Not enough hours in the day

Quick! Look at these beauties before they are fried!

The grass is now brown. The Hibiscus are still alive, but I don't know for how much longer. Yes, I water. And water, and water....

I've been working on lots of papercrafts of late. We have a show in December, and I'm trying to stockpile creations to sell. With the weather so hot, the dogs and I are enjoying the air conditioning and having some lazy type afternoons. When I'm not teaching in the pool. Lots of hours in the pool recently.

I hope to post some pics of mini albums soon. I have to rethink how I am taking these photographs, so the colors are more true to life. But I'm working on it. How did retirement get to be so busy? There are days that I wonder, "What am I doing?" Better to be busy and active than bored in front of the television.

Stay cool. Stay comfortable.
Linda

It is HOT!

I took the above pics last Saturday morning after we returned from an early walk. The last time the dogs have been on a long walk. We did an abbreviated route on Monday, but it was just too hot.

Today is horrendous. The heat index is 115. It is going higher, as the air temperature is suppose to hit 97 or 98 by 4pm. The local weatherman is stating that the dew point and temperatures we are experiencing are "tropic in nature", meaning that this is the typical weather pattern for South America. Really? In Central Indiana? Why thank you for that information.

Looking at these shots makes me incredibly sad that in four short days the grass went from green to brown straw. This area of the midwest is down over 2.5 inches of rain for the month of July. No rain in sight. Now they are saying it is just too hot.

If you have dogs or cats, please remember that this intense heat can be lethal to them. They also need cool air and plenty of water. My guys will only stay out longer than 15 minutes early in the day. Unfortunately, my work schedule this week demands that I am out of the house from 7am to 9:30am.  So I am making sure that I go out with them, watching to see when they have had enough. We are spending time indoors, doing a little training, taking naps.

Life with dogs. Thanks for stopping by.
Linda

Mine!

Notice the bone by Gracie's paw

Hiding under the lounge chair

I bought two Nyla bones. Gracie owns both of them. She is very possessive about any toys, and even though I handed a bone to each dog when I came home from the store, Miss Diva has both. When Jake wants to torment her, he will casually pick one of them up and run with it. The chase is then on.

When the play gets a bit too vigorous for Gracie, she runs under one of the two lounge chairs in the yard. Evidently it has not occurred to her that Jake can easily crawl under the chairs as well to get to her.

Dogs are better than HBO. Any day, any time.
Linda

Sunday Lazy Sunday

Cone flowers

Miss Gracie in the yard

Jake

We got up before dawn this morning so we could leave by 7am for a sheep herding lesson. This is necessary in the heat, both for the health of the dogs and the sheep. Gracie did very well. Jake barked. Sigh.

By the time we got home, around 11, the heat had already slammed into our area. The dogs spent the entire afternoon snoozing in the air conditioning, occasionally wanting to venture into the backyard for a few minutes. I took an hour nap, and ya know, it felt pretty good.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend. Stay cool.
Linda

Flowers

Red Hibiscus in the front yard

The entire bush

Pink Hibiscus

New Foxglove plant

Lilies backlit by the sun

It is overcast today, lots of low clouds, with the sun popping out sporadically. Good morning light for taking pictures of the flowers. After our walk at the park, I decided to grab the camera and take advantage of this light. The forecast for the next week is intense heat and humidity.

Gardening can be a lot of work. I don't have large flower beds for one reason: water. Last year taught me that if we don't have rain, and I don't want to lose any plants, you have to be very consistent in watering the flower beds. I made an investment in time and money this year, and ordered a load of mulch. My neighbor and I split it, so I had enough to place 2 inches of mulch around all the plants. This has helped tremendously in retaining the moisture for the perennials.

I love the variety of colors and shapes that appear. Each is so unique, such a creation of beauty. I don't have any flower beds in the backyard. Dogs are in the backyard. Dogs that dig, dogs that chew (love that mulch), dogs that stuck their collective noses thru the chicken wire fence last night, pulling long fronds of decorative grasses through to chew. Dogs.

You have to love them.
Linda

Summertime

We are watering. Watering grass, plants, trees, and the dogs if they would stand still for it. Rain is needed badly in central Indiana. The ground is hard, and the grass is already turning brown. And here we go again. Last year the drought started around the 4th of July. I hope this isn't a repeat.

The dogs and I went for a long walk this morning early, while it was still cool. Evidently a herd of deer or coyotes came through the park last night, because my two dogs wanted to stop and sniff the foliage every 2 feet. I really don't mind, it gives them stimulation and pleasure, so we walk, stop, walk, stop. I do get in a pretty good walk on one of the trails. The stopping mainly happens at the beginning of our walks.

I am in the process of training the dogs, yet again. For Gracie this is all refresher course, but for Jake I can only assume it is the first time. This requires a lot of patience, something I am not always good with, but trying my best. I want to strengthen the bond with them, and this is the best way to do it. Jake and I are taking a "manners" class, but I am also reading a few books on training. One of those books uses the clicker method, which I have not done, but the information she gives about dogs in general is valuable. The author states that if one method doesn't work with your dog, try something different. Change the reward, get another person involved, be inventive. I like that attitude. And it is exactly what I am doing now.

