WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Annarchy]

Yesterday evening just before dusk, we were sitting on the porch swing, looking at a cloud formation to the east.  It looked like a giant bass.  Within 5 minutes, a slight breeze began to blow, then, all of a sudden, it turned into a gale.  We saw a wall of dust coming directly at us.  As soon as we stood up, the wind was so strong, it knocked the swing over backwards, pinning it against the neighbors fence.  10 minutes of gale force winds and it started to rain.  I’m going to check with my neighbor lady, to see if she captured the high wind speed on her weather equipment.  Radar was showing greens, yellows, reds, and purple heading right at us... as soon as it reached the edge of town, it split in half and went around us.  Totally typical!  Happens all the time like that.  

 

But....  we got our first rain of the monsoon season.       A little to late for the fava beans.  God willing the seeds I did save, will be enough for another crop, small as it will be, maybe it’ll be prosperous. 

 

Today, I need to flip the swing upright, and assess any other damage in the yard.  Our neighbors pine tree seems to be leaning a lot more than before...  scary.  

[Mt_Rider]

Yike, Annarchy!  Good for a bit of rain but...the drama!   

 

We're into monsoon......aka:  dozens of green/yellow/red thunderstorm cells marching accross the Doppler map every afternoon/eve.  Haven't seen PURPLE in the blobs yet....    I can't say that we've had any significant time this whole year without moisture.    If I still had 6 goats, I don't think they and a couple horses could eat all this lush grass this year.   

 

MtRider      Tired!

[TheCG]

The wind was blowing hard enough on my way home yesterday that the dirt in the construction area was almost obstructing the view of the cars in front of me.  Went through pouring rain, then turned on our road and had a state trooper and an ambulance go past.  Got home where it was just sprinkling, parked under the metal carport next door, got out, and thought it was hailing because the rain was hitting so hard.  It briefly let up, long enough for me to get back to the house.  As I opened the screen door, it started picking up again.  I don't know how much came down, but it sure filled the moat (drainage ditch across the front of the house) quickly!

[Mt_Rider]

I take that back.  Our afternoon blob was edging toward 'violet' rather than red.  Pea sized hail covered the ground....tho melted quickly.  For a time, it was eerie:  fog like the streets of London.  Not a common sight here but when you combine hot air and lots of ice...       Cars were starting to kind float on the gravel roads.  But we soak in or run off so very quickly.  We could have dust choking those roads in two days.  Advantage and disadvantage.  These storms have been moving thru very slowly too....dropping a lot of moisture down as they slog along. 

 

Look out, anyone east of us.  Might be a rough night...

 

MtRider 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Mt_Rider

[kappydell]

We have been struggling with 90-110 degree days the last 2 weeks, so now we are having a "cold front" come thru.  It has been nice to sleep the last few nights, temps in the 80s.  The alarm goes off waaaay too early!  I have been trying to do the outdoor things prior to 9 am when it was cooler.  Last night we FINALLY got a nice soaking rain.  Usually rain is predicted then goes around us. Too late for some of the garden, but other parts are loving it.  Tomorrow is our last 'cool' day, then we go back to our normal seasonal triple digit stuff.  Still no central air, but we are getting the hang of using our room ACs to best advantage.  Tonight, it is in the high 70s and all windows are OPEN to cool our still stuffy rooms and get some air flow to help with the high humidity.  

Today we bought some groceries with my "small' social security check (my pension check is the biggie).  So I will be dehydrating the frozen veggies I picked up for that very purpose.  Prices are starting to go up on some things already due to crops not getting in.  So its time to get cracking!

[snapshotmiki]

We've had a "not so hot front" come through also.  Feels nice with the breeze!

 

Drove 62 miles to a doc appt. for DH set up through VA's consult so it is closer than 100 miles one way. They sent us to an old address so by the time we arrived we would miss the appt. at the correct address in another town. I hate it when my time or money is wasted but it taught us that we not only need to confirm appts., but to confirm their address apparently, also. We will work on setting something else up tomorrow.

[Mt_Rider]

It RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED ....

 

Add in THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AND THUNDER AND LIGHTNING AND.......  

