Fall....and falling

Happy Autumn Equinox!! Tomorrow will be the first day of Fall officially....its beginning to feel that way too. Our overnight low was around 73 degrees and in North Florida, they were expecting to be in the upper 60's...around 68 degrees. Had a little bit of rain overnight, but nothing much in the way of accumulation. We still have humidity, but the heat and steam are no longer present....just dampness.

Hubby has left for the morning to go to the U-Pull-it place with his buddy...yep, can hop up bright and early to go run with someone else, but will hang in bed or in front of the tube all day otherwise. Yet another thing he just has to do. Guess I'm not smart enough for him to hang with and do things for, let alone talk to.

I did tell him yesterday not to worry about fixing the van to go to the mountain. I've decided I will not be going to the mountain again with him. Figure I'll see about contacting a realtor Monday and put it on the market. This 'Little Slice of Heaven' has become a living hell...why should I think the mountain will be any different? Its not like he's made any type of real effort towards our being able to go or move there. Guess he figures I'm just stupid enough to believe every thing that comes out of his face.

And the Heat goes on...and on...

In memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001....We will never forget...

Whew, here it is just barely past 6 am and its already a muggy 80 degrees...feels like it did when we went to bed last night...I think it only dropped a couple degrees. Most of the humidity is probably being caused by the close proximity of Ike....who is still spinning and growing in the Gulf. Looks huge as it is still over 600 miles from Texas, and yet it still is pretty close to our west coast. I think they said the storm its self is over 900 miles wide....wow...That's like from here in Florida to my kid's house in Indiana....that's one bad looking storm! Texas appears to be taking no chances as they were showing evacuations taking place on the early news.

The forecast today is for more of the same, hot, muggy temperatures in the mid 90's with a heat index over 100. Sigh...looks like its going to be October before we get any change in the humidity and heat.

Hubby and I aren't exactly speaking at the moment. I allowed myself to rant and rage until I just absolutely wore myself out before he got home....by that time, I'd given myself a pounding headache and the knot in my stomach felt as if I had swallowed a cast iron basketball...the knot is still there this morning. For the time being, I'm holding my tongue and not saying any further words regarding his work...at least until the next time the pay is late in coming or he's asked to work another Saturday...figure I'll just let it sit and simmer until then. Maybe by that time, the knot will be gone...or not, payday is only one day away. Just way too wound up over this to act like an adult right now...I'm ready to throw a few punches.

I got excuses on the camper...'its sitting too far away and I can't read what it says....I'll just call the guy'...whatever. If his eyes are that bad, he has no business driving without glasses. MEN!!!

So this morning, he's sitting on the porch...with the front door open and the A/C cranking...the fan was sucking the heat from the porch directly into the bedroom where I was still sleeping. GGRRRR...so I get up and ask him what he's doing...'just sitting here'...so I kicked the thermostat higher...he comes back inside...IDIOT, can you not feel the difference in the temperature between in and out? (I had the thermostat set about 75 overnight) Its only pure STEAM on the front porch this morning. Felt like a sauna and the sun isn't even breaking the horizon yet. Makes me feel like screaming and I haven't even had coffee yet! He left for work with minimal conversation...actually, now that I think about it, no conversation...just 'I'm leaving now'....and he wonders why I don't bother to get up with him...grrrrrr, maybe because I despise being agitated and aggravated before 7 am!! Its rare anymore for me to get up before he leaves the house...this morning reminds me why.

Heat, humidity...

Heat, humidity and temps in the low 90's...heat index today is to be around 102 degrees. Same ol' same ol'....at least the water in the yard continues to be absorbed. Sea breeze rains expected later today...at least when it rains, the humidity drops. Was another night of having to run the A/C.

With two Tropical systems sitting so close, its hard to really make plans for much. The yard is too wet to do anything, including mow, or moving equipment. Hubby goes out and tinkers a bit, but as for me, I'm hanging in the house. Between the mosquitoes and the standing water, its just too much aggravation to head outside. The humidity is miserable even after dark right now.

Glad to see this month coming to an end. It has been a difficult month all the way around.

Things they are a changin...

