Mi Vida Loca

I am finally resigned to the fact that when raising four children. . .there will no longer be a

"slower" time than right now. Seems as if the last few years I find myself saying "oh, we'll wait till _____ when things slow down a little bit" Fill in the blank with summer, winter, next week or whatever. We had a great weekend. .with everyone running. .sometimes in the same direction and sometimes different ways.

Wheat harvest has started here. .and though we are no longer committed to helping, we do enjoy going to check out the progress. Tristan took both of the photos above last night when we went out to watch. We have been trying to sort through some of their photos this weekend for possible fair entries. Devin bought a new Kodak last weekend with all his hard earned savings from housework and chores. .and he enjoyed trying to figure out his camera too. His harvest pictures weren't too bad. .but his mom deleted his best picture of his dad's racing rig as she tried to figure out his camera. Sorry D!

Dev took one of his best buddies to the drag races with Grant and Jeremy on Saturday. They had a great time and slept all the way home Saturday night. Apparently, they consumed about $12 worth of giant pixie sticks during the one day outing!! Grant snapped this picture of them enjoying popsicles on the stone bench Sunday after church and lunch. That photo just demonstrates summer to me!  Both the older boys used my camera this weekend simply because it is a little better than theirs. .and that is why it is mine! They're trying to wrap up fair photos. Tristan was convinced that he was going to get some bird photos. .specifically the tree swallows as they swooped the water for bugs.

We didn't think it could be done. .since they light the water for a split second. .and rarely in the same spot. Didn't take long for Tristan to get bored and frustrated and lay the camera down. Grant came along and was able to snap this little devil. .not a fair picture by any means. .but something he could gloat over his brother! I thought it was funny to see all the fish right there watching too!

Among some other garden tasks, we worked on the waterfall again yesterday. I think we have the water all directed the right way now but not without a little drama! The mishap occurred while using the black waterfall foam. It is exactly like the expanding foam you might buy at the lumber yard, except it is black, to create the illusion of shadow under the rock in a waterfall. It helps block any space that water might take as a path of least resistence, instead of going over or around the rock as we would like it to. The foam sticks to skin like super glue, and doesn't come off for days!! Jeremy used it on the spillway and as he was replacing rock, I picked it up to use in a few small crevices along the stream bed. Seeming to have a jam at the end of the dispenser tube, Grant asked to look at it.  I continued what I was doing and lifted my head just in time to watch him give a hard pull to the trigger, which in turn shot tiny particles of waterfall foam all over my back (which was sun-up), arms, legs, hair. .and my NEW swimsuit top. I think we would have to just laugh if we had seen what that looked like. .but considering that I STILL have black dots all over my arms. .some in my armpit. .lower back. .and that my new top is completely ruined. .it really wasn't that funny! Though we did laugh about it later in the evening. My only saving grace is that the top was black and white. .and so. .I can use it to some degree and probably get by.

It's been hot here. .upper 90's to 100 and beyond. Today is forecasted to be 103 and tomorrow 106. Lots of things are enjoying the cool of the pond. Grant caught a picture of the grackle with some straw he undoubtedly snatched from the garden.

We've also spotted this brown thrasher a few times. .and was glad he stopped by for a drink so we could get close enough to identify him.  Jeremy spotted a hummer yesterday morning, and we enjoyed watching it splash around in the sprinkler for a few moments before it moved on to better things.

I also saw this kildeer right across the fence. .am wondering if she has a nest right there. .but never took the time to go check on it. This bird makes it's nest on the ground, where it arranges it's eggs to look like stones.  If someone gets too close, it starts to act like it is hurt to distract attention from the nest. Tristan found a baby kildeer a couple weeks ago in the east pasture..pretty cute!

The two big boys helped me rescue some super huge sandstone rocks that we put down to make a path 5-6 years ago. .I used them to finish rocking around the mulch at the fire pit.  It was hot and dirty. .and the rocks were SOOO big. .I had forgotten that we actually used a pickup wench to get them up and placed. They were placed flush with the soil, and over the years, the soil has blown over and they weren't as visible anymore. We used manpower and a tractor bucket and then more manpower to move them. I think that landscape paper and mulch will keep the weeds down and finish off the whole area around the pit. The rock really made the scene!

Devin and his dad started his woodworking project for the fair yesterday.  He likes to work with wood. .and is really learning how to work everything safely.  More to come on what the project is later. .they got them constructed and will sand off glue and stain them soon.

Photo of the day. . .

How an 8 year old remembers how to measure 4 3/4 inches. . .

Mark it with a pen directly on the tape!!

Remember to live for the day!!

For when you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries and YOU rejoice! Old Indian saying

Be blessed!