Monday June 6th 2011

Monday, I sure have a lot I want to do today!!  Actually I wasn’t going to do anything but when I got into the garage I decided to clear a space to put the grill.  Well, one thing leads to another and I cleaned up about half of the garage and it does look a little better but in doing this I found that I need to replace some more boards that the termites have been eating on. That is a project for another day.

OK now for the picture of the pepper plants that the old redneck figured out how to take care of a problem….

Isn’t that the “bees knees”?  I wondered what those chairs were for. It worked because the plants are still looking decent in fact one has a little bell pepper on it!!  I still need to weed the garden and keep the pepper plants watered.  I need to keep the whole garden watered because it is so hot and dry now.  Flood a few weeks ago and arid now.

I worked on the lawn mower again, I broke it Saturday (?) so I went down to Delta Growers and got some things to try to fix it.  I broke off the top of the shaft trying to get it loose.  Still has a few threads on it so I got a nut that works and a few washers and a grease zerk (zerk? that’s what I always called them).  Anyway I had to take it apart about four times and figured out we were short one piece.  I found an old one that I used and it worked.  Really need to get the right piece for it though.  The mower works..for awhile anyway.

Went to town this morning to pay bills and get a few things.  Had to go back to town for a few more things though.  Can’t get them all in one trip you know.

I kind of took it easy in the afternoon. I had worked pretty hard this morning now it’s time to take a break.

Not much on TV tonight either, what a bummer!  Night Y’all…

Sunday June 5th 2011

Well, Linda got up in time to go to church today!!  We sat with Cuma and Bonnie.  Joe had a pretty good service today, I think I am starting to get used to him. I do like his messages.

We went to the Grecian Steak House with Cuma and Bonnie after church. Had a pretty decent lunch. Cuma and Bonnie filled us in on all that has been going on in their lives. I talked to a guy (changing the subject a little) about the Grecian which he pronounced grayson and I couldn’t figure out until a little later what he was talking about.  He had a bad experience there and I can understand it. I’m not sure if it is because they are Greek but some things just weren’t the way we like them but there was enough good stuff to get filled up on.

I had to take a picture of our first flower I planted that is an annual, not even sure what kind it is but it is cute….

It is a very dainty flower but pretty….the field across the road is looking good also…

They haven’t started irrigating yet but I’m sure as hot as it is and dry it won’t be long.  The field behind us is also looking good even though they replanted it not long ago.  Wish my garden was growing that fast.  It isn’t doing to bad but I have replanted string beans and corn.  Beans are coming up but the corn isn’t up yet.

Sunday night service was really good.  Joe is going through Revelation and it is really interesting.  I think it is one of my favorite Books even though it is pretty rough, not to worry if you are “Saved” though.

When I got home last night and looked at the Bell Pepper plants that I planted, they looked like they were dead, what a bummer.  Sun is to hot and the wind is to strong and the temperature is really bad.  Got to figure out what I can do other than put more water on them.  Brain is straining but I do have a picture for tomorrow, unique problem solved, I think I am starting to think like a “redneck”!!!  Will put the picture on the blog tomorrow.

We watched a cooking show tonight and I stayed awake!  Maybe because I took a nap this afternoon.

Guess that is about all for today, Night Y’all…

Saturday June 4th 2011

Whoa!!! Another hot day but like I said the mornings are great!!  Sparky and I sat outside in the shade for about a half hour when I decided to start doing a few things.  I took the mower apart again (broke it) so we will have to get another new part and try it again..

I got the tiller out and tilled up the part of the garden that I haven’t planted to get the grass out. I got to go between the rows of tomatoes also…

At least some of the grass is gone, I still have to figure out what else I am going to plant, probably just corn, not sure yet though.  I put a little water on the garden also.  Hope it is enough, it sure is getting hot but think this is helping some of the things to grow, sure not helping the bulbs and the perennials I planted.  The annuals are doing great…

Work…Had a slow day yesterday, today will probably be as slow or slower. I was wrong, got nine campers in and had a bunch of rental money come in and filled some propane.  Kept pretty busy.  I got out right at 7PM so I figure I did good and the books balanced!!!  When I first started I had lots of problems but it has been working out right for quite awhile now.

Got home at 7:20PM and going to take it easy tonight..

Oh, I took some pictures at work.  This couple came in driving a Wander Lodge, looked brand new!

