I worked on my chicken coop off and on all day. I’ve got lots of the litter out of the house. I put big nails in the posts and hung my hoe and pick ax. I will get a basket at Dollar tree and hang my hornet spray can too. FYI if a rat snake invades your chicken nest, he will not quit. Every 4 to 7 days he will return for another meal. I’m going to add pine shavings to my house but I need to clean it more.
My weed whacker is on the blink. The pull cord broke. Laura ordered one and will try to install it. We are do it yourself people. I don’t pay others to do anything I can do myself. One of Larry’s saying was—a poor man has poor ways. The middle class is getting poorer. Gas is outrageous. Groceries are doubling in price. I really feel for the poor. I don’t see how they are making it. Surely, we will have a brighter day over the hill. I still have hope. But often it is dimmed by what I see on the news.
Ada writes letters. She wrote Sigrid and Sigrid wrote Ada in return. I know Ada was excited to get mail.
Volleyball had Adam Sandler Day. Greta is in the Hawaiian shirt. I don’t even know who Adam Sandler is so I don’t know if she looks like him or not.
This is Astrid and one of her good nurse friends. This girl looks young, but she has children and is finishing her Nurse Practitioner degree.
I left early and have been running errands. Got new tools for the chicken pen ! Snake away must not work! Yesterday a big rat snake was curled where to Copperhead was earlier! The bush ax is good but I need something to drag them out with. The hoe is for that! The pick ax is another good tool that will take a head off nearly anything. I emptied a can of hornet spray on the culprit but he climbed the wall! The net said the hornet spray will do its duty but it takes longer. Guess he’d eaten two golf balls as it looked like he had spit them up as later on they were laying where he was but wet and dirty! I am not giving up! The battle continues!
Greta is into volleyball season! She’s on the back row but not the tallest girl! She likes volleyball. Well, she likes all sports. She’s a front row blocker. They asked her to play travel league after the school sport ends. It costs $900.00 as it’s not school sponsored. She’s considering it! Her family has three children and they don’t have money to throw around.
Yesterday Laura saw these follower park goers! Try to count them in the top photo.
Today will be the hottest day of 2026. It is supposed to reach 100. August is around the corner then fall. I really don’t do as well in very hot or very cold…that’s what getting old does to folks.
My niece said the mother of these twins is so trusting of them that she leaves her babies under a tree in the corner of her yard. She said when the mother comes to retrieve them they jump with joy.
I am going to use this stitch for my next baby blanket so I’m saving it here. I’m working on one using scraps first. I have lots of pieces. Sacks of them.
I put my Purple Heart plant in full sun. It’s also called wandering Jew. It’s a spiderwort. The pieces fall to the ground and if I left them they would grow.
My cousin in Kansas City, Mo is making this flag quilt. She’s an art teacher. It looks like lots of work to me.
I finished this baby blanket last evening after I mowed. I’m going to try the granny stitch with hearts I have been trying to figure out. I get the pattern but the correct number to get in four hearts is a math problem but I’ll figure it out. I give my blankets away and won’t pay for a pattern. Most are easy to get but this one has to have the exact number of stitches .
This blanket is chenille yarn. It’s really soft and snuggly.
Vintage cabinet
Astrid almost has an electrical fire as the plug on her dryer over heated and lost a leg. They smelled it. Logan and she thought the dryer might have shorted out, but it seems it was just the plug end. Pop put in the plug end 37 years ago so it was a very old one. While they had everything apart, they put up their vintage cabinet over the washer and dryer.
Last night at 5:30 I decided I had better mow. Yesterday was 96, today, 97 and Wednesday 100. That’s the temp not the index. I got it done and it wasn’t that overwhelming. It takes an hour and half. Chickens have an inward clock. They were anxious to be let free range. I unlocked their gate, but they had to wait til I showered and cleaned my mower. I clean the mower of all grass after each mowing. They still were able to run around and eat what they wished.
I watched the World Cup yesterday. It was long is my description!
Sigrid said the hike turned out like Astrid predicted—hot, lots of tick spray, and not much water flowing. Ada was thrilled that they returned to play in the pool with her.
That tiny stream of water was not a waterfall but a water drip.
Two sweethearts posed at the sweetheart tree.
When little best friend came yesterday, I sent Erin to the shoe store and she picked two pair of shoes for school. She and Greta enjoyed pool time with Sigrid. She was talking about her latest read—The Hobbit! Erin and she listen to the book, read the book and then if they can find a movie, watch it. My Sigrid is a blessing she played with Ada as one her age.
Notice Ada’s shoes each have a bracelet! I’m sure that’s why she chose them.
Ada is into church. She thought of games she and Sig could play. One was baptizing. It was a ritual with a backward dunk. She attends a Baptist Church. No sprinkling. Ada is still leery of water. When Sigrid was her age she swam with a team. By the time they climbed out of the pool, Ada was swimming under water and lots more at “ease”. Sigrid is a good teacher. Ada isn’t a good listenerš¤
Ada is also focused on dying. Aunt Helen passed in October. Last week, a 90 year friend from church passed away. Their church served lunch to the family and friends. Erin took Pastor’s Cake. Ada said with seriousness that they could decorate the cake with a grave. Little minds and how they think make me smile!
Astrid has a big flock of chickens. Hers make mine look sickly and pitiful. Laura and Astrid hosted game night at Astrid and LR’s house. I came for the foods before. It was really a treat. All was delicious. I didn’t stay for the games. I came home and let my chickens free range. But…I’m not a quick thinker anymore and I would put my team to a disadvantage. All Laura’s family loves games of all kinds. Eric was playing cards and couldn’t attend. He plays magic card games. He has all his adult life. It’s extra complicated.
