Just Peachy

 Our local Lion's Club sponsors Palisade Peaches for sale in August every year.  It is a good fundraiser for them. 

I bought two flats and my baby brother picked them up and delivered them to us. 

One flat was ripe and ready to peal, slice and seal.  I put a teaspoon or two of sugar and sprinkle with fruit fresh on about 1 1/2 sliced peaches seal them up and freeze them.  

When I put the first batch away in the bottom of the freezer I found three bags from last year.  

They looks as good as the day we froze them. 

All of the peaches from Palisade Colorado are delicious!  Using my Food Saver Sealer locks in the freshness and it is like having fresh peaches year round. 

Most of the last flat will be processed in the next couple of days.

What's Cooking? Not cooking!  Pretzel buns with ham, turkey and cheese.  Yellow Pear Tomatoes!

Minnesota weather:  It rained about a half an inch early Thursday morning with thunder and lightening.

High 81F or 27C   Low 58F or 14C 

Far Side

Picnic

 My baby brother and his bride hosted a picnic for family.  It was a good turn out.  All the little kids had a blast on the slip and slide on the hill. 

This Blue Spruce is on the edge of my baby brother's yard. 

Anyways the food was great...I made potato salad.  

It was a very warm day. 

Minnesota weather: High 89F or 32C  Low  68F or 20C

Far Side

More cards

 I have cleared the second card project off of my desk.  I had a drawer that had lots of photos that were meant for cards. 

It took me several days to complete the project.  I was either slow or had too many photos! 

The cards are safely incased in see through card sleeves... so it is practically like shopping when I am looking for a card OR when someone runs across the three boxes of cards they will appreciate how neat and organized I was:)

I ordered this box from some mail order place years ago and it is full of all kinds of cards. 

What's Cooking:  Philly's and corn on the cob!

Minnesota weather:  High 83F or 28C  Low 58F or 14C  

Far Side

Rudbeckia

 The Rudbeckia was doing really good until the heat spell.  We need a little rain soon ...the grass is turning brown.

We had a quiet day on Sunday.  Far Guy did some woodcarving until it was time for our Sunday afternoon date on the patio of our favorite place to eat.   I did some laundry and worked on another of my card projects and then some stuff that no one notices.

We came home and watched Grey's Anatomy...we are on season 12. We watch it most afternoons...sometime I nap through it and Far Guy has to give me an update. 

Minnesota Weather: High 86F or 30C  Low was 67F or 19C.

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Hot Weather!

 This is a warm spell for us.  I hope it cools off soon.  I keep busy inside.

I had parts of cards in the works for a long time...this is one project of about three different card projects.   A little at a time I am getting them accomplished.  Not that I need anymore cards but I like having a variety when I am choosing cards for people.  

I am also crocheting and I can see the end in sight with one project.  I read and I have a puzzle book that is a real challenge.  

What's cooking?  We made Apple Pancake in the cast iron skillet...it was very good...I hated turning the oven on but the new oven does not warm the whole house like the old one did.

Minnesota weather:  High 89F or 32C    Low 67F or 19C

The heat index was 107 on Monday....uffda. 

Far Guy is holding his own and improving slowly.

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Clematis Virginiana

 Clematis virginiana or Virgin's Bower started off as a tiny sprig planted in about 1999 a gift from Faye.

It is doing quite well this year.  some of it climbs up and some of it just spreads along the ground seeking a spot to climb.

It has a sweet smell that permeates our yard. 

We were finally able to continue our Sunday afternoon date out on the patio at our favorite place to eat.  It was quite warm out on the patio about 95F  ( according to our car) but we were in the shade and there was a nice breeze.   We have not had a date in three weeks.  I am thankful that Far Guy felt good enough to go out....there was no one else out on the patio everyone else opted for the AC inside.

Far Guy is getting a bit stronger everyday.

 

Minnesota weather: High 90F or 32C   Low 70F or 21C  We are still under an extreme heat advisory. 

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Busy week

 We had a couple of Dr appointments this past week.  The Eye Doctor is finally done with all his tests...results of the first tests are stable...knock on wood.  I have not heard about the second test yet...hopefully it will be okay.   I had Lab draws yesterday for the Rheumatologist who has taken me off of all medications and needs time to figure out what he was going to try next...  seems I have a very rare form of arthritis...nothing is ever simple.

I visited Mom one afternoon this week, there is Covid in the Nursing Home.  We had a Care Conference for her yesterday, I just went in the building as far as the conference room.  She is doing okay...someone took money out of her purse. So that made her very unhappy.