The chickens were in bed last night by 7:30 pm...not sure why they went so early, usually its 8pm and sometimes 8:30 pm before they finally decide to head to the coop. I was surprised. Hmmm, wonder if it is due to fall being just around the corner? Haven't really been around chickens since I was a little kid, so I'm not sure, just thought it odd based on their normal habits.

Was supposed to take a short 'road trip' with my girlfriend this morning, but it has been changed til tomorrow. There is a place north of us where our family has held gatherings and camped that is so beautiful....L's daughter is coming in and is wanting to camp there this weekend. It's called Princess Place Preserve http://www.flaglerparks.com/princess/history.htm, the link takes you to the Flagler county site and gives a bit of history on the place. 1500 acres on the water that is just so awesome...one of the reasons we were going up is to check out if it is too flooded for a camping trip. Tons of wildlife, hiking trails and canoe trails as well. It is strictly tent camping and is very primitive. There are shower houses and porta-pottys, but you have to haul your water to the campsites...my kind of camping. The sites are huge...we've had as many as five tents on one site and still had plenty of space.

Our morning is beginning like every other day this month...cool and breezy til the sun begins to draw the water from the ground to the air....temperatures are expected to be in the high 80's and the heat index is supposed to feel like 100...I'm sounding like a broken record. Last night the humidity was once again so mucky that the house stayed closed and the A/C was on. No afternoon or evening rains means the steam just hangs until the wee hours before sunrise.

Hubby was up early, before the alarm, in the shower with the steamy hot water trying to ease his aching head and back. Some of this is from the accident injury with the chipped vertebrae and the head is mostly allergy/sinus. Nothing was giving him relief this morning...he popped a couple Advil and headed off to work. My heart goes out to him as I know too well how debilitating pain can be. He's afraid if he gives in to the pain, he'll be down for the count. SIGH...guess I'd be down for the count as I am over doing the things that create the pain....but he's working to support us.

All the water from Fay is still making things a challenge in our yard. Hubby put the mosquito baits out the other day and it seems to have made some difference. Hard to tell though as we have so much water in various places. Get rid of the ones on our place and they'll visit us from the neighbors....HA!

It looks as though I've found something that Four o'clocks don't like....two weeks of heavy rains...the poor things look withered and curled out by the split rail...that area doesn't even hold water that bad, so I'm surprised there! The ones in that area almost look as if they have suffered from extreme drought. I'm sure there is a bit of heat stress going on there as well. Time to cut them back...still time for them to come back before it turns cold. The ones at the end of the trailer sit a bit higher and they look pretty good. Even the Lavender is suffering...poor thing is wilty since all the rain and it was really looking nice just prior to Fay slapping us around. The Rhubarb has disappeared entirely, guess it had to be the rains as it is still protected with the cage.

For now, I have Cantaloupes starting to flower in the urns out front....these were the transplants from the chicken yard. The tomato starts continue to show progress and must have sprouted roots as they are all three looking good. Now to see if they will produce. I'm hoping this will happen and if it does, then definitely will be taking cuttings as I seem to have a hard time getting them to grow from seed....could just feed the seed to the chickens and let them do the work.

Haven't been out to the garden plot lately. All the water and the humidity just make me want to stay inside. Its been so miserably hot and mucky, even with the A/C....a sign I'm getting older I guess. There was a time that the heat and humidity didn't bother me much at all....just making it that much easier to want to head for the mountain.

End of the month...Already??

The water continues to recede in the yard...the sun is turning it to steam and dropping it back as rain late in the day...vicious cycle here. The morning began cool at 75 degrees...the humidity was pretty low considering how mucky it was last night at 11 pm. We left the house closed up and the A/C running because of the humidity. Before sunrise, the air was nice and cool.

Our biggest concern at the moment is the mold and mildew that goes hand in hand with all this rain...uugghh...you can smell it in the air outside around the areas where the water has been standing. We had a small area show water damage from the roof...I've had the fan blowing on that area of the ceiling since I began to notice the water ring. It's almost dry at this point and I'll be wiping it down with a bit of bleach to keep it from forming the black mold...ick. One of the more annoying things about living in high humidity. Even the moisture in the house causes the mildew to form on all sorts of materials...like my leather shoes...grrr...just noticed my good loafers are 'green'...yuck, sigh...guess I'll have to see if I can get them clean...sucks because I rarely wear that pair of shoes and was hunting something else when I ran across them. Makes me really scared to check my other leather items...like the suede skirt, two suede blouses and my leather dress....all hanging in the garmet bag in my closet....naw, not now, I just can't look!!

