The Bunch Are Melting!!!

July 4

Ok, so it isn't actually a record breaking hot summer and "technically" we haven't hit a 100 very many times, but summer started in April and hasn't let up. Combine that with the NO rain and my 18 inch deep cracks are now over 2 feet and walking in my yard is taking your own life in your hands, In fact, I don't really let the dog out any more except to go to the bathroom. We have been walking her in the mornings and praying NO dogs are out. So far so good; she just makes horrible shrieking sounds as we walk past the neighbors boxer and llamas (yes, I said llamas). For the past week, it has rained pretty much everywhere, BUT here. We have been feverishly working on the camper. We are getting a lot done (she says as it currently sits in the driveway with three sides and a door missing). However, it takes about an hour to tarp it all up and with the random thunderstorms that have passed literally within 2 miles to our north, south, west, and east all week, we did not get much done with the constant stopping and tarping.

The dark clouds that approach, but never rain on us.

It will be fantastic if we ever finish.

He works so hard in this horrible heat

Peek at one of the  dining booth cushions and the dinette table...we decoupaged with places we have been though not all the places we have been because we travel a lot! I can't wait for the final reveal.

He cools off in a freshly drawn well water bath...IT IS COLD!

We did actually manage to grow carrots quite well. The neighbor decided to put weed and grass killer down and I thought the carrots were a little close so I went ahead and pulled them all up and much to my surprise most were decent size. I currently have 5 cantaloupes, a couple of bell peppers, some jalapeños, lots of  basil, and I am starting to get okra. I guess the garden experiment wasn't a TOTAL lost, but it did break my heart that I lost all my corn to insects. It was so close to being ready to harvest and looked fantastic. Next year, I will bring in some good dirt by the truckload and try again, except no corn and probably more carrots.

The flashlight is about 6 inches and the purple carrots are orange underneath...WEIRD!

 The chickens are all laying now, except the one free loader who I have previously mentioned. I was actually able to give family an extra dozen organic fresh eggs I had laying around. The roosters were the source of our attention this week though. I came out to clean them one morning and after entering the barn I saw that their door to their coop was not only broken completely in half, but literally hanging by one hinge. If I had not already chased them off my ankles with my staff I would have thought some large wild animal had broken in and ate them. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that in one corner of the interior of their coop a wasp nest had started to form. I can only hypothesize that when bed time came and they entered the coop that the wasps did not appreciate this and chased them out. I still can't believe they broke through the wood though. I can only imagine how panicked they were......they look fine now, but it took several days of destroying the nest before the wasps moved on. I don't know if it is the dry hot weather or what, but the dirt dauber and wasps have been really bad this year.

Half off the rooster's door I found on the ground

Oops, the nesting box she wanted is taken. No big deal. We have 7 hens and 7 nesting boxes. The normal is one box for every 3 hens. More than enough. right?

The one on the bottom is not quite sure what is happening

Yep, she really laid her egg on TOP of another chicken while 6 other empty areas were available, oh and it was almost 100 outside. Stupid chickens.

T is almost done with basketball. Next week is the playoffs. His team would need a miracle to win, but stranger things have happened. He has really enjoyed playing and that is what it is about, giving him the opportunity to work as team with other kids his age and not be overcome by competitiveness. He is excited about playing this winter and I am happy ALL my kids now play sports that DO NOT require me to be outside. The girls start back with volleyball in Sept. I think L will play up so I don't have to run around constantly, but we will see. She isn't exactly keen on playing with the bigger girls, but coordinating 2 games or more each week and different practices was a little much for us.

T is in the orange shirt. Sorry bad picture.

We did set off fireworks on July 4, at least the small ground fountain ones, but after we almost set the neighbors yard on fire we decided to wait until it rained. It was so fun to be able to do our own fireworks at our own house (and also nerve wracking). As luck would have it on July 5, we received about a third of an inch of rain so we set off the bigger fireworks. That third of an inch is about all the rain we have had for 3 months.

So fun to celebrate the 4th.

Didn't know these shot things out...right before we almost started a small fire in the neighbors yard.