Daily Notes for Tuesday June 17th, Cloudy with perhaps some rain in the forecast????

A picture from my front porch yesterday...between the curved sidewalk and the post- a deer.  Eating weeds.  Or my plants.  Hard to say as there are so many weeds.  M. had cleared it all to the ground in anticipation of the mulch I had ordered......but the mulch never arrived... so the weeds set up housekeeping in the beds again......Not sure what the deer was eating but...nothing much there I would want to keep.

Flies and Deer..... 

1. to balance my day, I tugged all the bedding off my high poster bed and put it into the washer while I made and ate my oatmeal breakfast and read the newspaper.  It's all in the dryer now.  I can contemplating putting the newly washed sheets back on the bed OR folding them neatly and dragging something else out of the linen closet.  There is plenty to choose from in the linen closet.

2. Lunch yesterday was Vanilla yogurt, Bran Buds and strawberry rhubarb jam all mixed together into a lumpy delicious mess.   Dinner was toasted cheese sandwich with pickles and the package suggested portion of exactly 11 corn chips.  I don't think I covered the five building blocks of daily meals.  Not one vegetable and strawberry jam isn't considered "a fruit".

3.  It's fun matching my food to the suggested portion size on the containers of food.  I'll have that as the one thing that brought me joy.

4. My son informed me that the military parade went on as planned but the stands for the people were all empty.  Hardly anyone showed up.  Or not many showed up. And it rained on his parade????  I wasn't paying attention....seems like no one else was either.

5, The Daily Suduko was difficult this morning....I added it to the pile of other puzzles....all unfinished. 

6. the book for the day- unless I decide to try something else is. "Lost Souls at the Neptune Inn" by Betsy Carter......I read the last 10 pages in the previous book and was correct in NOT reading the book...The Other Side of Disappearing."   I do not recommend it.

7. the guy working on the front porch.......has not returned.  The Lawn Guy mentioned mulch- I mentioned weeds and declined the mulch.   Life in Maine....

Daily Notes for Monday, June 16th. Sunshine here in Maine.

1.  Nice day for Fruity Drinks on the Front Porch---except for the Brown Tail Moth worms- very very itchy. I like the striped straws very much...... with the fridge ice maker disconnected....no ice filled glasses of anything here.  No puddles of ice water on the floor anymore either.

2. Smushed up eight black flies on the inside of the large front living room window......then looked over and saw more- five more.  I had trouble with them during the early Winter months in years past...and they were FATTER.  These are small and slow moving.   I taped up the one opening to the garage in case that is where they are living.  It's the cabinet where you keep wood for the fireplace....

 3.I don't do well with indoor smoke so we have NEVER used the fireplace....and now with the whole house generator-- I don't need to EVER have a fire in the fireplace.  Just flies.

4.  I'm reading The Other Side of Disappearing.  Kate Clayborn.   I have read and re-read two of her earlier books. Love Lettering and Love at First.   I am NOT enjoying this book so far.   I wasn't a real fan of Georgie at First either.  And never purchased it.  It was okay at the very end but getting there was hard work.  The Other Side book is already a hard slog and I'm only on page 34.  No connection to ANY of the characters..ZERO.... My library doesn't even have it on their shelf.

I might put it in the return book bag and try something else. You wonder who decided to publish it????

5. Today is Recycling and Garbage Day.   My job, here at home, is to collect and put things in the containers ready for my son to haul them out to the street tomorrow morning. I had quite a bit last week so this week will possibly be just the small garbage bag. 

6.  When my mom was living alone and losing her memory, she felt compelled to fill the garbage can every week and started putting things from the closets, the kitchen cupboards, curtains, bedding etc in the can... even lamps.  When she was finally put into Memory Care the house was quite empty and all of the things her children and husband had left in the house (for safe keeping) were long gone.

7. I am going to watch news to see how they caught the guy pretending to be a police office who shot two people dead and put 7 bullets in the wife of the second couple and 8 into her husband.  That, Reader, shocked the hell out of me.... must have had the gun on automatic...... both are in bad shape but ALIVE.

Daily Notes for Sunday June 15th. Happy Father's Day. I love the flowers in this vase.

 The Sun is shining here in Maine.....if I happen to see a BEE I will let you all know...Bees are in short supply this Summer- well, it isn't actually Summer as yet, is it.?