Far Guy had his normal weekly infusion.  The nurses in the Infusion Center are very good to him...I think they enjoy his sense of humor. 

We have 30 woodcarved Christmas ornaments ready to paint. So that is progress.  

I mowed our weeds and leaves one day this week.  I have brand new mulching blades to put on so I am quite excited about that! 

We went to a car show one afternoon/evening. The last  car show of the Summer.  It was very "Fall like" with wind coming off the lake.

I am getting my paper supplies for Christmas cards ready for a Craft Retreat soon.

Mornings are very cool...almost nippy!  Our furnace is on.

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June Book Club

 We read The Silent Patient.  I give it 2 stars out of 10.  I do not understand why it was a best seller.  

I had to force myself to read it.  

In other happenings, I am mowing the grass, killing weeds and trying to control ants...summer is here. 

We have a heat advisory for the weekend.

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Floating Garden

 I spent the day at my baby brothers yesterday.  He and his bride were constructing a floating garden.  

It was trial and error...mostly wet error until after lunch and a nap.  Baxter had a nap too. 

We constructed the platform using some drainage pipe filled with empty water bottles to help with floatation.  Two layers of plastic snow fence covered the structure and many zip ties were used!  Final construction was the addition of some pool noodles. 

It floats...will the plants grow?   We shall see...there are strawberries, beans, squash and tomatoes. 

We squirted it around on the dock and got it on the front of the kayak and Beth paddled it around and shoved it off into the water.. 

It has a bit of chain on both ends to serve as an anchor and it is tied to the dock.  The beige structure is a kayak launcher. 

My baby brother and his bride and Baxter.  ( I think all dogs like wet legs!)

Refinishing our log siding is still in progress....slow progress.  Due to the air quality Far Guy is safely away from home for a few days while I hold down the fort here. 

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Day Off

 Monday was our day off this week to do what ever we wanted to do.    Far Guy woodcarved.  We took Ranger Blue to recycle and then washed Blue up after the mud holes we were in last weekend. 

I did some more organizing on my Christmas Card project and began some of the water coloring.  I decided what the inside of the card should say...yeah for progress.

I did some laundry and put a bunch of my stuff away...we cooked supper together...Philly's, sweet potatoes and fruit. 

The Obedient Plant is nearly done blooming in the wild gardens.  Physostegia virginiana. 

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Cute

 Cars with Fins.

We had a quiet Saturday.  Far Guy struggled with the front seat cover for his old car, he finally got it arranged so he is half pleased.  

We recycled and on the way stopped by the place we rented on the narrows the Fall and part of the Winter 1972/1973.  One of my cousin's daughters bought it and she has fixed it up real cute!  The bathroom is no longer blue.   Our oldest daughter and I lived there alone when Far Guy went to Basic Training in San Antonio, Texas. 

My Mom made an apple crisp and she and Dad came out in the evening, my baby brother, his bride and Baxter came over too.  It was a nice evening to sit outside.   Baxter is two years old now and I will take a photo of him after he is groomed later this week. 

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Coach Doors

I will call these coach doors...but the doors have been called suicide doors for years.   If the door didn't close all the way you could fall out. 

This is a 1947 Mercury. 

 

If you wore a voluminous gown theses doors would come in handy. 

Far Side

Slowing down

 Another busy day on Thursday, the last of the appointments and a grocery run.  Laundry and some house work and I was done for the day. 

I reached my stop sign about 3PM and headed for the couch and slept and dreamed for almost three hours.   Freezer was for supper...Far Guy chose Spaghetti and I made some nachos for myself and fruit.  Watered tomatoes and flowers after supper and folded the last load of laundry.  It will be an early night.

Friday all I have on my list is to cook up eggs and potatoes for potato salad for a gathering on Saturday. 

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Activities on Monday

 Laundry ( several loads), 51 pick up and put away, mowed lawn and sprayed for ants.   It was a full day.  I went with Far Guy to his Car Club meeting in the evening.  It was okay...they don't run a very organized meeting and it started 23 minutes late but they served root beer floats!  

During the afternoon I worked on the baby afghan and I am now doing the border.  In a few more days I will have it done. 

More yarn may have been stuffed in the mail box and the mail box didn't break this time.  As I was unpacking it some one who shall remain nameless said " When you were a paper hoarder it was less bulky compared to yarn."

Goats Beard or Tragopogon dubius   The large flower has gone to seed.  The root of this plant can be dug up and roasted and may be used as a coffee substitute.  If the economy gets much worse it may be a source of income:)

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Gaillardia

 The Gaillardia or Blanket flowers are in full bloom.  