Astrid’s climbing Mandevilla vine is full of blooms. It’s covering the trellis like she planned.
Pretty potted petunia
I went to the grocery store so I’d have things Ada loves to eat. It’ll be afternoon before they get here. Working Mothers have so much to do. Laura said we could come over and swim. Sig, LE, and Laura went on a hike today. I think they’re going to Haw Creek and Pam’s grotto. It’s a secluded waterfall in the Ozark National Forest. There’s a cave too, all beautiful!! Maybe they’ll share some pictures. Hiking was something I loved to do, but it’s in my past now.
Yesterday, the beautiful Painted Bunting came by to eat at the bird cam.
I let my chickens free range again last evening. I kept my shoes on. I saw a big coyote yesterday in full day light. I didn’t let them out until late. They only get to run around and eat bugs for an hour.
July is ending. Laura and Eric go back to work in August. Their summer is ending.
I finished a baby blanket. Astrid needs two for a boy soon. This one might be okay for a girl or boy. The yarn is small and it’s a light blanket, very stretchy and soft. I’m making one with chenille yarn. I tried the royal touch pattern but this yarn is too heavy for that pattern. I’ll just do a granny square.
We got a nice rain yesterday. All the brown spots in my yard were green by afternoon. It’s amazing how quickly a rain can bring things alive.
When I came home from yoga, it was clouding up like rain was coming. I left my car out for the rain to wash the dust away. I set my coleus plant out in the rain so it could have a bath. My car looks better.
I’ve been reading about chicken hawks. They hunt in the morning midday and afternoon by 4 in the afternoon they have returned to their home roost ( usually). I decided to let my chickens out. I sat on the back porch and crocheted. They love eating the green grass and bugs and their eggs are lots healthier to eat. I didn’t let them out ‘til 6:30. About 7:30 I saw a dark shadow swoop from the horse pasture and land. Then the bird swooped toward my chicken pen. I went as fast as I could (I won’t say ran) toward the chickens yelling and waving my arm. The worst part was I had on no shoes. Ouch, every piece of grass stung my bare feet. Well, false alarm, it was just a crow. I laughed as I hobbled back to my perch. I’m a shepherd and my flock is chickens!
Yesterday, I mowed but just in the spots that weren’t brown. At the end of the chore, it sprinkled and wet the yard so I tried again to burn my sticks. I restacked once and most were history this morning. We’re supposed to get rain today. We need it.
I’ll go to yoga class this morning. I’ve had my coffee.
Laura made southwest crispy rice chicken salad for supper. She brought me a bowl for my lunch today. She made avocado dressing. I’m anxious to try the dressing as I’ve never tried it. She saved the scraps and my chickens got a treat. I rode over and picked the chicken treat up and lay in the pool. That felt good on my shingles spots. Then we lounged and we both read our books.
Read these two memoirs this week. “Strangers” is a new book and on NY Times best seller book. It’s setting is during the pandemic written about a marriage ending. She had no idea what was happening until “ bam” it did. All during lockdown. It’s a story of survival. A “Three Dog Life” is an older memoir that Stephen King recommended. Abigail’s husband is hit by a car and has a traumatic brain injury. He can never live at home again. Her dog gives her comfort, then a second and then a third! Enjoyed both!
Ada enjoys cooking. She put together pizza for supper for her family. I am betting they were delicious!
Greta with her volleyball team. She’s on the back row on the left. Greta is 5”10” tall. Volleyball will be the first sport when school starts. She plays basketball and soccer too.
I was threatened yesterday in my chicken house. A huge poisonous copperhead was lurking. I was so scared but knew I had to defend myself. First, I used hornet spray and then my brush ax. I wanted to call Eric to come, but I knew it would take too long.
Sigrid long time friend turned 21. They have been good friends since early elementary school. Ellie had a big birthday bash. She flew home and brought her boyfriend John to Arkansas for the first time. I’m sure he was overwhelmed by all the hoop da loo. Ellie majored in journalism and has a job in Washington D. C. John works at the White House doing something. It was a busy weekend for Sigrid. She is working at C&D today and Wednesday and Thursday. She starts 2nd year of Pharmacy School the middle of August. The one big thing that told me Siggie was used by her mentor was — second week mentor went on vacation and Sigrid did her work for a week. Good grief. The lady wasn’t even there. When I taught, I had an intern nearly every semester. I probably had 75 to 100 during my career. I was there to help them take the final step before going into their first job. The biggest thing I feel you need to do is be present, be helpful, let them advance to full job responsibilities by the end. Going on a week vacation is deplorable I think.
Ada dressed for church Sunday. She likes putting on Sunday outfits. Then Greta had basketball at Rogers, AR. Ada can entertain herself. She’s pretending in the bleachers.
Ada has a few books. This is only part of her reading library. Erin is turning Ada on to book listening. She loves it too. She just finished listening to the Hobbitt.
These are Astrid’s gardens. The white hydrangea is really pretty. She gets lots of food from her small garden space. Logan and she got back from their trip without a hitch. Camper pulled fine and the stuff inside worked. This was a rehearsal for October. They are going out west. I know through Utah but now I’m not sure which park they’re going to.
Well, the heart halter is off. It was sort of like wearing one of those ankle bracelets. When I taught I had 12 and 13 year olds that had them. Usually it was because they were run aways. When you teach children 40 years, you learn a lot about family life. Behind every troubled child is a family story. With the monitor there were always thoughts of can’t do this, can’t do that. I am also nearly finished with the shingles medication. I have chosen a cardiologist when I am asked about that. I will be glad to learn all about what’s going on with my heart. I am not nearly as energetic as I used to be but that could be normal aging.
My baby brother would be 65 today. He died very young, 61.
