The first full week of August was filled with ups and downs.

Monday: 
First, I took the change that B and I accumulated since January to our credit union to be deposited in our emergency account.  I miss the days when you handed the change to the clerk and they ran it thru the machine.  I went in with this huge bag full, the clerk said just go over to the machine, push the button and you can do it yourself.  I looked at her and the machine thoroughly confused.  A nice woman customer came over to me and said, "I'll help you."  I was very grateful to her and told her so.  Customer service is not what it used to be.
 
Next, B and I went to the library. I picked up 6 books. B laughed and said I would have these read by next week.  He isn't wrong.  A fun thing is that the librarian is a former teacher.  It seems she and I were student teachers at the same school over 30 years ago  Wow!
      
Finally, B took me to lunch at Applebees.  Nice day!

Tuesday: 
B worked on the side lawn which had been dug up by skunks looking for bugs.  We saw the 3 little baby skunks running into the woods in the morning and then saw the destruction in the side yard.  B went out in the afternoon to work on it but said it will turn out to be the same the next morning as they come out after dark.

Wednesday: 
B and I went grocery shopping.  Because we have been using the pantry and freezer quite a bit, we have been finding our grocery bill has gone down considerably.  The pantry and freezer were started during covid--an upside to the pandemic.      

Thursday:
We went to a farmer's market in L'Anse, MI which is only an hour away from us.  It made for a beautiful ride as the weather was perfect and we were able to pick up some good produce.  We got tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, carrots & celery as well as a homemade loaf of sourdough bread.

Another half hour after that and we went to lunch at a drive-in in Baraga, MI.  It's the kind of drive-in that was around in the 50s. You stay in your car and they put the tray on the window, homemade root beer in frosty mugs and super flavorful hamburgers.  The only thing missing was the car hops on roller skates.  I am so dating myself with that reference.

Friday:
A trip to the Post Office to mail in the last of bills for July and then to the cleaners to pick up a jacket that was very stained.

Saturday:
I am not sure how I managed to do it but I pulled a muscle on the left side of my chest and boy, does it hurt. Moving is a trial and I hate being unable to do anything but sit in a chair.

We woke up Saturday morning and saw feathers all over the deck and in one of the feeders. No little body but we think that a hawk killed a bird at the feeder while we slept.  There has been a hawk hanging around the woods by the house lately.  We have seen hawks in the past but this is something we have never seen.  If it happens again, B says we will take the feeders down for awhile until the hawk gets the message and goes away.
      
Sunday:
I am still in pain over pulled muscle but I am forcing myself to get up and move and do some small things that don't require a lot of bending.

Our oldest son called and told us that he and our dil and grandpuppy had to evacuate their home on Saturday because of the Bug fire in Nevada. They were staying at friends' house. We were so worried about them especially after we saw some of the videos posted on the fire on facebook. However, he messaged us later in the evening to say that although the fire is still going strong, the officials say it is contained where they live and they could go home. 

How was your first full week of August? Up and down too?
 
 

Tuesday Tidbits

 

Little Things That Make Me Smile

1 little chipmunk in the bird feeder 

2 little skunks running into the woods in the morning after digging holes in the field to get insects for a late night snack

deer laying down in the field just watching the world go by

a sunrise of pink and peach and orange

raindrops on green leaves that sparkle like diamonds when the sun comes out

the smell of freshly mowed grass

a cool breeze after a hot muggy day while I am sitting on my deck swing

a bouquet of wildflowers and container of homemade rhubarb muffins from my neighbor

Friday Funny

 

Friday funny

How many of you remember this cartoon?

 

Sunday Sum-Up

 We had a thunderstorm last Sunday. Lightning, thunder, hail and wind gusts up to 50mph. It took down many tree branches and a few trees looked like they were doing the hula in the wind. Monday B called a company we had used previously to take down a dead tree to get an estimate on the cost of removing one tree that is in a bad spot in relation to the house.  They were to come out Tuesday but the heat and humidity was so bad as well as the air quality due to the Canadian wildfires that he gave his workers the day off. He came out Wednesday and gave us a price that was not as bad as we thought it would be.  It would include taking down the very very tall poplar as well as a dead tree which was in the way of getting the machine in the back yard and cleaning up all the wood as well.  We are going to have it done in August.

As I said the temps and humidity was awful in the beginning of the week. We had three fans going during the day and at night.  During the day we were okay but even with the fans sleeping was not peaceful.  Can't wait to see the electric bill for this month.  Thursday, the temps went down into the 60s so it was very good sleeping weather at night but the temps are supposed to go back up by Monday.

The Canadian wildfires have been making their presence known around here with all the smoke and ash.  We have had air quality advisories for 4 days to the point that many events in the area have been canceled as well as some workers have been given time off.  Ashes were seen covering cars and falling from the sky like rain.  Hopefully that will back off soon.

We had an influx of daddy long legs spiders all over the house back and front.  It seems that this is their mating time of year.  They also plant themselves on the front and back as there are a great many insects because we have the lights on at night.  B has been using his blower to get them off the house in the mornings.  We will be happy when they are done with the mating and are gone.  My house every morning looks like a 1960s spiders horror movie.

Well, I hope you had a constructive and fun week.  Hopefully the weather in your area is something you are happy with.  Next week can only get better....Right?