7/14 Anderson

It was  a very hot week for us and most everyone else according to the weather forecasters.  Looks like we might get a little break this week and get away from the century mark.  We are having a fair share of fires like everyone else.  Those fire fighters have their hands full once again this year and we are just entering the dry hot season.  I will stay busy trying to keep the yards from burning up.  We got irrigation water last week and that helps but it won't last.  That water is supposed to last 14 days but we are lucky to have it last for 7.  I deep water the trees along the driveway - 18 of them.

Mountain or Mole Hill?

Is it a mountain for a mole hill.  If you guessed a mole hill, you're right - - one of several that appear as soon as I break them down.   I mowed yesterday and got all the little mounds cleared off.  Overnight those critters came back and created yet another tunnel for themselves.  I have been researching ways to get rid of them - looks like trapping is the most efficient.  Tessie found one several weeks ago - I don't think she killed it?  Tessie the terrier is supposed to dig up and catch critters like that, she does pokes and digs around in the yard after them but looses interest pretty quickly.  Originally, I thought they might just move on but looks like they like their home and are hear for the duration?  I will soon be a home wrecker. 

Kathy has a big project this week end, she has tackled her studio.  She has lots of stuff and the inventory keeps increasing.  This room is not big enough for all her inventory so she now has a studio and as staging area (dining room).  Oh and yes she has show tables in the master bedroom.  I can't complain, I have the garage and it is full of stuff of which most of it is mine.  We share our spaces pretty evenly.  I forgot - then we have Tracy and the same kind of arrangement has taken place there as well.  One of these days we will have to consolidate - that will not be a fun project!!??

Kathy's studio re-vamp
{click here to see more pics}

I (Kathy here) have decided I want to learn how to draw.  Great lessons on YouTube.  Here are my "eye" sketches this week:

Next week I'll move on to noses.


We arrived on Thursday and I checked the drinking water for the horses.  All three containers were half empty and full of nasty algae and bacteria.  They all have red cast which as I recall from my biology is Serratia marcescens?  I think this is the same bacteria/algae that is in the Red Sea - - that is where it got the name.  I have mentioned this to the owners of the horses but they seem not to worried about the water condition.  We provide the water they provide the containers and I guess I provide the cleaning.  I am OK with that sure don't want those horses to get sick on my watch?  I feel much better now that they are clean.  After I mowed, I picked up the trimmings and gave it to the horses.  They had two really nice piles to eat from - not really interested, they still have over half of  it still sitting on the ground.  When we had cows - I did the same thing and the piles were gone immediately. 

Clean water trough

Have to close out on  a negative note - - caught a news item this week that really irked me.  The new medical treatment program that was enacted and upheld by the supreme court was once again attached by the House of Representatives (Republican Majority).  For the 33rd time they have tried write a bill that will kill the program.  It takes two to Tango - the bills were then sent to the Senate and rejected by them ( Democratic Majority). They have spent over 800 hours debating the issue at a cost of over 50 million of our precious national budget.  There is something wrong with this whole situation - - we put these folks into office to manage our country, I do not think they are doing a very good job?  We all need to watch this space!!??

Hope you all have a great week.

More later

Ron, Kathy Tessie and Sammie