Summertime

Wow, I can't believe it's already summer. We've been pretty busy around here. Colt and Scout made a garden. Colt bought the plants. We have squash, okra, peppers, and tomatoes, so far. I'm rooting cotton and gourd seeds. The garden is small but we can always add on. Right now it is just the right size for a low maintenance garden.

We mulched with newspaper and straw. It keeps the weeds down and cuts out the hoeing and weeding. The layers of paper and straw keeps moisture in the ground better. By the end of summer the papers will decompose enough to be turned under in the garden and turn into mulch again.

Everything is growing around here. The cane has sprouted up over my head. The guys laughed when I said that. "That's not very high." they laugh, and say. Smarty-pants.

We've been pretty busy running around and playing in the sun. Wait until you see my next project! I think you're going to like it. I'm keeping it a secret until we get it together. I'll give you one hint: think Hoola-hoop
.

AS ALWAYS

PIO

JUNE

The other day I woke up only to realize our water wasn't working. That happens  so often I have the water company's phone number on speed-dial. I called to report the outage and someone told me the water had been shut off because of a water leak. Big surprise.

We've lived in Resaca for over 20 years and have always had trouble with the water. Instead of replacing all the waterlines and fixing the problem all at once, they like to patch it up until next time. I've become so used to the problem and so anxious about drinking dirty water I boil my water and keep it in glass jugs in the refrigerator. That's a good thing. I had a gallon of fresh chilled drinking water. 

Being the undaunted character I am, I decided to climb back into bed until the water came back on. Scout woke me up later and told me the water was running again. Woo-hoo! Happy days. Am I right?

Scout didn't feel well and took the week off. He stayed in bed late and sat around with a stuffy head, feeling blah. I finally got him out of the house one day to go with Colt and me to look for a new weed whacker. We bought a Husqvarnah trimmer for the yard. Scout fell in love with it. Boy, am I glad. He couldn't wait to try it out. The yard hasn't looked this good in years.

The burn ban was supposed to start in May but Gordon County was able to get it lifted until the end of the month because so many neighborhoods had storm damage and it is so much trouble to take it to the landfill. That gave us a perfect opportunity to burn all the leaves that keep falling off the magnolia trees. They shed leaves all throughout the summer. The leaves are like dry paper and burn easily. Too easy sometimes. Scout burned a limb on the tree because of a fire he made underneath them.

Don's been working seven days a week. The money's good but it's wearing him out. Colt started back to college. He's taking a summer class. He only has a couple of classes until he graduates.

Since we have a little garden this year we went to Mama's and Daddy's to help them plant their garden. Daddy likes to overdo it and plants enough for the whole family. They planted green beans, peas, tomatoes, corn and squash, among other things. I got Daddy to let us put newspapers and straw around his cabbage. We put it around the plants to cut down on weeding. I hope it helps. I hate working in the garden.

Next weekend is the Dixie Highway yard sale. It's usually the first full weekend in June. It runs north from Chattanooga all the way south to Atlanta on Highway 41. Everybody puts their merchandise out in their yards or along the highway to sell. I try to avoid it like the plague because I start rubbernecking and nearly rear end somebody every year. We live right on the highway so we get to watch the parade of shoppers and gawkers every year.

Next weekend is also my mother's birthday and Daddy always plans a "surprise birthday party" for her. This year he has invited their friends from church to a cookout. The boys and I are going to help him mow the yard and clean up for company next week. The boys weed eat and get the places Daddy can't mow on the riding mower. It doesn't take long if two or more of us work together. Daddy is wearing Mama out cleaning up around the house.

We've got lots of work to do around here this summer. Painting, gardening, and putting up new guttering. I think this is going to be a great summer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Aaron, Dustin, Tyler, Sara, Colt, Tim, Eddie, Jimmy, Gary, Steve, Dana, Nancy, Hanna, Keegan, and Shanda

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Chase and Krista Sheram

RIP

J.L. Strickland, Mary Bell Carter, Sam Burchfield, Charlie Burchfield 

REMEMBER

Dixie Highway 90 Mile Yard Sale June 7-9th

Flag day June 14, Father's day June 16, and Summer June 21st

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Weekend Review

Don has been working overtime recently. He was supposed to work 10 hours a day 7 days a week. Last Saturday he hit his knee on something and it swole up so bad he couldn't walk. He decided to take a vacation week off. By Tuesday he felt so bad that he went to the doctor. They took blood. The doctor couldn't syringe any fluid off his knee so he ordered x-rays. An observant nurse pointed out a spot on Don's knee that looked suspicious. The doctor took a biopsy. The doctor filled him up on prescriptions and sent him home.

