Ya know it's hot....

Ya know it's hot when the chickens are walking around with their beaks open, panting, and their wings held away from their bodies. Ya know it's hot when the horses are all sweaty from doing nothing more than standing around eating, and the cows in the field are either standing in the pond or clustered under any tree that might provide a bit of shade. Time to go to the river or lake! A week of 100 plus degree weather will drive ya there.

We drove about 45 minutes to a campground below the dam at Langley that we have visited for about 40 years. Of course, then we had a truck that would barely make it and a tent to stay in. At that time boats could be rented there, and we had a little outboard motor. Now, that's our pretty little motorhome parked with utility hookups ( must have air-conditioning!), and we have our own flat-bottomed boat and motor. Not many fish to be caught in that kind of heat, but we can get out of the boat and float along side a while. Larry did catch enough catfish for dinner!

On another note, stalking the crazy bird goes on with no success.
This is what I get when I try to sneak up on it. The crazy bird is a painted bunting, a beautiful bird with a blue head, red belly and green back. He really is gorgeous, but you'll have to look one up to see what he looks like because he won't allow a photograph. The doggone thing has been around for a month or so alternately eyeing or attacking his reflection in the glass. He just will not hold still! The other morning I tried again, missed him again, and came in from the sunroom all frustrated to get ready for work.

"What's the matter?" Larry asked.

"I just can't manage to get a picture of that crazy bird!"

Into the bathroom I went to prepare myself to meet the public at Walmart.

A few minutes passed. "I got it," Larry said, smugly offering the camera to me. He had stood at the door to the sunroom, used the telephoto and snapped away.
I took the camera to review his photo, then proceeded to laugh my head off ( well, not literally; but you get the idea). "Did you look at these?" I asked when I caught my breath.

"No...."

"Are you thinking we have world-class camera equipment here? 'Cause what we have is an 'el cheapo' easy-share. You got a lovely picture of the sunroom, but no discernable bird!"

Well, maybe we'll keep trying; but ,seriously, find a picture of a painted bunting elsewhere because it's not looking so good here.

Blackberry season is here! It's looking better than mushroom season was. No mushrooms this year... must have been the erratic temperatures. It was crazy, warm then cold, twenty dgrees or more variation day to day. The berries a little smaller than I would have guessed after the spring rains, but they'll do. Wild berries tend to be smaller than domestic ones anyway. Yep, ya get domesticated, then ya get big and fat. Happened to me! Time to make cobbler...Yum!

Still no blooms on the big-leaved plant in the backyard, but they've got to bloom sooner or later, right? Meanwhile, God's garden along the road is doin' pretty well. If I could just get stuff to grow where I want it!

I have finally gotten a little bit from the vegetable garden! A few peppers and some green beans! Before long, tomatoes, cucumbers, cantelope, okra, eggplant, and squash! In the meantime, thank goodness for grocery stores!

The green beans are sitting on my latest recycling effort. I bought the table about 20 years ago at a garage sale. I just kept a tablecloth on it, but about 8 or 9 years ago, I painted it. It was just kind of beige with some oak leaves stamped on it. Fine for years, but started looking kind of yucky. I stripped off the paint thinking I would just stain it and poly the top. So, stripped off the paint and then remembered why I painted it in the first place. A couple of black rings on the top that I just couldn't remove! Well, so much for stain andseal. Here's the result... Different, huh?