With Sad News.....

While we were planning our youngest daughter's grad party (for today), which would have also been her prom combined (just got her a prom dress yesterday), God had other plans.

Her love of her life and his best friend were killed in an accident last night about 7pm.  The jeep malfunctioned and they rolled in a ditch then hit a tree.  Both did not survive.

He was her rock. Her everything.  When I say everything I mean everything.  He was like our son.  We were helping him get a vehicle.  His best friend treated us like his parents.  My heart breaks for both families and our daughter.

It feels so unreal.  Party of course was canceled, and we'll be taking food to her boyfriend's parents house later today.

I will not be posting for a few days as we get through this.  I don't know how long this will take, as it feels like a bad dream...a nightmare.  So unfair.  They would have married and had kids.  I cry just looking at the shoe pile and not seeing his shoes there, so I can't imagine what the families are going through.  Nor what our daughter is feeling right now.

My heart breaks....

Blueberries ~ When it's too hot to eat a hot meal ~ Tidbits

I wasn't sure I'd even get blueberries this year, as it was a dry spring.  Strawberry season was short too.

However, I was on top of it, and brought home 10# of blueberries.  We cannot grow them here, so I'm tickled pink we can re-stock them.

I made this the other day.  It's a side dish, but I made it a "main" dish for a hot day.  It has black beans in it, so that counts as a protein.  So good too.  It's Tex Mex Pasta and the recipe is online at Spruce Eats.  You can utilize your garden goodies for this recipe.  Oh, I forgot to add the fresh cilantro from the herb garden.  Will add that today too.

Do you know what these are?  Hard to see in the bag, but Hubby surprised me.  French waffles.  A country nearby town had a food truck.  Woohoo!  We helped someone out financially, and filled my tummy with some yummy fair food (I know it's not healthy, but it's once a year ha ha!).

Got up early (again) and watched the sunrise.  We have some patchy fog here and the heat returns today.  We didn't get that much rain yesterday.  As my Mom said, "we got spit on" basically.

I have much to do today.  First water, then weed, and a lot of other stuff today.  Have a great weekend! 

Another new crochet project

I love my Mom.  She gave me another project to do.  I won't be crocheting masks, but she asked me to make a mask extender.  The only problem is, that the pattern is too small.  I'm re-doing this today and making it larger and having my daughter who works try it out at her work.  My buttons have been shipped, so that will happen when they arrive.

It's not the new project that I was talking about though.  That is yet to start, but will share when I have it made.

Once I have the size figured out on this project, I'll most likely be selling some.  I know many people have to wear a mask the entire day, and it's uncomfortable.  One person who has one already told me hers measures 6 1/2 inches.  I think that would be too large, but we'll see.

Rain is due here today, but we've only had a sprinkle.  I sure hope we get more today.  We badly need it.  I spent the morning tying up my 100 some tomato plants.  They are looking great and tomatoes are on.  Bring on the rain!

Flies ~ Garden Bounty

We have a huge fly problem out by the vegetable gardens.  They are flesh flies and are everywhere.  I'm guessing there is a dead animal near the woods or in the pasture, so I went online and ordered environmentally safe fly traps.  My homemade bug spray doesn't work at all, and it's miserable trying to work out there.  

Garden bounty is starting to roll in.  Jalapenos and bell peppers are on the plants now too.

I went out to the coop yesterday, and low and behold, another hole in the chicken wire.  Just like the last two holes and I'm getting tired of it.  Live trap is set again.  Deer camera is up too just to see if there is more or it's something different doing it.

Random Tidbits

Thanks to the only rain we have gotten, I have more new blooms at the homestead.  I am picking green beans almost every other day now. 

Well, the mask mandate is causing so much chaos in our county.  I simply shop in another county.  So sick of this stuff.  What will they come up with during the next 5 months to keep everyone fighting and dividing?  Who knows.  I'm glad I have my garden to keep me busy.  Our state is being watched by counties now, and have a level grid.  Our county was put in a level to put a mask mandate in place.  They only change status by the week as well.

Cases are escalating in our county daily.  I'm starting to wonder if it's not a virus and rather a bacteria now.  It won't be long before they close everyone again.

We have no plans to return to the island.  Three businesses have not closed to quarantine.  If campgrounds do not close this fall, we do have plans to go camping.

People are buying up all the ball canning lids.  Regular lids are so hard to find.  I'm having family check their Meijer stores for me, as other stores are out or highly inflated pricing.

Happy gardening to you all.  I'm about to go work in mine.  We have a cool morning, so I'm taking advantage of it.

I have to repair a hole in my chicken coop (again).  After one day of repair I set a live trap.  I caught a pretty old opossum who was the suspect.  He however, ripped another hole in the coop.  Building a new wireless coop has now been moved up on the to-do list.  We are just tired of the trouble with the wire, and I've spotted a raccoon last night too.

I found 3 boxes of lids with rims at our grocery store, but that's it so far. 

Rain

Guess what?  We got rain.  Finally.  It brought a slight cool down, but the heat returns next week.  So every thankful for the rain.

Short post today.  

On another good note, thanks to my Mom, I have a new project to work on soon.  Once my supplies arrive, I will have show you.  

Beans ~ Queen Anne's Lace ~ Cool Down Treat for the Chickens

Green beans and wax beans are starting to come on.

Although we have a ton of Queen Anne's Lace, I won't be making jelly this.  Maybe.

Thanks to the tip from Goatldi yesterday, I froze corn for the chickens cool down treat.  They loved it!

I spent all yesterday morning watering everything.  We had a heat advisory.

Today rain is in the forecast.  I'm taking a chance and not watering, so pray it does.  We are being warned of a second heat wave after the rain.  Sigh...

The heat is just sucking the positive mojo and energy right out of me.  One daughter is depressed (the salon called yesterday and told her they can't afford to keep her on staff).  Hubby is agitated when he gets home.  Who wouldn't be?  He works in this heat and next to 600°F equipment off and on.  Yesterday he had to work where it was 120°F.

I need a motorcycle ride or camping trip.  Both will not happen in this heat either.  I need a sanity saver and am stuck inside, but at least we have air conditioning.

I finished the patriotic dishcloth.  Not big news there, but it's off the project list now.