What about the mules?

When I whistle or holler out their names, they appear out of the woods. These shots were taken on some of the more smokey days.

Mica is the grey mule and she knows if I holler her name, it is time to come for her Senior Feed.

Quickly, though, the red headed sisters decide that they will race to me. Do I bring hay, treats, or is it that they just want someone to rub their ears and tell them how beautiful they are?

These girls will take a  touch and a kind word just as eagerly as they would a treat.

The one in the rear is our gaited mule. She is a Peruvian Paso mule. She rarely breaks into a gallop and prefers to gait out. She is also usually the last one to come when I call. She loves attention and is a fantastic ride.

She hates leaving home. Once past the mailbox, she realizes that she needs to pay attention.

They all walk along their well beaten trail through the woods to come out on the old winter pasture. 

I rotate them from one large area to another every few days.

I am hoping for the weather and smoke to break up a bit so I can ride again in the evenings.

Poor Mica suffers the most with this heat, smoke, and dust. She has Equine COPD or Heaves. The rest of my girls are still looking rather fat and sassy.

Happy July everyone. 

PS~ Send rain.

Skies tomatoes butterflies

Sure, a few days ago, I said...the skies almost never have brilliant colors when we have dense fog.

And then...
we have this:

The sky was brilliant and the fog was incredible.

Below is a photo of our main road. In one township it has blacktop and in our township it is gravel. Imagine having this view on your morning commute?
That is the only thing I miss about working early morning shifts, was the drive through the valleys and ridges on gorgeous mornings like this.

Though the valley fog was sometimes pretty intense.

My sidekick, Charlie went with and we enjoyed staying until just before the sun broke through the clouds and then we headed back home.

This was one of those mornings I wished I'd planned ahead to go to the bluff at KVR and watch the sun come up and the valley fog glow below.

The rest of the day was rather boring. Chores and indoor chores.

However, we had BLT's last night and I was rather suprised by the really ugly purple tomatoes that I grew on a whim.

They were huge next to the Beefsteak Tomatoes. Rich thought the purple tomato was spoiled because it looked almost blackish.

The big purplish tomato was as large as my hand! It made for a perfect sandwich tomato.

As I write this and have my coffee this morning, I am watching another incredible sky show.

The fog is creeping up from the valley into our hollow.

The zinnias and the fading bee balm are still attracting insects like crazy. Here are two I saw yesterday in the flowers.

and...

I am new at trying to ID butterflies so if I am wrong let me know!