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.