Friday morning in Day to day life from a woman that turned 60 in Oct 2014 and who lives on a farm and Retired on January 2, 2016. I plan to do more sewing, work outside in the yard and just enjoy my retirement.

I woke and got up at 4:30 this morning. *sigh Another morning I could have slept later, but nooo. Severe thunderstorms were expected overnight. We didn’t receive any rain, but there are a few things “misplaced” outside that I could finally see after daylight began. Not bad, just strange. A tomato plant in a small pot was laying on the ground, a plastic chair was turned upside down and one of the watering cans was out in the yard. That is all I’ve seen so far. We have a slight chance of rain this afternoon and we certainly need it. My yard is crunchy in areas that my sprinklers don’t reach. Very crunchy and turning brown. I did water some of the grass yesterday, which I hate using the water for that, but since we’re okay right now as far as not being in fear of our well going dry I gave it a bit of moisture in certain areas.

I am going to pick green beans this weekend!! The big white pot has tons of baby green beans that I can tell grow from the morning to the evening and it is very exciting to me. I was a bit worried that the storms predicted overnight would do damage but none which I’m thankful for this morning. There won’t be enough green beans ready for anything but to cook a mess and I can hardly wait. I can already smell and taste them. Might buy a small piece of ham to add to them and for sure some potatoes. Good old fashioned green beans and potatoes for supper is in my near future. J will even like that for supper.

The sweet corn is tasseling. It isn’t very tall and since I’ve never grown sweet corn unless it was 35 years ago I don’t remember the process now. I should Google it. I know they need pollination and am hoping that happens. With only 13 or 14 corn stalks and 1/2 are not quite as far along, I’m crossing my fingers and throwing up a prayer that they make sweet corn on the cob. I will say, they still look pretty and the sound as the breeze goes through them makes me tingle.

Lots of green tomatoes and I’m certain that they will all get ripe at the same time. lol I’ve been faithfully watering them and so far they all look great. Some look better than others, but that is okay as maybe the smaller looking ones will produce a little later which will be fine.

I’ll have cucumbers soon too and zucchini. It is so exciting for me to stroll around my little gardens, buckets, and tubs and see the fruits of my labor so to speak. This was NEVER this exciting when I was a kid and mom and dad would plant this HUGE garden and I had to pick row after row of green beans and tomatoes. LOL But in the smaller amounts or areas, it is much more exciting.

Apparently Polka Dot and “Chipper” the beagle tangled with coyotes a couple of nights ago. Polka Dot had some places on his side, but not too bad and after a full two days of resting he’s doing ok. Chipper however, who may have thought these were new playmates, found out the hard way, they are not. He has a wound on his underside very close to his testicles but he is taking care of himself so I will allow his own antibiotics to heal himself. Dad told me that coyotes will go after a male dogs testicles only he said “seeds”. I believe Dad is correct. They/It didn’t get them, but oh my it is close. He seems to be doing fine and eats and drinks just fine. He isn’t playful right now, but that is to be expected. He is nursing himself back to health and he is doing a great job and what nature intended.

Now please don’t beret me for not taking him to the vet. The vet couldn’t do much for him anyway, except give him topical ointment which he’d lick off anyway. I’ve lived on the farm for all of my life, and if I learned nothing else, when it comes to a lot of things like this, you let them use there instinct and their natural antibiotics in their licking themselves to heal themselves. He is healing nicely and he’ll be fine and hopefully learned a life long lesson about Coyotes. One of our cows died which brought in the meat eaters so it also could have been a big cat, but I don’t think so as the wounds on neither dogs were like a big cat. I’m not talking about a domestic cat either, tracks have been seen and dad thinks it is a Bob Cat. I heard it scream a couple of years ago, and it will make your blood run cold and make you high tail it in the house and shut the door too!!

I’m going to make a run to Walmart this morning. Going to buy more cotton yarn. I’ve been making dish clothes and I’m loving them. I’ve also made some scrubbies but the dish clothes are the bomb for hand washing dishes. I am going to make some for Christmas gifts and on these hot afternoons I’ve been trying to get better at crocheting. I think I am, but I’ll never be excellent or start making afghans.

Take care and God Bless