Puppy Pics ~ Morning Fog ~ Pathetic Garden Harvest

I've been on "puppy duty" for a few days now.  He's such a good puppy too, but I think he senses I am a bit sad inside.  He's been stuck to me like glue, refuses to nap until his "Mom" comes home, and literally barks at me and whines, to get into my lap (ha ha!).  Before someone tells me ropes are bad for dogs, we soak it and freeze it for teething and we keep it frozen so he doesn't eat the string.

He knows "sit" and will go to the gate or door to tell us when he has to go out, and if I'm busy at the sink or whatever, he'll bark to tell me he has to go out.  He's very smart.

Ha ha!  If he could speak at this moment, it would be "But I don't wanna go back in yet!"  He is such a stinker, but a cute stinker.

His Mom came home with flowers and a treat for me.  She said here Mom, I knew you were missing Jesse and thanks for watching my dog.  It put a smile on my face for sure.

The early morning temperatures have been what we call "great camping weather."

Even the chickens are slacking right now.  I don't want to make predictions just yet on the tomatoes, but I have a bad feeling it'll be like last year - small, not all ripe at the same time, not enough to can everything we need restocked (you can't buy bulk organic paste tomatoes from local produce stands).  The beans remain small, and the plants too.  The green peppers are getting starts on them, but plants are half the size.  Knowing all of this, we are now even more set to NOT plant a garden at all next year if rain is as bad as this year.  The struggle is real.  I'm about ready to trade in the house for a motor-home, with a toy hauler, and just go.

Anyway, not meant to be a "negative" post, but sharing the reality of our garden this year.  Not all of us have it good.

Finally Getting Rain

It took a full 2 days to tidy up and deep clean the kitchen, but man it looks fantastic.  Aside from replacing the drawer brackets.  

I even re-potted my indoor thyme plant (by the way, my outdoor thyme in the herb garden died during the heat wave - very sad face here).  I unpacked an order that sat for a week on the kitchen floor too.

I shredded a lot of papers that I left pile up over winter.  Why?  I was just too lazy to go fetch the paper shredder.  When I went to get the shredder, I must have been even lazier.  I found tons of old phone bills inside, but not shredded, ha ha ha!  Oh man.  Not gonna let that pile up again.  However, I now have a lot of it for campfire starting, ha ha!

I can wake up to a clean kitchen now, but to no help from my youngest.  She's off gallivanting with friends often, most likely since school will start this month.

I even got a few recipes written down on real recipe cards, the computer area cleaned up and mail sorted.  I also filed some papers (file cabinet will be deep cleaned over winter - nobody has time for that stuff during summer), but I was quite pleased with myself.

I think I've talked myself into putting the garage as my next "focus."  I sent text messages to two kiddos, since their "stuff" is in the garage.  Either they take it, or I take it to Goodwill.  

The last 3 bags of tomatoes (last year's frozen whole) finally thawed and the sauce maker was back in action.  I made spaghetti, but with ground beef.  We were fresh out of meatballs, and organic pork is no where to be found right now.  Speaking of which, I have a new place to check, but I think they are more beef and chicken products.

We are finally getting rain.  The tomatoes and the little bit of a garden I planted, really needed it.  Not to mention the herb garden and flower beds.

I literally broke down and bawled my eyes out the other night.  Missing Jesse.  What the heck is wrong with me?  I'm a grown ass woman and I cry over a dog?  Well, that's what happens when you have a bond and a close bond together.  Not to mention good care and complete trust of one another.  I so want to text and ask how he is, but I will give that more time for now.  We grilled out one night, and I think that's what did it.  He was the "grill guard" every time we grilled.  He couldn't stand it if he wasn't laying on the porch facing the grill, inhaling the aromas and awaiting his treat.

That's all for now.  I'm up early again. It's very foggy this morning, and the rain has stopped for now.