PLAYING POSSUM?

PLAYING POSSUM? OR DEALING WITH THE HEAT? Have you seen that new commercial out where the kids have a "pet" possum... it is on the ground looking dead... the kids whine to their father that their possum is dead... he says, "No, its just playing possum, leave him alone." And then it pops up and hisses at them. I have NO idea what the commercial is trying to sell, I just watch the possum and wait for him to roll over and hiss. The weather has been horrible lately, as I am sure you are aware. Hot does not even begin to describe the 100 degree plus temps many of us have been experiencing. So if you can't jump in the pool to cool off, how does a tiny animal cool off? Possum Pics are from friend Bobbie... Its all in the posture...
AND, Seems possums aren't the only ones!
Seems my guys cool off the same way. Hadji... the Rascal... Punkin... Spook...
How do you cool off???????

SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THAT

OK, I DISAPPEARED... well, sort of. I have been so busy I have had lists of my lists of things to do. And I also had a major Lymes flair up that seriously slowed me down and made getting things done a hundred times harder. It is scary when the Babesia in my chest gets active. It is hard to tell if I am having a heart attack or it is "just Lymes." The symptoms are so similiar. Add fear to pain and not much gets done. OK, I read a couple books, something I seldom have time to do anymore. But, I am back on my feet, more or less... You can see some of what I have been up to at the other blog- http://onley-spots.blogspot.com/. Tho I must confess, I have not done much there lately... the body has not been cooperating, and then there is the problem with the heat. I do not do well in serious heat and humidity. I tend to pass out. So, last week while the guys labored in the heat, I sat with my camera and encouraging words and felt awful. I hate to not be productive, and my plans for all the work I needed to get done before this heat set in... well, I just get real mad at myself.
Then on June 16th, I was the "official" (!!!) photographer for our Shore's annual Juneteenth celebration. You history buffs know what that is, I am sure, but did you know that our county, Accomack, is actually mentioned by name in the Emancipation Proclamation? Unh huh.. Sure is. I will not bore you with all the pictures of the politicians and dignitaries, I will spare you all the entertainment shots, but will post Black Elvis upon request! However, I did get a few shots for my own amusement. I will share my kid fix shot for the day. They were dancing up a storm, these two, much to the entertainment of the assembled crowd. Ah, wouldst I could have a bit of that energy and pure joy!!!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the lilies decided to put on a show. This, a new one, is in front of the St John's Wort. The older lilies have been spectacular this year. Here are just a few of them. I really like what my aunt called 'funny faces' - deep color contrast lilies. This is my version of Happy Happy - and as close as I will ever get to owning one. Look it up, see what Happy Happy costs! In the rest of the yard there is an assortment of color run riot... blue, purple and orange! The window boxes are mostly deep reds and pinks.. And some unusual combinations seem to happen like Russian Blue Sage and gladiolas growing next to each other, and the phlox and coleus out by St Francis. I just thought I would share my garden with you. It has given me so much joy even when I can't be out in the midst of it. For those of you who get my Musings, those are faded prayer flags in the upper left corner. Thanks for stopping by! Next cool day, if you are in the neighborhood, come sit in one of the Adirondacks, have a glass of iced tea, and visit. Punkie will join us, I am sure. He LOVES company.

TICK WARNING

Ticks are out early this year as are fleas! I even heard that ticks have been found all the way up in Ontario! (Thanks Philip!)

Send this warning to everyone on your e- mail list.

If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up,

DO NOT DO IT!!

THIS IS A SCAM!

They only want to see you naked.

I wish I'd gotten this yesterday… I feel so stupid

SHARING A SMILE

I am in a lot of pain this morning... so I needed to start my day off with a smile. A smile shared is a smile doubled... I hope this gives you a smile too.

I would give credit to the singer(s) or even the photographer, but I know not who they are. This was one of many shots a friend sent... I just had to share it.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE DISTANCE?

And the ANSWER IS......

DRUMROLL? What? No drums this morning? Rats! OK, previous post (PROMISES) answers... THE PROMISES of: 1 tomatoes (duh), 2. zucchini, 3. onions and potatoes growing in bags, 4. yellow wax beans. 5. yellow squash. In the flower department: 1. St John's Wort! (didja get that one?) 2. a new Calla Lily. Is that spectacular or what?

We had a serious soaker rain ... 2.32 inches. It was great, the earth really soaked it up, plants are happy... so I went out with the camera hoping to capture the freshness of the morning, the rain on everything... and I found a few new blooms this morning. First, my favorite, Peace.

Someone gave me these lilies last year, this is their first year blooming. Someone asked about my blueberries, but the focus on the camera kept getting confused even on manual, sorry. Should have taken the picture before I picked 'em! (duh) The Caladium suddenly popped thru the ground - SURPRISE! I am excited about them, haven't had them in years. The magnolia is still going strong.

