WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Cowgirl]

Um .... meany? Apparently this site auto-sensors the word for a female dog. Hmmm. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by Cowgirl

[Jeepers]

LOL Cowgirl. It's Mommy and Daddy doggies don't ya know.  

Puppies...

[Mt_Rider]

  Welll...now that she's got pups, she can be a "dam" and the censor won't correct that spelling. 

 

MtRider  ..... 'meany' 

[Annarchy]

Hot again today, thermometer topped 120*F with storms heading in, increasing the humidity. Sprinkled slightly. 

 

Lost a hen yesterday. 115*+ yesterday. She didn’t make it.   

 

I put a canvas tarp over part of their coop, sprayed it down and left the hose on drip, keeping it wet. 

 

Poor hen. We are keeping the pups inside. 

 

BTW,  I-10 is closed again tonight, due to another dust storm blowing through our area. 

 

[kappydell]

It was halfway decent today, relatively cool in the 80s.  Funny how things change, back in Wis we would have been saying how hot it was getting at 80 degrees, now we are happy with it being a 'cool' 80 degrees.  LOL!

The garden is enjoying the break, cooler weather, overnight slow rains (soaking in, not running off) and daytime sunshine.  We picked more zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes today, and the okra is coming on strong now.  Time to make some oven fried okra (I found some intriguing looking recipes) even though Mary won't eat it.  I think I will go with the panko breading and Italian spices, then any leftovers can go on a salad later, without Cajun spices 'fighting' with the salad dressing flavors.

Tomorrow I plan to make another 'mowing' of my pot of peppermint to dehydrate, in between my PT and doc visits.  I am well pleased with the herbs I planted in pots.  Originally I did it because the garden space was all planted up, but the pots are keeping the invasive herbs I like best controlled nicely, and look quite attractive sitting in a row in front of the house.   I did plant a couple extra pots yesterday - they originally had ranunculus flowers, but those bloomed then died rather quickly, being springtime flowers, so we dug up the bulbs (we will try replanting for early spring next year...say around March...). I put feverfew in one pot, and pennyroyal in the other.  Both will make attractive pots, along with being useful medicinals.  I'm thinking that if/when those nice pots go on sale I will buy more for a potted herb garden.  We can easily transport those to the shelter of the carport during the 'cold' winter months. (I just cant think of winter down here as cold just yet...just autumnal, and perfect outdoor working weather.)  I have some Irish Spring soap to be distributed among my outdoor plantings, too.....something is nibbling my poor raspberry bush 'twigs'.  They are just sitting there, I don't think they liked where we planted them - too much afternoon sun I suspect.  Next spring I'll put some in another area and see how they fare along with a couple elderberry bushes.

The crape myrtles are gorgeous, and huge, arching over the bird bath, so the birds can sit up and preen after bathing.  We put a feeder there, too, so it a mini-sanctuary for the seed-eating birds.  Very peaceful.

 

Edited July 9, 2018 by kappydell

[Jeepers]

Weather is starting to heat up here. It's in the high 80's. Grass needs it again. Sigh. I've been going through my clothes closets this weekend. I'm being pretty ruthless. The walk-in closet is done. Two more smaller ones to go. So far I have 7 trash bags full. I'll probably get about 3 more. No way will I ever be a size 6 again. I don't even want to. So The Salvation Army is going to get a nice haul. I just remembered I have four of the big space bags under my bed too. I'm not even going to go through them. I probably haven't seen them in over five years. Out of sight, out of mind, out the door.

 

I finally got the mammogram scheduled for the 19th. The last one was on the 18th. of July so I have to wait one year and a day for insurance to cover it. I have to see my doctor again on the 11th. She told me to get a mammogram, get a shingle shot and poop on a stick. Through no fault of my own, only the latter got done. It came back negative. Hummm. Either I don't have colon cancer or I'm not pregnant. I'm so old I can't remember which stick you poop on and which stick you pee on. Someone might have got a big surprise in the mail last week. 

