Last thing I do every night before shutting down my computer is to check our local live weather feed for any incoming rain. Radar screen was clear last night so I drifted off to sleep not worrying about open Jeep windows and shed doors etc. Four hours later I was scrambled out of a deep sleep to the clattering sound of rain pounding on our steel roof. Stumbling out the door and down the steps I felt the cool rain pelting through my pajamas. Quickly got the Jeeps two front windows up & said the heck with the shed doors and tumbled myself back into the house whereupon in soggy pajamas I wasn't long in falling asleep again. 
GUESS WHAT I FOUND IN THE GRASS ALONG A HULLETT MARSH TRAIL THIS MORNING
THAT $5 BILL WAS ABOUT HALF WAY UP THAT LANEWAY TRAIL
I TOLD PHEEBS TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE GROUND IN CASE THERE WERE A FEW $100 BILLS LYING AROUND
‘WHAT COLOR IS A TEN DOLLAR BILL DAD’
IS THAT A 20 OVER THERE
‘WHO’S PICTURE IS ON A HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL DAD’?? --- ‘DON’T KNOW PHEEBS I’VE NEVER SEEN ONE’
HERE SHE COMES JUST A RACING UP FROM THE MUDDY BANK WHERE I THINK A FROG MADE A SCARY FACE AT HER
AND GUESS WHERE THOSE MUDDY PAWS ENDED UP
‘AM I IN BIG TROUBLE DAD’?? --- ‘NOT AT ALL PHEEBS, NOT AT ALL’:))
I've said several times before I am not inspired much by cloudy days but I had better clear that up a bit. It's those solid gray cloud cover days I do not like and this morning although cloudy was the kind of cloud cover I do like. Many shades of gray with light and dark textures gave this mornings sky a moody thought provoking feel and I do like the deeper feelings those kinds of skies can invoke.
A MILKWEED MEADOW
So with a few things on my mind Pheebs and I were out the door early making our way slowly over to the Hullett Marsh. How great the air felt with temps in the low 60's and I knew the biting Deer Flies would probably be grounded and they were. It was our favorite spot we headed for again and how nice to have it all to ourselves as we usually do. Walked part way round one of the newer trails. Blue Herons on the near horizon and gentle winds playing through a stand of nearby tall maple trees gave the morning a forever lasting memorable feeling.
ALWAYS LOVE MOODY SKIES
CORN IS GETTING TALL
NOT THE CLEAREST SHOT OF A VERY FAR AWAY WHITE EGRET
FIELD OF BEANS --- ‘PLANT IT AND THEY WILL COME’
CAN YOU FIND THE BLUE HERON ABOVE AND BELOW??
MORNING SUN FINALLY BURSTS THROUGH THE CLOUDS BATHING EVERYTHING IN A SOFT YELLOWISH GLOW
IF THAT TALL STUMP ON THE RIGHT IN PHOTO ABOVE LOOKS FAMILIAR IT’S BECAUSE IT IS THE SAME STUMP I TOOK THE BLUE HERON PHOTO AT RIGHT IN THE EARLY SUMMER OF 2015
From the Marsh we headed north up a couple concessions then west towards Londesborough. Stopped for a few photos beside a cemetery where an old tumble down shed housed a loaded hay wagon as well as stacked straw bales.
SIGN ON THE SIDE OF THE OLD ROADSIDE BARN
SHADES OF ARIZONA HERE
Back in the Jeep heading west I had only gone a few hundred yards over the knoll of a hill when I noticed a bunch of horses just off to the left. Pulled off to the side of the road and proceeded to take some horse photos. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until I moved the Jeep forward a bit just prior to moving on.
DIDN’T NOTICE IT AT THE TIME BUTLATER HAD A FEELING THESE HORSES MAYBE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA
SERIOUSLY….DID THIS HORSE JUST HAVE A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A BIG CAN OF WHITE HOUSE PAINT
Noticed 2 of the ponies I had taken pictures of were actually on the wrong side of the fence and grazing close to the road. Vehicles traveling this stretch of highway are often moving at a high rate of speed as evidenced by traffic going by me including 18 wheelers. One of the ponies began walking toward the highway so I jumped out of the Jeep and ran across the road waving it back. It did retreat slowly towards the gate and just as it did I saw an even smaller pony wiggle itself under a low wire. Now there were 3 ponies on the wrong side of the fence close to the highway. Oh-No!!!!!!
