TGIT

Thursday - which means tomorrow is Friday! Hurrah! Made it through another work week.

Boy oh boy the dog days of summer. We've had thunderstorms the past couple of afternoons which really just turns the entire area into a sauna. Can't we just have October weather year round? That would suit me just fine. It's our favorite time of the year. Something about having to put that first sweater on for the season and the smell of the crisp air.

Zippy gets his routine grooming tomorrow evening - trim, nails, and bath. I guess I should start having his teeth cleaned but I just can't put the lady through that. Sounds like something you'd come out of with a lot of new scratch/bite marks. At least my little angel doesn't weigh 44 pounds like that porker cat on the news tonight. I think they said someone just let him go and someone else picked him up as a stray. 44 pounds? Geesh - what are they feeding that poor thing?

Schatze is still hanging in there. Her hearing is almost non-existent as is her eyesight. But she still prances around the yard every now and then. But she has gotten to where she doesn't want to go in and out of the house via the garage. Only the front door. I think the steps are steeper in the garage and my truck is usually in the way too. The front steps are wider and she has a good landing at the top to get her footing. Whatever it takes to keep her happy in what I feel are her final, golden days.

The pond is doing well. Last weekend I dug up some old hostas that were beyond repair (they've been in the bed for 10 years or so and have repeatedly been divided, etc.) and on a whim, I grabbed a handful, hosed off the root ball and stuck it in a pot with some kitty litter and rocks and plunked it in the shallow end of the pond. Don't you know that thing is doing just fine? I was rather surprised as I didn't know if it would survive in the water or not. Makes me think I should have done that a long time ago. Maybe next spring I'll put some new, fresh ones in and see how they do. Fish are fine and growing. They're getting more used to me when I go to the edge to feed them. They're finally learning that I'm their food chain! They are just too quick right now to try and get pictures...maybe over the winter when they hibernate.

Friday Eve - I think we should celebrate.

Storms, Hurricanes and Fires - oh my!

Wow, did we have a round of storms roll through this afternoon. My desk happens to be right next to a window and I gotta admit - I was a tad scared! It was quite vicious outside for a while. But hopefully all the downpours have helped dampen the Dismal Swamp fires and those tireless firefighters can take a break. That's got to be a tough job.

They are calling for more storms overnight - I'm all for it as long as we get needed rains. But we can do without the damage and destruction. Which by the way - our thoughts go to out to all of those affected on the Texas coastline by Dolly. Wow - that storm packed a punch in a hurry. Let's hope the damage is minimal and they make it through this one ok.

Any excuse will do...

It's been a while since my last post. Been busy, been sick. I could just leave it at that.

Actually, I really don't know where the past few weeks have gone. "Zoom Zoom" as the commercial would say. We all seem to be "busy" all of the time - but what do I really have to show for it? I still have walls to be painted, a front yard to re-plant, a deck that needs to be stained, chairs that need to be recovered....but I'm too busy! I'll figure it out one of these days.

The sick part has been no fun. I'm not the type to lay around all Sunday with the newspaper and old movies, but this Sundas was an exception. I have caught someones summer cold and it knocked me out for two days. Went back to work today but was dragging my feet all day. And now I'm tired and ready to go back to bed. And it's not even dark out. Either I'm really sick or really getting old!

Pond, plants and fish are all well. The shy koi are actually starting to come up to eat with the comets when I give them food - glad to see them coming around. The plants are well - I guess. They aren't multiplying like I'd hoped like they have in years past but they aren't dying either. I must still have some kind of chemical imbalance for the plants not to go wild in this heat. I'll keep plugging along and hopefully things will get better.

OK - off to put my jammies on and get my pillow all fluffed up - will try to write more often.

Belated Happy Fourth

Had a real nice Fourth of July long weekend. I took an extra day off last Thursday and enjoyed every minute of it. Hubby and I went to see the new movie Hancock. It's no Oscar winner, but it was very entertaining. Will Smith makes a funny super hero. Friday was a cookout at Mom's, Saturday was a cookout at the neighbors and Sunday was - about my favorite day of all. Rainy to boot! I gave equal time to both the sofa and my bed and never got out of my jammies. Loved, loved, loved that day! I did manage to cook us a steak for dinner in between rain storms, but that was about the highlight of my day.

The plants and grass are happy not to be burning in the afternoon sun today. The rain yesterday really helped. But it won't last long and I'm sure we could use many more days just like that to get us out of the negative on the rain gauge.

Is it July or August they call the dog days of summer? It sure is humid, I know that. We're thinking of a camping trip at the end of the month. I think we're a little crazy too. But they say it's a really cool campground located on the Chesapeake Bay up on the eastern shore. We'll see - we haven't quite made up our minds yet.

When is the next holiday?