I watched MSNBC regarding the shooting that took place in the early morning hours yesterday.  The Shooter is still at large I am guessing....nothing in the paper here in Maine.  I did see some of the California Protests.  I did NOT watch anything that might have happened in Washington DC and my morning paper had ZERO to report.  No photos- no nothing in the Maine Sunday Paper.

That's something that either bothers you or not about living in the Maine Information Bubble.  If it doesn't happen in Maine- It doesn't happen. At all.

1. I spent most of the day, yesterday, with the TV OFF (after I realized they were not going to find the  Shooter) and re-reading the Love Haters, finishing the chicken salad, and moving on to #2 on the list..  

2. I did a large load of wash...folded it all and put it away when it was washed and dried.

3. The weather here in Maine has a bit of a chill to it this morning but the Sun is shining.  Should warm up a bit.  If not I have my wool socks  and a sweater.  (mid June)

4. Not much is brining me JOY right now. But I am quite happy with the newly repaired front porch steps.

5.  Also happy today is Sunday and we will be making PIZZA.  Watching the Open Wheel Race/

6. I keep finding things I thought I had lost............getting old is really confusing...some days you remember every little detail and the next day wonder where you left your cup of coffee and why you don't have socks on.   Like right now...where are my socks????

Daily Notes on Saturday June 14th.

Words want to be in the center.  And it's too early for me to figure  out why.

So we will just do it this way today and be done with computer mysteries. I did watch a few minutes of news yesterday and have been regretting it ever since.

Today is the Massive Parade. And here in Maine the weather looks dark and wet.  I have my fingers crossed for a downpour of rain on someone's Parade. It would be the right thing to do. I will NOT be watching...I still have recorded World Cup Soccer matches to watch. And two PBS cooking shows.

The Box I mailed last Friday at the post office made it to Georgia yesterday... Friday to Friday. And the contents will be on DebL's Dye Deck next time she has a good day for it.  And to celebrate that happy event (Post Office things defy intelligent thought)  I am looking at beautiful images in the Gee's Bed book I ordered from the VAST Interlibrary Loan Services of Maine and ALL of New England.

This book arrived from Washington County Community College.

Thank You.

And I am wishing I had Gee's Bend Postage stamps to put into a frame.

I am continuing to draw the quilts and color them with my colored pencils.  

Especially today..

The Baked Deli Chicken with Mayo and sugar (to replace the forgotten honey)- was delicious and  actually having PROTEIN for dinner was a very nice thing. Today I might add a salad. I also have cherries in the fridge for my Daily Fruit Allotment. I also bought Pears.

I also bought Dark Chocolate.  I binged a bit too much on it last week so this week I am trying to do much better.   Only one or two squares a day.

The guy (working) got my porch steps in EXTRA FINE SHAPE and is now working on the rotted wood on the two columns on either side of the steps. Been needing work for quite awhile.

That's all from Dark, Cloudy Damp Maine on a Very Sad Saturday in June.

 

Daily Notes for Friday June 13th. Sunshine nd Warm here in Maine- I prefer it being Chilly.

This looks nice.  Except the gravel or sand around those large stones moves around...And Ants like to built in there.

One of my books on reserve was Large Print (becoming Jane Eyre) so it went back...the other ones were fine.  .  I like books written with a modern spin on Jane Eyre...the print in the original is far too tiny for these old eyes and the large print version was about 40 pounds in weight.  And for some reason- the large print is actually too large for me to read comfortably. I did look at the books on disc.   I will look harder to see if Jane Eyre is on that sort of thing.  Then would need to find the disc player.  Ah, it's over by the front window......

I'll need to do a search for next week's books today or tomorrow to be sure they arrive from other libraries by next Friday.  I kept two from last week.  One I wanted to read again and one I am half way into- about a woman who is allergic to other humans.....can't touch anything they have touch ed or other people's skin. ..Title is "Close Enough to Touch". .  Her mother died and now she has no income so needed a job- got one at the Library.  Wears gloves but rescued a small child who fell into moving water...gave him mouth to mouth and was then taken to the ER along with the small boy. 

They had baked chicken breasts at the Deli...still warm- two large ones in a package.  I shredded both and added mayo and then discovered I had no Honey.......so I added sugar.   Will be eating the chicken (protein) with a large green salad.  I have lettuce for two I think.....Salads.

The recent incident of that big plane catching FIRE and miraculously one person surviving....  My son told me he had read that pilots that survive a plane crash never recover from the guilt......the safety of the passengers was the pilot's responsibility. I understand but sometimes it's really no one's fault.

