A couple of animal pictures

 First of all, the cat, not because he's my favorite, but because he thinks he is.  I bought a half-dead catnip plant that Walmart wanted rid of, because Blue the cat loves catnip toys.  Cliff drove into the garage when we got home, and I set the potted plant on the cement floor so I could help get groceries in before I took care of the plant.  When I went out again, he had knocked the pot over and was shoving his face in the plant.

I decided I'd better hurry up and get it in the ground. 

He was laying halfway on it for at least an hour, but I didn't think he was bothering it any more, although it didn't really seem to be thriving as it should.  Cliff came in a couple days ago and said, "Your cat is laying in that plant, smashing it."

So this is the fix I'm trying.  I cut the bottom out of an ice cream pail and put it around the catnip.

  Here's hoping.

And I'll leave you with another picture:

The two doodle dogs belong to our grandson next door.  The black boy is Klouse, the one next to my husband is Bonnie.  Of course that 18-pounder is my dog, Gabe.  When any of these three hear the side-by-side starting up, they run and jump in.  The only female of the crew is Bonnie, and she makes sure she is always sitting next to the driver.  Gabe generally ends up sitting on the floor. 

Oh, the horses!

As soon as we stepped into the big clean barn, we smelled horses.  Cora and I agreed that's one of the best odors in the world to someone who loves horses.

Our group finally all got together and the tour began.  The first thing the tour guide did was offer everyone a bottle of Budweiser, and a surprising number took her up on that.  At nine o'clock in the morning, I couldn't help thinking of words in Kristofferson's song, "Sunday Morning Comin' Down"... the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so I had one more for dessert.  However, nobody was offered a second one.

The three of us settled for a bottle of water instead.  We watched a brief video to put us in the mood, and we were on our way.

Our very knowledgeable tour guide, showing us how tall a Clydesdale horse can be at the withers... 18 hands.

Our first stop was the room where babies are made.  They breed the mare while her baby is still young; the colt comes in with Mom and is put in a pen near her so neither mother or baby will be stressed by thinking they've been forever separated.  Stallions aren't kept on the farm; they are only brought in when they're needed.  

At this point, our guide talked about the size of the farm, and why that particular place was chosen for the ranch.  

Next we got to see one of the two stallions currently visiting.  

There are three different Budweiser teams traveling the nation, and one team was off duty for a while; I guess it's a needed break for the seven people who travel with that group and work up to 20 hours a day.  So we got to see some of the geldings who were in the stalls.  They are let out of the stalls to run in the pasture at various times.  Only geldings are used for the performing horses.  When they retire, they will live on this ranch until they die.

Each team carries two extra horses with them in case anything happens to the regulars.  They also take a spare Dalmation with them, just in case.

The babies stay with their mothers until they are five months old, then weaned

Lastly, we learned a little about how horses (and Dalmations) go on the road.  

There's so much to know about this operation.  For the whole one-hour tour, that guide was talking (almost too fast), and she could answer any question we asked.  One person wondered if there are any women traveling among the road crews.  Turns out this lady herself will be starting on the road in a couple of weeks.  She came from California to Missouri for that very reason.  She's been around horses all her life and signed up to lead the tours in order to get that job of working with the horses on the road.

At the end of the tour, everyone gets a chance to pet a very famous retired horse and have their picture taken with him.  I say famous because he is in some of the Budweiser commercials:  one where he's touching noses with a puppy and one where he kicks the football.  

You'll know him by the big old spots on his nose.

You won't be sorry you went to Warm Springs Ranch.

Here are some links:  

 A guide to Warm Springs Ranch

Becoming a Budweiser Clydesdale

Clydesdale Heaven

Born to Perform

One last picture of Cora and me

A day with Cora

Every other week, Cora spends Tuesday with us.  Normally we don't do anything special.  However, a while back we were telling her about Warm Springs Ranch, where all the Budweiser draft horses are born and raised, and where retired horses spend their latter days.  She seemed interested, so we decided to make the ninety mile drive to Boonville, Missouri, and let our horse-loving little friend experience it.  

When I say "horse-loving", it's a real thing with her.  Her parents both have horses; and she's had her own horse, starting with an old, gentle Shetland pony when she was maybe three.  Now at the age of nine, she's barrel racing almost every weekend in the summer.  

