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.

Far Side

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.

Far Side

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. 

Far Side  

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. 

Far Side

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. 

Far Side

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. 

Far Side

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:)

Far Side

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. 

Far Side

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. 

Far Side

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!

Far Side

Blue Sky

 Yesterday I had quite an encounter with a bark filled erosion tube.  (Erosion tubes are black knit material filled with bark about 6 inches around)  My lawn mower got stuck...it wouldn't go forward and it wouldn't go backwards.   I weighed my options...leave the mower there and say someone stole it... get the other mower and pull /push it...but it was precariously near a drop off.  Should I just go inside my baby brothers house and have a nap?  I called Far Guy and said "I am in a pickle...can you help?"  ( I usually carry my phone when I am off mowing.)

I had some time to sit and think and admire the woods. 

 I sat on the steps and looked up.

I enjoyed the blue sky.   Sometimes when you are in a bit of a pickle you just need to take a minute or two to enjoy your surroundings...until the knight in shining armor shows up.

We eventually got the mower free from the dastardly erosion tube.  We tried several things...finally Far Guy rocked the mower sideways and I pulled on the tube as he was rocking it back and forth.  For the record I did not try and mow the tube...I just tried to go over the top of it...well I learned that lesson.  The tube is a tad worse for the wear...those things are heavy...I moved it back in place when I was done mowing.

That was my adventure for the day...when I got back home Far Guy said he was happy to see me!  

Far Side

Lawn Day

 It was lawn day.  I was behind on my mowing and it kept raining and the grass kept growing.  I am mostly done for a few days. 

I mowed part of the back road and admired Coneflowers and Rudbeckia that I planted along the road twenty some years ago.  It was a good year for those Coneflowers.

Even the White Coneflowers ones are blooming this year.

Lots of deer tracks out there...but I saw no deer...or any other critters.  It was very windy, one gust of wind blew off my hat and I had to chase after it.   I wear a hat so my nose doesn't get sunburned and so my hair is contained under the cap...as I have numerous low branches that have caught my hair band and almost scalped me.  Go ahead and laugh...before the hat I used to come home with twigs in my hair.  I need to do some serious tree trimming some day.  

Far Guy was working on a wood carving and I joined him on the patio and carded dog hair for awhile before I needed a nap. 

Steak and baked potato was supper. 

Our weather has turned cool and I enjoyed it very much!  Far Guy wore a light jacket outside..

Goodbye August Hello September.

Far Side

Sunday happemings

 We listened to church...they are still having some problems with the sound system.  Apparently someone watches for comments on facebook when the live feed is happening...and they got it straightened out.  Truth be told the songs/music was much better imagined! 

I did some housework and then joined Far Guy outside...he was woodcarving and I carded some dog fur.  It was very windy all day.  

I finished up some small gnome hats for a project that Jen has going. 

Lots of ends to weave in after we are sure they will work...some may be too tall and need to be shorter and that can be accomplished much easier if the ends are not sewn in! 

My brothers and one bride visited in the late afternoon. 

Far Guys relatives Wayne and Craig visited on Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening Odda came to visit cause she was missing us and knows the way to our house...so I talked with Jo through the window.  

Always good to see someone else besides each other...although we are quite accustomed to a hermit lifestyle. 

The Yellow Pear tomatoes are ready...we enjoyed a few with supper. They are packed with flavor!   Pork Burgers and the last of the yellow carrots was also on the menu. 

Far Side

Quiet Sunday

 We had a quiet Sunday...we listened to church and then carried on with everyday normal stuff.   Laundry and some  housework...Far Guy worked on his woodcarving  he is making great progress.  

My brothers and their wives stopped by to visit.  My other baby brother called me from the grocery store to see what we needed...he dropped off some Outshine Lime Fruit Bars...just like a margarita with out the ta kill ya.  The ta kill ya just makes me sleepy anyways.  My baby brother stopped by when he was putting up No Trespassing Signs...he will pick some up for us too....many of our old boards are rotten and need to be replaced.  It has been on my list of things to do.  We had nice visits with them all. 

I worked on Christmas Cards...every few days I switch supplies just to keep it interesting and less like an assembly line.  I do six cards at a time.  First the inside then the outside since it is a tri fold card. 

I will not be attending the craft retreat this year in September...it wouldn't be a good thing for me to bring something back to Far Guy.  I always look forward to the retreat..maybe next year...one can always hope.  I was pretty bummed out about it...but I made the correct decision...I can check in with all the gals on facetime and I hope to schedule something fun to do here at home that weekend.  I usually work on my Christmas Cards at the retreat. 

It is hot and humid here...more like July weather than August.  Leaves are starting to fall out of the trees and make the patio and lawn look messy. 

Echinacea, Liatris and Obedient Plant in the wildgardens August 2020

Far Side

Tempting

 Jen and Andy were driving around.

LOOK what they found.  Andy started it for us...Far Guy told him how to start it.  Jen gave us a full tour via facetime.  It needs new brakes or they would have taken us for a ride! 

It is an awesome old car.  

Far Guy is tempted...and I support his decision what ever that will be. 

He said "What would we do with it?"  I answered...drive around on Sunday afternoons...and  make out in the backseat.

Far Side

C for Changes and Car

 I got the car to town for the oil change /tire rotation appointment.  What is there to do in a car dealership whilst you are waiting...give our old salesman Joe a bad time about vehicles. Joe has been gone for a year he worked for a different dealership for a bit.  Now he is back...I shared with him how the other salesmen just didn't want to find us a Buick that had heated seats and steering wheel that was NOT white, black or silver.

I sent a text to Far Guy...then Joe called Far Guy. 

I took a picture so Far Guy could see the color. 

Far Guy says "I like that color."   This is NOT the vehicle...cause this one does not have heated seats or steering wheel.  However one this same color with  heated seats and heated steering wheel is available at a different dealership... so we are thinking about it. 

Yes it is a Buick...my Grandparents always drove a Buick.  

It is exactly the same as the Buick we have now...except that one is three years old and Winterberry Red. Far Guy says we should probably trade it in since the bugs are hard to get off the front.

Oh well...time will tell...who goes to town for an oil change and comes back with a new car anyways.

Far Side