Usually I show the Buddhas when they are surrounded by flowers, but I also enjoy their simplicity when all is just green around them. They are a wonderful reminder to me when I start my day to think Peace, Compassion, Do NO Harm. I look longingly at the Adirondacks on the patio, inviting me to dry them off and have a sit down, I smile at all the color that surrounds me, grateful That I can see it all, enjoy it all, live in a space where it can thrive... and I see next to it all, the wheelbarrow, and realize it is time to get back to work. Yeah, it is a place of Serenity and Peace, a yard where the Buddha is comfortable with St Francis, both reminding me to love all creatures... and I am grateful I love working in this space, grateful I am able to keep it going, grateful that I WANT to stay busy and find peace in this busy-ness. I share these pictures as a way of sharing my gratitude with others. I wish Peace to you all. Come by, I will dry off a chair for you - or chase a little cat. Sit and enjoy the Peace of my Garden.

PROMISES

AS I WALKED thru the garden this morning with my basket filled with the last of this year's peas (already???) and blueberries, I noticed the progress the other veggies were making. For one thing, the tomato plants were at eye level. So lets have a little guessing game, see what good gardeners you are...Answers tomorrow (if I remember it!) OK, we will start with an easy one....1. 2. 3. 4. 5.. I also saw the strawberries were not finished yet. There are also some exciting new happenings in the flower department - do you know what they are? 1. 2. Yesterday was a day of serious trimming. The redbud was hitting the roof, so I took my mighty 8 foot chain saw and added the middle 4 foot extension. I am so proud of myself... the cuts were perhaps a bit sloppy, but I did all of this myself except for one branch I Tom Sawyered out to a friend who just happened to pull in my driveway to ask a favor. (That'll teach him! LOL!) Actually, the mighty little saw impressed him. The part of the tree on the right was butchered by the power company. Maybe the redbud grew faster toward the house to compensate. I don't know. Sadly, I had to also remove a very large Althea (Rose of Sharon) that somehow just died over the winter. I have waited and waited, but, nothing, and all the others have been in full leaf for over a month. sigh. A friend just read this over my shoulder and said maybe I needed to include the term "Tom Sawyered out" to my quiz.
Ah, the wind has come up, the temps are dropping. I am grateful for the temps coming back down into the 70s. More rain, perhaps? Another day that I will not have to drag the hoses around the yard? I can handle that. I like a good breeze; keeps the mosquitoes away. They have started biting. I used to complain about that until someone told me how bad they were in Alaska in the summer time. Hard to imagine!

THE END OF MAY

THE END OF MAY here on the shore means the peas are ready to be picked, the late peonies are in bloom, and my joy of joys, the Mountain Laurel is in bloom. The clematis is also in bloom this year, but I think it is a bit early. It has been hot for May, but then the entire winter/spring has been very warm, even hot some days. I am sure there are those who do not think 80 is hot, but I am a Mountain girl… or an Island girl so I measure hot and cold differently, I guess. I think Punkin must be a mountain cat… he does not like the heat when it gets around 80. He gives up following me around the garden and heads for a place in the shade, often under a bush, but sometimes right in the middle of the plants. What is fun for me, but surprising for visitors is when he meows as we walk by and other folks do not even see him. I am sure he enjoys that look of bewilderment when they look around and no cat is to be seen… “Ow,” he repeats. Do you see him?
It is also at the end of May that our little Train Station has its Plant Sale as part of the Town’s Spring Fling – a town-wide yard sale sort of thing that starts at 7 AM, but usually ends for us between noon and 1PM. It is real hard work for some of us, contacting growers, then driving up and down the highway with a van full of plants, then setting things up. Someone has to price them. They get arranged and rearranged as things get sold.
This year we had a Bake Sale in conjunction with the Plant Sale. That was even harder on me than all the work with the planning and getting and doing………… namely not eating all the goodies. Sigh. BUT, I try to stay gluten and sugar free, so my house is a Safe Haven for cookie storage! LOL!
We did set up our simplest train track, just in case a kid or two showed up. Of course, some of our kids were in their 60s. That happens a lot. But here is one of the younger ones.

MAY MORNING

MORNING..... I think of Thoreau, who wrote in his journal:

"I have just heard the flicker among the oaks on the hillside ushering in a new
dynasty...Eternity could not begin with more security and momentousness than the
spring. The summer's eternity is reestablished by this note. All sights and
sounds are seen and heard both in time and eternity. And when the eternity of
any sight or sound strikes the eye or ear, they are intoxicated with delight."

