Heat calls for....

 Creativity

Last night the temperature outside was 80 until it cooled off to 77.  The dewpoint was 75. 

Yeah...that makes for a wicked thick air and major discomfort. However, we have that wonderful little minisplit that cools the downstairs and keeps us cool.

The breezes outside are pretty strong and the heat will intensify this weekend. Enough so there are extreme heat warnings out for the next few days. Then? The storms and rain will move in for a few days.

Welcome Summer!

Update on my Respite Day and new decisions and schedule. I made the most of my time on Friday. I filled Shay in on the doings for the day. She offered to make stuff for supper while I was 'gadding' about.

I showed her a huge pail of fresh strawberries I'd picked for Olive. I hadn't had time to hull them and chop them up. I asked if she'd mind hulling them. She said she'd be happy to.

Then I asked her to take half of them home to enjoy with her son. Her eyebrows shot up and she smiled. Ding Ding! It is always pleasant to share isn't it? It cost me nothing but time to pick them and I was so happy to share.

Boring, but I went shopping for the items I needed for cold salads for this weekend and a couple of other things. I brought a cooler with ice packs so put perishables in. 
I met up with my CF girlfriends at the Viroqua Food Co-op for some coffee, conversations, and laughter. We caught up in each others' grand kids, and weekly doings. 

I can't think of a better way to spend some Respite time [in the heat!] We chatted about Julie's cancer trial and how she was feeling. We are there for each other. They updated me about goings on at the gym and the progress they were making. And of course what was going on in their own lives. 
We mostly discuss grandkids which is everyone's favorite topics.

So where does the Creativity fit in? Well, hot days may push me indoors for the afternoon.

So I need to do something.

Remember the Jason Christoble Candle Holder/Sculptures I got? Well, some were chipped and damaged. 

Yesterday afternoon I got the brilliant idea of 'fixing' them and modifying them. The chipped and broken ones wouldn't really be worth any money anyway. They are not in good condition.

I mixed up some acrylic hobby paint and touched up the places where someone had slapped some white clay on the sculpture. It looked nice, but I decided to go a bit further.

I added a micro resin butterfly to his nose and added some moss to his broken bits.

I think I may just give him a mossy 'do' and add a few more butterflies.  

This one had a frog that had broken off. I used some super glue to put it back together. However parts of the frog were missing and it just didn't look nice. 

Solution? Add moss around the froggy!

I also had a tiny bluebird that had come from Aurora in a gift she'd sent. It had fallen off the stick, so I thought this Entish tree would love more company. 

I painted over her chips and nicks and stopped there. I think my grand daughter would love this piece for her bookshelf of fantasy books. I'll have to send her a nice photo of this and see what she thinks.

I've collected some very odd roots and pieces of wood over the years and never knew what I'd like to do with them. 

Until now. This weekend seems like a good time to stay cool and create something interesting with the pieces of wood. Who knows? My Lego folks and dragons may really love them!

At least I have a plan for the hot weather. Suppers are made, house is clean and it feels like a day off in a way....

Let the creativity begin!

Solstice HOT

 

Here we are at the summer Solstice. I try like heck to get out each 'event' of the year and try like heck to take a photo of the sunrise at least.

Over the years I've had lots of fond memories of things done with others on the Solstice nights. At times, I've gone with neighbors and children to a spot on the ridge where we lit Chinese Lanterns to celebrate the end of the day.

Other times I've had friends stay and we've delighted in hiking in the forest with the magic of fireflies around us.

At 4:13 AM CDT, I stood on the ridge and celebrated the midsummer morning. I am weird right? 

That's fine, I can live with weird.

I'm going to borrow a quote from James Norbury's book Big Panda and Tiny Dragon:
'I wish this moment would last forever' said Tiny Dragon
'This moment is all there is' said Big Panda.

[I've always wanted to do this-- 👆 -- I did use a little

creative leeway btw. But it turned out cool.]

I had to share this moment with myself but still, it was peaceful and awesome. Even the pesky gnats agreed as they tried to feed off from me.

I went home and rinsed out the smaller stock tanks and gave everyone fresh cool water.

By 7AM, my friend Molly came to our house on foot rather upset. Her very elderly dog had disappeared. I calmed her down with some coffee on the porch and then we set out in the 'Ru to notify all the ridge neighbors who don't have cell phones or internet. All the farmers reported back to me after they'd done haying all day with no reports of sighting the aged dog. 