I enjoy them when I go to check on the tomatoes. 

I have several yellow blooms. 

I do nothing to tend these flowers, I collect their seed and mow them off before winter.   They get water that the good Lord provides in rain. 

Speaking of rain...we got an inch plus of rain Sunday into Monday.  

Yesterday Far Guy and I ran errands and stopped to visit with a few of the people at our old wood carving group.    Came home and made Chicken Enchiladas for supper...I made a big pan so two nights in the future we will have easy meals. 

Yarn may have been delivered because when the Post Man tried to stuff the bags into the mail box the steel post that supports the three mail boxes broke ...my other baby brother and she who sees robins first came along and helped us fix it.  We share the post with them and also with my nephew.  It should be good for another 20 years. 

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4th report

Youngest daughter Jen stopped by for a quick visit and had lunch with us...potato salad and fruit.  Far Guy was cleaning up the interior of the Buick when she got here, so she helped us finish it up.  

We went for a Ranger Blue ride later in the afternoon.

The wind storm last week took down some trees across the trails. As you can see the wind came from several directions. 

It was a very humid day.   We had our picnic for supper...brats, baked beans, potato salad, pineapple and cherries. 

People down at the lake started with the noisy fireworks July 3rd just about dark. 

Far Side

July in Minnesota

 Far Guy says that half the summer is over when we get past the 4th of July.   I suppose that is true for people and kids that go back to school in mid August. 

Our weather has been wonderful the past few days, in the 70's during the day and cools off into the 50's at night.  

I can carve wood, I tried one of the Christmas ornaments yesterday.  My thumb was/is sore but I can do it.  Not sure how much I can help with the carving this year.  So I went off on my lawn tractor to kill poison ivy...great entertainment!  I was so thankful not to see the skunk family that she who sees robins first saw in her driveway.   The poison ivy is very tall this year...some of it is three feet tall. 

Town is a mess...tourists all over the place. One grocery store was out of mustard, peanut butter and soy sauce.  People are just nuts with their aggressive driving...a motorcycle passed us on a curve and I was going the speed limit. 

So far the lake people are quiet with fireworks.  Usually we hear fireworks every night the week before the 4th and the week after the 4th.  Maybe the skeeters are making life miserable for them too! 

I made potato salad yesterday one of my favorite summer foods.   Far Guy has not lost his cooking mojo...he made spaghetti:) 

Bunting over at my baby brother and his bride's home.  They celebrated 44 years of marriage this week.

Far Side

Happy Summer

 The other night we took out Ranger Blue and sat in our old driveway and watched the storm roll in. 

Rain and some wind.   It was entertaining. 

When it was so hot I worked on putting together some cards.  I have many of the watercolor/stamps all colored. (last winter I colored many while keeping an eye on Sadie)  I just need to trim them to size and audition mat colors and envelopes and assemble them.   I finished about 25 cards and there are still more that I could do.  

Far Guy has all the blanks cut out for the woodcarved Christmas Ornaments.  He has begun carving. 

It was cooler and windy yesterday after the storms...temperatures were only 77 F or 25 C for a high, but we are headed back up to hot again soon. 

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Hot

 Yesterday the warmest it got was 97 F or 36 C eh.  Sunday it was 100 F  or 37 C. 

I took a photo of the temperature and the time. 

Yesterday we ran errands in the morning when it was cooler; Post Office, Eye Doctor, Budget Auto and Wally World. 

Far Guy worked on Christmas woodcarvings and I worked on some greeting cards....then we had a nap.  Ever thankful for Air Conditioning!

Storms will be coming in and the weather should cool off some by Tuesday.  

Far Side

Summer begins

 Around here we think of summer as June, July and August....or from when school lets out to when it starts again.  

I am already thinking summery foods...we had some potato salad over the weekend...it is a summer food but I have been known to rock the boat and make it in the winter. 

I dug up the small flower bed...I suppose I should plant some flowers in it.   Next year I think I will just have pots of flowers.  

Far Guy and I repaired the lawn mower, I mowed the far driveway to test out the mower...it blows a little less grass and dirt at me.   I have my very own pair of Safety Glasses now! 

I checked out the weather report...no rain....the other day it rained about as much as I can spit.  It is going to get warm...like August warm later this week. 

I baked some cookies for a "doings" next weekend.  If it is close to the 100 degree mark as forecast we may just send over the cookies.  I baked them, let them cool and put them in the freezer. 

Far Guy hung up the Butterfly house for me...it was a gift from Mark and Cindy in Oregon....Mark built it and Cindy painted it!  With the price of lumber it is a very expensive gift!

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