A Long Week and a Long Day

I admit it, the heat has been brutal. 

The dogs are in most of the time in this heat. 

Jester, on top of it, had a bad bout of pancreatitus this past 

ten days.  We visited our dogtor, and he got some medicinal help. 

The deck plants were struggling, I literally water them 

several times a day.  I probably will not plant a dahlia in  

a container again, (dark plant with yellow flowers) as it 

must be kept wet constantly or it droops into nothingness. 

Oddly, the green container behind it, with ornamental peppers and 

lantana, is thriving on the heat. 

More of them next year. 

The zinnia beds were looking decent until the last three days, which is odd, 

because we had a drop in temps and some rain for a short time, yesterday. 

They are full of weeds.  Remember that I put bird net on top of them 

when I planted, to keep the chickens out.  BIG mistake, and one I won't 

repeat.  It kept me from weeding as they grew... and now it's a mess.  

I won't use netting again. 

The sunflowers were volunteers in the back bed. 

I have ONE vegetable, a tomato, growing in a container on the deck. 

I cut the bottom brown branches off of it yesterday, and I have picked one 

tomato, that had blossom end rot.  This is a Big Girl, and should be much 

bigger.  I would call the tomatoes bigger than cherry size, but they are not big. 

Probably my last tomatoes, and I used to grow many plants. 

Two nights ago, I unhooked the mower from it's cart, and took it to 

the small garage to put it in for the night, in case it rained. 

I found this. 

They do what they want to around here, obviously. 

Case in point. 

Note stink eye. 

Same bird as previous picture. 

Here are my beautiful babies as I filled the pools the other day. 

Remember that I lost one about ten days ago, disappeared without a trace. 

Last night, I lost a second.  

I still think it's an owl, because I don't see how a raccoon could 

carry a 3/4 grown duck OVER the six foot fence without it losing a feather. 

I found nothing. 

I have felt awful all day, it was the female Cayuga I had raised from 

a day old duckling. 

So, they are four. 

I had a camera in the hen yard, and FORGOT TO TURN IT ON.

The grass has pretty much stopped growing, and I am going to try to 

catch the owner of the sheep to see what he intends to do.... I have them 

grazing in the yard at the moment, at risk to my gardens. 

Hay will be expensive this year, we have had so little rain. 

I want to talk for a moment about something serious, because I usually 

don't address anything seriously on the blog. 

It sucks being widowed.  In some ways, it's better, because it 

was horrible seeing Keith fading, and knowing there was no way to stop it. 

But, if I am tired, I still have to take the trash out to the road. 

If something needs fixing, I have to fix it or find someone to do so. 

Those someones are NEVER dependable... I found someone recently to 

do some things here and well paid the person... and have never seen or 

heard from him again.  This is typical, I'm sorry to say. 

I am not complaining, this is life.  It's just that sometimes, I want to 

go out to the pasture and scream for a while. 

Some things still bring a smile.  Granddaughter Paiton is loving her riding lessons, 

and we look forward to them every Monday. 

The outside of a horse IS good for the inside of a little girl, still, 

in this day and age.