You have to get online to choose what time you want to schedule when you want to go; the first time I registered and paid, Cliff had an unexpected appointment come up.  The second time, I scheduled it on the wrong week (old age brain).  Even though the website says the money is non-refundable and there are no cancellations, my money was refunded both times.  Because of all that trouble, I  swore I wouldn't disappoint Cora any more.  I told Cliff we'd see if there were openings this Tuesday (yesterday); they did have three openings, but only for the 9 A.M. tour, which means we had to get up and go pretty early in the day.  Cora's dad goes to his construction job early, and always dropped her off at 5:30 A.M. for the six years we babysat her.  A good babysitter would have insisted she go back to bed, but Cora usually wanted to stay awake, and I get up early anyway.  So I just enjoyed her; she spent most of that part of the day on my lap.   Cliff likes to be awake by 7 for some unknown reason, even though he isn't a morning person and he's retired.  So Cora had the job of going and telling him to get up before she was a year old.  I did make sure she had an afternoon nap, and I always laid down with her.  Sometimes I read to her, and other times I just made up stories.

Our world circled around that little girl.

So we left around 6 A.M., with plenty of time to stop at McDonald's in Odessa for breakfast.  We got on I-70, which basically takes you all the way to Warm Springs Ranch.  

When they open the gate and make sure you are registered for the tour, this is what you see.

Cliff and Cora are standing down at the far end

A lady was standing at the gate waiting for us, no doubt because we barely got there on time, with eight minutes to spare.  She directed us to the barns and parking lot, and our tour was about to begin.

That's a 1903 beer wagon.

(to be continued)

Butternut squash: Will I get a miracle harvest?

First of all:  It was 63° when I woke up this morning, with the temperature for today getting up into the 80's.  I put a different picture of my view toward the north when I look out the window or work in the garden.  I love it because there are no buildings of any kind in view, meaning no people... unless you want to walk a mile through the Missouri River bottoms and swim to the the other side.  I was sick of seeing that garden picture, and I'm sure my readers were too.  

We've now had our first tomatoes from the garden and the first potatoes and green beans.  The peas are gone now, and I pulled the plants up.  I am moving soaker hoses from row to row, trying to keep things growing.  Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to do that.  It isn't so bad in one way, because half the garden isn't planted in anything.  I can only do so much.  I will say I'm enjoying what I have eaten so far, but a lot of the fun is in watching things grow.  For instance, the butternut squash:

The one on the left is about six inches long.  I counted ten baby squash so far.

I'm scared to count on a harvest though.  Squash bugs have ruined most of my squash and cucumbers.  Once, many years ago, I got a huge harvest of butternut squash and had plenty to eat all winter long.  That's when I learned that I could substitute butternut squash for pumpkin that year.  In fact, I made pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving day and my very picky oldest granddaughter, after eating hers, said, "Now that's what pumpkin pie should taste like."  I told her it was squash and she hasn't trusted me since.  

Anyhow, I have been putting plenty of diatomaceous earth over and under the vines, so we'll see if that keeps the bugs out.  I do know that Sevin Dust does nothing to keep squash bugs away; it's an aphrodisiac, from what I've seen: ugly bugs under the leaves doing embarrassing dances until all the vines are dead.  I hope against hope for a wonderful harvest.

A few days ago I watched a documentary on Hulu, "Robin Williams:  Come Inside My Mind".  Toward the end of the story, he said something that really clicked with me:   You're only given a little spark of madness, and if you lose that... you're nothing.    

The reason it spoke to me is this:  We are all different, of course.  But I'm more different than most.  I don't want the things most people want.  I don't like to do the things most folks like to do.  I won't go into boring detail, but if you were to ask my husband, he'd tell you it's the truth.  However, if it weren't for my king-sized spark of madness, I would have had a miserable life, so I hang onto it carefully.  If the madness is gone, nobody will recognize me.

And on that thought, let me show you my youngest great-granddaughter whose spark has led her to become one of the Children of the Corn, right in my garden.  