Road Trip Day with Excellent Company. Thursday, June 12th.

 1. My hair got cut very very short yesterday,   We were visiting the Peony Gardens and remembering our Dear Classmate Wallace..  We also visited Trader Joe's and the Freeport Thrift Shop and a Wonderfully Old Fashioned Diner in Portland for a late breakfast after Patty's Medical Appointment.. 

2. Haven't done a Road Trip since our Master Gardener Classes.  Traffic was EPIC.  We passed three large Fire Engines- Three Alarm Fire. (Patty had some Firemen in her family) Lights, Siren and Horns....going north and we were in the South Lanes.  

3. I purchased Snack Items...at Trader Joe's...there were Freezer Case Items I was interested in but hadn't brought a Cooler and Ice with me.  And I had lots of frozen Chinese Dumplings in the Freezer at home.

4. Grass is being cut- 8 days......between cuts.  I was getting worried as I really MUST have something to get myself worried about these days.  

5. Porch Repaired Rebuilt Steps are sturdy and quite wonderful. And EVEN at the top so no one can now catch a toe and go flying down to the sidewalk.  Someone = Me. I am getting a new Mailbox Stand....for my new-ish Black with White Polka Dotted Mailbox.

6. I remembered Things, People, (NAMES) and Experiences today while with Patty (from years and decades ago even names of people we didn't  know well and food we ate.)....so my memory isn't as bad as some think...it's the very new not very interesting stuff I cannot retain.

7. I set and used my little alarm clock....all on my own. To wake me this morning.

8.  I discovered I had two pairs of wearable (for today) pants and not much in the way of a top to wear with them.  I have on a patterned rose pink capri pants and a faded red cotton long sleeved cotton shirt- very old mended rips "at Home" wear..  On my adventure I wore a long sleeved  linen shirt...sleeves rolled.  Pale Peach. With dark capri pants.  I do need new shoes.

Wednesday June 11th. Sunshine here in Maine and as far as I know- no demonstrations planned.

I did find two images of chairs.

I'm sure this chair is comfortable but I doubt I could get out of it once in it.  The knees don't work the way they should anymore.  And my center of gravity is heavier and lower than it once was.

Haircut today.  It's time because the "curl" is coming back.  Yuck.

We have steps out front but they haven't been screwed tight as yet....the guy is still adjusting things. And neither of us has ANY idea why the steps were made the way they were made......even though my husband was."okay"  or seemed "okay" when he did the work.  The guy repairing them is doing his best to  figure it out.  And the mosquito situation is intense,

LA.  I wasn't aware of anything and then watched the news and well, I am just left......stunned,

That might be my fall back position- stunned........for the next few years.  It was accidental- catching the  LA news images....I try NOT to watch the news.--I will try HARDER from now on to "just"... read the newspaper and leave the TV News in the OFF position.  

I did watch a guy with one mechanical foot climb a huge rock hill.....National Geographic....with a Saudi Chief driving the Jeep over the sand.... starting the vehicle with two bare wires brushed against each other.  Sparking.   Always a good time.....reminds me of my years at home as child.   The two hot wires sparking.

Which is why I stay FAR AWAY from excitement.  
 

Construction Site in the Rain. Tuesday, June 10th.

The dark area is where the three steps off the porch were  located they ran the full width of the sidewalk area..  The red tape is to remind me NOT to step off the porch.....muscle memory still thinks there are steps.  It also stopped the Sign this Petition People from ringing the doorbell.  Super Fantastic.  They annoy the crap out of me.

The dark area was under where the stairs used to be and the long deep crack was caused by the water under the stairs...... freezing and thawing.   James did an excellent job cleaning everything up before he left. Now he has to build a new structure for the still in perfect condition stair tops.  They were not made of wood. And fix the Porch posts which also rotted out from water damage. And climb the ladder to remove the "diverter" from the roof....I think it will be difficult knowing my husband....and how he did things.  

It's been raining so watering the big planter box and its little sister on the far sidewalk isn't a problem. I have to exit out of the garage to cover the two containers with netting every night and uncover in the morning..  I'll get used to it.  There are cracks in the driveway as well....big enough to trip on and fall. So that will be an added danger to my health and safety going forward.

I've had to get used to quite a few new things in the past two years.