 

You get the picture.  But you see, THIS is the American South West.  We DO NOT GET pouring down rain for hours.  ......usually.  Wish I had a rain gauge.....which we measure in TENTHS OF INCHES.   ....usually.      After three straight afternoons/evenings of this, our driveway does have deep but narrow crevasses.   That's a great improvement!  The drainage ditches B dug with backhoe last fall...      The one above our house held just fine.          The one he dug along the UP hill side of driveway....mostly got filled in by the UP hill sliding DOWN hill with the weight of the water today.      Oh well....as long as that upper ditch holds and diverts MOST of the deluge away from driveway and house!  J will be here on Friday to monitor the EXTREMELY RUDE pellet stove guy(s) as they do whatever maintenance needs doing on pellet stoves and pipes.  She can see for herself what's what with the filled-in ditch.  The first hill-slide would have been easy to remove and restore the ditch.  Today....that whole section slid.  

 

Stuff always goes down hill....yanno?  Especially in the steep mountains.  Especially water!!!!    Water carries the rest of everything with it!

 

We lost power twice but briefly, so I have to set the clocks....again - daily now.  Lost Internet while it unscrambled itself...but it came back.    We used to unplug the modem/router during these mountain storms but repair guy said no.    OK...it's their equipment.  

 

I told DH at 5pm...."either we go now to feed or we wait til ...about 8pm, I'm guessing from Doppler".  He said we'd wait to do chores/walk dog.  Finally I could see all RED and Yellow blobs had finally passed.....they are moving verrrry slowly which is why we're getting so much rain.  But finally right about 8pm I called out ---"this is the best we're going to get.  I think it's going to rain right into the night!"  So we went....no lightning like the sneak attack last nite.  Hmph....that was a slow Doppler update! 

 

Tonite it was just raining...wore hunter orange and a headlamp on the road but no cars.  The road is like pudding in some places.  Like shallow quicksand in others.  And still hard like concrete in others.  Small streams running thru it.  I dislodged some obstructions in the ditches...gotta keep it draining or the road will flood.  Someone could end up in our pond!  Dog didn't even want to do her business in the wetness.  Good thing she LOVES to get dried with towels.  Face...ears....anywhere.  We taught her when young that a towel rub is good lovin'.     LOL   When you've got 120# of dry dog....it's quite a bit more when wet.  She's been shedding for over a month and this might just loose the rest.  Usually we give her a bath once a year for that purpose but this would be more to her liking.   

 

MtRider  ....holding down the fort.  But at least with upper ditch holding, we don't have to hold ONTO the fort!   

[snapshotmiki]

Hope you get a break soon, Mt. Rider!

 

Today: One load of laundry, did walk and chores, made chicken salad with chicken leftover from grilling, made chicken burgers from home ground chicken, made spaghetti pie for DH. I will be helping a friend for the next couple of days, so need food for both of us pre-pared.

[Mt_Rider]

Today was that odd and rare phenomena.....rain!  I mean JUST rain....without all the woohah of lightning and thunder and floods and hail and.......  That's normal for us.  JUST RAIN.....seems strange.    Kinda nice tho, eh? 

 

For sure our little neck of the woods is not going to see wildfire.....    And WOW is that XL dog CLEAN!  Raked a ton more shedding hair out of her this morning.  Clean and sleek.  Different dog!  I like the idea of God giving her a bath instead of us.  Will use that more often!!!   

 

DH went out and got a job today.  Just the SS check is not going to pay medical bills.....cuz tho I have Medicare thru disability, I haven't had any "MediGAP" insurance.  Believe me.....THERE IS A HUGE GAP!!!   This is now something we'd believe to be worth the $$$.  Just one stinkin' medical procedure that went wrong and the bills have not even YET stopped coming in.      So.....DH comes out of retirement ...for now....but will keep income below the allowance for Soc Security.  Rather too easy to do.   