Sunday Stealing

1. Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?  Never had a license to drive a car.  Back when my knees didn't hurt, I enjoyed riding a bike, although I didn't always feel safe riding it on a public road.  I've had horses, and the last one I had was the best.  I rode around the countryside and down by the Missouri river... some of the best times of my life.  Here's a ride I took through the local graveyard.

2. Who is your favorite author?  There is no way I can answer this.  I always have a book I'm reading, and there are too many good authors to name just one or two.

3. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why?  I've really never wanted to go to either of those places.  Hawaii sounds like a nightmare... too many tourists there all the time; I would have liked it in 1950, perhaps.  Alaska?  No way.  It's cold.

4. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?  I wouldn't mind going back to my childhood in the 1950's, but not as an adult.  I'd just like to live my childhood over.

5.  What's your favorite zoo animal?  The big cats:  Lions, tigers, leopards

6.  What's the tallest building you've been to the top of?  I suppose the Kansas City city hall.   "View the city from the 30th floor of City Hall. City Hall is the third tallest building in the city. It measures 443 feet from the sidewalk at the north door to the top of the building. Since it's on a hill, it dominates the downtown skyline. When it was first built, it was the tallest building in the state. It remains one of the tallest city halls in the country. The building, which required 22 months to construct, is considered to have a neo-classic or beaux arts architecture, but is most notable for its art deco details and ornamentation. This is evident in a myriad of interior details, including sculpted brass elevator doors depicting the four major modes of transportation that serve Kansas City; elaborate light fixtures in the lobby and elsewhere; and even custom brass doorknob plates. Outside, at the top floor of the six-story base, windows are replaced with a frieze of relief sculptures depicting the early settlement and growth of the Kansas City area."

7. How often do you buy clothes?  Not very often at all.

8. What was the last thing you recorded on TV?  We got rid of Directv over a year ago and saved over $1,000 yearly.  Now we stream our programs.  We pay for Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount, and I'm thinking we'll drop Netflix.  One thing I like about streaming options is that  you can cancel any option at any time, and get it back later if you want with no penalty.

9.  What was the last book you read?  That would be the book I'm reading now:  The Locked Room, by Ellie Griffiths.  I'd never heard of her until I was looking at Margaret's book list on her blog.  I enjoy most of the books she reads.  

10. What's your favorite type of foreign food?  Mexican and Chinese, although I don't know if you could call most of those places "foreign" after they've been Americanized.  Especially Chinese.  We don't eat out a lot, and were never adventurous when it came to eating out.

11. What kitchen appliance do you use every day?  The kitchen range.  And of course, the coffee pot.

12. How old were you when you learned Santa wasn't real?  Perhaps nine years old, but then I pretended to believe in him for a couple more years.  How did you find out?  I probably heard other children saying he wasn't real, or maybe I figured it out for myself.

13.  What was your favorite subject in school?  English

14. What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?  Mountain oysters

15. What's your favorite family recipe?  Noodles

You'll find Sunday Stealing posts each week, right here.  Join us.  You'd be surprised how many interesting stories come out of memes.

Busy times

It seems like we have someplace to go at least every other  day, although there is only one appointment for Cliff next week, as far as I know; that's for having both his Cochlear implants checked by the doctor.  That's in Lee's Summit, which is a lot easier to get to than St. Luke's in Kansas City.  I don't think there has been one time when we got there without at least making a wrong turn or two.  Thank goodness the GPS on Cliff's phone corrects our mistakes and gets us there on time.  Cliff has never liked city driving, but he's done a lot of that lately.  Anyway, my mind has not been on my blog.  

We are also anticipating our son's visit for July Fourth; he's bringing his wife and granddaughter this time, since granddaughter Lyndsay couldn't take off work for the trip.  But we will see her daughter, Maelynn (May for short).  So I've been stocking up groceries for the cooking I'll be doing.  I'm never sure how many I'll be cooking for:  I usually do two meals a day, breakfast and dinner.  The grandson and his lady will be here every day for breakfast too, I imagine, and my daughter and her husband often join us since they live nearby.  

It just occurred to me I had better put yeast on the list, because I'll be making cinnamon rolls; I seldom make them any other time except when Jim comes.

