The Raspberries are Starting

Word of the Day

Thumble - A thimble worn on the thumb. If worn for a prolonged period of time can deform the thumb to the shape of the thumble.

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Wow! Where has the time flown? So much to do and so little time to do it. Sometimes blogging just has to be pushed to the side. HTP will be heading back to our Arizona home on Saturday so blogging hasn't exactly been a priority.

Tuesday, we stopped over in Hayward to visit our boat and enjoy a meal at one of the local Asian restaurants. Nothing to write home about...or blog about...but it was OK and a good chance to get out of the heat and humidity for a bit. We dropped off a part for our boat and were told that the Lund deck boards that had been ordered would be delivered sometime this week. I'm starting to wonder if it will be worth launching the boat once I get it back here. We'll see.

Wednesday morning, HTP and I hiked the property with the forester to clarify what we want done as far as logging goes with an eye toward the future. He'll be accepting bids from the various loggers in the area but we don't expect to see any actual logging trucks in here until late fall or sometime during the winter months. Our forester told us that logging could take place any time during the next couple of years, however, right now there's quite a market for our trees. Again, no, we aren't clear-cutting, we're harvesting mature trees and opening up the canopy to encourage the new growth of sugar maples.

The weather has been really warm and majorly sticky. After hiking the woods for two and a half hours, we returned to the house, wringing wet (and not from dew or rain). Thank goodness for air-conditioning! After a cool bath, we put our feet up and relaxed until dinner with BW Babe and JC. A visit here isn't quite complete without going out to eat at The Bona Casa and having a family-style Italian meal. Lots of food...and leftovers. BW and JC had never been there before but they have enjoyed the homemade raviolis from there. Cheese and chicken, and cheese and raisin. VERY good!

Today? HTP and I went out to Cumberland to meet a friend of ours who we hadn't seen for a quite a while. Of course, we keep in touch with her via Internet but it isn't the same. She and HTP are heavily involved and interested in genealogy and the Italian history in this area of Wisconsin....and into Minnesota....and back in Italy. What better place to meet than at the Corner Bar? A great place to sit and chat, eat, and chat some more. No-one blinks to see us sitting at a table with laptop open, tracing ancestors, connections and relationships.

After returning home, I noted that my poor plants were wilting out on the upper deck. I'm going to have to start watering them on a daily basis. They NEED water and we NEED rain. I gave them water for now but even if it rains tonight, I'll be out there watering again tomorrow. It's that time of year when the plants suck up a lot of water. They're producing (I have a harvestable eggplant which I plan to enjoy next week) and they'll be drinking lot more from now until fall. I tied up all the tomato plants again. We're supposed to be getting some storms tonight...maybe. If we do, I don't want any branches snapping off. I get enough of that from the critters who still seem to be munching on my green tomatoes.

Speaking of critters, I suspect that I had a visit from a raccoon out on my deck last night. Whatever, carefully pulled one of my hummingbird feeders over to where it could be easily emptied. Apparently, someone likes sugar water. Thankfully, since this particular hummingbird feeder is made out of glass, "someone" didn't drop the feeder and break it into tiny little pieces which I'd have been REALLY angry about...mad enough for me to try out my gun. However, instead, I brought the empty feeder inside, plan to bring the seed feeders inside tonight...and every night until I catch this certain "someone" and transport him/her, far, far, away. But, not until after HTP leaves. He requested that any angry raccoon issues (they REALLY don't like to be trapped) wait until after he's safely back in Arizona. You know...I wonder if I can find a good recipe for raccoon stew? Wait...it doesn't seem quite fair to shoot a trapped raccoon, besides, he didn't break the feeder. I can always cook up more sugar water for the hummingbirds and the orioles.

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Random Quote of the Day

Rumor travels faster, but it don't stay put as long as truth.

Will Rogers (1879 - 1935), 'Politics Getting Ready to Jell,' The Illiterate Digest, 1924