The current weather pattern is our 'normal' summer weather...this IS our wet season after all. At this point, I can hardly wait for November when the chances of being slapped silly by a hurricane is way less. Already looking forward to the cooler weather that September will bring...the temperatures should begin to drop to the mid 80's soon and the humidity should be much lower as well.

Hard to believe August has flown by so quickly! Guess being 'pre-occupied' with the storm and the rains have kept me from noticing how fast the month has flown. Hadn't given it much thought really, until this morning when I got my email notice that my rent check had been sent...WHAT??? Already? What is today's date???? Ok, so I know it's the youngest son's birthday today, but it still wasn't registering that 'hello, its the end of the month almost'!
Where has this month disappeared to already? Summer is truly almost at an end...school is back in session, the days have begun to grow dark earlier and now September is about to begin....another turn of the wheel as Fall creeps our way....

Isn't this August???

Today has been a repeat of yesterday, with the exception of temperature. The humidity has risen a bit, and the temperature is hanging right at 82 degrees.



Rains are in the forecast as the front continues to sit over the state. Next week it looks as though we could see a bit of weather from two tropical systems....we've got at least one Tropical storm...Fay...that could be a category one hurricane by the time it reaches us. Looks like it could come straight up the middle the way the forecasters are showing...either way, no matter where it comes in, we will get weather from it.

Got the yard mowed finally...will be mowing the back pasture Saturday...ran out of gas and daylight about the same time. I'm whipped and ready for a shower and food.

Around the yard

The chickens are now back in their pen. While they were in the garden, there were several Cantaloupe seedlings that decided to grow in their pen. I finally managed to get the planters filled yesterday and got them transplanted. The planters they are now in sit on either side of the walkway on concrete posts...I'll have to get a picture soon. There were about ten starts, so I have split them between the two planters. Thought they would look pretty nice vining down the posts, spilling out of the planters, especially once they begin to bloom. The planters sit fairly close to the split rail fence and depending on just how well they grow, I have the option to train them over the fence as well.

The new Tomato starts look like they have decided to set roots...YAY!!! One looks as if it may have a bloom starting also. Most definitely will be starting them this way in the future.

After looking at the Rosemary, I'm considering adding a bit more soil to her pot...she's beginning to get quite 'woody' and near the top of the soil, looks like she may be throwing some roots from a few of the lower branches. The pot didn't get filled entirely when I transplanted it so there is plenty of room for additional soil to be added. Guess I misjudged when I first put the soil in the pot, so when all was said and done, there is probably about four or five inches between the top of the pot and the top of the soil....its a pretty deep pot anyway...but the Rosemary is pretty good size.

I've been scoping out the large pot situation around here....the Stevia is needing a much larger pot again...I'd put it in the ground, but since we don't plan to stay here, I don't intend to leave it.
There are several larger pots still available for me to use...I'm just trying to make sure I get them used most effectively. There are several Hibiscus starts that will need the larger pots also.
After careful thought, I'm going to dig up the Basil and put it in a very large pot also. I really enjoy the smell of the Basil and know it will grow as a perennial here in Florida if protected. Its another plant I intend to take whenever we relocate....many of the plants will be transplanted into the large pots as I rethink what is going to be left here when we finally move. It doesn't seem to think much of its current location. Its in the ground, but sure acts like it needs to be moved...one more thing to add to the list...lol.

My plans for the garden are evolving into working with containers for the remainder of the growing season. I'm planning to use some of the seed flats I have that are open (not individual cells) and sow a bit of Leaf Lettuce once more. The last time, it never germinated. I have some different seed to try this time. I'm also wanting to try Scallions/green onions...I adore those...there are several planters I could use for those.

The Rhubarb has finally given up. All the intense rain we had must have been more than it could take. There is no longer a sign of it having been planted...except for the little marker.

There is more Yellow Squash to plant as well and I'm considering which pot to use for them. After dealing with the Boring worms out in the garden spot, I don't think I want to try them there again...and I adore the yellow squash so I really want to grow them. Love their pretty blossoms too.