I chanced upon the treasured DEBL dyed scrap cloth....It's gonna BE SOMETHING and that will be AMAZING to work on.  As soon as World Cup Soccer is over (in the rain)...so much rain.

Need to reheat my coffee-again- I paid my bills this morning ...checked them twice and then again to make sure I did them correctly.....My AGE is slowing me down finally.  Without my consent.........

 

Monday June 9th. I actually thought it was June 12th,,,,, Cloudy with a Good chance of DAMP. or Rain.

 Dining room. Somewhere.  The table seems a bit too wide for the space.  I don't see any chairs.

I found a few images on the Internet.  I'll try and recall why I selected them.

I thought today was the day I was going into Portland with Patty and getting to shop at Trader Joes.  It is NOT That Day.....it's Monday....and that day is Thursday.   I had thought it might be a sunny day but looks damp and cloudy.

I found my scissors....been looking for them since well Friday?  Or ALL of last week?

Have done some coloring and need to sharpen my pencils....I usually had to sharpen these same pencils for my husband each day so he could color in his books.  I am coloring my own drawings on index cards.... I bought a large stack of them at Goodwill.  I'm still not half way into the first package and have three more Perhaps a Lifetime's worth??????   I cover the cards with book titles, recipes, drawings, LISTS

1. The weather today is damp and cloudy.  No sunshine as yet...I think it's going to RAIN.  

2. Something to commit to today....oh..nothing comes to mind. Putting on Socks????

3. One thing that turned out well yesterday.... Sunday Pizza and my large bowl of green salad with carrots.

4.  What I could do better: Not set the alarm clock for the wrong day. Let's call it a "test".

5. One thing that brings me joy- I woke up this morning to my little alarm clock ringing. And then I knocked it onto the floor.....but I did NOT fall out of bed.

6. What am I reading:  Danielle Steele's Impossible.  1/3rd in...might not continue. I was also reading the last 20 pages.   I am considering reading Bet Me by Crusie. The couple in Impossible had ice cream and I was trying to recall which book had the guy buying the girl ice cream....Bet Me. That girl had no clue how much he loved her......same thing in Impossible.  I am also considering NOT reading anything....

Daily Notes for Sunday June 8th... Sunshine, Wet Grass and Mosquitos

 Whenever I find an image of pasta I WANT PASTA.   This one looks fantastic and I like the shrimp. I had pasta with fresh caught  shrimp (scooped out of the water in a net) while vacationing in Florida- decades ago. This image  reminded me of driving the boat while the guys scooped up shrimp out of the Intercoastal Waterway . It was dark and the moon was full..  And I had never steered a boat.....before or after.

It rained quite a bit yesterday....TONS of MOSQUITOS.   

Today the Sun is shining.

I watched the Men's Doubles Tennis Final yesterday.  I always enjoy the Men's Doubles Matches. Not a clue WHY.  Zero interest in the Women's Doubles.

I am Still Reading the Deveraux book.  I tried to stay up and finish but there were too many pages... I have a pretty good idea how it ends.....but am enjoying the book.  Bungalow Number 2.  The lead character (married with three kids in college) is writing the screenplay for the movie.  The Director invites her to his house on Sunday afternoons to sit by the pool and listen to him play the piano.  Sounds wonderful to me. He also makes dinner.  Every Sunday afternoon.  I am starting to see why the books are so popular..... Never would happen in REAL LIFE.....

Well, I have the book to finish, my coffee to reheat. etc etc.  Have a great day all three of you reading this...

Another Damp Wet Day here in Maine...But we all need water........to Live.

 Mandy Russell has an Art Studio here in Town and I get invited to join the "Group" .......I believe they are making mosaics with broken glass and china this month.  The address if interested..The Painted Dog Studio@gmail.com.   I sort of am enchanted by the Toad or Frog in this bright watercolor she sent with the invite.  I like saturated color. A lot.

My oatmeal has beeped.  

I have uncovered the two ornamental planters and been swarmed by mosquitos.

The newspaper looks..foreboding.  The Suduko....too difficult.

I am wearing  a voluminous pink linen shirt from the closet (imagine Ina Garten)...the "good stuff".....time is running out for me to wear the "good" clothing.... feels nice.  Pale pink linen.  

I need to turn on a few lights...oh...my husband's High School Reunion Committee Chairwoman called yesterday early evening.  They hadn't heard from my husband.   