 

I feel like LIFE has been hammering at us for the past 6 months.  DH's mom died.  Those weird Bombogenisis storms.  My folks having some extraordinary times....with health issues, cognitive issues, a prairie dog in the clothes dryer FOR-PETE'S-SAKE!!  They are still trying to get the new dryer's vent hose hooked up.  Possibly Monday for the guy to open the wall and run it thru there.  And DH and I have had so much weird and exhausting stuff too.  And now.....he's going to work?  But it IS good pay.  Hours are 6am to 2:30pm.......  I'll be going to sleep about the time he's getting up.  MAJOR change in schedule!  Well, what has to be done, can be done.    Right?  

 

MtRider  ....might want to pray us thru this transition.  He starts Wed.   

[Jeepers]

A nice day today. I got some errands run and went to the fruit market again. I really don't like that store. It just doesn't seem clean. But I only get fruit and I wash it really well. Their fruit is really ripe and the plums and peaches are so soft and juicy. And watermelons are sweet. What ya gonna do.

 

I went to the Dollar Tree. They have their school supplies out. They finally got some bar-b-cue corn nuts in. I got 6 of them, some Twizzler candy and some Jolly Ranchers. I picked up some stickers for you-know-who. What I went for, and got, were some salt and pepper shakers. The gnats actually got in my salt shaker and died! I don't know if they got in the pepper shaker or not. I was afraid I couldn't see them because they were the same color as the pepper. So I pitched them both. It only cost a dollar to replace them and I know that even if I scrubbed them out and boiled them, I'd still be thinking of those dead gnats in there every time I used them.

 

I ended up at Wal-Mart and bought...nothing. I was too tired to shop. We got our first A.C. Moore in our area. I don't know when that happened. I've never been in one and wanted go have a look see. But the legs and back were going so I'll try next week. It's a craft type store I guess. Not sure.

 

 

Mt.Rider, I just saw your post we were typing at the same time again. I was surprised at how much Medicare does not pay. I thought when I got on that and  S.S. I'd be set, medically. Wrong. I pay for a supplemental plan that pays for more than Medicare. Congrats on DH new job. Extra cash is always welcome and needed. Yep, we do what we have to do to survive. Sending up prayers for a smooth transition for both of you. I hope he likes his job. That would help.               

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah, Jeepers.  Anyone who is heading towards SS and Medicare.....TAKE NOTE!  There IS A GAP that can send you back out of retirement!  God has arranged this in odd ways....cuz DH didn't go in for THIS job.  But it will pay more ....quickly. 

 

Welllllll, today we got TWO surprises.  Both good!    We had to have those ornery, smart-mouthed pellet stove cleaners here today.  I insisted I won't deal with them without J here.  [property manager]  So I'd cleaned the thing as usual at the end of the season.  And cleared a lot of 'rubble' from around so he has room to work and set up the big vacuum tank.  Got up and ready.  J arrived and looked at how driveway is eroding but 95% of the rushing water does not make it to the driveway anymore.   

 

Smart Mouth arrived with a helper/apprentice.  AND HE WAS POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL!!!!      He even asked who cleans our stove....uh, DH and I...(of course).  He said Good Job....and ...You don't know how many never clean their pellet stoves.  J and I kept looking at each other like:  Who is this guy?  Looks like him but ...did he grow up?  Whole time was pleasant.  They got the pipe cleaner brush up the chimney ....said it was dirty but not clogged.  So we can go with this cleaning every two years.   

 

So that was one pleasant surprise.  The other was that our niece R is arriving here by helicopter....staying til Tues.  Well, she works for a kinda elite transportation company.  They were repositioning the chopper and so they came across from East Coast.  Took two days.  She said it was interesting view....you could see everything you passed since they fly lower and slower.  The seating is like First Class airline seating.....not a MASH chopper.  She also has a best childhood friend living somewhat near us so she'll be able to see her too.  DH and I met my mom and her at a restaurant for supper tonite.  Sent food home for my dad....who doesn't come out with us now. 

 

So it has been an energy-using day but pleasant.  Hope I can hold up for more stuff tomorrow. 

MtRider    

[Ambergris]

Someone must have spoken to him.

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah, Ambergris......I would have LOVED to have spoken to him.....and his dad!  First words out of his smart mouth 3 yrs ago....had not even crossed my threshold ...were:  Well if you'd clean the stove once and a while, I wouldn't need to be here! 

 

     Yanno? 

