Friday Odd Jobs

Today, feeling a bit trapped because yesterday my buggy left home for storage in a warm place. It will be returned next year, checked over, serviced and cleaned. Now the snowblower can be brought out of the shed and ready for activity. I hope not too much activity, though. Yard guy is always busy with shoveling and plowing places around the lake. Here he uses my equipment because I have a very short driveway and it is easier than the truck or SUV with attached plow.

The dehumidifier is filled every day and today it needed a good cleaning. The chalkboard needed my nap hours re-posted on a cleaner surface. The request sign was placed at the porch entrance for folks to please use the side door. That is because I move the antique rocking chair to the inside area in front of the front door. There is a reason for all I do. The chair blocks the heater from sending warmth when it is between my place at the table and its usual place beside the heater.

The decorative pumpkin gift from a granddaughter has been bagged and stored.

On Monday a 8.5 lb. fully cooked spiral-sliced bone-in ham should arrive here. It is for my local daughter's Thanksgiving family dinner. I'll stay home, not really liking so much activity nowadays. She'll save me some and especially the bone. Yes! I do love the pea soup I make with that bone. The ham comes frozen and takes three days to thaw so there is time before the dinner needs to be ready. This is hickory smoked and cured along with sweet brown sugar. It is so much less work than the usual turkey.

P.S.

Oh, and breaking in new shoes not fun.

And the rains came down in a straight line wind event.

It was a hellova storm here at the lake. I have never seen such hard winds coming from the south, up over the dam road and onward. The water mist was actually picked up and moved to the other end of the lake. My zinnias were knocked down, the petals ripped off of the poppies and the sunflowers bent far to touch the ground! Scary stuff.

The worst of it all is that there was a death of a young man at our neighbor lake when a tree fell on him! Here are some images I took the next day. We were out of power for over 24 hours. As I rode around there were a lot of branches, leaves and other debris in the road. I was accompanied by the sound of generators at almost every home.

Up the road this large branch came down on a neighbor's garage roof.

The rabbits came out of hiding.

Further on my ride I saw another tree down but it didn't cause damage, just a major cleanup for the neighbor. His sunflowers were spared as his home is not on the lake.

There were several scenes like this one at neighboring properties.

As I continued my normal route it was good to see flowers that weren't damaged and a Honeyboat winter squash growing untouched.

On my way back home I drove by the tree stump that harbors a seedling and people have been putting piles of stones on it. The little tree is holey due to bugs but is hanging in!

As I returned, I saw the egret who was playing peek-a-boo. I watched him and sure enough he went fishing and left with a large one as he flew away.

Earlier in the morning three deer came down for a drink but I wasn't prepared well enough and my photos were too blurry to post. This doe and fawn come often. They have shown another where good water can be found and she came along as well. 

This sudden and strong wind sure did lots of damage. I have never seen such an event when the water lifted and moved along the top of the lake pushed by its power.

 

Stumped!

I took a rideabout this morning and found very little to photograph.  Remember back in May I posted a stump with a tiny tree growing up from the crack? See below.

I thought it was a bit unusual but glad to know it was alive. Well....Today when I went by, someone else has been watching the little tree's growth and put a couple of guardian rocks near it. 

I then added two more. After I did this an earthworm appeared! Out of the crack it came and surrounded my rock. WOW! 

Soooo, before I buggied away I added a piece of the tree bark. Why, you ask? Because I could! 

Now "our little tree" is fully protected, at least for a while. Stacked rocks have many meanings but I believe these are tributes to a survivor.

One flower took my eye this morning.

Cardinal Flower, Scarlet Lobelia

An un-tended flower plot by a lake home at least has some glory left.

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https://www.trees.com/gardening-and-landscaping/types-of-earthworms

Over the Hill and through the woods....

We got a little much-needed rain last evening after I took a short rideabout.  It was a little warmer  yesterday but not enough for me to be comfortable! This post is just another photo op for June blooms, etc. 

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Flower Run

I took a short buggy ride because I didn't want to get "dusted" when a car, or worse yet, a truck passes. Along the way I see that first blooms are dying and new ones are showing their beauty. I sure do like seeing these. A quick in and out was the plan today. They are without identification. I know most but not feeling it is as important as the colors.

 My heritage purple iris are either toppled over or coming out late. I'll try to get a photo of at least one! None here today.

New kid on the block . . . 

If I'm up to it tomorrow, I may buggy-wander over to the neighbor lake and see what's up and pretty there!

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