Have yourselves a great weekend. Enjoy the summer. All too soon we'll be back to cold weather.
Linda

Stormy skies but no rain

  The view over my neighbors house, with the sun setting

 I took this pictures last night when I stepped out on the deck with the dogs. It was around 8:45pm, the sun had set but was still casting light on this one bank of clouds. Just for the record, the air temperature was 90 degrees, and the heat index was 98. Yeah, that late in the day.

We did not get one drop of rain. Again, the pattern is repeating that rain goes to our north and south, and completely ignores the center of the state. But the formation of the clouds fascinated me, and I sat for about 30 minutes, watching the shapes and colors change.

Today was better temperature wise, only 93 with lower humidity. Tonight at the pool where I teach, we were discussing the bizarre weather and it's effect on our health. There were two of us with chronic health issues that experienced  flare-ups within the last 24 hours. Nothing earth shattering, but perhaps we will be better prepared in the future should this intense heat return.

Switching to the dogs, I have a quick story: I purchased two Nyla bones last week. For those not familiar with this product, they come in different density levels for the various chewing abilities of the dogs. I bought "heavy chewers" for my two. When I came home from the store, I opened the packages and gave each dog a brand new bone. Within 30 minutes, Gracie, the Aussie with an attitude, had both bones outside in the backyard. Jake had none. To make sure that Jake did not get his bone back, she laid on one bone while chewing on the other. This all happened 5 days ago, and poor Jake has yet to chew on either of the bones. Gracie still rules. And the little guy better remember that.

What is a mom to do?
Linda

I'm Getting Very Old

Terra Lynn at her first birthday party with Grandpa Crowe

Today is the birthday of my oldest grandchild, my granddaughter, Terra. She is 23. I know people say this all the time, but I do indeed remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. My husband, Ken, was still working at FORD as a foreman in small press. We were in the process of building our retirement home on a private lake outside of Kingman, IN. FORD, like most factories, shuts down the first two weeks of July and the employees take a mandatory paid vacation.

The phone call came on the morning of July 11th that Tammie was in labor, so we packed up our two Shelties and headed back to the suburbs of Chicago. Terra was born around 5pm that day, and Ken insisted on stopping at a store to buy his first grandchild a huge teddy bear. This stuffed animal was enormous, 5 times the size of the baby. He had a big red ribbon tied around his neck, and when we walked into the hospital, several nurses stopped to ask if the teddy bear was for them. Oh no, said Ken, this is for my grandbaby.

Terra still has the bear. She saved it for her first child, a girl named Bella. Grandpa would be proud. Terra is awaiting the birth of her second daughter, Ryleigh. Life does go on.

Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I love you.
Grandma

I am terrible

My garden outside the kitchen window

I am a terrible blogger. Today after a friend kindly pointed it out to me, I realized that it had been a week since I posted anything. I need to be slapped upside the head. Kicked in the butt.

You see, I am suppose to be retired. Yeah. Retired. Now to a great many people, this means long days of watching television, going out to eat, reading, relaxing, or taking a nap. Sounds pretty nifty, doesn't it?

That's not the way it is. I have a part time job. The part time part has grown of late, into me constantly driving back and forth to fill in for someone else. I don't mind doing that, I know she needs the help. But what we do, exactly, is teach exercise classes. Jumping, running, strength training, a little pilates or yoga thrown in for measure, that sort of thing. Most of these classes are aquatic, but there are a few on land in the Silver Sneaker category. So between taking the dogs for walks, teaching, and taking Gracie for sheepherding lessons, the days have been flying by.

Hence, I have been a terrible blogger. I promise to be better. Really. I have truly missed taking photographs, and need to get back into that on a daily basis. If I take new pics, then I want to post. It's a mental thing.

Have yourselves a good day, no matter what you do. And if you do get to sit in the shade and relax, enjoy every second of it. Let me know how that goes for you....
Linda

Uh huh

Isn't he just too cute? Not!

Today Gracie and I had an appointment to herd sheep at 10am. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to take Jake with us to sheep herding lessons. He barked. That is an understatement. He had everyone within 10 miles telling him to shut up. I couldn't bring him out of the car because his barking was interfering with the dog lesson of the moment. Leaving him in the car to bark was just as bad. So I left him at home.....alone.

Now when I have gone to work, grocery shopping, the movies, whatever, and Jake is home with Gracie, the most he has done is rearrange carpets. Wants to be an interior designer? Been watching HGTV in my absence? Who knows? I can live with entering my home and finding the runner normally in front of the door now situated in the living room.

But today, ahhh, today the little shit (I can say that, he is my dog) decided it was not fair that Gracie got to leave with mom and he had to stay home. The following was performed in the 3 hours we were gone: kitchen trash can that has a lid was overturned and garbage was strewn around the kitchen. He obviously put his paws and I am not sure what else in the water dish, because it had a layer of dirt in the bottom when I returned. There was a Fazoli bag on the kitchen table with half a bread stick in it. The bag was shredded to tiny pieces, and the bread stick was gone. The pillows on my bed had been rearranged to suit whatever positions Jake decided were comfortable.

I hate to do this, but I see the boy spending the next sheep herding lesson in the crate. Probably come home and find him out of the crate with a screwdriver in his mouth, said crate dismantled. Clever little shit, my boy. On the other hand, this coming Wednesday we start "manners" class. That is Jake and I start manners classes. Gracie must stay at home.

Help me, Rhonda.
Linda