Well, it isn’t new, they aren’t made anymore.  This one is a 1996!  That is 15 years old if I have my figures right.  The box trailer has a car in it…

This is a 1937 Ford, now if my figures are right it is about 74 years old!  He did a good job restoring it.

Well I am tired and will probably go to  bed soon….Yep LaVon, I figure when it starts producing I will figure out the mystery!!!  Night Y’all

Friday June 3rd 2011

Well, I think summer is here!!  Spring lasted maybe a weekend not sure, I think I may have missed it!  It is very warm already this morning at 6:30AM and will get very warm today.

I went down to Delta Growers and picked up a part for the mower and while I was there I picked up a couple of fuses for the air conditioner and some Bell Pepper plants.  Also picked up some sweet corn seed. When I got home I planted the peppers and started planting the corn.  Also did some hoeing and pulled some grass by hand.  Good way to work up a sweat.

Work today was a little different, kept kind of busy with people coming in for propane and to pay rent. Only got three campers though. One couple that were heading back to Arizona had gone to a graduation in Oregon (IL) which is only about ten miles from where I grew up.  Small world.  She taught school in Rochelle, IL which isn’t far from where we lived and another couple (Don & Peggy) we worked with and are still friends with are from Rochelle! Very interesting!

Closing shop wasn’t to bad but it seems right at quitting time people like to come in and talk.  I like to talk but not at quitting time when I need to do the book work.  Then I’m in a hurry and that’s when I make the mistakes.

I got home about  7:30PM and Daniel had put the new piece on the mower deck but something was amiss!  The spindle was loose and the nut was tight!  We tried getting the nut off again to see what was missing but the nut is to tight for us to get it off.  Daniel is taking it somewhere tomorrow to get the thing fixed.  The mower works great and the tractor runs great, hope that he can get it fixed!

Linda made some Mexican Goulash tonight, smells great!  Tastes great!  Really spicy!!!  I really like things that smell great, taste great and are kind of spicy!  This was good, hope she can remember the recipe!

The camera still works!!  Got a picture of a plant that is blooming and I don’t know what it is, it was growing with one of the tomato plants I bought so I let it grow…

Not sure but I think it is either a squash or a cucumber but you can see I need to keep on the grass, it really grows fast!!

Here is another plant that I imagine Cuma planted, got lots of these and I think they are Yucca but not sure, they don’t smell as good as they look!

Actually, they don’t smell good at all!  In the Fall the bottom stays kind of green but the top just looks like a dead stick.  I break them off and they come back again the next year, I have had fire real close to them but they still come back, they must be pretty hearty!

Guess that is about all for tonight, I think that is time….Night Y’all….

Thursday June 2nd 2011

It is going to be another very warm day today but the morning sure are great!

Watered the garden a little before leaving for work.  It is pretty warm so I think the plants need some water.  I watered the flowers that are up and the ones that aren’t up! Really have my doubts about the ones that aren’t up though.

The wind isn’t blowing to hard so I am going to spray Roundup where I can see what I have missed.  I also used the two gallon pump up sprayer and sprayed where I can’t go with the golf cart.  Now I have to wait again for a week or so to see where I missed. I also did some weed whacking and after lunch I cleaned the “mud” out of the driveway that dried up.  Took awhile to do that but we weren’t quite ready to go cut up trees.

When we got all set Mark took the tractor over and I took the golf cart. He used the chain saw and I picked up limbs until they got to heavy then we worked together and the last piece he got in the bucket and took it to the burn pile. Sure is hot out today but the sun isn’t shining so that helped a little.  On the second tree, which is small, Mark knocked it over with the tractor then loaded it up while on was on the phone with Linda.  The air conditioner quit working at home.  Tried to help her do what she could but it just wasn’t the problem.  We still had things to pick up so when we finally got done I went on home.  Didn’t take long to fix the A/C but Linda didn’t know where the parts were and I wasn’t sure.  It blew a fuse outside and I found them so I didn’t have to drive back into town.  The electric had been going off and on and I think it was to much for the air conditioner. Blew a fuse!  After I got that running again I went out and pulled weeds in the garden and did a little hoeing.  Little bit at a time!

Linda fixed a big pot of rice pudding for supper.  Very good.  I really like rice pudding!  I took my shower and I knew that I wouldn’t be much company tonight, I was right, had a really hard time staying awake..