Don and I went to the Diagnostic Center and got his x-ray. I asked about mammograms and found out you have to have a doctor's order to get one. While I was at it, I asked how much it would be if I didn't have insurance. The lady said $525, I think. I was flabbergasted! Every time you fart in a medical situation it costs you $500 dollars. Colt's episode cost over $400. Don's last medical exam cost over $500. I think that is standard procedure, or something. How in the name of heaven can you look someone in the face and charge them $500 to mash the hell out of them with two window panes that are screwed down enough to make you feel like you are going to pop and take a picture? No wonder most people can't afford to go to the doctor. The cost is exorbitant. 

Don had been hobbling around like Chester in Gunsmoke. Anybody remember him? He hasn't been able to get outside and work in the garden so Colt and I have been taking care of it. Colt planted beans and tomatoes and I planted some okra.

Don called his doctor to find out about the x-ray and biopsy. They told him it was good news. He didn't have melanoma but he does have gout and needs to be taking another medicine. I hope his knee will get better so he can walk normally again.

Friday I mowed the entire yard, back and front. I usually break it up in a two day job. It was so nice and mild I didn't get tired like I usually do so I mowed the backyard without stopping. After that I had to mow the front yard and get it over with. It didn't take very long. This weekend is the yearly Battle of Resaca  reenactment so I wanted the yard to look nice.

I must have really pushed myself because I started limping around like Don. Every time I sat down for too long my legs locked up and I couldn't walk. I stumbled around like a spastic until I worked the soreness out of my legs. Now I can appreciate Don's pain. My soreness will wear off. I'm not so sure about his.


Colt and I rigged up two flagpoles so I could put a couple of Confederate flags in the front yard for the Battle of Resaca this weekend. People coming and going up Dixie highway will see them. That was my small contribution to the spirit of the occasion. That's all for now.

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Sun Beams and Other Things

I thought I'd give you a peek at some of my observations around here.

You can click on the picture to enlarge.

The dogwoods already have buds developing  on them.

This is our turnip green garden.

Feeding time for the critters.

Sunlight through the magnolia tree.

Some 'lowland' by the Dollar Store in Resaca. A house used to be there. They finally moved away. Can you blame them?

AS ALWAYS

PIO

*****

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A Few Things

Colt started classes at Southern Polytech again for the new year. He and his friend Bob got an apartment close to the college. He comes home on the weekends.

One weekend when he was home he went with me to Bowman's restaurant. It is a little restaurant that is out in the middle of nowhere. They have home cooking. We ordered the turkey and dressing. It was delicious.

It wouldn't be summer without a little bit of car trouble. My car started making funny noises under the dash. I rushed around trying to get my errands done and back home before it conked out on me. Smoke started coming out of the air vents. I was afraid it was going to catch on fire. I pushed the little Buick as fast as I could and cussed every slow vehicle in front of me. "Get out of the road!"

Donny and Scout had to put a new heater core in the car. It took all day. Scout and Colt put the insulation back under the dash. Did I ever tell you how wonderful it is to have two boys and a husband who can fix things? It's a good thing, too, because next Scout's car messed up.

Oh well. I'm not surprised; are you? It's always something. If nothing is happening to you, you better check. You might be dead. It looks like we're not dead yet so it's all good.

Look what we found growing on the bank beside the road. Donny says it's collard greens. I wonder how they got there. That would be a good place to have a garden if the road department didn't go down the road spraying herbicides. Keep your fingers crossed. We might have fresh collard greens soon.

This was a special surprise garden. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out where the seeds came from.

AS ALWAYS

PIO

Now and Then

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NOW

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Summer is fading fast. You can really tell it in the garden. What had been strong and beautiful is drying up and wilting on the vine. August is such a bitter-sweet month.

As Always

PIO

It's Growing

The new squash plants have grown.

Our fenced in garden.

Can you identify this? It was a volunteer and it is huge.

Squash plants.

Our green garden.

What the heck is this plant?

It's getting longer, and longer.

Cleome / Spider plant

Bloom on vine. I wonder what it is.

Look how long it's gotten now.

We should have some peanuts this year.

I planted seeds from a loofah plant.

Look at our mystery plant.

It's setting fruit . . . or something.

It's yellow like a squash but I think it is a pumpkin. We'll see!

This is pretty good for a volunteer.

You can barely walk in the garden now.

Momma calls this Monkey Face. 

The garden is growing by leaps and bounds.

Click on the pictures to see close up. This is our fenced in garden. You can tell how much that 'mystery vine' has been growing in the pictures. It is spectacular. The tomato garden is growing, too, but half of that garden is overrun with weeds because we didn't put down papers and straw around the okra. The okra never came up and now it is covered in weeds again. We will have to re-till it if we want to replant okra.

As Always

PIO