The Heat is On

Oh, Goodness. 

Northeast Kansas is baking in the heat. 

We had maybe a third of a an inch of rain one night, 

if that. 

I planted miniature sunflowers in two pots on the deck from Burpee. 

I think they are just beautiful! 

Unfortunately, I got home from Fort Leavenworth this morning to find 

one pot almost entirely wilted in the heat and blowing wind. 

I have watered, and am praying they come back. 

Asclepias Tuberosa in the garden...

Asclepias Incarnata in a planter.... I had these in the garden 

in the spring, and the hens dug them up over and over.  

I moved them to the tub to save them, but they are meant for the 

garden, and I will transplant them this fall.  They came from 

White Flower Farm.

I did make a decision to buy locally from now on, though... we have 

a lot of good nurseries in this area, and if it will grow for them, it 

will grow for me. 

My granddaughter Paiton had her first riding lesson 

Tuesday.  She loves horses. 

That's Shelby, her instructor. 

Her horse's name was Ice.  She led him out to the turn out after 

her lesson, I was pretty proud of her. 

Her mom's comment on seeing this picture: 

"That's an awfully big horse!" 

These are the new birds at the Ag.  They are gorgeous. 

There are blue Polish with white tops... and one splash Polish (white with 

black spots), two small Silkie bantams, and some more Ameracaunas. 

I picked them up on Tuesday.  We are praying the pen there is tight enough that 

the raccoons can't get them. 

They were scared to death in this picture, but they are settling down. 

So this happened last night and today, in the heat. 

Sara and Eric Koontz came and did more work for me here at 

Calamity Acres, bless them. 

They power washed and scraped the barn (shop), garage, and hay shed, 

and they are now all painted BARN RED.  (Allure is the name of the color, 

and no, it didn't look that .... RED).  Yes, I know the crappy door is still on 

the barn, it's a long story.  It will be replaced. 

They also did this, today. 

I thought some of you might like to see what the inside of the septic tank looks like. 

Keith and I replaced our old iron one almost five years ago. 

This one had not been sucked out, and Eric and Sara also do that. 

Once they hooked the vaccuum hose up, it took MAYBE five minutes for it to 

be cleaned out.  That's Eric's son Jason, covering his nose.  It really was not that bad. 

June candles and ditch lilies are blooming like 

crazy on my bank at the side of the road.