Today's weather has really pulled me outside...the cool air was wonderful after so many days of high heat and humidity....too bad the rain chased me back inside before I had the opportunity to start getting my trays and pots ready for their new soil and seeds. The Cantaloupe starts are looking so nice in their new homes and last night's rain sure perked them right back up...no drooping at all after being transplanted. Nice to see some things doing like I wish.....

Isn't this August???

The day started out grey and fairly cool...it has continued throughout and is currently 76 degrees on my porch at almost 4:30 pm. It hasn't grown much warmer that about 78 all day. Pretty nice considering August is normally one of our hotter months. We seem to have some sort of odd front sitting over us for the past two days and that's where all our rain seems to be originating.
Actually, I think its pretty nice...kinda makes me think of how the weather on the mountain is this time of year...and I'm sooo missing it at the moment.

Since it has been raining off and on all day, there hasn't been much for hubby to do to keep busy...he just has been able to get outside and finish working on his truck brakes...rain keeps running him inside. We've been discussing the friends offer and some of the concerns we both seem to share...we plan to go back again and discuss it in more detail and see if we can all reach an agreement we can all live with. I'd really like to be in a house and the finances would ease a bit with the lower rent. Seems all I'm able to think about is what I could do in the house with the furniture we already have...I'm decorating it in my head...but, I haven't even seen the entire house on the inside...LOL...
With several of the antiques we have sitting out in the shed right now, I'd love to be able to have them where we can enjoy them once more...this house has that kind of room. It's kinda funny cause even the bookcase in my back room here, would have a great place in the living room at that house...oooohhhh, jeez...here I go again...

Grey day....

At 2:45 pm, it remains a very grey day. The humidity has come up high enough to chase me and the dogs all inside. The temperature on the porch thermometer reads about 88 degrees. There is a bit of a breeze now and then. To look towards the sky makes one feel as if winter is just around the corner...its that grey and nasty looking. Again the forecast is calling for afternoon rains....we shall see.

If the rains come, it will probably happen about the time hubby is heading home after work....especially seeing as we planned to stay home tonight and work around the house...such is life!!

Perhaps if the rains hold off we might be able to get the yard mowed, at least the front....it so sucks with the 'new' rider...its a pull start, which I have a very hard and painful time trying to start...god, I miss the electric start mowers!! My pulling arm, right arm, is the shoulder that gives me the most trouble...just trying to use it swimming last week about brought me to my knees after doing a very shallow dive movement...the abrupt movement as I brought it above my head shot pain to my little finger, from the shoulder down. Bursitis issues have plagued that shoulder since I was seven. On a happier note, since experiencing that while swimming, the shoulder has actually 'freed' up a bit and is moving a bit less painful at this time.

Time to move on today and get something started for tonight's dinner....been craving a big pot of ham and pinto bean soup...and a pan of cornbread...yum...well, if that's gonna happen for tonight, then I'd better get to cooking!!

A meal and a peel....

Another cool start to the day...temperatures are at 70 as the sun begins to light the sky. Forecast calls for it to be another hot one, we are expecting highs in the 90's once more. Never did get any rain yesterday although it threatened several times. Probably dump buckets today.

Got side tracked with an errand last night and didn't make it to our friends'. Worked out ok though, got a call from them later and an invitation to dinner for tonight. Hubby told them he'd bring the weedeaters when we come tonight so he can get some of the high grass cut back for him. Hope that they will understand our desire to remain friends is stronger than the desire to move. Must have enjoyed the wine....our friend asked if I could pick up more for dinner tonight, so looks like I'll be calling my buddy after he gets home from work....just up the street.

Icckk...got the little blisters itching and popping around all the sunburned spots...my entire back feels like it is covered with the little blisters....oozing all over when scratched or rubbed....knew this would happen eventually. My forehead and nose began peeling yesterday....now it seems like every inch that saw sun is going to blister and peel. I'll really be glad when that is over.

Fall in the air, Raspberry wine and passing time...

A bit of a surprise this morning...its feels almost chilly! I checked the thermometer on the porch...68 degrees...wow, haven't felt that for a bit...red sky as the sun rises...guess we could see some storms later...its in the forecast anyway.