Charlie and I spent some time on our porch working on the old table.

I just grab colors that appeal to me and add them here and there. We will see if it is a disaster or it ends up neat. I have an idea for the top of the table, but haven't figured out how to get it done quite yet.

By late afternoon, we retreated indoors.

I stayed up to watch the sunset and for the fireflies to appear.

I think tonight [Wednesday] seems like a good night to go out and photograph the Milky Way and Fireflies, depending on the skies.

The Long Day

It started with a trip to the ridge to enjoy the morning purples and the emergence of the summer sun through the fog. I checked out black bottom creek and it was so dense with fog that there were no opportunities there at all.

I moved Annie and Valerie to a holding paddock. They are being sold soon.

This lot looks barren because the mules had used this spot for mud bathing and standing.
However the Dexter cattle love to strip burdock so it is a good thing! They have cleaned up the ox eye daises in their other summer pasture and will devour nettles if I knock them down first.

These cows are the forest gleaners and do an excellent job.

I finally got tired of looking at the mess of the west yard. It still needs to be landscaped and is a mess of lumps bumps and weeds with some areas that are washed out. Rich keeps saying that he will get to it.

I attacked it with the weed wacker. I'm getting better at it. I even trimmed around the garden before I nearly ran out of gas. That is my stop point. If I keep going and going the tendons in my forearms will be extremely painful.
My intentions were then to mow around the back of the red shed with the mower.

I chose instead to have a late lunch with my sweet guy and after a glance at my garden, I decided that a short siesta was in order.
I guess that is one good thing about being home all of the time. I can afford a short rest before heading out again.

I walked past the mower and it begged me to push it and make it roar. However I decided to do something enjoyable.
I caught up Fred and cleaned him up. He got his summer haircut.

After...

After.

Sundance pushed Siera and Sunshine out of the way when I put Fred back. I worked on her tail and ended up cutting it shorter. She was not receptive to the clippers but she also ended up with a summer haircut.

Rich helped me. I decided that was enough for the day and spent some time grooming Sundance before putting her away.

I then went to get 15. Her paddock had gotten muddy and she needed a grooming plus a drier place to be.

With her done, it was time for chores and other things.
I walked by the lawn mower again and assured it, its day would come soon again...and again...and again.

I called the neighbors and asked if they'd like to celebrate the Summer Solstice by lighting a couple of Chinese Lanterns.
And we did.

And the day ended full of joy with children's laughter and cattle complaining about being moved.

Such was the Long Day.

Summer Solstice

The day began with heavy thick fog.  I looked out the window at 5am and decided that I'd just go back to bed and relax.

After chores Rich moved the skid steer and parked it under the pine trees so it was in the shade.
The day's project was to take off the ice picks on the tracks of the skid steer.

After that, I thought it would be nice to hike down to the creek with Morris to cool off our feet.

Huh.

Here is the creek in February.  This is normal water flow for the creek.

Here is the creek yesterday.

Can you find Morris?  No?  I could barely find him and he had trouble getting through the growth.

Now a few things have happened to make it this way.
Wet, warm, humid spring with rain coming just enough to keep things growing, but NO gullywashers that  normally keep the creek bottom nice and clean.

Morris began to sneeze like crazy.  I know he has some allergies that are pretty bad during the ragweed season, but he was having no fun at all.

We simply turned around and went home.  I was greatly disappointed.  But then again I haven't kept my trails clear since April.  I'll have to check out my other trails.

Since the owners of this land have not fixed fence and pulled all of the cattle out nearly 10 years ago, the forest in some places has grown into an impassable gnarled prickly nightmare.

I guess that is why I enjoy winter, early spring, and late fall so much in this forest.

We arrived at home and Morris got a bath, I got a shower, and then I read a book for a couple of hours before chore time.  Lady of leisure right?
Hah!

Just before sunset I went out to check on Annie, one of our Dexter cows.  She really looked ready to calf so I got Rich and we watched the sunset together in the cow pasture.

It was pretty peaceful and quiet.  

We left the pasture after dark settled in sure that we would have a newborn calf by morning.

Oh...as of this evening, Monday night.  Annie has not yet had her calf.