Well, that's me, just checking in.  I'll get back to fixing our mid-day meal now.  I didn't get to my first head of cabbage from the garden, and today I found it had split open out there.  So I'm making Sweet and Sour beef and cabbage. 

Peace.

Google bloggers, help me figure this out!

 I received an email from Google that I'm not sure I understand, but it seems to me that all the pictures on my blog might disappear.  When AOL Journals closed down their blogging platform, I moved my original blog to Blogger for the memories I'd saved there, but most of the pictures were gone.  At least I kept the written memories, and then began a new Blog. 

Hi Donna,

You’re receiving this email because you’ve viewed Album Archive recently or you may have some content that is visible in Album Archive. Starting on July 19, 2023, Album Archive will no longer be available. We recommend that you use Google Takeout to download a copy of your Album Archive data before then.

Today, Album Archive lets you view and manage album content from some Google products within Album Archive.

However, some content that’s only available in Album Archive will be deleted starting July 19 including

1. Rare cases like small thumbnail photos and album comments or likes

2. Some Google Hangouts data from Album Archive

3. Background images uploaded in the Gmail theme picker prior to 2018

If you would like to access this data, please make a copy of this data using Google Takeout. After Album Archive is no longer available, you can still use those Google products to view and manage some content directly – learn more. I don't know what to think about this.  Any thoughts from my fellow bloggers??

Sunday Stealing

SUNDAY STEALING

1) What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?  Reading, taking naps, streaming television shows I like... Wait!  That's what I do most every day!

2) What do you look forward to every week?  All the early mornings 

 

3) Name three pet peeves you currently have:  People putting "apostrophe S" on a plural word.  Mothers who yell at the top of their lungs at their children.  And people who constantly whine about one thing and another and never have anything positive to say. 

4) If you were to win an all expense paid vacation for two weeks to anywhere in the world, where would you choose to go?  I've always thought I'd love to see England, Ireland, and Scotland.  Such a long, long past those countries have!  What are some of the things you would like to experience while you were there?  I'd just want to see the castles and all the other old, historic places.

5) What was one of your favorite toys as a kid?  I recall a farm set I had with a metal barn and plastic cows and horses and fences.  I also liked a kid-sized tent I got for my birthday one time, because when I pretended I was an Indian, I also pretended the tent was a teepee.  Did you save any special things from your childhood that you still have today?  I was spoiled, and not very good about putting things up.  That's somewhat true of me even now... I recall Boyde, a long-ago friend of ours, saying, "You don't care about anything, do you?"  I guess he was referring to the fact I don't care about fancy new houses or lots of nice clothes and such.  In other  words, I'm pretty happy with whatever I have and don't worry about things I don't have.  So no, I don't have any toys from my childhood, but it doesn't matter.

6) What is your favorite holiday? It used to be Fourth of July when I was a kid.  Once I grew up, it was Thanksgiving.  These days, I don't have one.  What is your least favorite holiday?  I know this will sound strange, but after my carefree childhood was over, I could have done without Christmas.  For years I went into a mild depression as Christmas approached.  These days I tend to just ignore it.

7) Have you ever met anyone famous? 

One Easter we went to visit our son and his family in Georgia.  Cliff and I went to Maranatha Baptist in Plains, Georgia, and sat in with his Sunday School class.  He and his wife were willing to stand with each group of visitors for a picture when Church was over.  Cliff and I were both at our heaviest weights at the time, but I still treasure that picture, and I do love Jimmy Carter.

What concerts have you attended?  Oh my, a lot.  Peter, Paul, and Mary; the Kingston Trio; Willie Nelson, George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis... many country singers, too many to mention.  And I've went to several Van's Warped Tours with grandkids after some of them were old enough to drive.  My granddaughter and I almost got caught up in crowd surfing once.  She was more scared than I was!  I've seen Green Day twice, too.  My knees won't let me go to Warped Tour now, but it was so much fun with all those young, enthusiastic people around.

8) Are there any expressions that people use that really annoy you? .If so, what are they?  People who say "whatever" in each sentence, or "like".