Hubby is back to work this morning. I hope this doesn't become one of those every week things...we can't afford to lose two days pay like that very often. It was nice having him home and in spite of the rain and wet yard, he did manage to do a few things.

I didn't get the garden tilled by August 10...haven't got the seed trays done...and the back room is still a big pit....the possibility of a move has put much on hold for the moment.

August 10 was my oldest grandson's birthday...he turned 12 yesterday. Geez, they are all growing up so fast....now I'm feeling old.

We had a good visit with our friends last night...the Raspberry n Chocolate Mead was just as excellent as I knew it would be. Hung out and played a game with dominoes called 'chicken foot'. Was our first time playing and it was pretty fun. Talked about renting their other house a bit...still not real sure if we want to do this....the lease here at this place is up or almost up, and saving 200 a month on rent is a good thing, but, there would be stipulations I'm not sure we want to deal with. One of the stipulations would be the equipment would be stored on the property which means I would have the crew in my space twice a day...and the friends would expect pool privileges, which just for them would be fine, but could possibly mean that they would expect to bring whoever down whenever they wished....that would be a problem. I really enjoy my privacy too much to want all that. So, we are still in the discussion stage. I enjoy the company and would really love to move but I just don't want to ruin a friendship either.

Another consideration would be my chickens and the dogs....they have two older dogs that aren't real tolerant of other dogs in their space...they also have a young Raccoon that runs freely....its a pet for now....I already know that Raccoons will raid a chicken house, no problem...and since she's not afraid of dogs since she's been raised with two, my dogs could possibly hurt her....or vice versa. The raccoon is already accustomed to going to the old house and swimming in the pool. So much to consider....

Pain and Peel

Its Saturday morning, a bit past 9 am...temperature is actually pretty nice, a cool 76 degrees.

We had thunderstorms move in sometime around 12:30 am...it woke me up and I recall looking at the clock...was raining very hard around 5 am...the sunburn woke me up then. Only got a bit of rain yesterday, it began around 5pm and was gone from the area by 6pm. Standing water once more in the yard, so we obviously got several inches dumped in the wee hours this morning.

Ok, I need some "cheese with my whine"....looks like I got more sun than I first thought...those tender areas like the lower stomach, upper thighs and just across the tops of the hips....owwww, they are so tender that its waking me up when I move.
Cut an Aloe leaf yesterday and put it in the fridge...once it was cool, I pressed the goo out and began to apply it with the fingertips...aahhh, felt so nice. Most of me has turned tan, with the exception of the areas that I mentioned...those will most likely peel also...joy. First pain, then peel

Sun kissed part 2 continued...

The thunder has ceased at almost 3pm...I switched the tv on so I could check and see what was going on with the weather...the storm I was hearing passed to the south and the other one, to the north of us...nothing but a good bit of wind blowing pine needles here. The temps are still in the upper 80's at this time.

DH has laid down to take a short nap...the sun exposure yesterday seems to have triggered a headache episode...my own head was aching a bit last night before we finally called it a night and headed to bed. He had woke up this morning with it beginning to nag...they seem to have similar symptoms as migraines...he is very light sensitive when he gets these and usually sleeps with the pillow over his eyes when he gets one of these. I'm hoping he will be back to work on Monday...as much as I enjoy having him home...he tends to become bored and will try to do more than he needs to attempt in this heat. At least at work, he has the building to help shade his work area, and if he isn't at the shop, he's driving the truck and the air is flowing somewhat. Here at home, he's just out in the sun and heat with little air moving.

Sun kissed part 2

The morning began tenderly...sunburned areas are a bit prickly today. Still, the affected areas aren't really all that bad. Most of the burn has tanned nicely, only the unexposed tender areas are still showing a bit of pink...in another few days, they too will be tanned.

After waking up to a mild 75 degrees, the heat has risen rapidly to above 90 with, of course, high humidity as a companion once more. The wind picked up a bit just about an hour ago, and in the distance I'm hearing thunder. For a brief spell, the humidity dropped and so did the temperature...but only briefly. The heat came flowing back with a vengeance within moments of the the breeze ending. As the sky fills with more clouds and the distant thunder moves closer, we may just see a spit of rain...supposed to be a 60% chance today and through the weekend. Hope its a gentle rain instead of the bucketfulls we've seen in the past weeks. My yard is only just beginning to dry out from all the standing water.


