Effectively, you possibly can’t say it’s been boring.
First, to get this out of the way in which, as a result of I’ve by no means discovered to be comfy with this type of factor: There’s a giant “The whole lot on Sale!” bonanza happening at patriciamcconnell.com. I’m posting this sooner than normal as a result of the sale is over at midnight (japanese) on Monday.
I hope that’s useful data.
Issues on the farm are a bit of too dramatic. We’ve had biblical rain and wind, again and again. Frogs have but to fall from the sky, however at this level, I wouldn’t be stunned. We had two enormous, stunning oaks come down, one making a pick-up-stick jumble 15 ft within the air:
They don’t name them “widow-makers” for nothing. We had been at a funeral only a few weeks in the past for just about the nicest man on the planet who died chain sawing when a higher limb fell on him. Jim has been chain sawing like loopy, and you’ll think about how relieved I used to be when he got here again from the one above and mentioned “We have to name within the professional’s.” Sweeter phrases have by no means been spoken.
However we had three different easier timber come down, and now this, a California Freeway 101 mudslide:
For scale, it’s most likely 15 ft from backside to high. It’s between the county highway and our farm highway that results in all of the pastures up the hill. It’s significantly worse than what you see, as a result of it downpoured AGAIN just a few days in the past after I took the picture. We’re looking for somebody to assist restore it, however no luck up to now (the county is mum up to now). It’s simply going to worsen and worse, taking out the fence that retains the sheep protected, and our farm highway to the pastures. By no means a boring second.
The mudslide, after all, is expounded to the insane quantity of rains we have now gotten, mirrored on this native cornfield.
Final unhappy and considerably grumpy word: Poor Maggie. I took the canine out to pee on Thursday July 4th, early afternoon, and wouldn’t you recognize it, our closest neighbor (possibly 1/4 a mile away?) determined to set off the loudest, most earth-shattering firecracker I’ve ever heard. Thus, this:
Maggie had run to the home. I let her in, rotated to spherical up Skip and located Maggie hiding underneath a bunch of jackets by the door to the storage. She’s often been solely mildly involved about thunder and firecrackers, simply dealt with with “Thunder Treats” and jolly speak. Later within the day, when our nation neighbors went full-bore with their firework “celebration,” Maggie was so frightened she refused treats. (Which is like saying that I refused to be with canine or have a look at flowers.) I stayed up till late within the night time along with her till it quieted and he or she relaxed, however I’m nonetheless spluttering about it like a sparkler with no sparkles. A couple of days earlier than I wrote a Fb put up (I feel July 2nd, scroll down under the sale movies!) encouraging folks to put in writing group leaders to make solely “low noise fireworks” authorized. Perhaps some day? (I learn lately that somebody mentioned banning noisy fireworks made one a communist. For the file: I’m not a communist.)
And, after all, our world has additionally been filled with pleasure. The day lily backyard is coming into its personal, and the hydrangeas I planted within the background determined they prefer it there.
Final night time we had an ideal night with our veterinarian, John Dally (of the Spring Inexperienced Animal Hospital), and his equally great spouse and companion (additionally a vet), Ann Vetter. They lately adopted three mustangs from the west, and moved heaven and earth to create a protected however wholesome atmosphere for them. That is John and Buttercup, who I’m formally now in love with (the horse, not John, though, he’s the most effective vet on the planet):
The final phrases at present are from Maggie, who’s on leash restriction for a bum rear leg or lumbar/sacral troubles: “I like Dr. Sarah Grenslit, however it is best to know that I’m being tortured–no play, no operating, no working sheep. And Skip will get to go to a clinic tomorrow. Please rescue me from this nightmare. Or, ship hen. Yeah, that’s it, tons and plenty of hen.” Right here she is with Dr. Sarah, getting chiropractic therapy.
Whoops, not fairly final phrases! I couldn’t resist letting you recognize about an occasion on July 3oth in Madison, WI that I’m taking part in–a fund raiser for one in every of my favourite authors, buddy, and all-round actually good man, Nickolas Butler, who’s operating for the WI Meeting, 93rd District. I volunteered (what was I considering?) to be the auctioneer for the night, which I don’t know the way to do, so it must be, on the very least, actually amusing. (One merchandise is a go to to the farm to get to work Skip, aka, Mr. Fantastic.) There isn’t a entry charge required, though, after all, his marketing campaign supervisor can be so pleased to obtain a donation. You possibly can RSVP right here when you can come!
Okay, I’m off to do Maggie’s twice-daily massages, give Skip his optimmune for his Pannus, work Skip earlier than it rains once more, and see how little home cleansing I can get away with earlier than buddies come to brunch tomorrow.
Which implies, I get to work Skippy Dip and choose flowers! So, life is nice! I hope components of yours are too, inform us about what’s good, and never good, at your home, we’d love to listen to.