My five things:  Weather- Raining, chill in the Air.   Watching World Cup Soccer Eliminations.  I bought lovely stamps at the Post Office yesterday.   I am stumped by "one thing I could have done better"- eaten a real dinner?????  The pretty new postage stamps did bring JOY for number five.   I added number six- what am I reading: I'm going to give Danielle Steel's Bungalow 2 a try.  I finished the Love Haters by Katherine Center and intend to buy the book....The Helicopter character-the "Swimmer" (ocean rescue) was so well written.  Also the author has had movies made of two books I really like...one is The Lost Husband.    I might have to get Netflix. Just to watch that ONE movie.   Is that possible??????

That sort of evened out the phone call from the Reunion Committee Chair regarding my husband coming to their High School Reunion. I got to listen to her cry........tell me about the guy she had known- not the one I had known...  Life is really a roller coaster....I wasn't expecting to ride yesterday.

Good Afternoon- Friday June 8th. Cloudy with some sun. 77 degrees. Could rain

 It might also be having that effect on Mr. T himself..... I had to check and see if I had already posted today...I had not.

Grocery shopping went well.  Post office went well- I go a sheet of nice Stamps.  American Indians. The Box arrives Monday they said.  I have a receipt with numbers I can use to track the box's travel.

I am reading Katherine Center's newest book The Love Haters today.  Takes place in the Florida Keys. I visited the Keys on Spring Break when I was in college.   Later we lived in Florida.....for a few years. Not the happiest times of my Life in either case.  But the people in the book are getting along.

I bought a bag of sweet cherries....to put in my yogurt and Bran Bud bowls.  I also have Toasting Bread for Toasted Cheese Sandwiches....with sweet pickle chips.   Not much "cooking" going on here...other than Sunday Pizza.   I have tried to suggest Chinese Takeout but......nothing happens.

The Deli didn't have baked chicken breasts...I like them shredded up and mixed with mayo and honey and scooped on top of a nice green salad.  Been a long time since I had that meal.  And won't be having it this week either.  Well, I have reheated my coffee twice....I should actually drink it....and also water to stay hydrated.   

Sunshine here in Maine and warmer temps- 70 out front in shade and 78 out back in the sun.( #1 the list)

 I had planned to have my own photos for you this month....I'll try to take some picture s today for tomorrow and the weekend.   Pink Bee Balm...Leading Lady.  Covers an area nicely the photo.

I packed up box number four of linens and ancient cloth for the DyeWorx.  I'll carry it to the postoffice on Friday.  Before Library and Grocery.   It's nothing to get "real" excited about Deb.. 

The packing up of the box checked off #3 on the list of Five things... # 6 is to tell you what I am reading and that is Emily Henry's Great Big Beautiful Life.  7 day book.  I am less than half way...been two days. so my Reading has slowed considerably.   I also set the TiVo to record the European Soccer games. I may not have them in order so I could be watching a team that has already lost. #4 -thing I could have done better.

I have watched zero Tennis.  Used to be something I enjoyed watching.  Used to be.........not anymore.

I watched  Bones episodes....possibly two.  One was Finder and I always love watching that episode. That would be #5 -thing that brings me joy.

I remembered to wrap my ornamental outdoor containers in netting before it got dark...I also went into the garage and found the Blood Meal....keeps the deer away from my container plants as the deer smell blood and stay away...but haven't seen much evidence of deer.  I think there is too much auto traffic on the street that borders on the Town Commons behind my house.   It's become a street people are NOW using to get away from the four way stop.....meant to slow traffic.  Possibly the deer have gone somewhere safer.

Number 2 is to commit to doing something today.....stumped as to what that might be.

Well, I have oatmeal to eat and coffee to drink and the news paper to read.  And several unfinished Suduko to give a second look to......or third or fourth or fifth look before tucking them all in the paper shredder..  I am not doing well on the puzzles.

I also do not have socks on today yet....but do have on a long sleeved thermal shirt.  I haven't opened any windows so the inside of the house is nice and cool....eventually we have to install the AC units in the two windows or buy new ones and install them in the windows.  Might take awhile..... good thing my body is running cold these days.  Still using the big down comforter at night.

Tuesday, June 3rd.... Sunshine and 70 degrees. Still much cooler in the house.