Today has been a somewhat lazy day as the heat only makes the sunburn sting...both of us are hanging inside until it cools down a bit. Hubby was wanting to grab the weedeater and do a bit of trimming around the yard, but he also got quite a bit of sun yesterday on his face and chest...so I've convinced him for the moment to allow a bit more time before he jumps back out in the beating sun...at least yesterday we had the water to cool us, today its only the A/C.


We have a few errands to run later this afternoon...hopefully by that time the heat will have dropped a bit and it won't be pouring rain...the thunder seems to be getting closer with each boom. The way its sounding, we should be seeing the storm within the next fifteen to twenty minutes if its going to hit us at all...got pretty fair at timing the approaching storms by the length of time between booms and how long each boom was lasting. Can really be close with how long we have before it hits doing this simple calculation...works for me anyway.

Sun kissed

The outing to the beach was awesome. We arrived about 11 am, just as the tide was almost its highest, but before they closed the beachramp. My girlfriend was already there, and wasn't far from the beach ramp. Got everything in place and headed for the water....which happened to be beautiful. A little cool at first, but with temps at 90 already, it was welcome. The waves on the end where we were are never very big and this day was no different...actually, the water was pretty flat as far as wave activity...which kinda sucked a bit, as we had the boogie board out and I love catching waves on the boogie board...but used the board to float around and just enjoy the water.

On the sand, we had the beach umbrella set, chairs under it facing the water. Since we get to drive on the beach, we had everything set up between our vehicles. Part of our entertainment for the day was watching the idiots go around the signs and cones that said "Stop...Soft sand....4x4's only...SOFT SAND. Beach patrol was having to constantly pull vehicles, trucks especially from the soft sand after they spun tires and buried it to the axles...
MORONS...signs are posted and they drive right over them. One boy even pulled the sign to use for digging his vehicle out...the beach patrol officer did not find that amusing. I'd be wanting to write tickets and fines myself.

Was a most wonderful day spent playing in the water, sitting in the sun and just enjoying the view. We ended up staying until 5pm....6 hours!!! By the time we left, both hubby and I were seeing the red in spots...after the showers and the setting of the sun...we are both a bit bright, but not bad. He's outside all the time anyway...but the water and sand do intensify the sun...tops of his feet and a bit of his shoulders and forehead...from being on the float out in the water. Me, hahaha, I got it pretty much all over. I've a dark complexion anyway, but the stomach, back and tops of my feet, even my face has a nice little kiss of pink.
Its not sore or tight, just tingles a bit. When I woke up this morning I could feel a bit of tingle with it, but really not bad, considering I haven't been to the beach in over five years and I haven't had most of my body exposed to sun at all this summer....so those parts have zero sun tolerance. I use oil when I'm sunbathing, so I really 'fry' myself...but as long as the burn occurs with the oil, it doesn't seem to be a bad one ever for me.

My girlfriend has asked if we want to go again Friday...told her I'd have to see how bright the two of us are when we get up...so far, looks like I won't be hitting the beach for a couple days at least. The pink is still very noticeable...not really sore, but enough that I don't need to make it worse....I hate to peel, and once the pink is gone, I will have almost caught my girlfriend as far as color goes. She's on the beach everyday almost...I just tan really good when I'm near water. Hubby hasn't woke up yet, so not sure how his bit of sunburn is.

Definitely a Sun Kissed Day for both of us

Beginning of the week...New month, new issues part 3

The day is almost over and the heat is miserable. No afternoon rains means the humidity will remain until well after the sun sets. Topped out at about 94 degrees this afternoon....the house topped out around 90 and that was with the A/C and the fans going...just too hot to live in a tincan....hahaha

Got the house picked up a bit, the floor vacuumed, dishes done...have left starting the laundry til later due to the heat....still have to fold and put away what's on the dryer...does laundry ever truly end???


Starting supper will be the next chore for the day and after the dishes....all will be finished, ready for whatever the morning brings....