Made it through the first part of the weather forecast then decided it was time to go to bed…night Y’all…

Wednesday June 1st 2011

Time  is really flying by, it’s June already and it is hot out.  Beautiful mornings though, a little breezy and temp is just right, about seventy!

I tried watering the garden and the flowers.  Linda picked up four packages of bulbs and roots, I finally got them all planted a few days ago and I’m keeping an eye of them to see if any of them will grow!  We also bought perennials that don’t seem to be doing anything either!  The sunflowers are sure growing good though.

Today is an early day and I mess around in the morning and forget about the time.  I did remember the battery though. I am taking the camper battery in to get it checked to see if it is good.  When I got there they checked it and it was good so now I have another problem somewhere and I think I will have to take it to an auto electric place to get it checked out, I’m no good with electrical systems.

Mark made up a list for Grant and me to work on today.  It it composed of about fifteen things. I started out the day blowing rocks off the driveway which hadn’t been done for about six weeks. I trimmed the little “suckers” off some trees which took me the rest of the morning. Grant and I will pick up limbs that have been laying around for awhile and take them to the burn pile.  We used his truck and I think we had four or five loads of limbs and let me tell you it was really warm out and we had to take a water break about half way through.

After that I got the sprayer and leaf blower out. Sprayed a lot that I had missed but still haven’t gotten it all. I also blew off one of the roads in the mobile home park and picked up the sticks and bark that was on it. I did quite a bit of weed eating also, some spots really look a lot better now.

I took a half hour for lunch so I could quit at 5:30PM instead of 6PM.  When it was time to quit I was bushed, I think the temp was in the 90s today and I am wore to a frazzle!

When I got home I was going to do a little hoeing in the garden, nope not today, I am just to tired.

Took my shower and couldn’t stay awake but made it to 10;20PM before going to bed.

I weighed myself before going to bed and I had lost five pounds today and I had drunk over a gallon of water!  Lots of sweating!  Time for bed now…. Night Y’all…

Tuesday May 31st 2011

Well this is the last day of May and it is going to be really warm.  This morning, at about 6:30AM, is beautiful, the breeze is blowing and it is about 70 degrees, just gorgeous!  I thought about doing a little weeding in the garden but figured if I do that I will get all hot a sweaty and I don’t want to do that this morning so I will wait until this evening to weed the garden. I planted, or replanted, some string beans and hopefully they will come up and produce this time.  I bought one tomato plant and it had another plant in it and I wasn’t going to try to separate them and it seems to be doing pretty good, it has a bloom on it now!  Wonder what kind of plant it is!!  Probably with my luck it will be Poison Ivy or something like that..

I keep checking all the plants to see what is coming up, flowers anyway, and I see a few but not many.  I really don’t have a “green thumb”.

Work this afternoon! It is in the office so should have a pretty good day. I asked Mark about having the Winter off and he is going to check into some help coming in so we may make it back to the Valley this Winter for a while at least.  We will see, I would like to go to Mississippi for a while and we have to go to California for a visit, just to many things to do and not enough time or money to do them.

I had quite an easy day in the office, only had one camper come in. Mark made a list of things for us, Grant and me, to do tomorrow.  Enough stuff to keep us busy for quite awhile.  Grass to mow, weeds to chop, trees to trim, roads to clean off, underpinning  to replace from all the wind, roundup to spray, branches to pick up etc…

When I got home I did a little hoeing in the garden, not much but it is starting to look a little better.  I will have to pull grass out one of these days before it gets out of hand.  I can’t get it with a hoe in the rows so will have to pull it by hand.

My camera is getting rusty!!  I haven’t taken any pictures for a couple of days now, I usually take it with me but not much to take pictures of, that would be worth putting in the blog.

Linda fixed us a “Shrimp Cocktail” for supper and it was good.  Neither of us was very hungry and it is probably because of the heat, kind of losing our appetites. May be a good thing, might lose a little weight!!  That would be nice.

Well, I started a fire tonight and got some more stuff burned up but still have a lot of big pieces left, but I have a lot of time.

Nothing much good on TV tonight.  Watched the “Voice” and it wasn’t to bad but I’m not into their kind of singing, they do have good singing voices, but don’t like the songs.  So much for that, news and weather is on and sure enough, I missed most of it.  Guess I will go to bed…Night Y’all…