Thursday, August 15, 2013

 
Here it is already August 15,2013 and so cool last night it felt like Fall was already here- down in the low 40`s F. Still feeling a bit on the chilly side this morning.  But expected to get back into the 80`s F next week.
 Taking advantage of the cooler weather for working outside. A few months ago I made a new two bin compost bin a little closer to the house, but still over on the empty lots I  own next to the house property. Well, not completely empty as there are trees and some bushes there, most of the trees now are white birch on that property. The old three bin compost place was getting in poor condition, so tore it down. Spread most of the good compost soil there around under the apple tree.  Spent years trying to keep that apple tree growing. My youngest daughter brought it home back when she was a young girl in the lower school grades and her class went to a tree place where they gave every child a little tree to take home. She picked the little 2 foot tall apple tree. Today she has a grandchild about that same age. Well, one year that baby tree died, but the following year it came back up as two trees from the same trunk. I have been spraying  it for years and the only problem I ever have is caused by too much water and we sure have had way too much rain the past few years. This year the tree is loaded. Squirrels are constantly going up the tree, knocking down an apple, chewing a few bites from it, going back up and knocking down another one to chew. They continue doing this leaving me plenty of ground apples to keep picking up and tossing over for the compost.  Many of the apples are starting to get red. Hoping they are better apples this year.

  Not sure if I ever posted about the small Pug I brought home with me back in October 2011 when he was only 5 months old. He was born with front leg disabilities. He couldn`t open his front legs very far so he couldn`t walk using his front paws and slid along on the first half of his legs with his head almost touching the floor. The breeder was a close friend of mine who intended on keeping him herself. But when I was visiting her that day, well first guess should tell you how he got his name "Roo". He was always sitting up on his fanny  with his front legs held in front of him and resembled the way the kangaroo sits up. So the breeder named him Roo  from the end of kangaroo. Well Roo started following me all over her home, where ever we went he followed me. If I sat down, he would stand in front of me waiting for me to pick him up and of course I did. When I was getting ready to leave for home, there was Roo still following me to the door. Then my friend asked me if I would like to take him home. Of course the answer was yes, I had already became attached to him.  Right now he is laying hald on my feet while I am writing here. He sure is spoiled.
    The friend had taken Roo to the vet when he was born, vet tried braces, said they made things worse, so removed them. Said there was an operation, but could make things worse, so that was out. Well, once I owned him I started using therapy on his front legs hoping it might loosen them. Here it is  almost two years later and he is doing better. He no longer walks on half his leg, but on his paws. His front legs do not open all the way, but they are open enough so he can walk on his feet the center leg joint  a ways up off the floor and the tendon under both front legs has loosened a lot, allowing the legs to open  on a slant. Now his head is up much higher from the floor , more like a normal healthy dogs head  height. Took him out to see the breeder friend last Fall and she was amazed at how much better he was, need to find time to drive back again so she can see even more improvement now. Everyone who sees him seems to fall in love with him. He is a pure breed Pug and just loves everyone. Sometimes I think the great grandchildren come more to see him than me. Haha.  But that is fine with me. 
   I now have  a total of 27 great grandchildren, 4 are from the step children we raised.  Lost my step son on October 8th, 2011 at age 62.  A  month before that the family threw me a surprise  80th Birthday party. I will never forget the word he said to me as I was walking to his car with him. He told me " Mom, nobody, and I mean nobody could ever have a better Mother than I have with you. I love you."
Nothing a step mother loves hearing from a step child more than his words.
Always hoped I was a good mother to him, did my best to treat them with the same love and teachings as our own children. 

  Yesterday I decided I couldn`t stand looking at the mess on my back porch. Soo many garden tools, plus a pitchfork, a shovel, leaf rake, and other long handled items. So I went to my shop and using some boards decided to make a tool holder. Made a frame with bottom, sides open,  top board has cutouts to hold the tool handles, added boards crisscrossed under to hold the tools from tipping over.  Much easier to get just what I want now without knocking many over.  All now in the tool holder except for the shovel and pitchfork which are short handled with the handle style tops.  Won`t be long before most of these tools, plus the grass trimmer  will be stored away out in my small shed. Then it will be snow shovels and the small snow blower sitting on my back porch.  Was in the low 40`s last night, reminding me that  Fall and winter are not far away. I am in no rush for it to arrive.  Expecting the weather to be back up in the high 80`s F next week, telling us summer is not over yet. Garden needs some nice weather to last a bit longer allowing more time for tomatoes to ripen . Picked more green string beans and cucumbers  yesterday. Love fresh garden veggies.

  This summer has been a bad one for skunks. Already removed 4 that found a home under my wood  shop,  bread and peanut butter set waiting to see if it brings any more from under there. Hoping no more. Once am sure there are no more, then must find a way to finish closing up any spots where they can dig under again next year.





.

Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?