Have you been so programmed by noise that you can’t enjoy the sound of water lapping against the side of the dock, the surf rolling the sand, shells or pebbles on the beach, or the calls of the newly hatched, the mewling sounds of a newborn creature as it searches for a bit of nourishment. Do you hear the hum of bees in the garden? Can you tell what kind of bird it is by the sound of their wings? These things are the sound of Peace, contentment, a connection with the earth and the Self.

I still thrill at the sight of a red cardinal sitting in the camellia outside my window and marvel at the subtle coloring of the mama cardinal as she sits on a branch nearby. I get excited when I see the tiny flowers on my berry bushes and watch as the pods form on the peas climbing up the fence. The air yesterday morning was heavy with left over rain and the promise of more rain to come mixed with the fragrance of honeysuckle. A gentle breeze added the scent of the magnolia to the air and I ventured out to find the blossoms, gaze at their huge magnificence next to the fragile petals of the honeysuckle growing up the tree. I can’t imagine being confined to a world of concrete and bricks, glass and steel, traffic and city noise… the crowds of people brushing by reeking of human smells, alcohol, tobacco, body odors, cologne, aftershave, smelly deodorants, hair control products, stale food…

Today the air is cooler, crisper, they say, tho I have never figured out how air can be crisp, I guess they mean drier, a perfect day to be out in the yard getting some chores done. It is difficult to concentrate on the work at hand, there is so much beauty to pause and admire. Some things are big, bright and bold in color, other things are tiny, subtle, and yet equally as spell binding. In the evening I try to concentrate on getting the grass (mostly weeds) cut, but keep thinking I must come back out here on foot in the morning and look at this or that. I cut the grass slowly, grateful to have the machine to take me where my legs don't want to go, but hate the noise drowning out the bird song.

Morning comes, breezy, fresh, almost chilly for a change. The honeysuckle is on the wind this morning. The little cat trots along ahead of me telling me about what went on in the yard last night, stopping to inspect a hole made by a deer stepping in the soft dirt, saying a few words to the new lilies freshly opened, hiding in the ferns to ambush me as I pass by. A car goes by. I hear the deep BOOM BOOM BOOM as the driver, thinking how cool he is, hastens deafness with what his generation considers music. I return to the sounds and sights of my little world, so grateful to be there, knowing of the suffering around me. For now, I have been given this gift.

Give me space and fresh air! Let me hear the rustling of the wind in the trees, the smells of the blossoms, the breeze ruffling my hair. Let me walk on the earth, not the pavement, with a little cat meowing by my side. Let me feel the rough bark of the trees in my yard, caress the petals of the rose, taste the sweetness of the strawberries in my garden.

That, my friends, is Peace, Contentment.

What a blessed Morning.

THEY WALK AMONG US

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house.To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung aSign on it saying: 'Free to good home. You want it, you take it.'For three days the fridge sat there without anyone looking twice.He eventually decided that people were too mistrustful of this deal.So he changed the sign to read: 'Fridge for sale $50.' The next day someone stole it!
They walk amongst us!-------------------------------------
*One day I was walking down the beach withSome friends when someone shouted.....'Look at that dead bird!'Someone looked up at the sky and said...'where?'
They walk among us! ----------------------------------------------------------
While looking at a house, my brother asked theEstate agent which direction was north becauseHe didn't want the sun waking him up every morning.She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?'My brother explained that the sun rises in the eastAnd has for sometime. She shook her head and said,'Oh, I don't keep up with all that stuff......'
They Walk Among Us!--------------------------------------------
My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria,when we overheard an admin girl talking about thesunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach.She drove down in a convertible, but saidshe 'didn't think she'd get sunburnedbecause the car was moving'.
They Walk Among Us!------------------------------------
My sister has a lifesaving tool in her carwhich is designed to cut through a seat beltif she gets trapped. She keeps it in the car trunk.
They Walk Among Us! -------------------------------------------------
I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area and went to the lost luggage office and reported the loss.The woman there smiled and told me not to worrybecause she was a trained professional andsaid I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me,'Has your plane arrived yet?'...(I work with professionals like this.)
They Walk Among Us!------------------------------------------------
While working at a pizza parlor I observed a manordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cutinto 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some timethen said 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungryenough to eat 6 pieces.
They Walk Among Us!
Thanks Bobby for the humor... but what is scary is - how do we know when we are one of THEM? Obviously they had no idea...
What if..........................

COULDN'T HELP IT

As a former Art Teacher, I remember teaching the kids to recognize the Scream, and they all wanted to "play" with it... rename it... many of them said the could identify with it. Well, this cartoon is one I sure can identify with, I am sorry to say. I know, I try to keep politics out of this blog... I try to be an equal opportunity kind of person, and this takes no real sides except for those of us who are so frustrated with what has been going on for the past however many years. It is just plain sad. I feel like Screaming!