 

We've had two days with minimal rain.  Today I slept thru all but the first CRASH of thunder....cuz it startled both DH and dog who were sleeping and woke suddenly.   

 

Bad night.  Got only 4 hrs sleep.  DH is beginning to shift over to new job hours....set alarm for 6am.  Fortunately I didn't hear that or him.  Or I would have gotten less sleep.  So a 2 hr nap during the rain helped.  Opted out of going with my mom and niece today.  But R took her grma over to city to a store she's wanted to get a bunch of things for couple years now.   Got all of it - on great sales.  She was very happy!  Yeah, that was on the list of things DH and I could do with her.  But R likes to shop and I fall apart driving that distance.  Then they had lunch at a restaurant R and her friend took my mom to years ago.  Those two had a great day...despite one huge rainfall they drove thru. 

 

We'll catch up with them tomorrow.  Instead, we did the other load of laundry and caught up on rest/sleep.  I feel much better now. 

 

MtRider   

Edited July 28, 2019 by Mt_Rider

[Jeepers]

Oh no he didn't. And you let him live? 

 

I've been fighting with a fly. A huge one. It is very aggressive and shows no fear. I'm winning the battle though. It likes to hide in the lamp shade and come out and dive bomb me. Shudder. It's fast for a big old thing. I don't have any fly spray. But I do have hair spray. Bwaaa-ha-ha. 

 

Round one it was Fly 1 --- Jeepers 0. Only because I forgot to turn the fan off and got a face full of hair spray. White Rain actually smells pretty good.

 

Round two I turned the fan off. Fly 0 --- Jeepers 1. It slowed him down considerably. Gumming up his works I am. 

 

Round three Fly 0 --- Jeepers 2. I got it sprayed good and it's on its back on the end table. Not kicking.

 

Round four...flushed. 

[Jeepers]

Another nice day so far. The furniture guy called and said my stuff was made and on the way to the staining place. It should only be a week or two now. He said 6-8 weeks and that's what it is. Pretty fast considering they made it from scratch. Those Amish sure know what they are doing in the furniture department. And quilts. And food.

 

It should be a complete bedroom, dining table and soda table and a quilt chest that I have to pick up when ready.  Guess who forgot to buy dinning room chairs! I think I'll go cheap on those and maybe get some to paint myself. Maybe even try to distress them.

 

I'm going to order a mattress in a box and have it sent to sons house so it will be ready when the rest of the stuff gets there. Anyone have any experience with those? Any brand better than the other? Anything will be like sleeping on a cloud to me. I'm not kidding. This mattress is over 35 years old and conforms to my body. And not in a good way. 

 

I need to shake a leg this week and get to packing some more stuff up. 

[Mt_Rider]

13 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Oh no he didn't. And you let him live? 

 

    Right?   I did snap back at him:  We've lived in this house for 18 years....if we hadn't been cleaning that stove, this house would have burned to the ground by now!  Hmph.  Baby Brat!  Visit #2 and #3 were no better and Papa Bear on #3 as much as called me a liar.  By then, J HAD to be there.  I'd had ENOUGH!  They were the same with J too....and she's been property manager here longer than we've been here.  Baby Brat was probably in diapers when she first managed this property! 

 

Which was why J and I were so astounded      that he was perfectly polite and professional!  It has been 3 yrs and likely Baby Brat has taken over from the old papa.  Got him a dose or two of reality?  Dunno but this version I could deal with.     

 

Jeepers vs The Fly BIG Fly     

 

We have a mattress in box.  I really like foam mattresses.  It's like magic....how they unfurl.  One thing tho.....it's hard to move across one.  It kinda grabs you if you crawl across.  But wouldn't make much difference if you can access bed from the side.  This bedroom is SOOO small that only access to bed is from the bottom.  Too tight against walls and dresser to fit on top/sides.    We like sleeping on it.  It's certainly warm in winter too.  If you tend to sleep hot, you might need a cover of some sort....for more 'breathing between you and foam.  ...I'll look at box downstairs later to see brand]

 

DH slept 10 - 5:30am.  Shifting over.  I'm going to bed much earlier....midnight.  Woke at 8.  OKay....mebbe new job will work....for a while.   Naps may have to be regular?  I hate waking up twice in one day. 

