What I Love About Today...

We are still having the most beautiful weather imaginable for July.  I am overwhelmed...and grateful!

So...here are a few things I love about today...

My sunflowers that grew from the seed that my blogger friend Kim sent me all the way from California, are blooming.  I love sunflowers of any kind...their cheery faces are a bright spot in the day...

The humidity is at an unheard of low for July...as are the temps in the low 80's...

We're done with hay for now, so we have a little break from the extra busy-ness of summer...

The salt comes out of my salt shakers again!

I have a working washing machine again, just in time to hang the wash on the line to dry in the nice breeze...

I can take a shower without sweating...

The part for our lawn mower just arrived by FedEx, so we'll soon have our good lawn mower back again...

I can hear the birds singing outside the windows, instead of the roar of fans running...

Jenna's goats cooperated for washing...hopefully they will also enjoy being clipped...hmmm???

We sat outside for a brunch at my sister's house this morning and didn't sweat...

It's a good day to be alive!  Thanks God, for this beautiful day!

Babies...

It's always fun to see new babies.  Look what was born while we were at Church this morning...

This big bull calf was content to lay in the grass on this beautiful day.  Mom was always close by, but when she went inside to eat, I got a few pictures...

She soon saw what I was up to, and became concerned...

Both mom and calf are doing fine.  He drank two quarts of colostrum, and is settled in for the night.

And now for some other babies...

Who could ever deny the cuteness factor of kitties...

Jolyn (mom) was quite relaxed until she saw the dog following me...thus the "I'm ready to protect my babies" look on her face...

Wouldn't you just love to take one home with you?!

This Lovely Weather...

We're having some lovely weather...

...and we couldn't be more thrilled!   It's been a nice break from the heat and humidity of the summer.  Today it was (maybe?) in the mid 70's.

I just had to tell you!

:-)

Garden Scavengers...

What do you do when you plant something in the garden that you thought was something that it wasn't?

You could...

1. Use it anyway...
2. Share it with friends...
3. Put it out along the road in hopes that someone will stop to buy it...

Or...you could let it get overgrown...

...and toss it into the chicken pen...

Our chickens are eating well these days!  Overgrown, unwanted cucumbers, watermelon rinds, soft tomatoes...we have it...they devour it!

I call them my garden scavengers!

Random Friday...

 This week has been full of bits and pieces...

James...my new favorite kitty...trying to stay cool!

1.  This week it's been hotter...and more humid than I remember in a long time.  (My memory might be short, because it was probably this hot last summer too!)  Today I checked the thermometer mid afternoon, and it read 104 degrees.

2.  I mowed for 5 1/2 hours today, and then did the weed eating.  I was so thankful for the cool shower afterwards...number two for the day...and number three soon to come!

3.  The cows are starting to be affected by the heat.  They hung in there for a while...but with a week of continual temps in the high 90's and higher...and this high humidity (53% right now)...they have dropped in milk.

4. Jenna and I had the privilege of going to the beach for two days this week with some friends... to Cape Henlopen State Park, in Delaware.  Although the temperatures were just as high there, there was a wonderful ocean breeze that felt so good!  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves...and our time away...except for the jellyfish that kept us out out the water most of the time!

5.  Jim baled a lot of hay this week...third cutting is almost finished!  There's one more field to mow and bale, hopefully next week.  We're expecting a break in the weather this weekend, so maybe it will be more comfortable working next week.  It's been great to get so much dry hay stacked in the mow!

I'm linking up today again with Nancy, for Random Five Friday.

3rd Cutting and a Heat Wave

What a way to spend a sweltering hot, humid day...baling hay.

Jim spent the better part of today in the fields...raking several fields of hay that were mowed last week and mowing several more here at home. Around 4:00, he began baling the hay that was raked up, and the guys began unloading around 5:30...

By 7:00 pm it was a balmy 94 degrees...

Even Gato was looking for a way to cool off...

Although it's extremely hot and uncomfortable, we are glad to have a stretch of days without rain to get some nice dry hay baled.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again...there's nothing quite like nice, dry hay!  It's what we prefer to feed the cows.

We're also very grateful that we have the convenience of taking a shower at the end of the day!

It's the simple things.

An Unexpected Visitor...

Day after day...week after week...we have our routine.  It's nice to have some unexpected visitors stop in for a visit.

Last evening as we were finishing up the barn work, getting some supper, and awaiting Eric's arrival home from a week in Phoenix, we got a phone call from my cousin.  He had been at his parents' house, just a few miles away, when a young man stopped in looking for a place to pitch his tent for the night.  My aunt and uncle weren't home, so my cousin called us to see if we would be willing to host the man for the night.

Meet Thomas...

Thomas is a 26 year old from France, who is taking three months to ride his bicycle from New York to San Francisco.  He rides about 50 miles per day...starting early in the morning and riding until it gets too hot...then riding again in the evening as it cools off.  He carries all of his supplies on his bike...food, water, a tent, extra clothes, a nice camera to document his trip...it's heavy!

He was a very nice young man, and we really enjoyed meeting him and spending some time getting to know him!  If you see him pedaling by on his way west,  I hope you take the chance to meet him!

Pick Your Own Flowers...

It's time!  The flowers are happily blooming, so stop in and pick your own fresh bouquet!

There are some annuals...zinnias...

Indian Summer Rudbeckia and Paintbrush...

A few happy sunflowers...

...and numerous perennials in the large bed along the yard...

Stop in and take a look...you have lots of variety to choose from!

Fourth of July Week Traditions...

So...it's July 4th...already!

Both of our kids are away this week...Eric's in Phoenix with the youth group, and Jenna  is away at camp.  I think they've both been experiencing some extreme weather.  The heat in Phoenix is incredible...and the rain at camp has been plentiful... but hopefully neither have been bad enough to make their experiences any less fun.

With the kids away all week, that means Jim and I are doing the farm work without them.  Lucky for them, they missed this part...a Fourth of July Week tradition of walking the cornfields...

Every year at this time, we don our long sleeved shirts and walk through the cornfields, checking for weeds.  We wear long sleeves because we have to walk with our arms up, in order to keep the leaves from cutting us in the face.  The edges of those leaves are sharp, and I've learned the hard way, that no matter how hot it is, long sleeves are a must!

We don't walk down every row, but split each field into sections, checking for pickle vine, thistles, and thick grass.  This field looks great!

In fact, this was the most unusual thing that I found ...

...and I guess we won't spray it.  :)  Murphy trotted along with me the whole way!

Despite all the wet weather that we've had, the fields look pretty good this year.  Jim is finishing up the last few fields this afternoon, while I can my green beans.  He will then decide if we need the hi crop sprayer...or not. Then after milking, we're off to celebrate the Fourth with some friends.

How are you celebrating today?