Beginning of the week...New month, new issues part 2

The day is dragging on....and on. The A/C has been cranking since about 10 am as the heat rises. The humidity is once again suffocating. My girlfriend stopped in after work and we had a nice visit. She is the only thing I miss about working at the farm. Glad she stops in when she can before she heads home....I look forward to her visits, no matter how short.

Looking at my to do list brings a tear, almost, as it has grown quite lengthy...the things on this list are those which, while not a HIGH priority, really need tackled. Things I've put off doing simply because they overwhelm me. Its not that they are necessarily difficult, just tedious....and also because I'm just not ready to face them....hahahaha. One of these days.....

I'm really trying hard to work on my personal attitude...I've noticed that in some areas of my life, I'm completely out of control of my emotions and most especially....my mouth. To this end, I've been repeating a very simple phrase to help me through the tough times....those times I truly need to 'bite' my tongue....

"I bind my sharp tongue...I bind my mean and hateful thoughts"

As simple as it is, I'm already seeing it work for me and I'm able to go on without making comment on things that would normally have me raging at the top of my lungs....I just keep repeating it over and over whenever I feel the urge to be critical or sarcastic.

My plans for the day are to pick up around the house, run the vacuum, do a couple more loads of laundry and try to get the mountain of clean laundry off the top of the dryer and put away. Everything I do right now will most definitely have to be an inside chore as the temps have reached 94 degrees right now. Even though the A/C is on, the heat drops through the ceilings in this tincan we call home. The thermostat is set at 80, but the temp inside has reached 85 degrees already. Really makes it difficult to want to do much of anything.

So many things to do outside as well....pull weeds in the front beds, run the weedeater, pull some of the grass from the vegetable garden and get it tilled under so I can plant the fall garden, get the seed trays set up so I can get plants going for the vegetable garden...and the list continues.

Looks like it could be a bit before the mosquitoes clear out enough for me to be comfy....just means I'll be wearing long jeans and long sleeves when I'm outside...UUUUGGGHHH!!! Way too hot and humid for those type clothes right now....SIGH....maybe the chickens will be in the garden area a bit longer.......but I've got to get those seeds started!! Now that we've had a few days of no real rain...ok, so we've had a few drips and drops here and there....I should be able to get the seed trays going....we have some of the good black soil hubby brought in for the gardens.....or I could always go pick up some potting soil....decisions, decisions....ok, opting for using the black soil hubby brought in so I don't have to burn my gas to make a special trip to town....easy enough.

Beginning of the week...New month, new issues

This morning has begun with temperatures at 72 degrees, hazy skies and very low humidity. The expected high for the day is to be in the mid 90's with a chance of afternoon storms...our normal summer rains. Humidity is also expected to rise as the day passes.


My husband has my truck this morning....he is having brake issues with his. Seems to have something going on with one of the axles as well....just what we need, vehicle expense. I suggested he take my truck instead of having to make an extra trip into town and then spend most of the night trying to work on it in the dark. Its not like I need the truck and if I do find I need to run an errand, I have the van. His truck is a 4x4 and the driver's side is where the issue is...seems it has messed up a bearing which is causing the axle to 'stick' and he was having a bear of a time trying to get it apart.

On top of all his truck issues, hubby was not having much luck with any of the mechanical things yesterday....the mower tried to give him a fit as well and kept dripping gas and then stalling.
But now the yard is mowed so the mosquito population should diminish somewhat as the water continues to dry.

I'm looking forward to the humidity dropping....the mornings in August are usually very nice as the cool air replaces the blanket of heat....now for the humidity to begin dropping during the day...that doesn't happen til closer to the end of the month....SIGH...come on September!!
Next thing you know, I'll be whining about how COLD it is...just no pleasing me...lol.

August Begins and Summer moves towards end

The past few days have been fairly uneventful. Much more of the same old weather that is normal for our summer season....HOT, Humid with afternoon rains. Saturday's temperatures hovered in the mid 90's for most of the day. With the humidity factor, it felt as if it were well above 100 degrees.

Beginning to see the subtle changes of the seasons as the month begins. The air is feeling a bit different in the early morning hours. A coolness we have not felt for the past couple of months. Soon the humidity will begin to lessen and as we grow closer to the Autumn Equinox, the change will be more evident.