[Annarchy]

We got rain today!  The fire pit is out of sight. And pea sized hail.

 

The ‘river’ almost came into the house. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cowgirl]

Yippee for rain, @Annarchy and YIPPEE that it didn’t come into the house! 

[Mt_Rider]

Oh wow, Annarchy.  That looks like Colorado!  I've seen that a lot.  But you guys were just in the one-hundred-and-teens weren't you?  Bet that cooled it down.  Something about lil' round ice cubes flying thru the air.....  God's air conditioning!   'Course, ya don't want bigger ice cubes...  that bash thru cars and sky lights of homes...    CO has already had ping pong ball size and tennis ball size this year. 

 

   Poor chickens....too hot and now swimming?  That's rough on the system tho - the drastic change.  Worms will evacuate from the ground in that kind of rain....good eatin' for your ladies. 

 

Sure do hope we get some rain/small hail/anything cooler!  Today has been wretched HOT.  Gave up trying to moderate temperature in the south-facing Living room/Kitchen half of cabin today.  Just cooling the 2 bedrooms/bathroom in other half of house.....cuz swamp cooler is in one bedroom window.  Fans just keeping this part SURVIVABLE for me. 

 

DH had to run into town....my folks having a minor emergency.  Not sure about that, but DH is solving the Ran-Out-of-Meds half of problem.  [they don't usually let THAT happen, btw]   Other half of problem deals with their portable O2 machines not working properly??????  Not sure.  Soooo DH's not here and I may have to feed.....after sunset. 

 

I'm beginning to exhibit symptoms of long-term hyperthermic issues.  There is a cumulative affect and it's been super hot too long for me, tho I hide from the heat.  Even before it got hot in house today, my hands were shaking and I kept dropping things and brain is fritzing out at the slightest glitch in whatever I'm doing.  I'm not over-heated, per se.  Not at the heat stroke level, certainly.  But I've been struggling to stay ok for too long now.  It's wearing down my systems that are M.S. sensitive.    I HATE being "fragile".....but heat certainly does slam me into that category.  And it's showing today.   

 

MtRider ...I think my dad is showing signs of being just overheated for too long too....   

[Annarchy]

My 5 quart bucket had 2 quarts of water, measured just under 3”.  

 

An inch of mud on the carport. It’s going to take a few days to clean up all the debris up. I had to dig a trench, in the back yard, to divert the knee deep water into the alley. It’s a mess out there. 

 

Gunny, however, decided it was the greatest thing in the world. He ran circles around the yard, grabbing his balls and tossing them into the air, charging through the water, trying to catch it. Quite a sight to see him lay down, stick his face under the water and blow bubbles, before jumping up and bounding around the yard again. He’s now a muddy mess. 

 

The hail lasted about 1/2 hour. I was concerned about our windows. It was coming down very forcefully, so much so, it beat down most the garden. The pumpkin and zucchini leaves are full of holes. 

 

This is one of the worst storms I have seen here.  I’m not complaining, we desperately needed it. 

 

My gardener stopped by, when the water was still high. He said he lost 2 of his chickens the other day also. It was just too hot!

 

And, tomorrow, we can expect high humidity and heat. 

 

[kappydell]

Today was a lost day - had to go to PT ( and they always leave me sore the next day).  Then to my internist to see what the cat scan of my spine shows.  Of course, I'm a mess....crooked in several directions (dextro-rotary curvature), bony fusions, misalignments of up to 8mm (large, according to the doc), severe canal narrowing in 5 lumbar vertebrae, bad degenerative disc disease, etc, etc.  She is sending me to a neurosurgeon, not so much for surgery, but to plan out a treatment plan that won't make things worse.  I have always told people I'm crooked, but it always looks worse in medical-ese.  On the plus side, she was pleased I lost 5 pounds this last month, from activity increases and eating more fresh veggies from the garden.  I generally lose a couple pounds because those fresh veggies are soooooooo good.  I took her an assortment of tomatoes, peppers (green & yellow banana), cucumbers and okra.  Like me, she never met a veggie she didn't like.  I think I'll take her some purslane...a good omega 3 source, rare in a plant, and tasty.  Since she likes okra, she will like it, the texture is okra like.

