Phlox
Bumble Bee on Delphinium
HAPPY PIONEER DAY
Fate of the flower garden is unsure. I've phased out almost half of the size it used to be, and hopefully before fall will have all the plants out of there - tree roots are taking it over and things aren't growing well at all. Then the back with the trees will just go entirely to lawn. I have a spot I've been working on in the front to put the plants. Joe is raising the flowers this year – he's the one doing the watering now.
Today Joe got me up before sunrise to drive the tractor and pick up the last of the bales on the skid. He didn't have enough to use the bale wagon. I drive the tractor so little any more that I forget everything in between times. The skid is a flat on the ground "sled" that is pulled along next to the rows, and then Joe stands on it and pulls the bales on with a hay hook, one at a time as I slowly drive past each bale. It's not an easy job. We had about a load and a half so it didn't take long. The only thing is he put most of it in the barn and I was waiting to do the Art Show in the Barn until he got some of the hay in there OUT! I'm pretty disappointed. But I understand why he wants to have it in there too. It will make it a lot easier on him later.
I don't know why, but I can't seem to get the outside of the big kitchen window cleaned off, and I'm not being that fussy either. I'll do it again for the fourth time in a little bit. It's so quiet and peaceful this morning; another perfect start to a new day. They are having the small painting group at Kay's and it looks like I'm not going since I'm not making any preparations to get ready for it.
Sandra came this morning to begin hauling her hay. Joe helped her load her horse trailer up. She and I visited the horses and the art show. Sandra is sending her grandkids to a summer camp each day up at the White Pine Ski Lodge. They ride horses and mountain bike and other summer camp things. It sounds like a great thing and they are very lucky kids. There is a method to her madness however – she says they just wear her out so she's sending them to camp. Sandra said they had a downpour at their house last night for about half an hour. Their house is only about 8 miles from us. We got nothing here, although the smell of rain was in the air so strong all evening. I stood outside breathing deeply for a while it smelled so good. In the afternoon Dave came to get the first load of his and Debbie's hay. Awfully hot to be working like that.
For some reason I don't understand I've taken a great leap in winning Spider games. My past games have been 22 percent. It may be that I'm getting better at untangling the suites. Now I'm winning more than I'm loosing. I'm sure its still the way the cards are stacked, but it is fun to win anyway.
In the afternoon some black clouds came up with a breeze and it cooled off for a while. Joe got his haying equipment put away into the shed. About 4 p.m. I rode the ATV out to the mailbox and checked on all the antelope. We had not gotten Friday's or Monday's mail yet. The dogs swam in the mud bog and had to be hosed off when we got home. When they got on the ATV to ride, Sparky in front of me and Raven behind, they got me totally muddy with the stinking stuff. I needed to be hosed off too. The deer flies were out in force and I have new bites. It was a nice small outing. The neighbors in the fields next to us are going full tilt getting their hay up. I made German potato salad for dinner, but it was too hot to feel like eating. I can never remember a summer with so many days this blazing hot. Maybe it will be cooler outside if I go out to water the flower pots.
