I've been a bad blogger ......

I've been terribly neglectful of my blog. I have no excuse other than laziness and procrastination. I also want to apologize for my lack of comments on your blogs. I do read your blog posts every day, however.

I've been enjoying summer. Since we got the pool in operation, I've spent almost every afternoon in the water. We had several days near 100 degrees with high humidity. One afternoon the heat index was 112 - that is almost unbearable. The last few days have been simply gorgeous with lower temperatures and lower humidity. Temperatures will be up near 100 by the end of next week, however.

We've been getting tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden. I love fresh summer vegetables. I wish we had planted a larger garden so I had extra to can and freeze. We used to have a larger garden at the back of the yard but the deer would invade it every night and munch on everything, so we gave up and went with the garden squares closer to the house.

Mazie Grace brought a mouse into the house the other morning and let it go. It ran under the china cabinet in the diningroom She sat for awhile, waiting for it to come out, then got bored and went in the other room for a nap. Mollie Ann sat on the scratching box in front of the china cabinet and watched for awhile, then she fell asleep. I have lazy cats. Hubby went to the hardware store and get a mousetrap and we caught the mouse. Why do we have cats?




Mollie Ann waiting for the mouse to run to her.

At last ......

We finally got our pool in full operation today after six weeks of trying to get it fixed. When we removed the cover this spring, the water was green with algae. Last fall we purchased a new cover which was suppose to allow water through so we wouldn't have to add so much water in the spring. We didn't need to add water, but the cover let dirt and algae into the pool along with the water. It was a mess. Needless to say, we threw away the cover and ordered the type we had been using. Before, when we took the cover off, the water would be crystal clear.



We tried filtering the water for a few days with little results. We decided the best thing to do was to drain the green water out of the pool and replace it with fresh clean water. We have a well and it would be impossible to fill the pool from our well. We had to purchase water. When we checked with our pool supply store, we found out that water for the pool would cost us an outrageous amount. After discussing it, we decided to have the liner replaced while the pool was empty and before paying so much to fill it. With our luck the liner would have gotten a hole as soon as we paid all that money for water and we would end up paying twice.



We finally got them out here the first of June. They put the new liner in and used two big milk trucks of water to fill the pool. The next morning the water level had dropped about six inches. We called the pool company back. They discovered a hole in the new liner. They put a patch on the liner and said they would order a new one. By then the water level was down at least a foot and was below the skimmer. They rigged up a hose that allowed us to run the filter but not skim the water surface.



For a month we got promises that they were coming back with the replacement liner. They had more excuses for why they couldn't come. The pool was no longer leaking and we could get in the water. Of course it was over a foot low and since we couldn't skim it, the surface was always covered with bugs, etc. Not the best situation.

Finally this morning they came. We now have a new liner, new hoses, and a pool full of clean water. Time for a pool party.

My garden ...........

I'm finally posting pictures of my garden. We are getting squash, cucumbers, radishes, and lettuce. I've had a few small tomatoes ripen, but they have had dry rot on the bottom and were not usable. We had a big chef salad for supper using bounty from the garden. Ummm good!







We're having another hot week with temperatures in the 90s. It's midnight and my thermometer says it's still 79 degrees outside. We've been getting smoke the last couple of nights from a forest fire near Wilmington, North Carolina. Some people actually woke up thinking their houses were on fire and called the fire department.

A relaxing water fountain .........

We got a water fountain this spring and set it beside the deck. It is so relaxing to sit and listen to the water as it falls from one level to the other. I can close my eyes and imagine that I am a child again, spending my summer afternoons at the creek. I've spent more time than I should lately sitting on the deck and reading to the sound of the water.

I've gotten the house back in order. I still need to do some deep cleaning, but I'm putting that off for now. We need to get the rest of the rooms painted. One thing leads to another.

We're beginning to get zuchinni and cucumbers from the garden. We have little green tomatoes that won't be ripe any time soon. Nothing is better than a ripe, juicy tomato straight from the garden. Umm, Umm. I can hardly wait.

Remodeling is complete ........

The remodeling of my kitchen and bathrooms is complete! They came today and completed all the finishing details. I'm very pleased with the job they did. I've gotten things pretty much back in place. I still need to do some cleaning, wash windows, etc. It's a real pleasure to have my house back in order. Here are some before and after pictures.

Kitchen before ...





Kitchen after ...





Bathrooms before ...





Bathrooms after ...





Now I've got to concentrate on getting the pool straight. The story of our problems with it will have to wait for another day.

The hummingbirds are here .......

A large flock of hummingbirds arrived a few days ago. It sounds like a swarm of bees when I go in the back yard where the feeder is. I had to fill this feeder twice today and it's almost empty again. They certainly are hungry little things.

I love to watch them as they fight for the feeder. Usually there is one really mean fellow that chases the others away. For such small birds they can be very noisy and very pushy. They will get right in my face when I add food to the feeder.

These birds will spend the summer here and have their babies. I have tried to find one of their nests, but have been unable to locate one. I think they are fascinating.

Making progress ..........

We are still in the middle of remodeling. Lots of progress has been made, but things are still a mess. The painters came today and began preparing the walls. Once the pantry is painted, I will be able to move all my food from boxes in the garage to shelves in the pantry. The refrigerator should be able to go back in place as soon as the wall is painted behind it and the trim installed. I'll post some pictures soon.

I finally got the results of my stress test. Everything was normal. When I had my annual physical last month, my blood pressure was slightly elevated. The nurse practitioner gave me a prescription for what she described as a baby dose of blood pressure medicine. I asked if there were any side effects and she assured me that I shouldn't have any problems. Well, evidently the blood pressure medicine was causing all my problems - palpitations, dizziness, weakness, muscle pain, and stomach pain. Once the doctor changed my medicine I felt fine. Sometimes medicine causes more problems than it solves.

I will leave you with a photo of Mollie Ann. She looks like a little angel in this picture, but don't be deceived - she can be a little terror.