I'm keeping some seeds from this purslane, I think, just in case they don't carry it next year.  This year it was offered as a 'new' (ROFL) flowering plant.  The only difference between it and the weed I'm used to, is the flowers are bigger, and orange instead of yellow.  I always have to bite my tongue to keep from making wise cracks when I see plants I recognize as weeds being sold as newly discovered garden plants.  The New England Aster cracked me up, but the purslane takes the cake.  Whats next???  Decorative giant ragweed???  Egad!!

 

Mary was grousing today again about the house being a mess.  Well, it is, but she also shares the blame, having a habit of not putting things away when she is done with them.  Our breakfast island is awash in tools, car keys, hats, some dog treats, and other items that do not really have a designated 'place'.  It's kinda like a giant junk drawer, in plain sight.  (sigh) I don't mind the clutter but it bugs the heck out of her, so tomorrow will be cleaning day.  She promises to concentrate on putting stuff back when she is done with it. (That is the worst bad habit she has, so I am blessed!) 

 

She wanted ham sandwiches again for dinner, saying it would take too long to cook up the chicken I had planned, but when I made 'Spanish rice' for our 'elder dog' who eats people food, she decided to eat some of that too.  No problem, I always make a huge batch, as it freezes well.  That way, when we eat pizza or eat out, we can feed Mr. Max (the dog) some micro-heated chow from the freezer stash.  It's all good....and I am particularly fond of Spanish rice as I can add all sorts of 'goodies' to my portion...cottage cheese for extra protein, brewers yeast for B vitamins, and of course I always add 1/4 c oatmeal to any loose-hamburger dish I make for extra whole grain fiber.  It hides in there well, and, well, keeps things moving right along.  

I'll cook that chicken tomorrow, and make some oven-fried okra to go with it for me, and creamed fresh green beans for her.  I love-love-love garden season!!! 

 

The sweet potato mounds are growing, so it looks like we will get a nice harvest of those. Mary planted bush beans in the empty areas of the garden, and we will put in more onions tomorrow for autumn & winter harvest.  The zucchini are getting vine borers, but we have all the grated zucchini we need for zucchini bread in the freezer, so that is not a catastrophic thing.  We will remove the three plants, and plant with some more assorted greens.  The kale is hanging in there, so are the brussels sprouts (as long as we keep them watered) and the pole beans are kicking out steadily  More notes for the garden file.....start late cabbage & kale in August and keep them in the shade in the afternoon!

[Mt_Rider]

Kappy's post has my mouth watering.   No gardens in this region....this year for sure they'd be burned up.  Probably get arrested if you water gardens....     Sorry to hear your spine is messed up.  HOW do you do all you do with that?  Good for you, doing what you can tho! 

 

What a storm, Annarchy.  Funny how the animals, especially dogs, seem to make a game out of any situation?  DH went fishing with Koa again this morning.....and she thinks "fishing" means to get in the water and STOMP on the fish!     He doesn't catch much but they have fun.

 

I know about digging trenches to control the water flow.  This land in the west is just not good with vast dumps of water all at once.  Better than none ....just causes different problems tho.  3" that fast....whooooeee!  Sorry about your garden tho.  Our rhubarb is all holey this year...same cause.  It's not doing well and we need to pick some soooon if we want any.  The last thing left that we grow and hail really ripped it a month ago.  Humidity is going to be a killer....we are NOT used to that out here.  Stay safe, Annarchy!

