Unexpected Guest

Grizz from LA was supposed to do an overnight and instead ended up with us for nine days.

He was kicked out of his boarding in Memphis for the week because he was growling and they were afraid of him.

He instantly fell in love with Bob and everyone was begging us to keep him, but the senior chows were not a fan of his nine month old energy.

He would sit in the chair so he could see Bob in the other room.  We took him to Luna's house where he would have a dog his age to play with until he gets adopted.

Needless to say, these two instantly fell in love and Bob was a thing of the past!   Bob ^^^

Watched a pair of cardinals raise two baby birds outside my bathroom window.

I noticed the father fed the babies a lot more than the mother.

The bear has been relentless.  I started taking in the bird feeders at night, it calmed down, but then he was back.  He had already stolen my most expensive feeders and has now bent every pole.  Now leaving big piles of scat in the front yard. The dogs chase him, but he comes back.  We finally found the fence that he tore down behind the chicken house!

Just found another cardinal nest down at the farmhouse.

The flying squirrels are coming at night to feed.

I lifted the dogs' water bowl to clean it and found a lizard nest full of eggs.  The mother is a blue skink.  It has been weeks, and they still have not hatched.  Wondering if these eggs are viable, but she is still in the nest.

Mindy got a calf and named him Romeo.

Months later we are still getting undercoat off of Roman, and the pile behind him could make another chow!

This was in the spring when the tomatoes were just getting started.  

They are now full of tomatoes, but they still have not turned red!  What's up with that?!

Pretty creepy when you find this in your compost pile and you have never seen this before, it is not yours, but you are the only one adding to the compost pile . . . or am I?  

In the garden.  Some have come and gone, others are just starting to bloom.

The church sale is tomorrow, July 5, but I offered to help set up for two days and spent five hours the first day and three hours the second helping and got to have my pick of the goods! It was time well spent.

The night sky tonight after a huge thunderstorm.  We needed the rain, and I was so happy we got it.  Now hearing all the fireworks going off at the local parks.  A nice quiet fourth for us!

Lessons in River Kayaking

Taking a trip to SC to see the lilies in full bloom at Lansford Canal State Park.

Off to a good start.  Nice launch area, calm waters.

Lots of kayakers.  Two hour drive there, two hours on water, two hours home.

Only a mile to the lilies, going with the current, easy sailing!

The lilies are lovely!  Red wing black birds everywhere.  There are supposed to be some nesting eagles, but have not seen them.

Lesson No. 1:  Never listen to your husband!  Took 30 minutes to go downstream to see the lilies, took 3 hours to go back against the current and rocks!!

Wondering why all the other kayakers went downstream never to be seen again!  Because no one goes upstream in Class 1 & 2 current, getting constantly stuck in rocks and whirlpools. They go downstream to the next launch, get out and have someone drive them back to the first launch DAH!!! You can see the grimace on Bob's face, it was incredibly hard work.

So much for a little R&R.  This was very tough.  After hours of going upstream, I can see the launch, but I cannot make it.  I am physically exhausted and so is Bob.  We headed to the side of the river and got out of the boats and swam to dry land and pulled our boats the rest of the way.  NEVER AGAIN!!  

Lesson No. 2:  Bring your water bottles with you, don't leave them in the car and do not bring your camera!

So we got home very late, totally soaked and caked with mud, burnt from the sun and could barely walk.  A hot shower and Excedrin X Strength is all I can think about and today I am still exhausted.  Sixty year olds should not be doing this!