Rainy Day Thursday

Good thing I got outside jobs done before it began to rain.  The Burr Oak trees have enough of a canopy that I can stand under them while Chance is doing his thing.  We have cooled off here, highs are in the 70’s which is just perfect summer weather.

Rainy Day activities included; a lunch date, a load of laundry, a nap, odd ball things around the house that I needed to get to and some Find A Grave work. Before I knew it the day was over.

Some yellow flowers are beginning to bloom in the wildflower area over the septic system.  That dead plant in the middle is a Canada Thistle.  I killed it.

I put some old probably not working anymore solar lights in there to mark a few Lilac Bushes. Far Guy mowed around the edges for me.  We mowed this entire area last spring and we inadvertantly mowed down the Lilac bushes…they have come back nicely since then.

I wander through this area looking for poison ivy and thistle with my red muck boots on. We mowed part of it that had a plant (Stickseed) with burrs that Chance was getting into.  Nothing worse than a dogs covered in burrs.

Some parts are prettier than others.  Far Guy threw wildflower seed back there this spring and it is fun to see what comes up.

Thursday is always the day for Far Guy’s Infusion.  It usually goes well, we seem to be able to handle small glitches.  His port is slowing down.  Not enough to be a concern at this time, except he worries about it.

Bleph and other stuff

That is short for what I have.  Blepharitis.  When your eye feels like it has something in it, it is sore, scratchy, itchy and will drive you half nuts.  It is an inflamation of the eyelids, often the tiny oil glands near your eyelashes become plugged.  People with psoriasis often have problems…well guess who has psoriasis.

I finally called the eye clinic and insisted I have the old eye Doctor and not the new one fresh out of school.  I explained my symptoms and told him that he has seen many more eye balls than the new eye Doctor and he just laughed.  I am to discontinue the antibiotic drops…and have special wipes to cleanse my eyes twice a day…and they are already better.  I also got my year old reading glasses straightened around so maybe I can see the computer with them.  I have a pair of prescription reading glasses from 2010 that work great…another pair from 2012 but the new ones from 2017 were a complete failure.  ( One of the gals at the Vision Ordering Area told me to wear them all the time and my eyes would get used to them???  I said “They are just reading glasses should I wear them even if I cannot see?” She was obviously a idiot…I finally said very sweetly alrighty then I will talk to the Dr.) 

It has been a week and it is not over yet.

We attended the visitation/wake for our long time friend (since 1975) who died.  Jim was 71 years old.  We enjoyed the slide show and the rock n roll music at the visitation.  We got to hug family members and give them our sympathy. We attended the visitation instead of the funeral…during the visitation you can move around and away from people who are coughing and avoid those dipped in perfume/aftershave. I shared  a story with Jim’s son Tori.  When Tori was about two years old we adults (Jim, Lynne, Far Guy and me) were playing cards…Tori was being a turd acting up, he was being a real pill…Jim went to swat him on the bottom and our very protective little Scottie Mutt named Snuffer bit Jim.  Jim had a look of amazement on his face……he didn’t know if he should be mad at the dog or praise her. Jim was the only guy we ever knew who used WD40 on his fish hooks…he said it made the fish bite…we were never convinced.  He was “a classic.”

I mowed the lawn yesterday, dead headed and pinched back some of my flowers and sprayed poison ivy and thistle and worked on leveling the dirt in the driveway.  I was busy all day long.

Wistful Wednesday: Savannah

Twenty years ago Savannah was the flower girl at her Aunt Jen and Uncle Andy’s wedding. Savannah was almost two years old.

Savannah and her Grandpa in 1998.  Savannah had blonde hair back then and Far Guy had some hair.   Savannah looks a bit teary eyed.  She did fine during practice the night before the wedding, but the day of the wedding she was a little afraid with all the people…even though she knew I was in the front row and had gum for her.  I think Grandpa was telling her that there was nothing to be afraid of.

Here they are twenty years later.

Happy Birthday Savannah! We think you are just beautiful!

Your smiles and giggles have always brightened our days.

What is it?

What is this container?  What is your best guess?

It was at the Fair.  I like seeing what the 4-H kids come up with for projects.

It is quite large.  I see it got a Reserve Champion ribbon.

Well it is a Fire Pit.

See the birch logs inside and a string of Christmas lights for an effect!  It is made from a dryer drum from inside a clothes dryer. I learned that cloths dryer and washing machine drums can be used to make a fire pit.  Commercial washer drums are in high demand for this project.

Who knew?

Milkweed again and misc

You can smell the Milkweed from a long way away.  It has a heavy earthy sweet smell.  Some say it is like the smell of Lilacs…I don’t think so.  It has been a good year for Milkweed. The blooms are hanging down like huge earrings.

We have a number of plants in our area.  I am only noticing a few monarch caterpillars.  That makes sense as we have only seen a few Monarch Butterflies.

There were small butterflies feeding on the nectar the other day…he is brown with orange dots on the edge of his wings.  Not sure what kind they were.

We have had busy days. I have been working on painting Christmas ornaments inside on hot days and outside when it is nice weather. I have ten ornaments completely done and another ten just need strings for hangers, another ten are being painted.  I am trying to get all the ones done for relatives who will visit soon.  Almost all of the actual carving is completed or should be completed within the next week.

I mow the grass every few days, it rains nearly every other day too.

Chance has decided that he will eat ice cubes every evening.  He whines in front of the fridge until I get a bowl full of ice cubes and feed them to him one by one…can you say spoiled Border Collie. I cannot put the bowl of the cubes on the floor…he wants them from my hand.   Not sure what is up with that behavior …only he knows for sure. After he has had his fill he abandons me and goes to sleep.  He might miss the snow and ice that he eats all winter long.