9) Do you like your name?   It's OK.  Are you named after anyone?  My middle name is Margaleen because my mother knew someone with that name.  So far, I've never met anyone else with that name.  Is there a story how you got your name?  Nothing I know of; I guess my mom just liked the name Donna.  It must have been really popular, because there were a lot of Donnas in my high school around my age. Would you change it if you could?  No, it's as good as any other name. If so, what name would you give yourself?  No idea

10) It is said that it's the little things that make life worth living. Name five of those little things in your life.  ice cream; a good dog; children; a garden; early mornings, especially sunrises; coffee; silence... I could go on for a long time, but I'll stop.

Man plans, God laughs

This morning I got bad news.  I will copy and paste the messages that went back and forth, so you get the picture:

I have some awful news that makes me feel sick to even tell you. Last night I was wrapping up chores and went to check on our little boy one more time. He’s been with his mom in a large outdoor calving pen. She was laying by herself and initially I didn’t see him so looked around more closely and found him badly injured, appearing to have been either stepped on or laid on by her. He was struggling to breath and I think he had collapsed lungs/broken ribs. I attempted to move him to take him to the emergency vet and he made it evident that wasn’t a good idea. I could tell by how he was moving that he had way too much damage and I had to put him down. It was traumatic and it makes me sick to even repeat it but I have to tell you. I’ve never lost a calf like this. She was an incredible mother. I don’t understand how this happened. I’m really

sorry. I know you were looking forward to him and I was thrilled he was getting a loving home.  

I do have two more due to calve end of June/early July. I’ll make sure you get my next little bull. 

Don't feel bad about it for me. Yes, I was excited. But I have learned that God works out everything for good. We can make plans, but things go wrong. You will have a boy available at the right time, I'm sure. We never know what's ahead, and we definitely can't control things like this.

Farm life is hard sometimes. I especially hate when it’s the babies.

I hate it when it's the best milk cow. All my Jerseys turned out to be pets. I even halter-broke them. So the very first time I lost my best cow, I cried for days... not because I lost an expensive dairy cow, but because I loved her.

I lost the best cow I’ve ever owned last Oct. She was 10 years old but she was very youthful and had so much life left in her. She got coliform mastitis and went down and although I was able to fix the mastitis and toxicity, she never got back up - even after 2 weeks of lifting her in a Daisy sling multiple times a day and flipping her between lifts - and ultimately I had to put her down. Her name was Kallie. She’s the cow in my profiles background picture. It’s part of having animals but it’s never easy and I always wonder what I could have done to prevent it.

Exactly. Actually, I hope your next two calves are heifers, because there will be a calf for me at some point anyway, and you need a heifer or two to cheer you up. Who knows, something might happen that would make me unable to have a calf before you get another boy. At my age, a person just don't know what tomorrow will bring,

---------------------------

That picture I shared in the last entry?  That is what all Jersey calves look like at birth, so if I get one from her later, it will look pretty much the same, unless it happens to be one of the rare ones that has some white on its face.  

Now I want to meet this lady and her cows.  I'll bet Cliff would be glad to take me over there before long; when we go, I'll take along a jar and buy a gallon of good Jersey milk. 

We are having some great days

You know you're getting old by how many appointments two people can have.  Cliff got his second Cochlear implant activated yesterday afternoon, which means we had another trip to Kansas.  We'll be going back Thursday, and again on the twenty-second of June, so they can make sure things are working as they ought to and do some tuneups.  Today he had his regular yearly physical, but that's only twenty miles from home.  

While we were in Oak Grove, I shopped for the things we were out of.

Tomorrow I go to the dentist again; I'm not sure what that will entail.  He tried last visit to do a root canal on a tooth, but he couldn't get it done.  If he can't do it this time, the tooth will come out and the partial I already have may not be able to have the back teeth added for those he pulled before; we shall see.  I may have to get a new partial.  The time comes when you don't have a lot of choices and just grin and bear whatever happens.

So that's Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week we are on the run with appointments.  This Cochlear implant journey has been amazing in more ways than one.  Obviously, it's a godsend for deaf people.  But also, I've been surprised at how little it has cost us.  The two surgeries, where they actually put the things in his head, each came to less than $300 each time.  All the appointments leading up to the procedures were $20.  We probably have only spent $800 out of pocket for this miracle; our Medicare Advantage has taken care of the rest.