 

...can we see pics of the Amish furniture?   

 

MtRider  .....aaaack!  Computer going crazy on me!  Pop ups and weird response to pushing buttons.... 

Edited July 28, 2019 by Mt_Rider

[Ambergris]

I have ordered several.  This one is really nice: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QBZ25R4

 

[Ambergris]

It does not help when you have rocks in your pillow, of course.  I couldn't sleep last night, and can't nap today.

 

 

[Jeepers]

Thanks Ambergris. I'll check it out.

 

Mt Rider, I'll post some pictures of it down in the Pssssst Forum under "Back View Of Indy House".  I think its gonna be purdy.    

 

I think I'd have said, "Well, if I didn't have a dirty stove then you wouldn't have a J-O-B now would you."  Brat. And my head would be swiveling like the exorcist.

 

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by Jeepers
Wasnt done typing.

[The WE2's]

On 7/19/2019 at 9:04 PM, The WE2's said:

SLUGGER UPDATE...well it appears she's found him a home.  His kennel gate is open and the gate to her back deck is down and he hasn't been around for two days and neither has she!  Prayers answered! Any home is probably better than what the poor animal was having to live in.

 

The old "prison" has been removed as well as the awful dog house (which was too small for him!) and they've mowed and done a lot of weed eating of the whole yard.  We're wondering if they're getting it ready to sell.

[The WE2's]

On 7/20/2019 at 12:15 AM, Jeepers said:

preventive measures

 

Perhaps a nice glass of wine over frozen fruit would be enjoyable? 

[The WE2's]

Been BUSY...but what's new?  Got all the tomatoes we bought either dehydrated or in the freezer for when I'm ready to tackle the rest of them.  The candy onions are sliced and vacuum sealed in the freezer.

Went to a birthday party get-together last night for our friend who's moving to Mississippi.  We're sure going to miss her.  I hope her expectations aren't too high about being able to spend time with her grand sons.  But even so, she makes friends very quickly and will soon fill her life again, just like she did here and they'll enjoy her just as we did.

Hubby's finishing up his work for my step mum.  She's clearing things out (she's a minimalist) and sends us her "remains" of what she cooks and finds is way too much for one.  She'll have to learn that since she seldom freezer banks any food.  

Hubby's got the drywall work done, most of the painting done and will start laying a new laminate floor in her bedroom and a vinyl in the bathroom. Went to look at another job for my other old friend who retiring and selling her shop etc., and moving into a little house she bought.  He'll do the work she's needing to get done, as soon as he's finished with step mum's. 

The bad news was that one evening last week, about a half mile from here, the trans went out on the truck.  So...we now have a mortgage on this house so he can get his work vehicle back in operation.  So, he's driving my van...thankfully it's running good and get half way decent gas mileage...since she lives about 35 miles away!  Thankful for the work! 

Took a little trip to our favorite state park and all three of us took a nice work.  Abby and I really needed to work off the "cabin fever" from last week!

[Annarchy]

Just got home from motor vehicle, again.  I’m surprised how courteous they have gotten. Handicap seating only, in line, otherwise.   They take my stuff, process it, and bring it back to me in my seat.  Lol, good thing today is a bad back day.    In and out in an half an hour.

[snapshotmiki]

Yesterday was Church in the AM, then harvested 15 butternut squash and some more okra - chopped and froze that. Looked for and found my homemade hot chocolate mix and looked for mandoline but have not found that yet. 

This morning I harvested basil and got it in the dehydrator on the front porch, looked through (and disposed of most) some bank card offers and misc. papers. About to look for some pills for dog-- don't know where they went. Straightened out some doc appts. for DH and then aim to straighten out linen closet.

[Jeepers]

Sorry about your transmission. It's always something, huh.

 

Our BMV is pretty good. If you are just getting tags you go right up to the desk. If you are doing more you take a number. They have a long bench along the entire wall and a couple of chairs. When you walk in Indiana's BMV you get a whiff of sulfur because it is straight from h3ll. We've had our issues.

 

Linen closet...that sounds like a good idea. I could get mine packed up today. I'm not using much in there anyway.