Assorted stuff

We've lived in this trailer house for twelve years now.  The second spring we were back here, I bought a bluebird house that Cliff put on top of a corner fence post, facing east; a pair of bluebirds moved right in, and from then on we've never failed to have baby bluebirds hatched in that house in the spring.  This year, as usual, they built their nest inside the house; one day I peered in and saw five blue eggs.  

When I looked out my east window, it was normal to see sparrows trying to take over the birdhouse, but the bluebirds always fought them off.  This year it was relentless mockingbirds attacking them; one day when I peeked in the house only to see no trace of the eggs.  I don't know what happened to make the eggs disappear, but I do know it was the mockingbirds that succeeded in making the bluebirds abandon the house.  I've always loved mockingbirds, with their happy songs and the way they do that silly dancing at the top of a tree or pole.  Now I see them and think, "Killers!" even though  I know it's just nature's way.  And by the way, I do see my bluebirds often; they must have nested in a nearby tree.  They spend time sitting on the fence near where the birdhouse used to be... I guess they like to visit the "old home place".

A couple of days ago, Cliff noticed an ad on Facebook Marketplace:  A lady was looking to buy some canning jars.  I contacted her and told her I had a lot of them.  She lived in the Northland area of Kansas City, which means she and her husband were at least 40 miles away; I didn't figure anyone would come so far for canning jars, but she and her husband came on out.  I don't can any more, and I just wanted someone to have the jars.  They were a retired couple, gardening for something to do because of the Covid shut-down, and seemed to think they needed a lot of jars, which I certainly had.  I stopped counting after five dozen quart jars and I don't know how many pint ones I dug out; they asked how much, I said $10; I wasn't looking to make money, I just didn't want to throw something away that someone could use.  Inspired by their enthusiasm, I threw in a blue enamel canner with the deal, and the man insisted on paying me another $10.  

With my hoarding tendencies, I held back a few jars, of course.  One never knows.

We have been behind on rainfall most of this growing season, and there seemed little chance for rain when I went to bed Tuesday night.  I awoke Wednesday morning to distant thunder.  The kitten, Blue, had been making his home in the back porch, where he was safe from predators.  I'd open the door so he could go in and out during the day; then at night he'd be shut inside the porch, away from nocturnal predators.  But when I woke up to thunder and lightening, I invited him back inside where his litter box was waiting for me to dispose of the contents... thank goodness I hadn't dumped it all out yet, because we had a torential rainstorm that went on past noon:  Blue had spent his first 24 hours of being an outside cat, but I just couldn't make him stay out in such hard rain... he's living under the back porch, so he has a dry place, but he's still young, you know, and has a lot to learn.  For your information, we got almost four inches of rain.

As usual this time of year, I'm bingeing on sweet cherries.  There was a time I refused to buy them unless they were on sale, but I love them so much, I figured since life is so short, I'd just better go ahead and buy them at any price as long as I had the money.  They're good for me, and I can honestly say I like them more than ice cream.  If you knew me, you'd know that's almost impossible... but it's true.  I like the times when my life is a bowl of cherries!  I looked up that expression and here's what I found:  "Something that you say that means that life is very pleasant. This phrase is often used humorously to mean the opposite."  Well now, my relationship with cherries is very pleasant.  By the way, after spending $3.99 per pound for three weeks straight, the cherries have FINALLY gone on sale!

Cliff is handling his asthma pretty well.  He went to the doctor's office and had some sort of breathing test done to see how his breathing was both before and after using the inhaler; the doctor called him yesterday evening to tell him that the pill he takes daily, in combination with the inhaler, had definitely improved his breathing, and told him that his asthma is a mild case.  Yes, the doctor actually called him!  Anyhow, Cliff was reluctant at first to use the inhaler, but now, not so much.  He knows it helps him, especially on these hot, humid Missouri summer days.

I got some turnip seeds, since the grandson isn't planting turnips this year in his wildlife plot.  My garden has been very hit-and-miss this year, with more failures than victories, but maybe I'll get some turnips:  "Plant them the 25th of July, wet or dry, and harvest on the 25th of October, drunk or sober."

I'm reading "Ava's Man" as suggested by a reader; I like Rick Bragg's other book, "Best Cook in the World" better, but perhaps that's just because I read it first.  I recently read "The Big Finish" about two old men living in a sort of nursing home: Although things happen in the book that would never happen in real life, I thoroughly enjoyed the story line; I passed it along to Cliff, and he liked it as well.  Now he's reading "Educated" at my suggestion.  It's a real-life story and has been read by some famous people, including Barack Obama.  In getting it for Cliff, I still had to put a long hold on it; obviously, lots of people like the book.

Our little Cora came to visit yesterday.  It's hard to believe she'll be seven years old next month.  

Have a wonderful day, won't you?  Things are looking up around here in many ways.

Sincerely,
Donna