Today is mine and Cliff's 57th anniversary.  We've had many differences between us, but the thing I believe that has kept us together is that we both love country life.  We've been living in the country all our years together, and wouldn't have it any other way.  We don't have a lot of money and we live in a trailer house, but we are very happy with our lives.

I shouldn't mention this until Saturday when it actually happens, but I connected with a lady in Oak Grove who has a new baby bull calf she's going to sell me.  We'll take the "bull" out of him by neutering him, and he'll make me a fine, beautiful boy, strictly as a pet.  I'm getting him at four days old, so he will be a pet from the word go.  The lady sent me a picture of him shortly after he was born Tuesday.  He is from a registered Jersey cow, sired by a registered Jersey bull.

His name will be Bodacious, after a killer rodeo bull.  I'll probably call him Bodie.

A different sort of anniversary present, right?  And a nice birthday present for Bodie, since male dairy animals are usually bound to become hamburger eventually. Truthfully, that could even happen to him, because if I get to the point I don't even go outside, I certainly wouldn't want to waste the  good meat.  But he and I will have a good time as long as I can tend to him.  

A perfect, most glorious rain

Three or four days ago, we received 4/10s of an inch of rain, which really perked the garden up; it was another of those hit-or-miss rains, which has been the only kind we've had this year... and we are usually the ones that miss.   Almost every day the weather folks will tell is we might get a rain, and the most we see is a few sprinkles.  The forecast was the same when we went to bed Saturday night; we'd had a few drops of rain, but nothing significant.

Imagine my surprise when I heard a brisk rain outside every time I woke up in the night.  Not a gully-washer, but a nice, steady rain that does the most good for a garden.  When I got up in the morning and the rain stopped enough that I could go look at the gauge, there was an additional two inches.  It was, again, a hit-and-miss type of rain, because many people didn't receive it, and others got a lot less than we did.   All my local farmer friends were beside themselves with glee, and I was right there with them.  

Of course, after a rain the weeds start working overtime, but I'll take the bad with the good.  

I planted this hill of corn when it was really too early, but it survived.  Those plants will probably give us eight ears of corn to eat, long before the main crop is ready.

Here's the corn crop so far.  I just planted those on the near end of the two rows about five days ago.  To the right of the corn, you can see my second planting of green beans already.

This was the strawberry patch.  I still need to get rid of the ones close to the fence (on the left), but they are making babies for me right now, for my new strawberry patch.  

Somewhere in this area will be my new strawberry patch.  You're not supposed to put them in the same area where strawberries have been, and they don't do well following tomatoes.  Those beets will soon be out of there, and so will the peas.  I don't care for these Alaska peas.  See how brown they are, down by the roots?  Also, the pods are short, with only three or four peas in them, so you have more to open up.  My mom's favorite, Little Marvel peas, are definitely my choice too; now I see why she liked them so well.  

That middle row has onions on this end where the Little Marvel Peas didn't come up, but there were some that did survive beyond those few onions.  Notice how much darker green they are than the Alaska peas in the upper left-hand corner of the picture.  And the Little Marvels have been there at least two weeks longer.

Each  year I have one eggplant (eggplant plant??).  I just put 3 or 4 seeds in the ground for good measure, mark the spot, and pull up all but one when they start getting some size on them.  I happened on a website recently that had a list of vegetables considered hard to grow:  Eggplant was one of them.  The only problem I've ever had with them is that in a certain stage of development, bugs will kill them if you don't use a little Sevin dust.  Most of the fruits (yes, it's a fruit) go to waste, because I only  use one or two of them every year, and nobody wants eggplants.  We do love ratatouille, so I might make that two or three times.  Besides, I love seeing that pretty purple color in my garden.

I see a bloom on the pepper plant.  

The  green beans are blooming!  I can't wait till we can have fresh green beans.

In the meantime, we've been having peas and beets, and I'm thinking about digging up  a few new potatoes.  I am really enjoying my garden, as always.

My husband, Mr. Fixit

Cliff and I have been sitting here on the couch arguing.  Yes, arguing.  I was happily telling him all about my garden, explaining why I water some things with a plastic watering can, some with a soaker hose, some with a wand on the hose, and some with the new one the grandson gave me for Mother's Day.  