 

Well I finally DID get cooled down and thinking better.  Hand function still not too good.  When it cooled down, I was so pleased to start ORGANIZING in our living room area.  With the dumb couch out of the way, I put up some hardware store wide plastic shelves.  I asked for them at Christmas and just now have room to set them up.    I think it's just delightful to ORGANIZE when I have some room.  A dreadful pile of stuff was stacked....sliding...shoved....etc for the past months.  NOW    I have a lot of it in places that make sense on those lovely WIDE shelves.  Want to get another set of these shelves.  There is no such thing as storage space in this tiny cabin.  Soooo....living room is turning into a large closet.  But ORGANIZED....as in:  can find and access things!  A huge improvement from an avalanching mound of disorganized MESS!    I hate that!  Now....I have HOPE! 

 

So today was really rough....but survived and had a great time with my new space.  Went to feed in cool evening.  Then came up and was washing a crystal-cake-server-thing....it slipped, smacked on counter, and split it right in half.  Wedding present LONG ago.    I used it to put dangling plants on, actually.  Who bakes round cakes to be presented like that?  But it was pretty.  Worse tho.....cleaning up glass with no decent vacuum.  NEED to buy new vacuum!  But I think I got it cleaned up.   Phoooey!  I didn't need that to finish off this weird day.  But...still smiling at my half-organized corner of living room.   

 

MtRider   

[Cowgirl]

Our tomatoes are still green. I am checking each day. I can hardly wait for that first delicious vine ripened tomato!!!!!!!

 

Our rhubarb is having a rough year. Late spring freezes hurt almost everything this year. They rebounded and then due to that stress decided to bolt seeds. I must've cut a couple hundred seedheads from 2 plants - never seen so many in all my years of gardening!! Then hail with a few of the big storms battered them. They look so sad and beaten that I am hesitant about harvesting any - they may need what energy they can store in their roots for next year. But I want pie. So, undecided.

 

I found ghee at ALDI's. I have never cooked with ghee but have long been fascinated by shelf stable butter. Before I stock up, though, I need to use it and see how I like it.

 

I have been on an organizing kick this spring and summer also. It feels good to get things where you can find them, doesn't it? I am slowly working my way through the house. The kitchen was a monumental project. But I have not completed the whole house.

 

I have been getting rid of old clothes, things we no longer use, etc. It has freed up space. DH has been resistant. He does not like parting with things, even clothes he hasn't worn in 20 years. So my progress in weeding out and organizing has been somewhat stymied.

Edited July 10, 2018 by Cowgirl

[snapshotmiki]

I sure know what you mean about being organized, Mt. Rider!  It saves so much time and makes me feel better!

 

We are getting some rain finally!  I am so grateful!  Too late for garden but still needed!

 

Taking eBay photos this morning and game day at Church this afternoon.  Have to leave early for a meeting in the next town about the volunteering I want to do at the hospice/special needs facility opening near me.  Helping my friend at the store tomorrow so another longer day.  

Edited July 10, 2018 by snapshotmiki

[Jeepers]

That's a lot of rain Annarchy! I've seen where it doesn't take much more than that to float cars. Stay safe.

 

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with the heat this year Mt. Rider. I guess I didn't know that Colorado up in the Rockies got so hot in the summer. Have you thought about Alaska? I know it can get hot up there too but for shorter periods of time. 

 

I think I'm going to have to call for a dumpster or 1-800-got junk before this is all over. Sneaking off to a dumpster in the middle of the night is getting old. Sigh. I hate the thought a dumpster sitting in my driveway but...

 

It's no wonder there is so much fraud out there. I'm buying a house, did the earnest money, made inspection applications, made a loan application, going to make an insurance application and who knows what else that I can't remember...all over the phone or online. I've just e-signed everything. One good thing though, whenever I get moved, I will have new bank account numbers, credit cards and drivers license. I don't know if Indiana is different or not but by the time of closing, that house will have had 4 inspections. The owners, the buyer (me), the bank and the insurance company. Cha-ching $$$.  

[Cowgirl]

@JeepersIndiana? Oh wow!!! Where? I am in Illinois.