 My Master Gardner Pal and I had lunch by the river ....Maine at its very very best.  She was watching two guys catching a really big silvery fish...taking pictures with it and then releasing it back into the water. That's them- the little white spot middle right side.  (Patty just texted- Massive Fish)

A fantastic lunch and dessert...then she did a Boston Traffic move as we left- going left in a long line of traffic she just pulled out in the other lane and they let her cut in.....and wow.  Otherwise we would have sat waiting forever.   Always an Adventure.

I got my reserve book at the Library...and picked up a thousand pound Gee's Bend book of Quilt images. I am drawing and coloring them on index cards.....My Art Project for the Week.  Hoping to form some ideas using the simple designs and the solid fabrics.  I do NOT have solids in the fabric tubs..(very very few)... so the images on the index cards might be as far as I can go....JoAnn's is closed and there are no Quilting Shops....well, there weren't many to begin with....I was interested for a full year in doing plant matter dyeing of white cotton....some of that is still available.   I can also PAINT fabric the colors I want and that is actually WHAT I will do.  Easy and everything is already available to me in the closet.  The paints might have dried up in the bottles but...I can add water and put the results thru a sieve to get rid of lumps. 

I DO NOT intend to BUY anything for this project...like the.REAL Gee's Bend- I will use what I have. Old clothing, rags etc.  And paint those things in colors I need (with the few bottles of paint I have here).  I might have the energy to make one complete item....I am not thinking further ahead.  I want something I can frame and look at while I still have my eyesight. I have a frame (with glass) that I plan to use. So the size is already decided.  The book I brought home weighs about 50 pounds..(it seems) and I have it on the table by the front window.... and I have colored pencils and index cards next to it.  Ready for the project.

But first...the containers out front....and those little annuals waiting on the Sun Porch.  Patty hadn't planted her's yet either!!!!!  We are both ridiculous Master Gardners.

She says if you enlarge the image you will see the size of the fish the two guys caught... I don't know how to do that.

Monday June 2nd. Sunshine here in Maine. 65 degrees

 I have a book that needs picking up at the Library TODAY.  So far no takers on getting it for me. I also have a haircut on Wednesday.  After doing nothing for 5 weeks my hair has suddenly decided to get wild and wide.

The Sun is shining....but it also gets cloudy and looks like it might rain.

Well, now it looks like Rain...

Sunday JUNE FIRST.......Sunshine but cool here in Maine. 61 degrees.

Firefly.  I wish I had some of this.

Last year Megan worked very very hard in the front and rear of the house...clearing the beds down to just soil....the one in front of the porch has a few weeds and ferns.  The OTHER BED out back is packed fuller than it ever was...everything is BACK.  Tall...Wide....Thick..Healthy..   It's like A Magic Trick Gone Wrong.  But it always makes me smile. When I look out the back windows. The Peonies in the center bed also look better than EVER.  And Wo Peng made nine flowers...which as usual didn't last more than a few days.  I always expect Wo Peng to die.  He was a very very frail young peony.  I moved him several times until I actually found him a spot he liked.  Nine flowers.

The things in that back garden bed are actual plants not weeds.  The Peony my husband set on fire with the riding mower and a gas can.......tall, full of flower buds.  Stranger than Fiction.  The False Indigo came back as well. tall and thick. I need to do something with the daffodils- tie them up or cut them back.  Any Garden Advice?????

It rained so the chemicals on the grass got watered it- a few days late but chemicals are forever,  Right?

The Lawn Guys NEVER measured for mulch and NEVER spread mulch.  They NEVER did Spring Clean Up either.  Wasn't just me...my Lunch Buddy called her Old Landscape Company and they actually showed up and did work.  I don't have an "Old Landscape Company". So another year of weeds minus mulch. But I do get excellent lawn mowing.

It's not like I'm on some Garden Club Visit listing.....I live on a street with huge DEAD END sign at the entrance. No one is driving down here to SEE ANYTHING.

So far my fresh desk top calendar has  "double down on CARROTS" pasted to the upper right edge. And a bunch of colorful parrots below that.  Also a thick black lettered warning- Get Ready For Years of Killer Heat.  Son and I think it might be time to replace the old AC units with something environmentally better.   And perhaps less noisy.

My Master Gardener Buddy is bringing over some red dahlia tubers....some one gave her a bunch. This usually happens when an old gardener dies and family want to give the over wintered bulbs away.  This has happened to me twice...both times red dahlias...possibly the same ones.  Daughter will give them away when I am gone.  I'll make a note in the Estate Notebook.