I DIDN’T NOTICE RIGHT AWAY WHILE TAKING THIS PHOTO SOMETHING WAS SERIOUSLY WRONG HERE
AND LITTLE DID I NOW THAT IN ABOUT A MINUTE I WOULD BE ‘SQUEEEEZING’ MYSELF THROUGH THAN NARROW GATE OPENING IN THE BACKGROUND
Quickly making a U-turn I parked the Jeep in the farm driveway horizontal to the highway as close to the ponies I could and threw on my 4-way emergency flashers. I was relieved to hear an east bound tractor-trailer slowing down as I headed for the metal closed gate across the driveway. A few quick re-assuring words to the ponies as I walked past them and 'squeeeeezed' my way through the two opposing gates. An uphill curving driveway lay ahead but I could not see a farmhouse or barn. Walking as fast as my nearly 72 year old overweight body could go I finally topped a knoll seeing some farm folks ahead out and about in the farm yard. Cupping my hands I began yelling loud as I could "Ponies on the road"!!!! - "Ponies on the road!!!!!"
I HASTILY TOOK THIS PHOTO BEFORE EXITING THE JEEP AND VERY QUICKLY HEADING UP THAT LANEWAY
The farm folks began scrambling right away so I abruptly turned & hurriedly headed back down the driveway hoping beyond hope I wasn't going to hear the squealing of tires and a sickening thump. An ATV quickly gained on me from behind then slowed briefly as it went by with an older fella in a big cowboy hat smiling at me. Seconds later he was at the gate hollering at the herd of about 20 horses that were now quickly galloping across a field in a direction safely away from the highway. The rancher was off the ATV checking the other side of the gate by the time I got there. The three ponies were nowhere to be seen and here's what I figure happened. When those horses heard the ATV coming down the lane they knew enough to herd up and head for the barn as fast as they could. The three ponies had quickly got back through the fence or gate where they had squeezed through and joined the fleeing herd. I'm guessing a gate may have been left open somewhere up closer to the house and those horses had wandered down into the lower field beside the highway. The thankful farmer/rancher (Home On The Range) struck me as a good natured friendly fella and invited Pheebs and I to come in but you know me and we just headed on down the road with a good feeling inside knowing we had done a good deed today. Besides, we had a destination in mind.
After leaving the Hullett-Marsh earlier heading north I remembered the location of a greenhouse garden center west of Londesborough called Gray Haven Gardens. It's been on my mind to pick up some perennial flowers for our front yard project so after the exciting ponies incident we headed another 3 or 4 miles through Londesborough to Gray Haven Gardens. Noticed a sign on one of the greenhouses saying 20% off all shrubs so had a look at their white cedars. Price was right so set 2 of them aside then went looking for some Cone Flowers. Another sign said buy 2 one gallon pots and get the third one free so that's what I did. Minutes later I had everything loaded into the Jeep and we were headed for home toot sweet.
MY THEORY AS TO WHY THEY LINE THE BALES UP IN ROWS LIKE THIS IS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR LOADING THEM ONTO LARGE FLAT BED TRUCK TRAILERS THAT COME RIGHT OUT INTO THE FIELD
Arriving home I noticed the humidity had come up but I got right to work first digging up and moving two of the scrawny cedars I had planted Friday replacing them with the two new potted cedars I had just picked up. Decided to work on a cedar rail decorative piece in the new flower area so dug myself some post holes. Luckily I had a few nice cedar rails stashed away from years ago so hauled them out and that was about as far as I got. Heat was building and I again soon turned into a big sticky ball of paste. Into the house and into the shower I went and that was pretty much if for my day. It never ceases to amaze me just how well having a simple shower can make someone feel so much better both physically and mentally.
HAVE DECIDED TO PUT IN A SHORT DECORATIVE CEDAR RAIL FENCE SECTION
TWO STORE BOUGHT WHITE CEDARS
CONE FLOWERS ARE MY FAV & I WAS ABLE TO GET 1 OF 3 PLANTED
When I had entered the house later this afternoon it smelled like a bakeshop inside. Kelly had been busy and I have to tell you without a word of exaggeration she baked something this afternoon that was the best pastry I have ever tasted at anytime or anywhere ever. And I emphasize 'the best'. What she baked up was something called 'Maple Danish'. I have been trying hard to change some of my eating habits lately but as soon as that first piece of Maple Danish landed in my mouth I was totally sunk. It was so good I couldn't stop myself from eating it and had I been alone there's a good chance I would have wolfed down the whole darn thing. The absolute best pastry I have ever had, bar none:))
KELLY’S PHOTO OF THE BEST PASTRY OF EVER:))
GROANER’S CORNER:(( Some great humorous sayings by some great witty people::
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." -- Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure" -- Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." -- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." -- Groucho Marx
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." -- Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." -- Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play, bring a friend. If you have one." -- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill followed by Churchill's response: "Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second, if there is one."
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." -- Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." -- John Bright
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." -- Irvin S Cobb
"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." -- Samuel Johnson
"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." -- Paul Keating
"He had delusions of adequacy." -- Walter Kerr
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" -- Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." -- Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." -- Oscar Wilde