[Jeepers]

Cowgirl, extreme North West Indiana.

I was born and raised in Indiana but in the south east end toward Cincinnati.

[Cowgirl]

Not very close to me, then. I’m a stone’s throw from the Indiana border, but in the central part of the state.

[Jeepers]

That's too bad, Cowgirl. I wish some of us lived close to each other so we could share things and have canning bees.

 

I woke up this morning with a migraine and nausea. I hate feeling sick worse than anything. Just so happened I had a doctor appointment this afternoon. I'm inching up on full blown diabetes. She prescribed a med that is supposed to slow the progression down. She said if I could lose 20 pounds I probably wouldn't have to take the med anymore. I really need to work on that. Sigh. And according to my thyroid test, I do have Hashimoto Disease. I need to read up on that. But the thyroid med is doing its job so that isn't really an issue. She was much more pleasant today than she was the last time.

 

My nausea was so bad she felt sorry for me. She offered a prescription of Zofran. I don't know how many she ordered but those are going in my med stash. If she is reading this...I'm just kidding. 

[Mt_Rider]

It's really rough that older means increase in medical conditions.    I have a friend with Hashimoto's.  But she has two other diseases too so I'm not sure which of her symptoms is which.  Hope your migraine goes away!!!! 

 

MtRider .....  STILL HOT AND ARID!   

[Cowgirl]

4 hours ago, Jeepers said:

That's too bad, Cowgirl. I wish some of us lived close to each other so we could share things and have canning bees.

 

I woke up this morning with a migraine and nausea. I hate feeling sick worse than anything. Just so happened I had a doctor appointment this afternoon. I'm inching up on full blown diabetes. She prescribed a med that is supposed to slow the progression down. She said if I could lose 20 pounds I probably wouldn't have to take the med anymore. I really need to work on that. Sigh. And according to my thyroid test, I do have Hashimoto Disease. I need to read up on that. But the thyroid med is doing its job so that isn't really an issue. She was much more pleasant today than she was the last time.

 

My nausea was so bad she felt sorry for me. She offered a prescription of Zofran. I don't know how many she ordered but those are going in my med stash. If she is reading this...I'm just kidding. 

 

Yeah. I would love to have someone nearby to do things like canning with, or who just understands prepping. 

 

Migraines are nasty. Hate! Them! I find lemon balm to be helpful both with the nausea and pain. So if you can’t stock the meds, you might plant some lemon balm. Be aware that it is in the mint family and needs to be controlled with harvesting or ... it has visions of world domination! 

 

Good luck avoiding the diabetes! 

[kappydell]

Today I feel every one of my (too many) years.  Had to go to PT anyway.  Working around my back is hard enough, but now my right knee and old-rotator cuff injury shoulder are both twinging up a storm.  In PT I tried my hardest, so I know I did a good workout, but I felt like a quitter telling the therapist that I was not going to do the crab walk with my ankles hooked together with a stretchy band, because of that knee.  I  did not want to aggravate it.  Got a few things done around the house though - some picking up, another load of dehydrated cucumbers, dehydrated some peppers too.  Now all I have left to do is some okra pods and some celery.  Doing more dehydrating this year, mostly because the pressure canner is still packed away and hard to get too.  Mary loves creamed veggies which is swell, since dehydrated veggies, once rehydrated, have an affinity for that cream sauce.  

 

The green beans we re-planted are up already.  I am poring over the university extension planting charts for autumn planting times, deciding what else to put in when the sweet potatoes come up.  If I can find a way to shade things, I'd like to go with some cool weather crops that will hang on through most of the winter.  BUT the trick will be to keep them from bolting since the heat still stays in the 90s most days.  The humidity makes me think a mulch would be a disease vector that I don't need.  We will think of something; we are happy so far with our first 'southern' garden, just need more tweaking on cultivars and planting times.

