost. 

You can also see a stalk... they hurt, trust me. 

But... I only fell once, pulling on some vine-wrapped branches!

I worked in a circle clear around the henhouse... the one we closed up two years ago... 

Finally, when I got around the far side... light was coming back into the henyard that had been totally shaded. 

Where there was darkness.... light. 

(and where there is sadness, ever joy!) 

Keith kept me company while the pile grew.  He had made two trips to Home Depot because....

Nephew Brandon was out there at 5:30 this morning, and had made huge progress with the siding. 

We all took a break during the 100 degree temps of the last two weeks, but as you see, one side is nearly finished.  Brandon will finish the back and the other side next weekend, and possibly one night this week after work.  Jordan was helping him again, but Jordan has started college now at the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, on a baseball scholarship! 

We have decided today to paint the siding with Behr's Chamois... and the trim will be 

cream-colored.... it has yet to be put up, of course.  The screens will go in then, too. 

We're getting closer, and that's one reason I am trying to get the animal yards in shape... so that when we ARE ready to go, it can be shown to people with animals. 

I think I have shown you this ancient limestone building on a farm near here before.  Sadly, it is falling now. 

The cracks you see have happened in the last month or two. 

 This is the side view.  

It must be one of the oldest structures in Leavenworth County. 

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the original house on the place. 

Two more days of weekend for Keith, and he said this morning that we are going to work tomorrow.  I'm all for it... every hour is an hour closer to getting the house rented. 

We have games tonight and tomorrow night, and on Monday, a game at 1 PM, so I am 

foregoing the Santa Cali Gon festival this year.  

Then the season ends on another wonderful summer of fun at the T Bones games. 

Can't wait to work in those weeds tomorrow! 

Keith will kill me for showing you this last picture... he uses the spare bedroom to dress in 

so he doesn't waken me every morning... and last night, we decided to sleep separately because of the boy dogs.  Keith slept in the spare bedroom, and Lilly stayed in there... 

Shiner was in the hallway with the baby gate... 

and Jester was with me.  

This is what happened this morning. 

Lilly is NOT happy about these visitors... and her nose is out of joint badly. 

Only one more night, Lil. 

Our Visitors

She looks pretty calm here... but she's NOT. 

She hates this guy (looking pretty studly in his red harness) 

And as badly as Jester wants to play, she wants nothing to do with him. 

Jester just wants to have fun. 

He ran to see Emmit when he came up to the fence a few minutes ago, to see 

if Emmit would play... he would! 

But Jes is well-behaved, and streaked back to me. 

Everyone went potty, and came back in. 

Shiner, unfortunately, is in the hallway where we 

can keep him with the baby gate.  He pottied the second he came in the 

house this afternoon, he does not get to go many places, and 

he is freaked out at being away from home.  Lilly also hates him. 

He is better off in the cool, dark hallway. 

Jes is in the living room, and Lilly, here behind me at the desk. 

In a few minutes, I'm going to go out and cut grass for a while. 

We had some heavy clouds this morning, but it barely sprinkled.  I think the 

two boys will do better if I trim that grass in the back yard for them. 

Keith has gone to take siding out to the old house for Brandon to start hanging tomorrow. 

And yes... next week, we are going to start pushing to finish since the temps won't be as terrible. 

This is the weekend when we lose people in the lakes and on the roads, and I would hate to 

lose any of my friends.  Be safe out there, friends, and enjoy your last blast of summer

with family and friends! 

Bits and Pieces on Wednesday

Miss "yesterday's post was all about me"  when we got home from 

our walk last night. 

A last look at the gorgeous Mia, who won two classes at the 

AKC show last weekend.  

They will all be leaving on Friday. 

The Birdbath That Fell on Austin. 

You notice it is not on its' plinth. 

It's staying on the ground, it's too heavy to be in a yard where kids will be playing. 

We are grateful to Valerie for it... and for the six or seven planters she also gave us!

I spent some time with Brother Pete this morning... 

and I need to say here that all his clothes from his previous 

nursing home disappeared when he went in the hospital. 

I am slowly getting him new clothes, so dropped off a bunch this morning

Now his shoes are gone. 

I ran in the Michael's up by where Pete's nursing home is to get a puffy paint pen 

to mark the clothes better... so this is a gratuitous fall foliage picture. 

Yes, things found their way into my basket! 

I took a different exit from the highway coming home, and finally found a road I KNEW connected to 7 highway so I could go to the grocery on the way home.  They were working on the road, and here let me 

say that we have never lived anywhere where the roads are taken care of like they are here in Leavenworth County.  I stopped to talk to two of the workers (way behind this) and we had a nice visit. 