I wasn't complaining, but simply telling why I used various tactics for different things.  And he says, "Why don't you just move the waterer Arick gave you where you need it?"

I don't want to move it around.  I don't even enjoy moving soaker hoses, which is why I like my new waterer; I don't have to move the soaker hose to so many places.  Right now, where that thing is sitting, it is where it will do the most good.  I know the tomatoes are getting plenty of water, and tomatoes are the most important thing in my garden.

He didn't like my answer, and kept saying, "But you can move it where it needs to be any time.  It isn't hard."

Here's just one example of why it isn't so simple.  I have Daylilies, Irises, and Gladiolus along the south-facing fence in my garden, which means they are standing in a straight line.  If I set up the waterer Cliff wants me to move, it would be watering the yard more than anything else, and wasting water.  

We have a never ending source of water to our well, unless the Missouri River runs dry someday.  With global warming like it is, that might happen, but not in my lifetime.  So I don't worry about wasting water, but I do not want to wear out a pump that would have to be replaced.  Soaker hoses waste no water, and put all the water that comes through them exactly where it needs to be...  on the roots of the plants.  You don't have to have the water running at full force, either.  

Cliff tends to think I need some help or solution when I'm really just relating what's happening.  My daughter and I have talked about this in the past, and she says her husband is the same way.  "Men just want to fix whatever is bothering us," she said.  "And there are some things nobody can do anything to change."

This is where my husband would say, "Yeah, like my hard-headed wife."

Well of course I know he means well, but he was talking as if I wanted him to do something, and I didn't.  I love every step I take in the garden, and I like doing things my way.  I told him that he should do a garden of his own so he could do it however he wants.  Oops, shouldn't have said that.

After our little conflict was over, I told him I was ready for him to mow the strawberry patch whenever he felt like it.  "Oh no you don't," he said.  "I'm not touching your garden."

But he said it with a smile, then mowed the strawberry patch.

Truthfully, he and I have had more arguments over my gardening than any other topic I can think of, and it's always because he thinks he could do it better.  If we ever divorce (after fifty-seven years), you can bet that garden had something to do with it.

Walk through my garden

Cliff took this first picture with his phone as he drove by on the side-by-side.  I had told everybody I was done picking strawberries because my knees were so sore, and the berries were tiny at that point.  I had a gardening friend come out and pick them twice for her family, but that was before they got so tiny, not to mention few and far between.  However, I walked past that patch Saturday and decided I'd just pick a few to put on our cereal.  As it happened, I also got enough to have strawberry shortcake one more time.

My daughter gave me that seat for Mother's Day that I was sitting on; I use it a lot, and carry it with me when I move.

These potato vines are the tallest I think I've ever seen.

My only row of potatoes on the left and green beans on the right.

I planted two half-rows of Bodacious sweet corn some time back.

Then three days ago, I planted corn on the near half of the rows.  Can you see the little spikes of corn?

 

Here are all my tomato plants.  So far they are looking great.  Some of those, obviously, are younger and won't be producing until later.

This large plant is loaded!  I can't wait.

We had our first Harvard beets from this row today.

I also cooked some of these Alaska peas today.  They won't last long in this heat, I'm afraid.

Okra, with Little Marvel peas on the right.

Bell peppers.  They were planted later than usual.

I always have one eggplant in my garden, and that's more than enough for us.  My favorite use of eggplants is in Ratatouille.  

Onions.  There are more in a different row.

Three cabbages of different sizes.   I plant a seed or two every once in awhile, to keep the cabbage coming.

There are odds and ends of other plants scattered around in corners.  Cliff is just now starting to feel decent after getting his second cochlear implant, so I'll be having him mow the strawberries before long.  He had more pain with this second implant.

Obviously, I'm watering everything in various ways.  My grandson bought me a waterer for Mother's Day that slowly spins and sprays, and covers a large part of the garden.  I try to let it work for four hours every Thursday  night or Friday morning early, times when there won't be so much of our well water evaporating in the heat.  There are two soaker hoses coming tomorrow, too.  

I swore I wasn't going to water the garden this year, but here I am, watering parts of it in one way or another every day.