 

Jack the hyper-pup is finally starting to slow down and not be so wild.  Mary is starting to like him more and more (I was always smitten) so it appears he will be able to stay with us.  He has turned into a gorgeous young dog, and as his brains kick in and his personality mellows he will be an asset to us.  For his bad days we picked up some of the nutri-vet calming herbal treats when we were in Alabama last month.  He loves the taste (liver flavor) and mellows within 10 min of eating one.  We save those for his really bad days, don't want to over-do and make him dependant.  If he keeps improving we will be able to transfer those to the doggie first aid kit for the pups that are afraid of thunderstorms.  They don't sedate the dogs so they sleep, just mellow them out a bit.

 

When the internet came back up (it goes down here almost daily, from noon-ish until about 5 PM.  Don't know why, nobody from our computer satellite company has explained it yet so we work around it.)  I researched the last part of my 'forage calendar' info - hunting/trapping/fishing seasons, bag limits, and licensing costs.  Georgia is going to be kind to us ladies - they have reduced sportsman licenses for both seniors, and disabled folks both of which categories we fall under.  So for $18 for three years, we will get a combined fishing and hunting license which covers small game, fowl, deer, turkey, bear, feral hogs, plus fishing for freshwater fish.  We can get a trapping license for our own land for free, which suits our intended purpose - varmint control.  I might experiment with cleaning & tanning pelts, but not for sale - fur prices are crappy even up north where the fur is superior due to the colder weather.  If we decide to expand (nuisance animal trapping is one possibility) we can always pay the $30 per year for trapping on other folks' land.  So like I said - Georgia is being nice to us ladies. We can even apply by mail!  So I copied those forms for my 'forage file' for payday, when I will send them in.  Thinking also of earmarking some of my next tax return for a salt-water fishing charter trip just for fun.  No license required for a charter - the charter has a special commercial license covering their customers, plus they supply the tackle.  It would be fun to figure out how to clean a shark and imagine the brag-factor of having shark steaks (or other salt water fish) for the grill!  (Fresh shark $9.59/lb).

Edited July 12, 2018 by kappydell

[Jeepers]

Oh Lawsy, Cowgirl, I know all about that Lemon Balm. What a mess it can turn into. Some was planted next to the house when I moved here. It was planted between a brick wall and a cement sidewalk. Fast forward about 5 years. It started springing up all over the yard and was headed for the neighbors yard. I still HAVE to have a company come out 4 times a year to spray for it because my yard was becoming a mess and I didn't want the neighbors (the nice ones) to have to deal with it. I went through 2 other companies before I found one that can sort of control it. I destroyed the bed with *Round-up and salt and it's still in there. I've been here nearly 30 years and it still pops up between mowings.

 

It has an underground rooting system!

 

I'd NEVER EVER plant it in the ground. I wouldn't even put it in a pot and plant the whole thing in the ground. It's that invasive. Container on the deck only. It looks pretty and smells wonderful but...

 

*I know Round-Up is vile but I was desperate.

[Jeepers]

Hope you are feeling better Kappy.

 

My migraine is nearly gone. It didn't last as long this time but the nausea was killer. I tried to just sleep through it. I am so very thankful that I am able to do that and not have to get up and go to work like I used to.  

 

Dr. gave me a prescription for 15 Zofran with 2 refills. Just saying...

 

I went to the Dollar Tree. Probably shouldn't have because of the move but it's just too good to pass up. I only spent $25.00 and got so many nice things for a pre-school room set up for my g-son. I haven't decided if I'm going to turn 'his' bedroom into a fun/study area or another room that says it's a breakfast nook. Guess I'll decide when I actually see the place I'm buying.  

[Cowgirl]

Jeepers, the only way I control lemon balm is by harvesting. I use a considerable amount of it for feeding critters. I pull it up by the roots with each harvest, because yes, it will grow back. I let it spread to the size I wanted, and then heavily harvest that area.

 

Now, when I am dead and gone, will someone curse me for it? Perhaps. But it is a valuable herb and we use a lot of it.