One of the driest and hottest summers on record shrivels to a close.
The water level of the front pond is the lowest we've ever seen it.
The receding water has left mudflats around the island.
To beat the heat, Nine has been excavating a tummy-cooling hole in the barn. She will soon have the entire foundation uncovered.
Despite the drought, Barb’s lamppost flowers still look good in a sea of brown;
they get occasional drenchings with the goats’ waste water.
Two of the apple trees have no fruit – mainly because they were zapped by a late frost that nipped the blossoms.
The 3 other trees display a remarkable output in spite of the drought.
The gnarled old survivor in back
is especially prolific this year, as the blue jays have discovered.
Wildfires to our north add to the smoky air drifting down from Canada
prompting frequent air quality alerts.
We might as well be smoking Camel non-filters.
For all our lack of rain, we did have one thunderstorm – that took out our cordless phone/answering machine.
After lightning fried an older system a year earlier,
we plugged the replacement (along with the office computer and printers) into an expensive, well reviewed surge protector,
which was in turn plugged into a 3-hole outlet. We naively assumed that all 3-hole outlets are grounded.
Apparently we were wrong.
Until we can get an electrician to run a new grounded line from the electrical service panel to the outlet, we unplug everything at the first rumble of thunder.
The MeadowWild herd is down to the smallest it’s been
since Barb got her first two goats in 2007.
The current roster consists of grande dame Kuiper
her daughter Planet Nine
and Cheeky’s orphan daughter Tzest.
The ladies enjoy their daily forage outings.
With this year's explosion of milkweed, we're hoping for an explosion of Monarchs.
Paper wasps are still adding on to their condo on the back of the house.
On the feline front, Vigilant Cat has been sporting a sassy new
spiderweb hairdo.
takes a bath, and then heads for her cozy refuge on top of hay bales in the barn.
Despite Covid warnings, Dustin made his annual trek to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
on his Harley-Davidson Fatboy Terminator
which he traded for a Vincent Black Lightning 1952
(in honor of Richard Thompson).
It broke down near Summerset and he flew the rest of the way home out of Rapid City. Alas, he tossed down too many Shirley Temples during the flight and grew belligerent;
the crew had to duct-tape him to his seat.
Fortunately, he didn’t acquire Covid in Sturgis, but he did return with some handsome new ink:
Dustin’s comment on the latest feline research:
“DUH!”
Next up on his “to-do” list:
a Brazilian Butt Lift
and a viral video of his Milk Crate Challenge effort.
The State Fair marks the transition from (meteorological) summer to fall.
Tempted as we are by the gourmet fair food
we’re skipping this year because of threats posed by gun enthusiasts
and those freedom-loving folks who won’t get vaccinated and refuse to wear a mask.
If they do contract Covid,
our goat medicine cabinet is stocked with Ivermectin.
Other signs of seasonal change include ripening apples,
apples knocked off the lower branches by deer,
and critters burrowing down for the winter.
They’ve got 32 acres of meadow and woods to bed down in,
so of course they have to rip up the already parched, pathetic lawn around the house.
The month and season concluded on a joyous note with a celebration of Barb’s aunt Evelyn’s 100th birthday.
Friends and family gathered to congratulate her on staying vigorous, sharp, and wonderful for over a century.
Barb crafted mini-soap keepsakes for attendees to remember the happy occasion.
We’re looking forward to your 200th birthday in 2121, Evelyn!
(Photos courtesy of Cindy)