The countryside over there is gorgeous, too... the problem there is that there is nowhere to pull off and take pictures. 

Keith, one of these MUST come home for our porch  and I'll put a battery-operated candle in it!

That's an inspirational planting of angelonia at the nursing home.  

Love it! 

Last night's sunset...

And this morning.  I prayed we would get rain... and there ARE some chances... but 

it is full on sun right now. 

That's it for today... Lilly and I have a destiny at the park! 

Happy National Dog Day!

In honor of all our canine friends out there...

Happy National Dog Day! 

We celebrated, Lilly and I, this afternoon at the park. 

"It's about TIME we got out of that house, Mom!"

It's been so hot the last five days, that Lilly has only been outside for 

short breaks. 

She was really glad to get in the car just to go anywhere!

When we get there, we have to carefully read the Pee Mail. 

Again

And again.

Sometimes, it's slow going around the park.

But we manage, don't we, Lil?

Skies were blue, though it was still hot.

Though the park is still green...

The Basehor community garden plot has burned up in the heat. 
Someone dumped a load of mulch right on the fence!

Someone was watching us as we finished up our walk. 

And on the way home, these two friends were lazing in the sun 

There were two other horses, a bay and a buckskin in the pasture as of a week ago, but I have not seen them now for 7 or 8 days.  

It continues hot here, but the humidity must be less today, 
because it was not oppresive out. 

I hope all our canine friends are having a wonderful
National Dog Day. 

Treat your pup today!

(and thanks to everyone for the wonderful birthday 
wishes I was swamped with yesterday!) 

Livin' in the Heat

Our sky, early this morning.  We had thunder and lightening all night, but no rain. 

The thunder was low rumbles... and the lightening flashed and flashed. 

I've been going downstairs and outside every two hours to change the water in the water fortex.  The doves and sparrows appreciate it so much.  

Keith has gotten me a lovely new wooden feeder, with slots for suet... and he is 

going to mount it on a wooden 4 x 4.  If you biggify this picture and look under the feeder, 

you will see that this swinging plastic feeder wastes TONS of seed.  Yes, the birds are 

eating it, but it won't all get eaten. 

Unless we have another horrible winter. 

I took this through the screen when I came back in from filling the water two hours ago. 

That's Lilly, on her back, out in the sun. 

Two minutes later, she was like this. 

It's 100 degrees out! 

I gave her five minutes, and called her back in the house. 

Folks, without making you think I am asking for well wishes... today is my 

64th birthday. 

Keith gave me a day of beauty at a spa in Leavenworth. 

Two years ago, I would never, ever have taken time to do this, take four hours for myself. 

I was always too busy with the animals, with the gardens, and trying to keep 

everyone alive in the heat or cold. 

I am looking forward to taking four hours out for a massage, a facial, a manicure and pedicure... pure bliss! 

Thank you, Sweetheart! 

There are so many things I still haven't done in my life, but so very many things I am grateful to God for having done, or experienced, or for the people in my life, friends and family, who have 

made me so happy. 

For those of you who wished me well on Facebook... thank you so very much! 

We are having a quiet evening at home... it's way too hot to go anywhere. 

Maybe by Wednesday, our heat will break and some rains will come. 

How wonderful that will be! 

I'm still praying today for all the people of the world to get along together... 

recent national events have made us so very sad... and that's my birthday wish this year. 

Every few minutes, a hummingbird goes by the window here, near where the computer is. 

I'll end today's post with a little video of the hummingbirds I took yesterday. 

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 Really Hot Thursday

The "feel like" temp for our area today is 103 degrees! 

Whew!

And I admit we are all trying to stay inside and take it easy... except for Keith, 

who has been out at the old place for the last hour and a half, working on putting Kilz on the 

floors prior to carpeting. 

Lil has the right idea! 

Lil had to make yet another trip to see Dr. Scott today... she has a bad right front paw, and 

it was time to see what was going on.  Despite shaving the paw clean of hair and inspecting it under light, we 

could not find an embedded burr or glass or splinter... so... she had a shot for inflammation, and is now 

back on antiobiotics for five days, with us watching her closely for more problems. 

An expensive month for Lilly Ann. 

We had our fourth-to-the-last baseball game at the T Bones last night, and that's a sign 

that summer is almost over.  They won. 

We particularly like to watch the field guys mark the field and do other maintenance before the games. 

As the crew wet the field down, a group of ladies from Curves entertained us in the background with some dance routines. 

It was a hot, but beautiful, night...and we won. 

I am trying to keep the zinnias and marigolds going for a while longer... and they are getting watered several times a day. 

BUT.... look what's for sale at WalMart now! 

It MUST BE FALL!!!!